Garden watering controllers
First Claim
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1. A garden watering controller for operating a valve for controlling supply of water into a garden watering arrangement, the controller comprising:
- a light sensor for sensing ambient light levels, anda central unit for receiving sensed light level signals from the light sensor and for outputting control signals for operating the valve in dependence on the sensed light level signals;
whereinthe central unit is programmable such that the control signals output by the central unit, and hence resulting operation of the valve, are dependent on a stored program;
the garden watering controller comprises a user interface for allowing a user to program the operation of the central unit;
wherein the garden watering controller is programmable to provide watering operation at;
i) dusk;
ii) dawn;
iii) dawn and dusk;
and the user interface comprises a first user control for programming the controller to control whether watering should occur at dusk, dawn, or dawn and dusk; and
the first user control is arranged for indicating the duration for which watering should occur at a selected time.
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Abstract
A garden watering controller for operating a valve for controlling a supply of water into a garden watering arrangement includes a light sensor for sensing ambient light levels and a central unit for receiving sensed light level signals from the light sensor and for outputting control signals for operating the valve in dependence on the sensed light level signals. The central unit may be arranged to determine the occurrence of dawn and dusk.
10 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A garden watering controller for operating a valve for controlling supply of water into a garden watering arrangement, the controller comprising:
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a light sensor for sensing ambient light levels, and a central unit for receiving sensed light level signals from the light sensor and for outputting control signals for operating the valve in dependence on the sensed light level signals;
whereinthe central unit is programmable such that the control signals output by the central unit, and hence resulting operation of the valve, are dependent on a stored program; the garden watering controller comprises a user interface for allowing a user to program the operation of the central unit; wherein the garden watering controller is programmable to provide watering operation at; i) dusk; ii) dawn; iii) dawn and dusk; and the user interface comprises a first user control for programming the controller to control whether watering should occur at dusk, dawn, or dawn and dusk; and the first user control is arranged for indicating the duration for which watering should occur at a selected time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20)
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17. A garden watering controller for operating a valve for controlling supply of water into a garden watering arrangement, the controller comprising a light sensor for sensing ambient light levels, and a central unit for receiving sensed light level signals from the light sensor and for outputting control signals for operating the valve, the central unit being arranged under the control of software to:
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a) calculate a rolling average of the light level sensed by the sensor; b) determine the occurrence of dawn when the following are satisfied; i) the rolling average is increasing; ii) the latest rolling average is no more than a predetermined amount above the preceding rolling average; and iii) the latest rolling average is above a first minimum threshold value; and c) determine the occurrence of dusk when the following are satisfied; i) the rolling average is decreasing; ii) the latest rolling average is no more than a predetermined amount below the preceding rolling average; and iii) the latest rolling average is below a first maximum threshold value; and d) output control signals for operating the valve in dependence on the determination of the occurrence of dawn and dusk.
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21. A garden watering controller for operating a valve for controlling supply of water into a garden watering arrangement, the controller comprising a light sensor for sensing ambient light levels, and a central unit for receiving sensed light level signals from the light sensor and for outputting control signals for operating the valve in dependence on the sensed light level signals wherein
the central unit is programmable such that the control signals output by the central unit, and hence resulting operation of the valve, are dependent on a stored program; -
the garden watering controller comprises a user interface for allowing a user to program the operation of the central unit; wherein the garden watering controller is programmable to provide watering operation at; i) dusk; ii) dawn; iii) dawn and dusk; and the user interface comprises a first user control for programming the controller to control whether watering should occur at dusk, dawn, or dawn and dusk; and the first user control is also arranged for indicating the duration for which watering should occur at the selected time(s), in which an operative range of the first user control has three segments, a first segment corresponding to operation of the valve at dawn, a second segment corresponding to operation of the valve at dusk, and a third segment corresponding to operation of the valve at dawn and dusk.
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Specification