IP Library Granted Patent US 10,356,991
Granted Patent B2
US 10,356,991 · App. 16/017,551 · Granted Jul 23, 2019

Method for three-dimensional moisture control using resistivity data

Inventor: John Bryant (Carrollton, TX)
Assignee: Bryant Consultants, Inc.
A01G25/167G05B19/042G01N27/048G05B2219/2625
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,356,991
App. No.
16/017,551
Granted
Jul 23, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for moisture control includes a computer, a probe controller connected to the computer, a set of probes connected to the probe controller, a sprinkler controller connected to the computer, and a set of sprinklers connected to the sprinkler controller. The set of probes are driven into the ground according to a predetermined set of positions. A set of high voltage currents is injected into the ground through the set of probes and measurements are taken. A three-dimensional resistivity model is generated from the measurements and is compared to a set of moisture requirements. A set of sprinkler commands is generated based on the three-dimensional resistivity model and the set of moisture requirements. If the three-dimensional resistivity model meets the set of moisture requirements, the set of sprinklers are activated in each of a set of sprinkler zones according the three-dimensional resistivity model where watering is needed.

Claims (56)

1. A method for moisture control executed by a computer comprising:

receiving, by the computer, a three-dimensional set of moisture requirements including a set of surface zones, each surface zone associated with a depth of a set of depths below a surface, each depth related to a type of foliage, stored in a look-up table;

receiving, by the computer, a set of probe data comprising measured voltages between a reference probe and each of a plurality of other probes and corresponding currents between pairs of the plurality of other probes, each of the reference probe and the other probes associated with a corresponding location;

calculating a set of resistivity data from the set of probe data, the probe locations, and a probe geometric constant;

sorting the set of resistivity data to create a set of sorted resistivity data;

generating a set of first resistivity models from the set of sorted resistivity data;

generating a set of second resistivity models from the set of first resistivity models;

combining each second resistivity model of the set of second resistivity models to generate a three-dimensional resistivity model;

comparing the three-dimensional resistivity model to the three-dimensional set of moisture requirements;

generating a set of sprinkler commands based on the comparison; and,

sending, by the computer, the set of sprinkler commands to a set of sprinkler controllers thereby activating at least one sprinkler.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending, by the computer, the set of sprinkler commands to the set of sprinkler controllers whereby a plurality of sprinklers in the set of sprinklers are activated to achieve a uniform moisture level.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending, by the computer, the set of sprinkler commands to the set of sprinkler controllers whereby a plurality of sprinklers in the set of sprinklers are activated to each disperse a different amount of water to a plurality of surface zones of the set of surface zones.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending the set of sprinkler commands according to a watering schedule that is based on one of a set of watering restrictions and a set of weather conditions.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting a probe configuration for the reference probe and the plurality of other probes;

injecting a current based on the probe configuration; and,

measuring a voltage based on probe configuration.

6. A method for moisture control executed by a computer comprising:

receiving, by the computer, a three-dimensional set of moisture requirements including a set of surface zones, each surface zone associated with one or more of a set of depths below a surface, each depth related to one or more types of foliage, stored in a look-up table;

receiving, by the computer, a set of probe data comprising measured voltages between a reference probe and each of a plurality of other probes and corresponding currents between pairs of the plurality of other probes, each of the reference probe and the other probes associated with a corresponding location;

calculating a set of resistivity data from the set of probe data, the probe locations, and a probe geometric constant;

applying a least squares data inversion to the set of resistivity data to derive a set of first resistivity models;

applying a kriging procedure to the set of first resistivity models to derive a set of second resistivity models;

combining each second resistivity model of the set of second resistivity models through a regression analysis to generate a three-dimensional resistivity model;

comparing the three-dimensional resistivity model to the three-dimensional set of moisture requirements;

generating a set of sprinkler commands based on the comparison; and,

sending, by the computer, the set of sprinkler commands to a set of sprinkler controllers thereby activating at least one sprinkler.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

sending, by the computer, the set of sprinkler commands to the set of sprinkler controllers thereby activating a set of sprinklers to disperse different amounts of water to the one or more surface zones of the set of surface zones.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

sending the set of sprinkler commands according to a watering schedule based on at least one of a day of the week, a time, and a predetermined temperature.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instruction that, when executed by a computer, cause it to perform the steps of:

receiving, by the computer, a three-dimensional set of moisture requirements including a set of surface zones, each surface zone associated with a depth of a set of depths below a surface, each depth related to a type of foliage, stored in a look-up table;

receiving, by the computer, a set of probe data comprising measured voltages between a reference probe and each of a plurality of other probes and corresponding currents between pairs of the plurality of other probes, each of the reference probe and the other probes associated with a corresponding location;

calculating a set of resistivity data from the set of probe data, the probe locations, and a probe geometric constant;

sorting the set of resistivity data to create a set of sorted resistivity data;

generating a set of first resistivity models from the set of sorted resistivity data;

generating a set of second resistivity models from the set of first resistivity models;

combining each second resistivity model of the set of second resistivity models to generate a three-dimensional resistivity model;

comparing the three-dimensional resistivity model to the three-dimensional set of moisture requirements;

generating a set of sprinkler commands based on the comparison; and,

sending, by the computer, the set of sprinkler commands to a set of sprinkler controllers thereby activating at least one sprinkler.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , that when executed by the computer, cause it to perform the further step of:

sending, by the computer, the set of sprinkler commands to the set of sprinkler controllers whereby a plurality of sprinklers in the set of sprinklers are activated to achieve a uniform moisture level.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , that when executed by the computer, cause it to perform the further step of:

sending, by the computer, the set of sprinkler commands to the set of sprinkler controllers whereby a plurality of sprinklers in the set of sprinklers are activated to each disperse a different amount of water to a plurality of surface zones of the set of surface zones.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , that when executed by the computer, cause it to perform the further step of:

sending the set of sprinkler commands according to a watering schedule that is based on one of a set of watering restrictions and a set of weather conditions.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , that when executed by the computer, cause it to perform the further steps of:

selecting a probe configuration for the reference probe and the plurality of other probes;

injecting a current based on the probe configuration; and,

measuring a voltage based on probe configuration.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 16, 2025
From: EARTHSYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: EARTHSYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES OPERATING LLC
Reel/Frame 070861/0714 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2020
From: BRYANT CONSULTANTS, INC.
To: BRYANT, JOHN T.
Reel/Frame 052280/0875 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2020
From: BRYANT, JOHN T.
To: EARTHSYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 052280/0925 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2018
From: BRYANT, JOHN
To: BRYANT CONSULTANTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 046195/0081 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 14728330 · Jun 2, 2015
Related Publication 20180303050A1 · Oct 25, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,721,288