On a user interface presented on a display screen, an alteration point marker is rendered on a circular shape representing a center pivot irrigation system. The alteration point marker is aligned with an input point specified by user input. A fine position control may also be rendered on the display screen. The fine position control may comprise a first icon and a second icon, wherein the first icon is for repositioning the alteration point marker in a first circular direction, and wherein the second icon is for rotating the alteration point marker in the second circular direction.

A mobile drip irrigation system includes a plurality of drip tubes anchored at a first end to a water supply conduit. As the mobile irrigation system travels across a surface to be watered a second, free end of each drip tube is pulled along the surface to provide precise and uniform water distribution through the drip tubes. A cable extending across each section of the mobile irrigation system is attached to the plurality of drip tubes within that section, with the cable movable via a winch mechanism to shift the position of the drip tubes within that section to correspondingly shift the drag path of the tubes to a desired location. In exemplary embodiments, a lower manifold distributes water to the drip tubes, and in further embodiments a support restraint provides support to the lower manifold.

A system predicts needed maintenance for an irrigation system that includes a portion of the irrigation system and a movable end gun operably associated with the portion of the irrigation system. The predictive maintenance system includes a controller and one or more sensors configured to couple to the movable end gun and configured to electrically communicate with the controller. The one or more sensors are configured to generate an electrical signal indicative of movement and/or positioning of the movable end gun relative to the portion of the irrigation system over time. The controller is configured to receive the electrical signal and determine whether the movable end gun, or one or more components thereof, requires maintenance based on the electrical signal. The signal indicative of abnormal operation includes an indication of movement and/or positioning relative to the portion of the irrigation system over a period of time.

The present invention provides a system and method for analyzing sensor data related to an irrigation system. According to a preferred embodiment, the system includes algorithms for analyzing real-time, near real-time and historical data acquired from sensors in communication with a mechanized irrigation machine. Further, the algorithms of the present invention system may analyze collected sensor data to determine if an event has occurred or is predicted to occur. Further, the algorithms of the present invention may provide commands to an irrigation machine and notifications to users. According to further aspects of the present invention, the algorithms of the present invention may preferably apply machine learning and other data analysis tools to detect maintenance patterns, geographic trends, environmental trends, and to provide predictive analysis for future events.

Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing Internet of Things (“IoT”)-based microwell solution for irrigation. In various embodiments, in response to receiving, from the plurality of sensors, first sensor data indicative of environmental conditions within an area, a computing system may analyze the first sensor data to determine parameters associated with water requirements within the area, may generate a water distribution plan based at least in part on the determined parameters, and may map the generated water distribution plan to a positional map of a plurality of microwells disposed at pre-installed locations within the area. The computing system may generate and send instructions to the microwells to pump water from an underground water source(s) (in some cases, surface water sources as well) and to irrigate plants or crops in the area using integrated irrigation systems, based on the mapping. The microwells and sensors may utilize IoT functionalities.

A string potentiometer attached between spans of an irrigation system. The string potentiometer is mounted on a first span with the measuring cable of the string potentiometer wrapped around a hitch socket or another structural element of an adjacent span. When the two spans move out of alignment, the measuring cable extends out from the potentiometer to wrap around the hitch socket or other structural element of the adjacent span. When the two spans move closer into alignment, the measuring cable retracts within the potentiometer and unwraps from around the hitch socket or other element of the adjacent span.

The automatic, rotating agricultural system rotates around a central pivot point in either a full rotation or a partial arc to irrigate, plant and/or harvest a field. The agricultural system includes a center pivot frame, a plurality of frame segments connected to each other, and a feed storage bin connected to the center pivot frame and the frame segments. The frame segment includes a section frame including wheels to enable movements, a cutter trolley beam extends in a radial direction of the section frame, a cutterhead coupled to the cutter trolley beam to cut forage or crop, a radial conveyor that moves the cut forage or crop in the radial direction of the section frame, and a cutter conveyor that moves the cut forage or crop from the cutterhead to the radial conveyor.

A method and system for determining center coordinates of a circular arc uses a position sensor, such as a GPS receiver, for receiving position coordinates for a plurality of points along the circular arc. The position coordinates for the plurality of points are then processed using an algorithm developed based on the geometric relationship for a cone inscribed in a sphere, with the sphere representing the Earth, the position coordinates defining points along a base perimeter of the cone, and an apex of the cone being located at the center of the Earth. A regression model is used to determine the center coordinates of the circular arc in a three-dimensional coordinate system without converting the position coordinates into two-dimensional coordinates. The method and system can be used to determine center coordinates for a center pivot sprinkler monitoring system or a vehicle guidance system.

A mobile irrigation system including a number of spans, a number of mobile irrigation towers supporting the spans, and a control system. The control system includes a position switch configured to be triggered and transmit a trigger signal and a controller configured to receive the trigger signal from the position switch. Upon receiving the trigger signal, the controller is configured to determine whether a current position of the mobile irrigation system equates to an auto-reverse position. If the current position equates to the auto-reverse position, the controller is configured to transmit a reverse direction signal to a drive motor of one of the mobile irrigation towers to reverse direction so that the drive motor reverses direction.

An alignment control system for controlling an alignment of a plurality of mobile towers, each mobile tower supporting a section of conduit in an irrigation system comprises a plurality of tower angle measurement devices and a control processing element. Each tower angle measurement device is associated with a successive one of the mobile towers and is configured to measure an angle value which varies according to a rotation angle of the associated mobile tower relative to one or more of the other mobile towers. The control processing element is configured or programmed to receive the angle value from each tower angle measurement device, compare the angle value to a threshold angle value, and generate and transmit control signals, data, or both that include an activation hysteresis value to a drive motor associated with each mobile tower that has an angle value greater than the threshold angle value.