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 Title: |
US5361534:
Method of controlling irrigation
[ Derwent Title ]
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| Country: |
US United States of America
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| Inventor: |
Burns, Ivey L.; Orlando, FL
Muller, Eldon R.; Orlando, FL
Bell, Edward; Orlando, FL
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| Assignee: |
The Walt Disney Company, Burbank, CA
other patents from WALT DISNEY COMPANY (617665) (approx. 101)
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| Published / Filed: |
1994-11-08
/ 1994-01-12
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| Application Number: |
US1994000180536
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| IPC Code: |
Advanced:
A01G 27/00;
IPC-7:
A01G 25/00;
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| ECLA Code: |
A01G27/00D;
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| U.S. Class: |
Current:
047/079;
047/048.5;
Original:
047/079;
047/048.5;
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| Field of Search: |
047/079,79 C,48.5
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| Priority Number: |
| 1994-01-12 |
US1994000180536 |
| 1993-06-10 |
US1993000074777 |
| 1991-03-29 |
US1991000677487 |
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| Abstract: |
An irrigation control system is disclosed for controlling the irrigation of horticultural plants or crops grown in containers. The system includes a beam assembly for supporting the plant media system and a load cell for providing an electrical output signal proportional to the load applied to the beam assembly by the plant media system. The load cell is interfaced with a microcomputer which executes a control program of the present invention. The control program reads the signal from the load cell at selected intervals and signals for an irrigation event if the current weight of the plant media system is less than a predetermined base weight. A new predetermined base weight is calculated and reset after each irrigation event. In this way, the system bases the initiation of an irrigation event on real time, short term, differential weight change of the plant media system due to evapotranspiration, while allowing for compensation of weight change effects due to other factors such as fruit set, plant weight, pruning and harvesting.
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| Attorney, Agent or Firm: |
Pretty, Schroeder, Brueggemann & Clark ;
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| Primary / Asst. Examiners: |
Britts, Ramon S.; Downs, Joanne C.
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| INPADOC Legal Status: |
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| Parent Case: |
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/074,777, filed Jun. 10, 1993, now abandoned, which is a division of application Ser. No. 677,487, filed Mar. 29, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,78.
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| Family: |
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First Claim:
Show all 5 claims |
We claim:
1. A method of controlling irrigation, comprising the steps of:
- placing a plant media system to be irrigated on a movable beam assembly;
- sensing the weight of the plant media system by a load sensing means placed underneath the beam assembly;
- reading the sensed weight at selected intervals of time by control means for controlling the irrigation of the plant media system;
- initiating an irrigating event when the weight of the plant media system sensed by the load sensing means is less than a predetermined base weight as calculated by the control means; and
- recalculating the predetermined base weight after each irrigation event by subtracting a predetermined weight from the weight of the plant media system sensed following an irrigation event.
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| Background / Summary: |
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| Drawing Descriptions: |
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| Description: |
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| Forward References: |
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