Patent Application
20070043454
The typical residential or commercial landscape around a building has an irrigation controller to control the watering, a low-voltage lighting run off of a transformer connected to a timer, wide-area lights connected to a 110 VAC timer, and other subsystems, for example a water fountain having its own timer. The timers and controllers for these subsystems control when the devices are turned on or off by time of day, and other functions.
Some commercially-available timers and controllers possess remote-control options, but to date, all remote controls perform only simple on/off commands. These controllers are also technology specific, and a remote control for an irrigation timer cannot communicate to a low-voltage light. Landscape lighting timers are usually mechanically driven, and lose the correct time when the power is lost. When they lose their time, they must be manually reset.
Landscape irrigation controllers may have remote control options, but these cannot adjust internal controller parameters, such as water run times, the time of day clock, or the watering schedule. A hand-held remote control for an irrigation controller cannot control any other device that is not connected to the irrigation controller.
This invention solves these problems, buy combining the technologies required to control and to program irrigation, lighting, pumps, valves, and the like. The Multi-Function Remote Controller and Programmer for Landscape allows not only on/off commands to be sent remotely, but can also re-program the controllers and timers connected to its system, allowing schedules, time-clocks, and other parameters to be remotely set or modified.
Physically the invention's user interface is hand-held size, having a keypad on the front, and radio transmitter in it. It may also have a display, an LCD display in the preferred embodiment. It may also have a receiver in it, to receive signals from the external controllers.
The hand-held wireless remote control includes the following circuits:
Radio. A radio transceiver operating in one of the un-licensed frequency bands. It can transmit digital data to controllers and timers, and it can receive digital data from controllers and timers.
Keypad: Buttons provided on the front panel to facilitate user entry. The keypad could be as simple as two-button, or as sophisticated as a full keyboard.
Microprocessor: The microprocessor controls the LCD display, scans the buttons for key presses, controls the radio transmitter and receiver. The Microprocessor possess a FLASH memory that is used to hold its firmware and settings, and RAM memory for variables, time and configuration information for it and the other subsystems. The microprocessor communicates with the various timers and controllers, using the radio and displaying controller and timer information using the LCD.
LCD display. An LCD display, in the preferred embodiment, is used to show various function and modes of the device. The device has a plurality of modes, depending upon the type of controller or timer it is communicating with. Icons or words shown on the display may be used to represent the mode.
Battery: For portability, the device is battery operated. The Hand Held Remote as described will communicate with a controller or timer. The controller or timer must have a radio receiver in it that is compatible with the remote above. If the remote is used for reading information back from a controller or timer, the controller or timer must also have a transmitter in it.
An alternative embodiment is a small “Key FOB” sized device, lacking a display and possessing a limited number of keypad buttons.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new hand-held remote controller that can control multiple landscape subsystems.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a controller with programmability to allow for expansion of controllers handled and additional functions.
It is a further object of this invention to provide the controller with an easily-read display system that uses iconography to represent the functions controlled.
Further objects of this invention can be discerned by perusing the detailed description, drawings, specifications and claims of this application.
The construction and operation of the invention can be readily appreciated from inspection of the drawings that accompany this application, combined with the detailed specification to follow.
As shown in
As in
The radio transceiver 108,109 operates in one of the un-licensed frequency bands. It can transmit digital signals to controllers and timers, and it can receive digital data from controllers and timers.
The microprocessor 110 controls the LCD display 107, scans the buttons 106 for key presses, controls the radio transmitter and receiver 108,109. The microprocessor 110 possess PROM/RAM memory that is minimally reprogrammable to add new subsystem controls.
In the preferred embodiment, the LCD display 107 is used to show various function and modes of the device. The device has a plurality of modes, depending upon the type of controller or timer it is communicating with. Icons or words shown on the display may be used to represent the mode.
The device is battery 112 operated. For portability.
The invention as described will communicate with a controller or timer attached to landscape equipment. The controller or timer must have a radio receiver in it that is compatible with the remote above. If the remote is used for reading information back from a controller or timer, the controller or timer must also have a transmitter in it.
An alternative embodiment is a small “Key FOB” sized device, lacking a display and possessing a limited number of keypad buttons.
Some variations to the preferred embodiments could include these changes: a) The radio could be a higher-powered radio operating on a licensed frequency in the VHF or UHF radio bands. b) For hand-held wireless remote control devices that only issue remote control commands, and do not receive data back from the device it is controlling, the radio could be a transmit-only device. c) The LCD display could utilize other display technologies such as LED displays or LED indicators.
In
The invention has the ability to reprogram operational parameters in the devices it is controlling, via the keypad 106 and the display 107. The sequence of control program steps will depend on the devices controlled. Typical control step sequences would be as shown in
The invention can also pre-set run times for delayed start and pre-set duration, as in
The invention has the ability to set the internal clock in one or more of the devices it can communicate with, as shown in the control steps in
The invention can reprogram parameters including “start time” and “on duration” in one or more of devices it can communicate with as shown in
The invention can also program a device to cover each of several zones at a certain time, as in
The preferred embodiment of the invention includes the keyboard and display shown in
While the foregoing describes a preferred embodiment and several alternative embodiments, variation on this design and equivalent designs may be resorted to in the scope and spirit of the claimed invention.
