Irrigation controller
First Claim
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1. A method of controlling irrigation to irrigated zones, comprising:
- providing water to be applied to more than one irrigated zone at an irrigated site;
providing an irrigation controller that controls watering amounts to plurality of irrigation zones, to provide a total watering amount below a maximum watering amount;
a user operating a more/less adjustment mechanism to increase the first watering amount; and
the controller automatically adjusting the watering amounts to all irrigation zones such that the total watering amount remains below the maximum watering amount.
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Abstract
An irrigation controller modifies sophisticated irrigation protocols using an extremely simple user control. In one aspect of a particularly preferred class of embodiments, the user control includes a simple “more/less” (increase/decrease) adjustment. In another aspect of preferred embodiments, the controller automatically determines appropriate irrigation amounts, start times, durations, and frequencies. Such automatic determination may advantageously be based in part on the more/less adjustment.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of controlling irrigation to irrigated zones, comprising:
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providing water to be applied to more than one irrigated zone at an irrigated site;
providing an irrigation controller that controls watering amounts to plurality of irrigation zones, to provide a total watering amount below a maximum watering amount;
a user operating a more/less adjustment mechanism to increase the first watering amount; and
the controller automatically adjusting the watering amounts to all irrigation zones such that the total watering amount remains below the maximum watering amount. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An irrigation controller that controls irrigation to first and second irrigation zones, comprising;
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a user input;
a microprocessor that receives a signal from the user input, and that executes a program that implements the user input as a function of relative watering times of the first and second irrigation zones at a irrigated site. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of controlling irrigation to irrigated zones, comprising:
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providing an irrigation controller that controls a first watering amount to a first one of the irrigation zones and a second watering amount to a second one of the irrigation zones;
a user operating a more/less adjustment mechanism to modify the first watering amount; and
the controller automatically thereafter modifying both the first and second watering amounts in an opposite direction from that induced by the user'"'"'s operating the more/less adjustment mechanism.
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Specification