Patent ID: 11874149
Assignee: RAIN BIRD CORPORATION
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  A | IPC A  G

Claim 28:
29. A method of obtaining a rate of fluid flow through an irrigation conduit, comprising:
detecting, by a magnetic sensor positioned within a sealed portion of a housing of an irrigation flow sensor system and proximate blades of a paddle wheel device of the irrigation flow sensor system while not being exposed to a fluid passing through a fluid channel secured with the housing and into which at least a portion of each of the blades of the set of blades of the paddle wheel device sequentially extend as the blades rotate about an axis in response to the irrigation fluid flowing through the fluid channel of the irrigation flow sensor system, a first magnetic element cooperated with a first blade of the blades of the paddle wheel device as the first magnetic element moves along a rotational pathway as the first magnetic element rotates about the axis; and
controlling a switch coupled with the magnetic sensor and a current loop to control current within the current loop comprising:
receiving a sensor output from the magnetic sensor at the switch; and
causing the switch to transition between a non-active state and an active state to temporarily change the current to a first current flow value through the current loop in response to a change to a first state of the sensor output from the magnetic sensor and causing the current in the current loop to vary between a second current flow value when the switch is not active in the non-active state and the first current flow value when the switch is in the active state based on the first state of the sensor output from the magnetic sensor, wherein a frequency of the transitions between the second current flow value and the first current flow value correspond to a flow rate of the fluid flowing through the flow conduit.