STOCK TANK WATER LEVEL MEASURING APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR MONITORING THE APPARATUSES

A water level measuring apparatus for a water storage container. The water level measuring apparatus includes a water pressure sensor disposed at a bottom of the water storage container to generate water pressure data and a controller for determining a water level in the water storage container based upon the water pressure data generated by the water pressure sensor. A water monitoring system including a water level measuring apparatus to determine pressure data associated with a water container. The water monitoring system also includes a water level control system that sends and receives information from the water level measuring apparatus. A method of monitoring water levels in water containers. Water pressure data is captured from the water containers. The pressure data is sent from the water level measuring apparatus of the water monitoring system to the water level control system of the water monitoring system. Water depth data is generated for the water containers from the pressure data.

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for measuring the water level in a fluid containment system and a system for monitoring multiple water level measuring apparatuses for numerous fluid containment systems.

2. Description of the Related Art

Typically, stock tanks are positioned on farms or ranches at locations that are spread out over a large property area. Farmers and ranchers have to take the time to travel to each one of the stock tanks to determine, via a visual inspection, whether they have enough water. To do this takes considerable time. In some situations, the design of some stock tanks may make visual inspection of the water level more difficult.

Accordingly, there is a need for a water level measuring apparatus to measure the water level in stock tanks to provide a reliable measurement of the amount of water in each stock tank. Furthermore, there is a need for a system to monitor multiple water level measuring apparatuses so the farmer or the rancher does not have to take the time to travel to all the stock tank locations spread across the farm or ranch.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is directed to a water level measuring apparatus for a water storage container. The water level measuring apparatus includes a water pressure sensor disposed at a bottom of the water storage container to generate water pressure data and a controller for determining a water level in the water storage container based upon the water pressure data generated by the water pressure sensor. The disclosure is also directed to a water monitoring system. The water monitoring system including a water level measuring apparatus to determine pressure data associated with a water container. The water monitoring system also includes a water level control system that sends and receives information from the water level measuring apparatus.

The present disclosure also describes a method of monitoring water levels in water containers via the water monitoring system. Water pressure data is captured from the water containers. The pressure data is sent from the water level measuring apparatus of the water monitoring system to the water level control system of the water monitoring system. Water depth data is generated for the water containers from the pressure data.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Referring now toFIGS. 1-3, the present disclosure is related to a water level measuring apparatus10to be implemented with a remotely placed water storage container12, such as a stock tank, a natural pond or a man-made pond, to determine the water level in the water storage container12. This disclosure is also directed to a water monitoring system14in communication with the water level measuring apparatuses10to monitor multiple water storage containers12located around a farm or ranch. It should be understood and appreciated that the water level measuring apparatus10described herein could be used with any type of fluid and any type of fluid storage container, and the apparatus is not limited to use solely on farms and ranches.

The water level measuring apparatus10can include a housing16for encasing various electronic components18required to operate the water level measuring apparatus10. The electronic components18in the housing16can include a controller (or processor) for operating various aspects of the water level measuring apparatus10and a memory for storing the data gathered by the water level measuring apparatus10and data stored in the water level measuring apparatus10. The water level measuring apparatus10can include a modem and an antenna to send and receive data from the water level measuring apparatus10. In one embodiment, the modem can be a cellular modem that can send and receive data via a cellular tower. The water level measuring apparatus10can also include a water pressure sensor20to determine the height of the water in the water storage container12. The pressure sensor20is in communication with the controller via a communication link22. The communication link22can be wired or wireless. If the communication is wireless, the water pressure sensor20will require various known electronic components to make it operable with the water level measuring apparatus10, such as a controller/processor23, memory and data transmission hardware.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the water level measuring apparatus10can also include a modem and an antenna to send and receive data from the water level measuring apparatus10. In one embodiment, the modem can be a cellular modem that can send and receive data via a cellular tower. In a further embodiment, the water level measuring apparatus10can include a photovoltaic (solar) panel24supported by the housing16of the water level measuring apparatus10to generate power from the sun. The water level measuring apparatus10can also include a charge controller26to capture the power generated by the solar panel24and stores it in a battery28so that the water level measuring apparatus10can run day and night. The water level measuring apparatus10can further include a protective equalization port30that permits the water level measuring apparatus10to equalize pressure and temperature within the water level measuring apparatus10without permitting moisture to get inside and damage the water level measuring apparatus10.

In yet another embodiment, the water level measuring apparatus10includes a power button32disposed in the housing16for turning the water level measuring apparatus10on and off and an indicator light34to provide notice when the water level measuring apparatus10is operational. In a further embodiment, the indicator light34can be configured to blink in various patters to indicate a certain operation is currently underway. For example, the indicator light34might blink rapidly to indicate that the water level measuring apparatus10is running and the indicator light34might blink slowly to indicate that the water level measuring apparatus10is sending or receiving data. The indicator light34could blink in another pattern if there is an error with the water level measuring apparatus10.

The water pressure sensor20can be a pressure sensor (transducer) that sits at the bottom of the water storage container12. The pressure of the water is a function of the weight of the water above the pressure sensor (and thus the bottom of the water storage container12) and the atmospheric pressure of the air around the water storage container12. The processor23, using the weight of the water above the pressure sensor20and the atmospheric pressure creates a gauge pressure. The processor23can use the gauge pressure data to generate the height of the water disposed above the pressure sensor20, and thus the height of the water in the water storage container12. The pressure sensor20can also determine and capture temperature information. The temperature information can be relayed to the water level measuring apparatus12to alert the end user when the water in the water storage container12is close to freezing.

The present disclosure is also directed to a water level control system36in communication with multiple water level measuring apparatuses10to monitor multiple water storage containers12located around a farm or ranch. This relationship between the water level control system36and multiple water level measuring apparatuses10, and thus multiple water storage containers12of the water monitoring system14, is shown inFIG. 4. Referring now toFIG. 5, shown therein is a diagram of the water level control system36. The water level control system36is capable of executing a computer program product embodied in a tangible processor-readable storage medium to execute a computer process. Data and program files may be input to the water level control system36, which reads the files and executes the programs therein using one or more processors. Some of the elements of the water level control system36are shown inFIG. 5, wherein a processor38is shown having an input/output (I/O) section40, a Central Processing Unit (CPU)42, and a memory section44. There may be one or more processors38, such that the processor38of the water level control system36comprises a single central-processing unit42, or a plurality of processing units. The processors may be single-core or multi-core processors. The water level control system36may be a conventional computer, a distributed computer, or any other type of computer. The described technology is optionally implemented in software loaded in memory44, a disc storage unit46, and/or communicated via a wired or wireless network link48on a carrier signal (e.g., Ethernet, 3G wireless, 1G wireless, LTE (Long Term Evolution), 5G) thereby transforming the water level control system36inFIG. 5to a special purpose machine for implementing the described operations.

The I/O section40may be connected to one or more user-interface devices (e.g., a keyboard, a touch-screen display unit, graphical user interface, etc.) or a disc storage unit46. Computer program products containing mechanisms to effectuate the systems and methods in accordance with the described technology may reside in the memory section44or on the storage unit46of the water level control system36.

The water level control system36can also include a communication interface50capable of connecting the water level control system36to an enterprise network via the network link52, through which the water level control system36can receive instructions and data embodied in a carrier wave. When used in a local area networking (LAN) environment, the water level control system36is connected (by wired connection or wirelessly) to a local network through the communication interface50, which is one type of communications device. When used in a wide-area-networking (WAN) environment, the water level control system36typically includes a modem, a network adapter, or any other type of communications device for establishing communications over the wide-area network. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the water level control system36or portions thereof may be stored in a remote memory storage device. It is appreciated that the network connections shown are examples of communications devices for and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used.

In an example implementation, a browser application, a compatibility engine applying one or more compatibility criteria, and other modules or programs may be embodied by instructions stored in memory44and/or the storage unit46and executed by the processor38. Further, local computing systems, remote data sources and/or services, and other associated logic represent firmware, hardware, and/or software, which may be configured to assist in monitoring and managing the water level measuring apparatuses10. The water level control system36may be implemented using a general-purpose computer and specialized software (such as a server executing service software), a special purpose computing system and specialized software (such as a mobile device or network appliance executing service software), or other computing configurations. In addition, user requests, profiles and parameter data, agent profiles and parameter data, location data, parameter matching data, and other data may be stored in the memory44and/or the storage unit46and executed by the processor38.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are implemented as logical steps in one or more computer systems. The logical operations of the present invention are implemented (1) as a sequence of processor-implemented steps executed in one or more computer systems and (2) as interconnected machine or circuit modules within one or more computer systems. The implementation is a matter of choice, dependent on the performance requirements of the computer system implementing the invention. Accordingly, the logical operations making up the implementations of the invention described herein are referred to variously as operations, steps, objects, or modules. Furthermore, it should be understood that logical operations may be performed in any order, adding and omitting as desired, unless explicitly claimed otherwise or a specific order is inherently necessitated by the claim language.

Data storage and/or memory may be embodied by various types of storage, such as hard disk media, a storage array containing multiple storage devices, optical media, solid-state drive technology, ROM, RAM, and other technology. The operations may be implemented in firmware, software, hard-wired circuitry, gate array technology and other technologies, whether executed or assisted by a microprocessor, a microprocessor core, a microcontroller, special purpose circuitry, or other processing technologies. It should be understood that a write controller, a storage controller, data write circuitry, data read and recovery circuitry, a sorting module, and other functional modules of a data storage system may include or work in concert with a processor for processing processor-readable instructions for performing a system-implemented process.

For purposes of this description and meaning of the claims, the term “memory” (e.g., memory144) means a tangible data storage device, including non-volatile memories (such as flash memory and the like) and volatile memories (such as dynamic random-access memory and the like). The computer instructions either permanently or temporarily reside in the memory, along with other information such as data, virtual mappings, operating systems, applications, and the like that are accessed by a computer processor to perform the desired functionality. The term “memory” or “storage medium” expressly does not include a transitory medium, such as a carrier signal, but the computer instructions can be transferred to the memory wirelessly.

The water level control system36can send and receive data to and from the water level measuring apparatuses10. The water level control system36can further facilitates communication of the data from the water level measuring apparatuses10. In one embodiment, an app (or computer program) can be downloaded to a computing device (such as a phone or tablet) and stored on the computing device's memory to essentially make the computing device act as the water level control system36. The app includes software that is downloaded to a computing device's processor so that the computing device can operate as the water level control system36.

The water monitoring system14can show the current water level, water temperature, battery level and approximate location of each water storage container12associated with each water level measuring apparatus10. The water monitoring system14can also show if there is an issue with a water level measuring apparatus10. An alert can be sent to the water monitoring system14and seen by the user if there is an alert condition with the water level measuring apparatus10. The water monitoring system14can be set up such that if an alert condition is present, the water level control system36can send a message to the computing device. In one embodiment, the water level control system36can send a message to a cell phone, via any messaging means known in the art, such as a text message, to notify the user of the alert condition. In another embodiment, the computing device can be a cell phone and the message can be a notification on the cell phone. The alert condition can be related to water level, water temperature, batter level and any other operational aspects of the water level measuring apparatus10. The water monitoring system14can be set up so that alerts can be sent out to multiple cell phones (or other computing devices). The water level control system36can receive pressure data (atmospheric and water pressure data from the pressure sensor) from the water level measuring apparatus10and the water level control system36can generate water height or depth data for the water container12associated with the water level measuring apparatus10.

From the above description, it is clear that the present disclosure is well-adapted to carry out the objectives and to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the disclosure. While presently preferred embodiments have been described herein, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the disclosure and claims.