User interface for a sensor-based interface device for interrupting an irrigation controller
First Claim
1. An interface unit interfacing with an irrigation controller that is separate from the interface unit, the interface unit comprising:
- a housing;
a control unit within the housing, where the control unit is configured to;
based on signaling received from a rain sensor, detect active rainfall and an absence of rain,the rain sensor including a moisture absorptive material configured to expand in response to the contact with the rainfall and contract in response to the absence of the rain;
the signaling received from the rain sensor by the interface unit including data corresponding to a variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor; and
determine, based on an analysis of the data corresponding to the variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor received by the interface unit in the signaling from the rain sensor by the interface unit, whether an interruption of one or more watering schedules executed by the irrigation controller should occur; and
output signaling to instruct the interruption, the interruption being based on a determination by the control unit that the data corresponding to the variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor received by the interface unit in the signaling from the rain sensor indicates that a sensed rainfall accumulation amount is above a predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, the interruption being for an interval of time after a detection of a sensed stop of the rainfall;
a switching device configured to cause the interruption in response to the signaling from the control unit; and
a user interface integrated with the housing and comprising;
a plurality of user input devices coupled to the control unit and configured to provide signaling to the control unit based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices configured to allow the user to set and adjust at least the user set rainfall threshold parameter; and
a user display comprising a display screen and coupled to the control unit;
wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display screen to display to the user at least one of the sensed rainfall accumulation amount, the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter and whether irrigation is being interrupted.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Some embodiments provide an interface unit interfacing with an irrigation controller, comprising: a housing; a controller configured to instruct an interruption of a watering schedule executed by the irrigation controller, the interruption based on one or both of sensed temperature and sensed rainfall amount, and based on one or both of user entered temperature and rainfall threshold parameters; a switching device coupled with the controller, and configured to cause the interruption in response to signaling from the controller; and a user interface comprising: a plurality of user input devices configured to provide signaling to the controller based upon user'"'"'s engagement, and configured to allow the user to define the temperature and rainfall threshold parameters; and a user display comprising a display screen; wherein the controller is configured to cause the display screen to display a plurality of pictorial representations that in combination convey whether irrigation is being interrupted.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An interface unit interfacing with an irrigation controller that is separate from the interface unit, the interface unit comprising:
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a housing; a control unit within the housing, where the control unit is configured to; based on signaling received from a rain sensor, detect active rainfall and an absence of rain, the rain sensor including a moisture absorptive material configured to expand in response to the contact with the rainfall and contract in response to the absence of the rain; the signaling received from the rain sensor by the interface unit including data corresponding to a variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor; and determine, based on an analysis of the data corresponding to the variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor received by the interface unit in the signaling from the rain sensor by the interface unit, whether an interruption of one or more watering schedules executed by the irrigation controller should occur; and output signaling to instruct the interruption, the interruption being based on a determination by the control unit that the data corresponding to the variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor received by the interface unit in the signaling from the rain sensor indicates that a sensed rainfall accumulation amount is above a predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, the interruption being for an interval of time after a detection of a sensed stop of the rainfall; a switching device configured to cause the interruption in response to the signaling from the control unit; and a user interface integrated with the housing and comprising; a plurality of user input devices coupled to the control unit and configured to provide signaling to the control unit based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices configured to allow the user to set and adjust at least the user set rainfall threshold parameter; and a user display comprising a display screen and coupled to the control unit; wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display screen to display to the user at least one of the sensed rainfall accumulation amount, the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter and whether irrigation is being interrupted. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for use in irrigation control, the method comprising:
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receiving, from a rain sensor, signaling indicating one of a sensed rainfall accumulation amount and a sensed stop of rainfall at a user interface integrated with an interface device including a control unit, the rain sensor including a moisture absorptive material configured to expand in response to the contact with the rainfall and contract in response to the absence of the rain, the signaling received from the rain sensor including data corresponding to a variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor; causing, via the interface device and based on an analysis by the control unit of the data corresponding to the variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor received by the interface unit in the signaling from the rain sensor, an interruption of one or more watering schedules executed by an irrigation controller that is separate from the interface unit, the interruption being based on a determination by the control unit that the data corresponding to the variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor received by the interface unit in the signaling from the rain sensor indicates that the sensed rainfall accumulation amount is above a predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, the interruption being for an interval of time after the sensed stop of the rainfall; receiving, at the interface device, an interval of time for the interruption of one or more watering schedules executed by the irrigation controller after the sensed stop of the rainfall; and displaying, on a user display of the interface device, at least one of the sensed rainfall accumulation amount, the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, and whether irrigation is being interrupted, such that a state of interrupting irrigation based at least on a relationship between the sensed rainfall accumulation amount and the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter is conveyed to the user via the user display of the interface device. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification