Monitoring and control of a movable tower in an irrigation system

1. A network system providing enhanced operation for an electrically controlled irrigation system comprising:

a second controller coupleable to a second positioning receiver, the second controller operable to:

receive from the second positioning receiver a second plurality of location coordinate values estimating the location of a second station;

receive from a first controller coupled to a first positioning receiver, a first plurality of location coordinate values estimating the location of a first station;

receive a third plurality of location coordinate values;

store a current drive value determined from the first plurality of location coordinate values, the second plurality of location coordinate values, and basis location data, wherein the drive value is determined from a distance estimate of the second station from a point along a reference line from the location indicated by the third plurality of location coordinate values to a location indicated by the first plurality of location coordinate values; and

provide a drive signal over a drive signal interface coupled to a motor at the second station wherein the controller initiates motor drive when the current drive value exceeds a first threshold.

2. The network system of claim 1 , wherein the third plurality of location coordinate values is received from a computer coupled to a third positioning receiver at a third station, and wherein the third station is coupled to the second station.

3. The network system of claim 1 , wherein the drive value is determined from a distance estimate of the location indicated by the second plurality of location coordinate values from the basis location, and from a differential angle estimate of the angle formed when the location of the first plurality of location coordinate values is connect to the basis location and the basis location is connected to the location of the second plurality of location coordinate values.

4. The network system of claim 1 , further comprising a reporting component that sends via a network switch first report data comprising at least one of tire pressure, current, temperature, torque, position, image, current angle, exception based error information, information used for predictive maintenance, information used for preventative maintenance, information that a safety shutdown is required to prevent damage to the system, oil temperature, water pressure, valve state, valve rate, environmental sensor, VFD level, drive direction and infra-red data.

5. The network system of claim 1 , further comprising a status display component operable on a computer to receive report data, and display one or more of a predictive maintenance alert status, a preventative maintenance status, and a safety shut-down status.

6. The network system of claim 1 , further comprising a reporting component that sends via a network switch second report data related to comparing one or more of tire pressure, current, temperature, torque, position, image, current angle, exception based error information, oil temperature, water pressure, valve state, valve rate, environmental sensor, VFD level, drive direction and infra-red data to one or more thresholds.

7. A computerized method performed by an electronically controlled irrigation system comprising:

receiving from a second positioning receiver a second plurality of location coordinate values estimating the location of a second station;

receiving from a first controller coupled to a first positioning receiver, a first plurality of location coordinate values estimating the location of a first station;

receiving a third plurality of location coordinate values;

storing at a second controller of a second station a current drive value determined from the first plurality of location coordinate values, the second plurality of location coordinate values, and the third plurality of location coordinate values, wherein the drive value is determined from a distance estimate of the second station from a point along a reference line from the location indicated by the third plurality of location coordinate values to a location indicated by the first plurality of location coordinate values; and

providing a drive signal over a second drive signal interface coupled to a motor at the second station wherein a controller initiates motor drive when the current drive value exceeds a first threshold.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the third plurality of location coordinate values is received from a computer coupled to a third positioning receiver at a third station.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the drive value is determined from a distance estimate of the location indicated by the second plurality of location coordinate values from the basis location, and from a differential angle estimate of the angle formed when the location of the first plurality of location coordinate values is connected to the basis location and the basis location is connected to the location of the second plurality of location coordinate values.

10. A network system providing enhanced operation for an electrically controlled irrigation system comprising:

a first station proximate to a first tower comprising:

a first controller, coupleable to a first positioning receiver, the first controller operable to receive a first plurality of location coordinate values estimating the location of the first station, the first controller having a first drive signal interface coupleable to a first motor, the first controller operable to selectively apply a first drive signal over the first drive signal interface;

a second station proximate to a second tower, coupled to the first station, the second station comprising:

a second controller, coupleable to a second positioning receiver, the second controller operable to:

receive from the second positioning receiver a second plurality of location coordinate values,

store a current drive value at the second station, the current drive value determined from the first plurality of location coordinate values, the second plurality of location coordinate values, and a third plurality of location coordinate values, wherein the drive value is determined from a distance estimate of the second station from a point along a reference line from the location indicated by the third plurality of location coordinate values to a location indicated by the first plurality of location coordinate values; and

provide a second drive signal over a second drive signal interface coupled to a second motor at the second station wherein the second controller initiates motor drive when the current drive value exceeds a first threshold level.

11. The network system of claim 10 , further comprising a third station coupled to the second station, the third station comprising:

a computer coupled to a third positioning receiver, the computer operable to receive the third plurality of location coordinate values from the third positioning receiver, the third plurality of location coordinate values estimating the location of the third station.

12. The network system of claim 10 , wherein the drive value is determined from a distance estimate of the location indicated by the second plurality of location coordinate values from the location indicated by the third plurality of location coordinate values, and from a differential angle estimate of the angle formed when the location of the first plurality of location coordinate values are connected to the location indicated by the third plurality of location coordinate values and the location indicated by the third plurality of location coordinate values is connected to the location of the second plurality of location coordinate values.

13. The network system of claim 10 , further comprising a third station coupled to the second station, the third station comprising:

a third controller, coupleable to an angle sensor, the third controller operable to:

receive an angle sensed by the angle sensor, and

provide a third drive signal over a third drive signal interface coupled to a third motor at the third station wherein the third controller initiates motor drive when the angle sensed by the angle sensor exceeds a second threshold level.

14. The network system of claim 10 further comprising a third station proximate to a third tower, coupled to the first station, the third station comprising:

a third controller, coupleable to a third positioning receiver, operable to:

receive a third plurality of location coordinate values estimating the location of the third station,

store current drive value for the third station, determined from the first plurality of location coordinate values, the third plurality of location coordinate values, and the third plurality of basis location coordinate values, and

provide a drive signal over a third drive signal interface coupled to a third motor at the third station, wherein the third controller initiates motor drive when the current drive value for the third station exceeds a second threshold level.

15. The network system of claim 13 , wherein the angle sensor is an analog angle sensor that measures angle between span members adjacent to the third tower.

16. The network system of claim 12 , wherein the drive value is determined using a term that at least approximates a sine function applied to the differential angle estimate.

17. The network system of claim 10 , wherein the second controller is configured to discontinue motor drive when the current drive value for the second station falls below a second threshold level.