Wireless Apparatus, System, and Method for Controlling a Valve

Abstract

A wireless water timer and valve control system includes a control unit in wireless WiFi communication with a router and a valve unit in wireless communication with the control unit and designed to connect to a faucet. The valve unit includes a valve that is operated wirelessly via a signal received by the control unit.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A wireless water timer and valve control system, said system comprising:
 a control unit in wireless WiFi communication with a router;   a valve unit in wireless communication with the control unit and designed to connect to a faucet, wherein   the valve unit includes a valve that is operated wirelessly via a signal received by the control unit.   
     
     
         2 . The wireless water timer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to operate multiple valve units. 
     
     
         3 . The wireless water timer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication between the valve unit and control unit is made by an ISM Band RF link. 
     
     
         4 . The wireless water timer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve unit comprises multiple valves each wirelessly operated by the control unit. 
     
     
         5 . The wireless water timer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve unit is configured to wirelessly communicate with a moisture sensor and relay a moisture sensor status received from the moisture sensor to the control unit, and the control unit is configured to operate the valve unit based on the moisture sensor status. 
     
     
         6 . The wireless water timer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to operate the valve unit based at least on a schedule sent to the control unit by an internet server. 
     
     
         7 . The wireless water timer system according to  claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to maintain the schedule and continue to operate the valve unit according to the schedule until the schedule is modified by a user. 
     
     
         8 . The wireless water timer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to upload a valve status to an Internet server at a predefined time. 
     
     
         9 . The wireless water timer system according to  claim 8 , wherein the predefined time is every time the control unit contacts the server. 
     
     
         10 . The wireless water timer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve unit is configured to shut off all valves if the valve unit loses contact with the control unit for a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
         11 . The wireless water timer system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a moisture sensor in wireless communication with said system, wherein the valve unit is configured to relay received sensor information from the moisture sensor to the control unit. 
     
     
         12 . The wireless water timer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve unit comprises capacitive touch switches configured to manually open and close each of the valves on the valve unit. 
     
     
         13 . The wireless water timer system according to  claim 6 , wherein the schedule sent to the control unit by, the interact server is modifiable based on local weather information. 
     
     
         14 . A method of using a wireless water timer system, said method comprising:
 connecting a control unit to a router via WiFi communication;   connecting a valve unit to the control unit via wireless communication; and   sending a valve operation command signal from the control unit to the valve unit,   wherein the command signal opens and closes a valve on the valve unit.