IrriGreen wins U.S. patent

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – IrriGreen has announced that it has been granted a U.S. patent for the IrriGreen Genius Irrigation System. The patent (US 9,643,196 B2) covers IrriGreen’s software algorithm. The software digitally controls the spray position and direction, watering distance and rotational speed of IrriGreen’s smart sprinkler heads.

“IrriGreen is the first irrigation system to extend smart control from the controller out to computerized, smart sprinkler heads with embedded software,” said Gary Klinefelter, founder and chief executive officer, IrriGreen, Inc. “Just as inkjet printers spray ink in controlled patterns on a page, IrriGreen Genius Sprinklers “print” water in precise patterns that match the shape of the lawn.”

Using the Genius Mobile App, installers configure zones and set sprinkler heads in one step on their smartphones. IrriGreen software automatically calculates spray distances, sets the mapping points and sends the data via Wi-Fi to the IrriGreen Genius Server. The system then digitally controls watering patterns, adjusting Genius Sprinklers up to 437 times per rotation. The sprays follow the contours of the lawn – conforming to every curve, angle and corner. IrriGreen waters so precisely that it reaches right up to the edge of adjacent hardscapes, such as driveways and curbs, without wasteful over-spraying.

Landscape irrigation accounts for nearly nine billion gallons of water per day. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as much as half is wasted because of the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of traditional sprinkler systems.

The Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT), an independent laboratory specializing in scientific testing of irrigation equipment, evaluated one Genius head per irrigation zone against conventional system configurations with six to nine mechanical rotors or spray heads. IrriGreen increased soil moisture by equivalent amounts, but used 40 percent fewer gallons of water.

Moreover, with only one computerized smart head per zone, instead of six to nine ordinary rotors, IrriGreen requires less pipe and wire, fewer valves and fittings and a smaller number of holes for workers to dig. Contractors can install IrriGreen in half to one-third the time.

IrriGreen is sold to professional contractors through 12 distributors, which in total operate 114 warehouse locations in 20 states.