US 11,856,899 B2
Monitoring and control of a movable tower in an irrigation system
Monte Keith Stouffer, Fairmont, NE (US); and Hal Reece Hockersmith, Deshler, NE (US)
Assigned to Reinke Manufacturing Co., Inc., Deshler, NE (US)
Filed by Reinke Manufacturing Co., Inc., Deshler, NE (US)
Filed on Jun. 20, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/446,964.
Prior Publication US 2020/0396912 A1, Dec. 24, 2020
Int. Cl. A01G 25/09 (2006.01); A01G 25/16 (2006.01); E04H 12/34 (2006.01)
CPC A01G 25/092 (2013.01) [A01G 25/16 (2013.01); E04H 12/344 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A network system providing enhanced operation for an electrically controlled irrigation system comprising:
a first network switch located on a first tower of the electrically controlled irrigation system;
a second network switch located on a second tower of the electrically controlled irrigation system;
a final network switch located on a final tower of the electrically controlled irrigation system, wherein the second tower located is further from a center pivot of the irrigation system than the first tower and closer to the pivot than the final tower;
wherein the first network switch and the second network switch are configured to forward packets received from the pivot side of the electrically controlled irrigation system towards the final tower that is furthest from the center pivot and wherein the first network switch and the second network switch are configured to forward packets received from the final tower side of the electrically controlled irrigation system towards the center pivot side of the electrically controlled irrigation system;
a main computer for the irrigation system; and
a controller located at the second tower, wherein the controller is coupled to the second network switch, and wherein the controller is configured to control operations of the second tower in response to one or more parameters sent in a network addressed communication from the main computer, relayed by the first network switch, and received by the second network switch, wherein the second network switch learns a network address of the controller and forwards the one or more parameters destined for the controller to the controller.