	US 12,075,734 B2
	Volumetric budget based irrigation control
Ryan L. Walker, San Diego, CA (US); Harvey J. Nickerson, El Cajon, CA (US); and Blake Snider, Allen, TX (US)
Assigned to Rain Bird Corporation, Azusa, CA (US)
Filed by Rain Bird Corporation, Azusa, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/972,331.
Application 17/972,331 is a continuation of application No. 17/314,830, filed on May 7, 2021, granted, now 11,477,950.
Application 17/314,830 is a continuation of application No. 16/812,040, filed on Mar. 6, 2020, granted, now 10,999,983, issued on May 11, 2021.
Application 16/812,040 is a continuation of application No. 16/218,202, filed on Dec. 12, 2018, granted, now 10,582,674, issued on Mar. 10, 2020.
Application 16/218,202 is a continuation of application No. 14/989,771, filed on Jan. 6, 2016, granted, now 10,188,050, issued on Jan. 29, 2019.
Application 14/989,771 is a continuation of application No. 13/500,882, granted, now 9,258,952, issued on Feb. 16, 2016, previously published as PCT/US2010/051699, filed on Oct. 6, 2010.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/322,710, filed on Apr. 9, 2010.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/261,685, filed on Nov. 16, 2009.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/249,519, filed on Oct. 7, 2009.
Prior Publication US 2023/0057116 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. G05B 7/00 (2006.01); A01G 25/16 (2006.01); G05B 13/02 (2006.01)

CPC A01G 25/16 (2013.01) [G05B 13/021 (2013.01)]

20 Claims

1. A method of controlling irrigation, the method comprising:

receiving, by a control circuit, water usage information corresponding to a volumetric water usage at a site location over a portion of a budget period of time, wherein the volumetric water usage includes volumetric irrigation water usage at the site location from irrigation of an area of the site location by controlled irrigation valves at the site location and includes volumetric non-irrigation water usage at the site location;

determining, by the control circuit and based on at least the water usage information, a first volumetric water usage having occurred from a beginning of a budget period of time to a first time within the budget period of time;

determining, by the control circuit, a predicted volumetric water usage to occur from the first time to an end of the budget period of time;

determining, by the control circuit, whether the first volumetric water usage and the predicted volumetric water usage is predicted to exceed a water budget specific to the site location, wherein the water budget corresponds to a predefined volume of water usage for use at the site location during the budget period of time;

outputting, by the control circuit, signaling causing a notification to be sent by a notification system to a user to be displayed on a display screen, the notification indicating that water usage at the site location is predicted to exceed the water budget during the budget period of time;

receiving, by the control circuit, a response based on the notification; and

automatically controlling, by an irrigation controller, the irrigation at the site location based on the response.