Patents by Inventor Thomas H. Runge

Thomas H. Runge has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10638675
    Abstract: An irrigation control module is described that adjusts a watering schedule for a connected irrigation controller based on weather data provided by a local weather station. The irrigation control module can add additional weather-based irrigation schedule adjustments to an irrigation controller that may otherwise lack the hardware (e.g., wireless transmitter, sufficient memory) and software (e.g., evapotranspiration algorithms) to store and interpret weather data from a weather station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventor: Thomas H. Runge
  • Patent number: 9527102
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an irrigation sprinkler sensor for sensing if a sprinkler riser has elevated, if water is flowing through the sprinkler riser, if the sprinkler is rotating, or if a sprinkler valve has properly closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Jason Lester Hill, Thomas H. Runge, Alex Korol
  • Publication number: 20160212952
    Abstract: An irrigation control module is described that adjusts a watering schedule for a connected irrigation controller based on weather data provided by a local weather station. The irrigation control module can add additional weather-based irrigation schedule adjustments to an irrigation controller that may otherwise lack the hardware (e.g., wireless transmitter, sufficient memory) and software (e.g., evapotranspiration algorithms) to store and interpret weather data from a weather station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: The Toro Company
    Inventor: Thomas H. Runge
  • Patent number: 9326462
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a soil moisture sensor for interrupting an irrigation schedule of an irrigation controller. The moisture sensor comprises a relatively flat body with two lower electrodes and two lower anchoring barbs. A receiver receives moisture readings from the sensor and compares moisture data to a predetermined moisture interrupt value or limit, over which irrigation is interrupted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Thomas H. Runge, Jason Lester Hill, James Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 9301460
    Abstract: An irrigation control module is described that adjusts a watering schedule for a connected irrigation controller based on weather data provided by a local weather station. The irrigation control module can add additional weather-based irrigation schedule adjustments to an irrigation controller that may otherwise lack the hardware (e.g., wireless transmitter, sufficient memory) and software (e.g., evapotranspiration algorithms) to store and interpret weather data from a weather station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventor: Thomas H. Runge
  • Publication number: 20150181817
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a soil moisture sensor for interrupting an irrigation schedule of an irrigation controller. The moisture sensor comprises a relatively flat body with two lower electrodes and two lower anchoring barbs. A receiver receives moisture readings from the sensor and compares moisture data to a predetermined moisture interrupt value or limit, over which irrigation is interrupted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas H. Runge, Jason Lester Hill, James Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 8981946
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a soil moisture sensor for interrupting an irrigation schedule of an irrigation controller. The moisture sensor comprises a relatively flat body with two lower electrodes and two lower anchoring barbs. A receiver receives moisture readings from the sensor and compares moisture data to a predetermined moisture interrupt value or limit, over which irrigation is interrupted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Thomas H. Runge, Jason Lester Hill, James Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20140358305
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an irrigation sprinkler sensor for sensing if a sprinkler riser has elevated, if water is flowing through the sprinkler riser, if the sprinkler is rotating, or if a sprinkler valve has properly closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Jason Lester Hill, Thomas H. Runge, Alex Korol
  • Patent number: 8862275
    Abstract: The invention provides a regulator system for regulating the operation of an irrigation system which is responsive to user programmed information. It has a control element for issuing watering control signals to an irrigation system, having at least one of (i) a duration programming device for programming a minimum amount of time and a maximum amount of time for the suspension of watering by the irrigation system, and (ii) a user adjustable temperature programming device for programming a minimum allowed temperature for initiating a watering period by the irrigation system. It further has an irrigation system interface for connecting said control element with the irrigation system. It also has a switch for conveying the control signals from the control element to the irrigation system via the irrigation system interface, for either permitting or prohibiting watering by the irrigation system, responsive to the control signals generated by and received from the control element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Thomas H. Runge, Bruce M. Downie
  • Patent number: 8733155
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an irrigation sprinkler sensor for sensing if a sprinkler riser has elevated, if water is flowing through the sprinkler riser, if the sprinkler is rotating, or if a sprinkler valve has properly closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Jason Lester Hill, Thomas H. Runge, Alex Korol
  • Publication number: 20130255783
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a soil moisture sensor for interrupting an irrigation schedule of an irrigation controller. The moisture sensor comprises a relatively flat body with two lower electrodes and two lower anchoring barbs. A receiver receives moisture readings from the sensor and compares moisture data to a predetermined moisture interrupt value or limit, over which irrigation is interrupted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Thomas H. Runge, Jason Lester Hill, James Zimmerman
  • Publication number: 20120221154
    Abstract: An irrigation control module is described that adjusts a watering schedule for a connected irrigation controller based on weather data provided by a local weather station. The irrigation control module can add additional weather-based irrigation schedule adjustments to an irrigation controller that may otherwise lack the hardware (e.g., wireless transmitter, sufficient memory) and software (e.g., evapotranspiration algorithms) to store and interpret weather data from a weather station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventor: Thomas H. Runge
  • Publication number: 20120043395
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an irrigation sprinkler sensor for sensing if a sprinkler riser has elevated, if water is flowing through the sprinkler riser, if the sprinkler is rotating, or if a sprinkler valve has properly closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Inventors: Jason Lester Hill, Thomas H. Runge, Alex Korol
  • Publication number: 20110238230
    Abstract: The invention provides a regulator system for regulating the operation of an irrigation system which is responsive to user programmed information. It has a control element for issuing watering control signals to an irrigation system, having at least one of (i) a duration programming device for programming a minimum amount of time and a maximum amount of time for the suspension of watering by the irrigation system, and (ii) a user adjustable temperature programming device for programming a minimum allowed temperature for initiating a watering period by the irrigation system. It further has an irrigation system interface for connecting said control element with the irrigation system. It also has a switch for conveying the control signals from the control element to the irrigation system via the irrigation system interface, for either permitting or prohibiting watering by the irrigation system, responsive to the control signals generated by and received from the control element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas H. Runge, Bruce M. Downie
  • Patent number: 7962245
    Abstract: The invention provides a regulator system for regulating the operation of an irrigation system which is responsive to user programmed information. It has a control element for issuing watering control signals to an irrigation system, having at least one of (i) a duration programming device for programming a minimum amount of time and a maximum amount of time for the suspension of watering by the irrigation system, and (ii) a user adjustable temperature programming device for programming a minimum allowed temperature for initiating a watering period by the irrigation system. It further has an irrigation system interface for connecting said control element with the irrigation system. It also has a switch for conveying the control signals from the control element to the irrigation system via the irrigation system interface, for either permitting or prohibiting watering by the irrigation system, responsive to the control signals generated by and received from the control element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Thomas H. Runge, Bruce M. Downie
  • Patent number: 7912588
    Abstract: The invention provides a regulator system for regulating the operation of an irrigation system which is responsive to user programmed information. It has a control element for issuing watering control signals to an irrigation system, having at least one of (i) a duration programming device for programming a minimum amount of time and a maximum amount of time for the suspension of watering by the irrigation system, and (ii) a user adjustable temperature programming device for programming a minimum allowed temperature for initiating a watering period by the irrigation system. It further has an irrigation system interface for connecting said control element with the irrigation system. It also has a switch for conveying the control signals from the control element to the irrigation system via the irrigation system interface, for either permitting or prohibiting watering by the irrigation system, responsive to the control signals generated by and received from the control element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Thomas H. Runge, Bruce M. Downie
  • Publication number: 20100305766
    Abstract: The invention provides a regulator system for regulating the operation of an irrigation system which is responsive to user programmed information. It has a control element for issuing watering control signals to an irrigation system, having at least one of (i) a duration programming device for programming a minimum amount of time and a maximum amount of time for the suspension of watering by the irrigation system, and (ii) a user adjustable temperature programming device for programming a minimum allowed temperature for initiating a watering period by the irrigation system. It further has an irrigation system interface for connecting said control element with the irrigation system. It also has a switch for conveying the control signals from the control element to the irrigation system via the irrigation system interface, for either permitting or prohibiting watering by the irrigation system, responsive to the control signals generated by and received from the control element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventors: Thomas H. Runge, Bruce M. Downie
  • Patent number: 7552632
    Abstract: The present invention describes a rain sensor that counts water drops with a microcontroller. After a predetermined threshold of water drops have been counted, the rain sensor interrupts an irrigation schedule of an irrigation controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Thomas H. Runge, Larry Kent Hopkins, Michael James Grundy
  • Publication number: 20080249664
    Abstract: The invention provides a regulator system for regulating the operation of an irrigation system which is responsive to user programmed information. It has a control element for issuing watering control signals to an irrigation system, having at least one of (i) a duration programming device for programming a minimum amount of time and a maximum amount of time for the suspension of watering by the irrigation system, and (ii) a user adjustable temperature programming device for programming a minimum allowed temperature for initiating a watering period by the irrigation system. It further has an irrigation system interface for connecting said control element with the irrigation system. It also has a switch for conveying the control signals from the control element to the irrigation system via the irrigation system interface, for either permitting or prohibiting watering by the irrigation system, responsive to the control signals generated by and received from the control element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas H. Runge, Bruce M. Downie
  • Patent number: 7363113
    Abstract: The invention provides a regulator system for regulating the operation of an irrigation system which is responsive to user programmed information. It has a control element for issuing watering control signals to an irrigation system, having at least one of (i) a duration programming device for programming a minimum amount of time and a maximum amount of time for the suspension of watering by the irrigation system, and (ii) a user adjustable temperature programming device for programming a minimum allowed temperature for initiating a watering period by the irrigation system. It further has an irrigation system interface for connecting said control element with the irrigation system. It also has a switch for conveying the control signals from the control element to the irrigation system via the irrigation system interface, for either permitting or prohibiting watering by the irrigation system, responsive to the control signals generated by and received from the control element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Thomas H. Runge, Bruce M. Downie