Control system for an irrigation system

Abstract

A control system for a low-volume irrigation system includes a plurality of valve controllers for opening and closing valves; an irrigation system controller for controlling the valve controllers in accordance with an irrigation plan; and a graphical user interface for allowing a user to interact with the irrigation controller and to create the irrigation plan. The graphical user interface displays an irrigation zone list, an irrigation set list, and an irrigation plan field. The user interface has drag and drop functionality that permits an irrigation zone listing from the irrigation zone list to be dragged and dropped into any of the irrigation set listings in the irrigation set list and that permits an irrigation zone listing or an irrigation set listing to be dragged and dropped into the irrigation plan to create irrigation steps within the irrigation plan.

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following: 
     
         1 . A control system for controlling valves of an irrigation system via an irrigation system controller, each valve having a valve controller, the control system comprising:
 a first functionality that permits one of a plurality of irrigation zone listings from an irrigation zone list to be copied into any of a plurality of irrigation set listings in an irrigation set list, each irrigation zone listing representing an irrigation zone configured to be controlled by one of the valve controllers; and   a second functionality that permits an irrigation zone listing or an irrigation set listing to be copied into an irrigation plan to create irrigation steps within the irrigation plan.   
     
     
         2 . The control system of  claim 1 , further comprising functionality to reorder irrigation steps in the irrigation plan. 
     
     
         3 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the first functionality associates data for one of the irrigation zone listings with one of the irrigation set listing when the irrigation zone listing is copied into the irrigation set listing. 
     
     
         4 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the second functionality associates data for one of the irrigation zone listings with the irrigation plan when the irrigation zone listing or one of the irrigation set listings containing the irrigation zone listing is copied into the irrigation plan. 
     
     
         5 . The control system of  claim 1 , further comprising communications equipment for communicating the irrigation plan to the irrigation system controller. 
     
     
         6 . The control system of  claim 1 , further comprising communications equipment for communicating instructions in the irrigation plan from the irrigation system controller to the valve controllers. 
     
     
         7 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is remotely accessible. 
     
     
         8 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of host computers including repositories for data and programs. 
     
     
         9 . The control system of  claim 1 , further comprising functionality for customizing run time parameters. 
     
     
         10 . The control system of  claim 1 , further comprising functionality for adding completed irrigation plans to a calendar for scheduling operation of the irrigation system. 
     
     
         11 . A control system for controlling valves of an irrigation system via an irrigation system controller, each valve having a valve controller, the control system comprising:
 a graphical user interface accessible via mobile communication devices for allowing users to create an irrigation plan to be implemented by the irrigation system controller, the graphical user interface comprising:
 an irrigation zone list containing a listing of irrigation zones of the irrigation system, each of the irrigation zones being configured to be controlled by one of the valve controllers; 
 an irrigation set list containing a listing of irrigation sets, each irrigation set listing containing information for at least one of the irrigation zones; and 
 an irrigation plan field displaying the irrigation plan, the irrigation plan including information for at least one irrigation zone or at least one irrigation set. 
   
     
     
         12 . The control system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 drag and drop functionality that permits one of the irrigation zone listings from the irrigation zone list to be dragged and dropped into any of the irrigation set listings in the irrigation set list; and   drag and drop functionality that permits one of the irrigation zone listings or one of the irrigation set listings to be dragged and dropped into the irrigation plan to create irrigation steps within the irrigation plan.   
     
     
         13 . The control system of  claim 12 , wherein the drag and drop functionality associates data for one of the irrigation zone listings with one of the irrigation set listings when the irrigation zone listing is dragged and dropped into the irrigation set listing. 
     
     
         14 . The control system of  claim 12 , wherein the drag and drop functionality associates data for one of the irrigation zone listings with the irrigation plan when the irrigation zone listing or one of the irrigation set listings containing the irrigation zone listing is dragged and dropped into the irrigation plan. 
     
     
         15 . The control system of  claim 11 , further comprising communications equipment for communicating the irrigation plan from the graphical user interface to the irrigation system controller. 
     
     
         16 . The control system of  claim 11 , further comprising communications equipment for communicating instructions in the irrigation plan from the irrigation system controller to the valve controllers. 
     
     
         17 . The control system of  claim 11 , wherein the graphical user interface is remotely accessible. 
     
     
         18 . The control system of  claim 11 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of host computers including repositories for data and programs implemented by the graphical user interface. 
     
     
         19 . The control system of  claim 11 , further comprising functionality for customizing run time parameters and functionality for adding completed irrigation plans to a calendar for scheduling operation of the irrigation system. 
     
     
         20 . A control system for controlling valves of an irrigation system via an irrigation system controller, each valve having a valve controller, the control system comprising:
 a remotely accessible graphical user interface for allowing a user to create an irrigation plan, the graphical user interface comprising:
 information for a number of irrigation zones, the information being in an irrigation set listing of an irrigation set list on the graphical user interface, the irrigation plan including the information for the irrigation zones; 
 an irrigation plan field displaying the irrigation plan to be implemented by the irrigation system controller; and 
 an irrigation zone list containing a listing of irrigation zones of the irrigation system, each of the irrigation zones being configured to be controlled by one of the valve controllers, 
 the graphical user interface being configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of host computers including repositories for data and programs implemented by the graphical user interface; 
   functionality for customizing run time parameters; and   functionality for adding completed irrigation plans to a calendar for scheduling operation of the irrigation system.