Control system and method

Abstract

The invention relates to a control system and method, particularly for providing sophisticated switching control, such as for the provision of irrigation control and/or scheduling lighting schedules, security measures, and other purposes, with respect to a site or a series of sites in an area. A method of control for a distributed event system is disclosed, the method providing control of events at one or more locations, each location associated with a programmable location controller ( 10 ) able to cause or permit a prescribed event to be carried out at that location, each location controller ( 10 ) able to receive control commands from a remote controller, each location controller ( 10 ) having at least two default settings to govern implementation of said prescribed event in case of non-receipt of commands from said remote controller. The default settings may be automatically selectable in accordance with the time, e.g. time of day, day of week and/or season of year.

1 . A method of control for a distributed event system, providing control of events at one or more locations, each location associated with a programmable location controller able to cause or permit a prescribed event to be carried out at that location, the location controller able to receive control commands from a remote controller, each location controller having at least two default settings to govern implementation of said prescribed event in case of non-receipt of commands from said remote controller.  
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said default settings are automatically selectable in accordance with one or more parameters, for example, in accordance with time.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the selection of the location controller default setting is made in accordance with the season of the year and/or the day of the week and/or the time of the day.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the distributed event system comprises an irrigation system, and each location controller is operatively connected with at least one electrically operable water valve to control water supply to an area associated with that location, each location controller including an electrical switch relay having two selectable default positions, ‘fail-open’ and ‘fail-closed’.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4 , control commands received from the remote controller by said location controller are provided in accordance with monitored meteorological conditions.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 4 , wherein the default position for a location controller is established as part of the power connection configuration to the electrical terminals of the at least one electrically operated water valve.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6 , the power connection configuration being selected under software control, the software being remotely programmable from the remote controller to vary the functional relationship between the selection of the default settings and said one or more parameters.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 6 , the power connection configuration being selected under hardware control.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8 , the power connection configuration including a bi-polar stable relay.  
     
     
         10 . A programmable location controller for a distributed event enabling system controlling events at one or more locations, the controller able to cause or permit a prescribed event to be carried out at a respective location, the controller arranged to receive control commands from a remote controller, wherein the controller has at least two default settings to govern implementation of said prescribed event in case of non-receipt of commands from said remote controller.  
     
     
         11 . A controller according to  claim 10 , including means to select said default settings in accordance with one or more parameters, for example, in accordance with time.  
     
     
         12 . A controller according to  claim 11 , including means to select the location controller default setting in accordance with the season of the year and/or the day of the week and/or the time of the day.  
     
     
         13 . A controller according to  claim 10  for use with an irrigation system as said distributed event system, the controller operatively connectable with at least one electrically operable water valve to control water supply to an area associated with that location, the controller including an electrical switch relay having two selectable default positions, ‘fail-open’ and ‘fail-closed’.  
     
     
         14 . A controller according to  claim 13 , including a power connection configuration to the electrical terminals of the at least one electrically operated water valve which configuration provides the means to establish the default position.  
     
     
         15 . A controller according to  claim 14 , including software to establish said power connection configuration, and including means to allow remote programming of said software from a remote controller to vary the functional relationship between the selection of the default settings and said one or more parameters.  
     
     
         16 . A controller according to  claim 14 , including hardware circuitry to provide said power connection configuration.  
     
     
         17 . A controller according to  claim 16 , said circuitry including a bi-polar stable relay.  
     
     
         18 . A programmable irrigation system including the programmable location controller of  claim 13  and a plurality of electrically operable water valves operatively interconnected therewith in order to control water supply to an area associated with that location.  
     
     
         19 . A distributed event system including a plurality of controllers according to  claim 13 , including means to provide control commands to said location controllers automatically in accordance with monitored meteorological conditions.