Code replacement for irrigation controllers

Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Mechanical control system

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C700S016000, C700S017000, C137S624110, C239S069000, C361S614000, C361S624000, C361S655000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07844367

ABSTRACT:
Described herein are several embodiments relating to modular irrigation controllers. In many implementations, methods of implementing irrigation control are provided that detect a presence of a first module coupled with a control unit of an irrigation controller, the control unit operating in accordance with a bootloader set of code and a first set of code to implement irrigation control, identify that the first module stores a second set of code, and activate the bootloader set of code to replace the first set of code with the second set of code. Also described are various different types of modular controllers, expansion modules that may be coupled to the modular controller, having as variety of functions and features, as well as related methods of use and configuration of the controller and these modules in the controller.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3869854 (1975-03-01), Church
patent: 3942077 (1976-03-01), Powers
patent: 4007458 (1977-02-01), Hollabaugh
patent: 4016407 (1977-04-01), Mesecar et al.
patent: 4090764 (1978-05-01), Malsby et al.
patent: 4131882 (1978-12-01), Hollabaugh et al.
patent: 4152750 (1979-05-01), Bremenour et al.
patent: 4176395 (1979-11-01), Evelyn-Veere et al.
patent: 4204201 (1980-05-01), Williams et al.
patent: 4242721 (1980-12-01), Krolak et al.
patent: 4244022 (1981-01-01), Kendall
patent: 4250563 (1981-02-01), Struger
patent: 4442504 (1984-04-01), Dummermuth et al.
patent: 4569020 (1986-02-01), Snoddy et al.
patent: 4672510 (1987-06-01), Castner
patent: 4771374 (1988-09-01), Ropelato
patent: 4790762 (1988-12-01), Harms et al.
patent: 4799142 (1989-01-01), Waltzer et al.
patent: 4845380 (1989-07-01), Piegari
patent: 4852051 (1989-07-01), Mylne, III
patent: 4870863 (1989-10-01), Duncan et al.
patent: 4882702 (1989-11-01), Struger et al.
patent: 4920453 (1990-04-01), Onose et al.
patent: 4922407 (1990-05-01), Birk et al.
patent: 4937732 (1990-06-01), Brundisini
patent: 4937746 (1990-06-01), Brundisini
patent: 5000692 (1991-03-01), Taniguchi et al.
patent: 5025361 (1991-06-01), Pitman et al.
patent: 5097861 (1992-03-01), Hopkins et al.
patent: 5173855 (1992-12-01), Nielsen et al.
patent: 5251153 (1993-10-01), Nielsen et al.
patent: 5262936 (1993-11-01), Faris et al.
patent: 5265005 (1993-11-01), Schmidt et al.
patent: 5278749 (1994-01-01), De Man
patent: 5287888 (1994-02-01), Geiger
patent: 5293554 (1994-03-01), Nicholson
patent: 5479338 (1995-12-01), Ericksen et al.
patent: 5600576 (1997-02-01), Broadwater et al.
patent: 5602728 (1997-02-01), Madden et al.
patent: 5748466 (1998-05-01), McGivern et al.
patent: 5781921 (1998-07-01), Nichols
patent: 5839658 (1998-11-01), Sarver
patent: 5956248 (1999-09-01), Williams et al.
patent: 6088621 (2000-07-01), Woyowitz et al.
patent: 6230089 (2001-05-01), Lonn et al.
patent: 6314340 (2001-11-01), Mecham et al.
patent: 6402048 (2002-06-01), Collins
patent: 6453215 (2002-09-01), Lavoie
patent: 6459959 (2002-10-01), Williams et al.
patent: 6708084 (2004-03-01), Battistutto et al.
patent: 6721630 (2004-04-01), Woytowitz
patent: 6763287 (2004-07-01), Brundisini
patent: 6766221 (2004-07-01), Christiansen
patent: 6772050 (2004-08-01), Williams et al.
patent: 6834662 (2004-12-01), Olson
patent: 6842667 (2005-01-01), Beutler
patent: 6850819 (2005-02-01), Townsend
patent: 6898467 (2005-05-01), Smith et al.
patent: 6996457 (2006-02-01), Williams et al.
patent: 7050887 (2006-05-01), Alvarez
patent: 7058479 (2006-06-01), Miller
patent: 7069115 (2006-06-01), Woytowitz
patent: 7181319 (2007-02-01), Woytowitz
patent: 7225058 (2007-05-01), Porter
patent: 7245991 (2007-07-01), Woytowitz
patent: 7248945 (2007-07-01), Woytowitz
patent: 7249265 (2007-07-01), von Carolsfeld et al.
patent: 7257465 (2007-08-01), Perez
patent: 7269829 (2007-09-01), Smith et al.
patent: 7289886 (2007-10-01), Woytowitz
patent: 7328089 (2008-02-01), Curren
patent: 7398139 (2008-07-01), Woytowitz
patent: 7444207 (2008-10-01), Nickerson et al.
patent: 7522975 (2009-04-01), Perez
patent: 7584023 (2009-09-01), Palmer et al.
patent: 7613546 (2009-11-01), Nelson et al.
patent: 7613547 (2009-11-01), Woytowitz
patent: 7640079 (2009-12-01), Nickerson et al.
patent: 2002/0091452 (2002-07-01), Addink et al.
patent: 2002/0183898 (2002-12-01), Williams et al.
patent: 2003/0097482 (2003-05-01), DeHart et al.
patent: 2003/0135286 (2003-07-01), Brundisini
patent: 2003/0182022 (2003-09-01), Addink et al.
patent: 2004/0086053 (2004-05-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 2004/0135001 (2004-07-01), Collins
patent: 2004/0236443 (2004-11-01), Ware
patent: 2004/0254685 (2004-12-01), Williams et al.
patent: 2005/0004715 (2005-01-01), Christiansen
patent: 2005/0035206 (2005-02-01), Attia et al.
patent: 2005/0038529 (2005-02-01), Perez
patent: 2005/0055106 (2005-03-01), Beutler et al.
patent: 2005/0119797 (2005-06-01), Marian
patent: 2005/0143842 (2005-06-01), Marian
patent: 2005/0267641 (2005-12-01), Nickerson
patent: 2005/0273205 (2005-12-01), Nickerson et al.
patent: 2006/0004715 (2006-01-01), Lock et al.
patent: 2006/0080002 (2006-04-01), Williams et al.
patent: 2006/0217846 (2006-09-01), Woytowitz
patent: 2007/0061048 (2007-03-01), Lorenz
patent: 2008/0027586 (2008-01-01), Hern et al.
patent: 2008/0027587 (2008-01-01), Nickerson et al.
patent: 2008/0058964 (2008-03-01), Nickerson et al.
patent: 2008/0071426 (2008-03-01), Perez et al.
patent: 2008/0288117 (2008-11-01), Nickerson
patent: WO 02/058254 (2002-07-01), None
patent: WO 2004/046872 (2004-06-01), None
PCT International Authority; “International Search Report” for PCT/US04/43473; Aug. 31, 2005 (5 pages).
PCT International Authority; “Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority” for PCT/US04/43473; Aug. 31, 2005 (7 pages).
Toro/Motorola, General Description—IRRInet, 24 pp., Toro, Riverside, CA.
Durda, “Serial and UART Tutorial,” http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en—US.IS08859-1/articles/serial-uart/article.sgml, Jan. 13, 1996, pp. 1-32, vol. 1.13, FreeBSD.
Hunter Industries, “About Hunter: A Corporate Chronology” http://www.hunterindustries.com/Corporate/About—Hunter/about—02.html, Dec. 1, 2004, pp. 1-2, Hunter Industries Incorporated, San Marcos, CA.
Hunter Industries, “Hunter ICC Controllers,” Sep. 1, 2002, pp. 1-2, Hunter Industries Incorporated, San Marcos, CA.
Hunter Industries, “Hunter Pro-C Controllers,” Jun. 1, 2002, pp. 1-2, Hunter Industries Incorporated, San Marcos, CA.
Hunter Industries, “ICC Commercial Irrigation Controllers, Owner's Manual and Installation Instructions for all 8 Station Base Models,” Apr. 1, 2002, pp. 1-34, Hunter Industries Incorporated, San Marcos, CA.
Hunter Industries, “ICC Controllers, Institutional Series Controllers for Heavy Duty Residential and Commercial Applications,” Nov. 1, 2002, pp. 1-22, Hunter Industries Incorporated, San Marcos, CA.
Hunter Industries, “Modular Controllers Mean You'll Always Have “The Right Controller for Every Job”,” http://www.hunterindustries.com/Resources/Library/Product/200210—hdln—modular.html, Dec. 1, 2004, pp. 1-3, Hunter Industries Incorporated, San Marcos, CA.
Hunter Industries, “Pro-C Controller, A Complete Family of Full-Featured Residential and Light Commercial Controllers,” Mar. 1, 2002, pp. 1-32, Hunter Industries Incorporated, San Marcos, CA.
Hunter Industries, “Pro-C Residential and Light Commercial Irrigation Controllers, Owner's Manual and Installation Instructions,” Nov. 1, 2000, pp. 1-34, Hunter Industries Incorporated, San Marcos, CA.
Motorola Communications Sector, IRRInet CPU Module—Service Manual, published at least on or before Dec. 31, 1992, pp. 22, Technical Writing Services, Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL.
Motorola Communications Sector, Irrinet I/O Module 4 Digital Inputs/16 Solid-State Outputs, published at least on or before Dec. 31, 1992, pp. 25, Technical Writing Services, Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL.
Motorola, Irrigation Field Unit Owner's Manual, TOC and Secs. 1-3, published at least on or before Dec. 31, 1992,

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Code replacement for irrigation controllers does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Code replacement for irrigation controllers, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Code replacement for irrigation controllers will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-4180874

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.