The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 29, 1995
Filed:
Mar. 04, 1994
Milton L Goff, Ramona, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A moisture control system which overrides power supplied to electrically operated irrigation control valves such that a preset amount of moisture content of soil is not exceeded. The system is composed of two components, a remote detector, which is disposed in soil distant from its controller, and a controller which is placed near the valve it controls or the valve's source of power. The controller is electrically placed between the source of power for a valve, such as a time clock, or 24 VAC transformer and the valve. The controller receives its power from the source of power and the valve receives its power from the controller. The controller supplies electrically isolated power to the remote detector, sets the desired moisture level at the remote detector, and controls power to the valve. The remote detector receives its operating power and desired moisture setting from the controller and the controller receives data as to whether the moisture is above or below the desired moisture from the remote detector via two connecting wires. Attached to and part of the remote detector is a probe having electrical characteristics that change with respect to the moisture content of the soil. The remote detector contains probe signal conditioning and level detecting circuits normally placed in the controller. Locating moisture sensing and detector circuits in the remote detector allows the use of low power probes, and effectively eliminates problems associated with electrical noise, probe plating, and distance between the sensing device and the valve control electronics.