Patent ID: 11930744
Assignee: THE TORO COMPANY
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC A  Y | IPC A

Claim 8:
9. A method of irrigation control, comprising:
receiving and electronically storing soil moisture sensor data from a soil moisture sensor located in an area of soil;
calculating a predicted soil moisture value based on the stored soil moisture sensor data;
comparing the predicted soil moisture value with a predetermined low moisture value threshold; and,, if the predicted soil moisture value is below the predetermined low moisture value threshold, allowing a next scheduled irrigation cycle of an irrigation controller for the area of soil to operate and cause irrigation of the area of soil; wherein the predicted soil moisture value is calculated by adjusting a current soil moisture value by a historical adjustment factor; wherein the historical adjustment factor is calculated by:
a) determining negative net changes to the stored soil moisture values over one or more intervals within a period of time;
b) averaging or determining a median of all negative net changes to one or more intervals of the stored soil moisture values;
c) subtracting the averaged or median negative net change value from the current soil moisture value.