Irrigation timer with multiplexing watering mode
US6490505B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 17, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 3, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 17, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T137/86389
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An irrigation timer (2) includes a controller (8), including output signal terminals (18) coupleable to irrigation valve actuators (20) and an internal clock, and user inputs (12). Each irrigation valve actuator is coupleable to an irrigation valve for a watering zone with a watering period setting for each of the watering zones during a watering cycle (96). The controller divides the watering period for each watering zone by an integer n greater than 1 to obtain fractional watering periods (98). This permits each zone to be watered for its fractional watering period during a first fractional watering cycle (100) prior to beginning a second fractional watering cycle n of the fractional watering cycles constitute the watering cycle. The use of fractional watering periods help to spread out watering over a long period of time in each zone.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.