Methods and systems for use in controlling irrigation
Some embodiments provide systems and methods of controlling irrigation, comprising: communicating an assumption broadcast from a first irrigation controller to each of a plurality of other irrigation controllers defining assumed states of control elements, wherein the control elements are shared with one or more of the first irrigation controller and the other irrigation controllers; determining whether a reply is received from one or more of the other irrigation controllers in reply to the assumption broadcast; identifying, from the reply, a correction to a state corresponding to a first control element; updating state information corresponding to the first control element in response to the identifying the correction; and communicating a subsequent notification from the first irrigation controller to each of the plurality of other irrigation controllers of the irrigation system, where the subsequent notification comprises the updated state information corresponding to the first control element.
1. A method of controlling irrigation, the method comprising:
causing, by a server, a first message to be communicated to a plurality of irrigation components of an irrigation system, wherein the server is remote from the plurality of irrigation components and wherein the first message defines a first state of a control element coupled to a first irrigation component of the plurality of irrigation components, wherein the irrigation system is configured to implement irrigation scheduling instructions;
identifying, from a received second message, a correction to the first state of the control element;
updating state information corresponding to the control element in response to receiving the correction to the first state; and
causing a subsequent message to be communicated to the plurality of irrigation components, wherein the subsequent message comprises a second state, based on the updated state information, corresponding to the control element.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the irrigation system comprises a central control irrigation system comprising the server and a sub-system of the central control irrigation system, wherein the sub-system comprises the plurality of irrigation components, and wherein the server comprises a computer based central server, and further comprising:
communicating, by the server via a communication network, the irrigation scheduling instructions to one or more of the plurality of irrigation components.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing, by the server, a communication sharing configuration data to one or more of the plurality of irrigation components, wherein the sharing configuration data identifies which one or more of the plurality of irrigation components share the control element.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message comprises a plurality of predefined locations within the first message, wherein each of the plurality of predefined locations corresponds to a different one of the plurality of irrigation components, and wherein a first predefined location of the plurality of predefined locations corresponds to the first irrigation component and defines the first state of the control element.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control element comprises a sensor, wherein the second state comprises a first sensor state sensed by the sensor.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first sensor state identifies whether one or more of the plurality of irrigation components sharing the sensor are to change an irrigation scheduling instruction of the irrigation scheduling instructions.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
activating, by the first irrigation component, one or more irrigation valves in executing one or more of the irrigation scheduling instructions.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving the second message in response to the first state of the control element being inconsistent with an irrigation scheduling instruction, of the irrigation scheduling instructions, being implemented by the first irrigation component.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving the second message from the first irrigation component only when the first state is inconsistent with a state expected by the first irrigation component.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying indicators of sensed operating states of one or more sensors within the irrigation system, with each of the one or more sensors being coupled to at least one of the plurality of irrigation components; and
communicating a sensor message to each of the plurality of irrigation components, wherein the sensor message comprises one or more indicators of the sensed operating states of the one or more sensors.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of irrigation components comprise at least one of an irrigation controller, an irrigation computer, a mobile computer, and/or an irrigation field device.
12. An irrigation system comprising:
a server;
a plurality of irrigation components, wherein one or more of the plurality of irrigation components are in communication with the server, and wherein the server is remote from at least one of the one or more of the plurality of irrigation components; and
a control element coupled to a first irrigation component of the plurality of irrigation components;
wherein the server is configured to:
cause a first message to be communicated to the plurality of irrigation components, wherein the first message defines a first state of the control element;
identify, from a received second message, a correction to the first state of the control element;
update state information corresponding to the control element in response to receiving the correction to the first state; and
cause a subsequent message to be communicated to the plurality of irrigation components, wherein the subsequent message comprises a second state, based on the updated state information, corresponding to the control element.
13. The irrigation system of claim 12 , wherein the control element comprises a master valve, and wherein the first state comprises a state of the master valve defining whether the master valve is in an open state or a closed state.
14. The irrigation system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a second irrigation component of the plurality of irrigation components; and
wherein the control element comprises a master valve controlled by the second irrigation component; and
wherein the second irrigation component is configured to alter a state of the master valve in response to the second state in the subsequent message when the second state corresponding to the master valve defined in the subsequent message is different than an expected state of the master valve as expected by the second irrigation component.
15. The irrigation system of claim 12 , wherein a second irrigation component, of the plurality of irrigation components, shares the control element, and wherein the second irrigation component is configured to communicate a third message when the first state of the control element as defined in the first message is inconsistent with an irrigation scheduling instruction instructed to be implemented at the second irrigation component.
16. The irrigation system of claim 15 , wherein the first irrigation component is configured to alter a state of the control element in response to the subsequent message.
17. The irrigation system of claim 12 , wherein the first irrigation component is further configured to:
communicatively couple with a sensor to receive sensor information from the sensor and obtain a sensed state based on the sensor information communicated by the sensor; and
communicate the second message in response to the first state defined in the first message being inconsistent with the sensed state.
18. The irrigation system of claim 12 , wherein the server comprises a remote central server.
19. The irrigation system of claim 12 , wherein the first message comprises a plurality of predefined locations within the first message, wherein each of the plurality of predefined locations corresponds to a different one of the plurality of irrigation components, and wherein a first predefined location of the plurality of predefined locations corresponds to the first irrigation component and defines the first state of the control element.
20. The irrigation system of claim 12 , wherein the control element comprises a sensor, wherein the second state comprises a first sensor state sensed by the sensor; wherein the first sensor state identifies whether one or more of the plurality of irrigation components sharing the sensor are to change an irrigation scheduling instruction.
21. The irrigation system of claim 12 , wherein the first irrigation component is configured to communicate the second message in response to the first state, corresponding to the control element, specified in the first message being inconsistent with a first irrigation scheduling instruction being implemented by the first irrigation component.
22. The irrigation system of claim 12 , wherein the first irrigation component is configured to communicate the second message in response to the first state, specified in the first message, being inconsistent with a state expected by the first irrigation component.
23. The irrigation system of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of irrigation components comprise at least one of an irrigation controller, an irrigation computer, a mobile computer, and/or an irrigation field device.