Patents by Inventor Troy David Carson

Troy David Carson 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).

  • Publication number: 20230403999
    Abstract: A turf management system includes an irrigation system for providing water to the turf at a turf site, and an irrigation evaluation system for evaluating the performance of the irrigation system. The irrigation evaluation system segments the turf site into irrigation management units, where each of the irrigation management units includes at least one sprinkler head. Qualities of the turf are measured to generate collected data points. The data points are used by the irrigation evaluation system to compute a value for the turf in each of the irrigation management units. The values can then be used to identify irrigation management units having common characteristics. The values can be used to define irrigation management zones for controlling the irrigation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Van Willis Cline, Kathleen Sue Rice, Troy David Carson
  • Patent number: 11737403
    Abstract: A turf management system includes an irrigation system for providing water to the turf at a turf site, and an irrigation evaluation system for evaluating the performance of the irrigation system. The irrigation evaluation system segments the turf site into irrigation management units, where each of the irrigation management units includes at least one sprinkler head. Qualities of the turf are measured to generate collected data points. The data points are used by the irrigation evaluation system to compute a value for the turf in each of the irrigation management units. The values can then be used to identify irrigation management units having common characteristics. The values can be used to define irrigation management zones for controlling the irrigation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Van Willis Cline, Kathleen Sue Rice, Troy David Carson
  • Publication number: 20220110275
    Abstract: A turf management system includes an irrigation system for providing water to the turf at a turf site, and an irrigation evaluation system for evaluating the performance of the irrigation system. The irrigation evaluation system segments the turf site into irrigation management units, where each of the irrigation management units includes at least one sprinkler head. Qualities of the turf are measured to generate collected data points. The data points are used by the irrigation evaluation system to compute a value for the turf in each of the irrigation management units. The values can then be used to identify irrigation management units having common characteristics. The values can be used to define irrigation management zones for controlling the irrigation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Applicant: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Van Willis Cline, Kathleen Sue Rice, Troy David Carson
  • Patent number: 11178829
    Abstract: A turf management system includes an irrigation system for providing water to the turf at a turf site, and an irrigation evaluation system for evaluating the performance of the irrigation system. The irrigation evaluation system segments the turf site into irrigation management units, where each of the irrigation management units includes at least one sprinkler head. Qualities of the turf are measured to generate collected data points. The data points are used by the irrigation evaluation system to compute a value for the turf in each of the irrigation management units. The values can then be used to identify irrigation management units having common characteristics. The values can be used to define irrigation management zones for controlling the irrigation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: THE TORO COMPANY
    Inventors: Van Willis Cline, Kathleen Sue Rice, Troy David Carson
  • Publication number: 20180199525
    Abstract: A turf management system includes an irrigation system for providing water to the turf at a turf site, and an irrigation evaluation system for evaluating the performance of the irrigation system. The irrigation evaluation system segments the turf site into irrigation management units, where each of the irrigation management units includes at least one sprinkler head. Qualities of the turf are measured to generate collected data points. The data points are used by the irrigation evaluation system to compute a value for the turf in each of the irrigation management units. The values can then be used to identify irrigation management units having common characteristics. The values can be used to define irrigation management zones for controlling the irrigation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicant: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Van Willis Cline, Kathleen Sue Rice, Troy David Carson
  • Patent number: 9872445
    Abstract: A turf management system includes an irrigation system for providing water to the turf at a turf site, and an irrigation evaluation system for evaluating the performance of the irrigation system. The irrigation evaluation system segments the turf site into irrigation management units, where each of the irrigation management units includes at least one sprinkler head. Qualities of the turf are measured to generate collected data points. The data points are used by the irrigation evaluation system to compute a value for the turf in each of the irrigation management units. The values can then be used to identify irrigation management units having common characteristics. The values can be used to define irrigation management zones for controlling the irrigation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Van Willis Cline, Kathleen Sue Rice, Troy David Carson
  • Patent number: 9222866
    Abstract: Evaluating ground surface hardness for a site involves using a mobile data collection device to automatically drop an object including an accelerometer onto a ground surface at sample locations spaced at regular intervals within the site. The acceleration of the object is detected with the accelerometer as the object impacts the ground surface at the sample locations. A value is generated representative of ground surface hardness for each of the sample locations. Evaluation using a handheld hardness measurement device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: The Toro Company
    Inventors: Van Willis Cline, Kathleen Sue Rice, Troy David Carson
  • Publication number: 20130055797
    Abstract: Evaluating ground surface hardness for a site involves using a mobile data collection device to automatically drop an object including an accelerometer onto a ground surface at sample locations spaced at regular intervals within the site. The acceleration of the object is detected with the accelerometer as the object impacts the ground surface at the sample locations. A value is generated representative of ground surface hardness for each of the sample locations. Evaluation using a handheld hardness measurement device is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventors: Van Willis Cline, Kathleen Sue Rice, Troy David Carson
  • Publication number: 20120084115
    Abstract: A turf management system includes an irrigation system for providing water to the turf at a turf site, and an irrigation evaluation system for evaluating the performance of the irrigation system. The irrigation evaluation system segments the turf site into irrigation management units, where each of the irrigation management units includes at least one sprinkler head. Qualities of the turf are measured to generate collected data points. The data points are used by the irrigation evaluation system to compute a value for the turf in each of the irrigation management units. The values can then be used to identify irrigation management units having common characteristics. The values can be used to define irrigation management zones for controlling the irrigation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Inventors: Van Willis Cline, Kathleen Sue Rice, Troy David Carson