公开(公告)号：US12185676B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-07

申请号：US17839978

申请日：2022-06-14

Applicant: Rain Bird Corporation

Inventor： Harvey J. Nickerson ,  Bradley H. Dolbin ,  Jonathan I. Marsters ,  Anderson Micu

IPC: A01G25/16 ,  G05B19/042

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to providing power and data to an irrigation device. In some embodiments, a decoder unit for an irrigation system that receives power and data from an irrigation control unit over a multi-wire path comprises an input interface configured to couple to the multi-wire path of a decoder-based irrigation control system and to receive an output AC signal modulated with data and transmitted by an encoder of the irrigation control unit over the multi-wire path; a switch coupled to the input interface; a decoder circuit connected to the input interface. In some embodiment, the decoder circuit comprises a control circuit configured to decode the data from the received output AC signal; determine that the irrigation device is to be activated; and output a control signal to the switch.

公开(公告)号：US11234380B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-01

申请号：US16586729

申请日：2019-09-27

Applicant: Rain Bird Corporation

Inventor： Anderson Micu ,  Andrew M. Nguyen ,  Jonathan I. Marsters ,  Harvey J. Nickerson ,  Daniel B. Zimet

IPC: A01G25/16 ,  G05B19/042

Abstract: In some embodiments, systems and methods provide an irrigation control system, comprising: an irrigation controller comprising an irrigation control unit; a power source; a microcontroller; and a modulator, wherein the modulator is configured to output modulated power signals; a plurality of switches coupled to an output of the modulator and independently controlled by the microcontroller; and a plurality of two-wire path output connectors each coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of switches, wherein each of the plurality of two-wire path output connectors is configured to be connected to a corresponding two-wire path of a plurality of two-wire paths to which multiple decoder-based irrigation control units can be connected and controlled, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to operate the plurality of switches to couple and decouple the modulated power signals from the output of the modulator to one or more of the plurality of two-wire path output connectors.

公开(公告)号：US20200245575A1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-06

申请号：US16857822

申请日：2020-04-24

Applicant: Rain Bird Corporation

Inventor： Jonathan I. Marsters ,  Harvey J. Nickerson ,  Sundarraj Karthikeyan ,  Douglas H. Callison ,  Steven A. Hollington ,  Darin K. Price

IPC: A01G25/16 ,  G05B19/042 ,  G05B15/02

Abstract: A decoder-based irrigation controller comprising a controller housing; a first microcontroller within the controller housing; a decoder interface coupled to the first microcontroller; and a handheld user device, wherein the handheld user device comprises an optical imaging device configured to read an optically readable pattern from each of the plurality of decoder units, wherein the handheld user device is configured to cause data read from the optically readable pattern of the plurality of decoder units to be transferred to the first microcontroller, and wherein the data read comprises an address of each of the plurality of decoder units.

公开(公告)号：US20220304263A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-29

申请号：US17839978

申请日：2022-06-14

Applicant: Rain Bird Corporation

Inventor： Harvey J. Nickerson ,  Bradley H. Dolbin ,  Jonathan I. Marsters ,  Anderson Micu

IPC: A01G25/16 ,  G05B19/042

Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to providing power and data to an irrigation device. In some embodiments, a decoder unit for an irrigation system that receives power and data from an irrigation control unit over a multi-wire path comprises an input interface configured to couple to the multi-wire path of a decoder-based irrigation control system and to receive an output AC signal modulated with data and transmitted by an encoder of the irrigation control unit over the multi-wire path; a switch coupled to the input interface; a decoder circuit connected to the input interface. In some embodiment, the decoder circuit comprises a control circuit configured to decode the data from the received output AC signal; determine that the irrigation device is to be activated; and output a control signal to the switch.

公开(公告)号：US20220095557A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-31

申请号：US17549446

申请日：2021-12-13

Applicant: Rain Bird Corporation

Inventor： Anderson Micu ,  Andrew M. Nguyen ,  Jonathan I. Marsters ,  Harvey J. Nickerson ,  Daniel B. Zimet

IPC: A01G25/16 ,  G05B19/042

Abstract: In some embodiments, systems and methods provide an irrigation control system, comprising: an irrigation controller comprising an irrigation control unit; a power source; a microcontroller; and a modulator, wherein the modulator is configured to output modulated power signals; a plurality of switches coupled to an output of the modulator and independently controlled by the microcontroller; and a plurality of two-wire path output connectors each coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of switches, wherein each of the plurality of two-wire path output connectors is configured to be connected to a corresponding two-wire path of a plurality of two-wire paths to which multiple decoder-based irrigation control units can be connected and controlled, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to operate the plurality of switches to couple and decouple the modulated power signals from the output of the modulator to one or more of the plurality of two-wire path output connectors.

公开(公告)号：US11234379B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-01

申请号：US16542749

申请日：2019-08-16

Applicant: Rain Bird Corporation

Inventor： Jonathan I. Marsters ,  Douglas H. Callison

IPC: A01G25/16 ,  G05D7/06 ,  G05B15/02 ,  G05B19/042

Abstract: Some embodiments provide systems and methods of controlling irrigation, comprising: communicating an assumption broadcast from a first irrigation controller to each of a plurality of other irrigation controllers defining assumed states of control elements, wherein the control elements are shared with one or more of the first irrigation controller and the other irrigation controllers; determining whether a reply is received from one or more of the other irrigation controllers in reply to the assumption broadcast; identifying, from the reply, a correction to a state corresponding to a first control element; updating state information corresponding to the first control element in response to the identifying the correction; and communicating a subsequent notification from the first irrigation controller to each of the plurality of other irrigation controllers of the irrigation system, where the subsequent notification comprises the updated state information corresponding to the first control element.

公开(公告)号：US11083146B2

公开(公告)日：2021-08-10

申请号：US16857822

申请日：2020-04-24

Applicant: Rain Bird Corporation

Inventor： Jonathan I. Marsters ,  Harvey J. Nickerson ,  Sundarraj Karthikeyan ,  Douglas H. Callison ,  Steven A. Hollington ,  Darin K. Price

IPC: G05B19/02 ,  A01G25/16 ,  G05B19/042 ,  G05B15/02

Abstract: A decoder-based irrigation controller comprising a controller housing; a first microcontroller within the controller housing; a decoder interface coupled to the first microcontroller; and a handheld user device, wherein the handheld user device comprises an optical imaging device configured to read an optically readable pattern from each of the plurality of decoder units, wherein the handheld user device is configured to cause data read from the optically readable pattern of the plurality of decoder units to be transferred to the first microcontroller, and wherein the data read comprises an address of each of the plurality of decoder units.

公开(公告)号：US09445556B2

公开(公告)日：2016-09-20

申请号：US14621229

申请日：2015-02-12

Applicant: Rain Bird Corporation

Inventor： Jonathan I. Marsters ,  Douglas H. Callison

IPC: G05B15/02 ,  A01G25/16 ,  G05D7/06

CPC classification number: A01G25/165 ,  A01G25/16 ,  G05B15/02 ,  G05B19/0426 ,  G05B2219/2625 ,  G05D7/0617 ,  G05D7/0635

Abstract: Some embodiments provide systems and methods of controlling irrigation, comprising: communicating an assumption broadcast from a first irrigation controller to each of a plurality of other irrigation controllers defining assumed states of control elements, wherein the control elements are shared with one or more of the first irrigation controller and the other irrigation controllers; determining whether a reply is received from one or more of the other irrigation controllers in reply to the assumption broadcast; identifying, from the reply, a correction to a state corresponding to a first control element; updating state information corresponding to the first control element in response to the identifying the correction; and communicating a subsequent notification from the first irrigation controller to each of the plurality of other irrigation controllers of the irrigation system, where the subsequent notification comprises the updated state information corresponding to the first control element.

公开(公告)号：US12201068B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-21

申请号：US18370741

申请日：2023-09-20

Applicant: Rain Bird Corporation

Inventor： Anderson Micu ,  Andrew M. Nguyen ,  Jonathan I. Marsters ,  Harvey J. Nickerson ,  Daniel B. Zimet

IPC: A01G25/16 ,  G05B19/042

Abstract: In some embodiments, systems and methods provide an output unit for an irrigation controller comprising: a housing; an input port; a microcontroller; a modulator; a plurality of switches coupled to an output of the modulator and independently controlled by the microcontroller; and a plurality of two-wire path output connectors each coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of switches, wherein each of the plurality of two-wire path output connectors is configured to be connected to a corresponding two-wire path of a plurality of two-wire paths which extend out of the irrigation controller and to which multiple decoder-based irrigation control units can be connected and controlled, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to operate the plurality of switches to couple and decouple the modulated power signals from the output of the modulator to one or more of the plurality of two-wire path output connectors.

公开(公告)号：US10653081B2

公开(公告)日：2020-05-19

申请号：US15967513

申请日：2018-04-30

Applicant: Rain Bird Corporation

Inventor： Jonathan I. Marsters ,  Harvey J. Nickerson ,  Sundarraj Karthikeyan ,  Douglas H. Callison ,  Steven A. Hollington ,  Darin K. Price

IPC: G05B19/02 ,  A01G25/16 ,  G05B19/042 ,  G05B15/02

Abstract: A decoder-based irrigation controller comprising a controller housing; a first microcontroller within the controller housing; a decoder interface coupled to the first microcontroller; a first connector coupled to the first microcontroller; a removable cartridge configured to removably and detachably coupled to the first connector to fit into the controller housing, wherein the removable cartridge comprises a second microcontroller; and a handheld barcode reader, wherein the handheld barcode reader comprises an optical reader configured to read an optically readable pattern from each of the plurality of decoder units, wherein the handheld barcode reader is configured to transfer data read from the optically readable pattern of the plurality of decoder units to the second microcontroller of the removable cartridge, and wherein the data read comprises an address of each of the plurality of decoder units.