Long-range remote solenoid-valve actuator
The present invention teaches a solenoid-valve actuator that is battery-powered and communicates remotely and wirelessly (e.g., via LoRaWAN) to a gateway that communicates with the internet, thereby enabling a user to remotely control fluid flow through a solenoid valve. The end device interfaces to a range of latching solenoid operated valves, e.g., for the control of water flow in irrigation systems.
1. An irrigation-control apparatus comprising: a solenoid-valve actuator coupled to a solenoid valve via a wired connection, the solenoid-valve actuator is battery-powered and communicates wirelessly to a remote gateway; the remote gateway communicates with the Internet, thereby enabling a user to remotely control fluid flow through the solenoid-valve; and software included in the solenoid-valve actuator is capable of enabling the solenoid-valve actuator to automatically deactuate a wire-connected solenoid upon installation of batteries into the solenoid-valve actuator.
2. The irrigation-control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein user-control of a solenoid-valve actuator is enabled by the following: a software application for a mobile device; the software application serves as a user-interface for communicating with a RESTful API (Application Programming Interface) backend the RESTful API (Application Programming Interface) backend communicates with a network server provided by a network service provider; the network service provider communicates with at least one gateway; and one or more gateways communicate wirelessly with at least one solenoid-valve actuator.
3. The irrigation-control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the solenoid-valve actuator communicates wirelessly to a remote gateway via LoRaWAN.
4. The irrigation-control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the software included in the solenoid-valve actuator is capable of regulating the sleep and wake intervals of a solenoid-valve actuator that, in turn, determine how often a solenoid-valve actuator communicates with the Internet.
5. The irrigation-control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the software included in the solenoid-valve actuator is capable of receiving and executing actuation commands from the Internet.
6. The irrigation-control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the software included in the solenoid-valve actuator is capable of determining the status of an end-device, including: the battery voltage of a solenoid-valve actuator; and the most recent pulse sent.
7. The irrigation-control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the software included in the solenoid-valve actuator is capable of sending updates to the Internet regarding the status of a solenoid-valve actuator, thereby enabling a user to view status data in an app.
8. The irrigation-control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the software included in the solenoid-valve actuator is capable of commanding the solenoid-valve actuator to automatically deactuate a wire-connected solenoid subsequent to a software identifying a low-battery voltage within the solenoid-valve actuator.
9. The irrigation-control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the software included in the solenoid-valve actuator is capable of preventing a solenoid-valve actuator from executing any actuation commands subsequent to a software identifying a low-battery voltage.
10. The irrigation-control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the software included in the solenoid-valve actuator is capable of enabling configuration of a duration of the electrical pulse that is sent from the solenoid-valve actuator to the solenoid valve to actuate the solenoid valve.
11. An irrigation-control apparatus comprising: a solenoid-valve actuator coupled to a solenoid valve via a wired connection, the solenoid-valve actuator is battery-powered and communicates wirelessly to a remote gateway; the remote gateway communicates with the Internet, thereby enabling a user to remotely control fluid flow through the solenoid-valve; the solenoid-valve actuator communicates with the Internet on a less-than-one-minute interval for a specified duration after batteries are installed into the solenoid- valve actuator; and subsequently, the solenoid-valve actuator communicates with the Internet on a one-minute-or-greater interval.