US 12,446,500 B2
Speed control for irrigation systems
Josiah John Carey, Deshler, NE (US); Drew Ryan Eirich, Bruning, NE (US); Jonathan E. Ireland, Hebron, NE (US); and Russell Scott Reinke, Davenport, NE (US)
Assigned to Reinke Manufacturing Co., Inc., Deshler, NE (US)
Filed by Reinke Manufacturing Co., Inc., Deshler, NE (US)
Filed on Jul. 10, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/926,319.
Prior Publication US 2022/0007596 A1, Jan. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. A01G 25/16 (2006.01); A01G 25/02 (2006.01); A01G 25/09 (2006.01)
CPC A01G 25/165 (2013.01) [A01G 25/02 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
initiating an irrigation cycle of a field associated one or more virtual points of interest, wherein a target speed is associated with the irrigation cycle;
recording, prior to reaching a final destination, a first time at which an irrigation system executing the irrigation cycle reaches a virtual point of interest of the one or more virtual points of interest, wherein the virtual point of interest comprises an angular increment associated with the field or a linear increment associated with the field;
based on the first time, determining whether an actual speed of the irrigation system is equivalent to the target speed, wherein the determining is based at least partially on a historical record that is associated with the virtual point of interest and that includes a second time duration associated with the irrigation system previously reaching the virtual point of interest during a previous irrigation cycle; and
triggering an irrigation-system compensatory measure when the actual speed is not equivalent to the target speed, wherein the irrigation-system compensatory measure includes adjusting a first duty cycle of the irrigation system to a second duty cycle according to an operational limit, which limits an amount of change permitted to be effected in association with the irrigation-system compensatory measure, and wherein the operational limit is a light adjustment, a moderate adjustment, or an aggressive adjustment; and wherein the moderate adjustment is more than the light adjustment and less than the aggressive adjustment.