Programmable Irrigation Controller Having User Interface

• US 20060293797A1
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Inventors: Weiler, Steven W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/165 Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations

Abstract

An irrigation controller includes a user interface capable of presenting information to a user and allowing the programming of the controller in a simple and intuitive fashion. Information presented may include values of all programmable irrigation parameters associated with an irrigation zone. Information presented may include values of irrigation parameters associated with multiple irrigation zones. Information may also be presented graphically, in color, and/or in a plurality of languages.

Claims

1. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store and execute an irrigation schedule;

a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices adapted to allow the user to create an irrigation schedule; and

a user display coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display irrigation parameters associated with the irrigation schedule, the user display comprising a display screen, wherein

the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display all system variables associated with the irrigation schedule together to the user.

2. The irrigation controller of claim 1, wherein the user display includes a plurality of illuminatable indicators.

3. The irrigation controller of claim 1, wherein the user display includes a rotary dial.

4. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store and execute an irrigation schedule;

a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices adapted to allow the user to create an irrigation schedule; and

a user display coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display irrigation parameters associated with the irrigation schedule, wherein

the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display at least one of a next irrigation start day, a next irrigation start time, and a next zone to irrigate associated with the irrigation schedule.

5. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store and execute a plurality of irrigation schedules;

a plurality of valve drivers coupled to the controller, each adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices adapted to allow the user to create a plurality of irrigation schedules; and

a user display coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display irrigation parameters associated with the plurality of irrigation schedules, wherein

the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display system variables associated with multiple irrigation schedules together to the user.

6. The irrigation controller of claim 5, the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display zones for each of the plurality of irrigation schedules together to the user.

7. The irrigation controller of claim 5, the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display a next irrigation start time for each of the plurality of irrigation schedules together to the user.

8. The irrigation controller of claim 5, the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display a next irrigation start day for each of the plurality of irrigation schedules together to the user.

9. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store and execute an irrigation schedule;

a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices adapted to allow the user to create an irrigation schedule; and

a user display coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display irrigation parameters associated with the irrigation schedule, wherein

the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display system variables associated with a plurality of upcoming irrigation events together to the user.

10. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to modify an existing irrigation schedule and execute the modified irrigation schedule;

a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith; and

a user display coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display an irrigation parameter associated with an irrigation schedule, wherein

the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display a variable irrigation duration adjustment schedule associated with the existing irrigation schedule.

11. The irrigation controller of claim 10, wherein the user display is adapted to display the variable irrigation duration adjustment schedule in a graphical format.

12. The irrigation controller of claim 10, wherein the plurality of user input devices are adapted to allow the user to modify an irrigation duration of an existing irrigation schedule based upon a current month-of-year.

13. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store and execute an irrigation schedule, wherein execution of the irrigation schedule is suspendable for an adjustable period of time;

a zone driver coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith; and

a user display coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display irrigation parameters associated with the irrigation schedule, wherein

in the event execution of the irrigation schedule is suspended for the adjustable period of time, the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display an indication of an amount of time remaining until the suspension is removed.

14. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store and execute an irrigation schedule, wherein the irrigation schedule is subject to a water use restriction limiting one or more of an irrigation start day and an irrigation start time;

a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices adapted to allow the user to create an irrigation schedule; and

a user display coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display irrigation parameters associated with the irrigation schedule, wherein

the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display the water use restriction to the user.

15. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store and execute an irrigation schedule, wherein the irrigation schedule is subjectable to a water use restriction limiting one or more of an irrigation start day and irrigation start time;

a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices adapted to allow the programming of a water use restriction; and

a user display coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display system variables associated with the water use restriction, wherein

the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display the water use restriction.

16. The irrigation controller of claim 15, wherein the plurality of user input devices is further adapted to allow setting of a password to prevent adjustment of the water use restriction.

17. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store and execute an irrigation schedule;

a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a dedicated language adjustment input coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith; and

a user display coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display irrigation parameters associated with the irrigation schedule, the user display comprising a display screen, wherein

the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display information to the user in different languages based upon the user'"'"'s engagement with the dedicated language adjustment input.

18. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store system variables and execute an irrigation schedule based upon values of at least a portion of the system variables;

a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices adapted to allow the user to view the system variables; and

a user display coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display values of at least a portion of the system variables, the user display comprising a color display screen, wherein

the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display different system variables in different colors.

19. The irrigation controller of claim 18, wherein the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to graphically display the different system variables in the different colors.

20. The irrigation controller of claim 18, wherein the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display different system variables together.

21. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store system variables and execute an irrigation schedule based upon values of at least a portion of the system variables;

a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices adapted to allow the user to view the system variables; and

a user display coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display values of at least a portion of the system variables, the user display comprising a color display screen, wherein

the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display different values of a system variable in different colors.

22. The irrigation controller of claim 21, wherein the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to graphically display values of a system variable.

23. The irrigation controller of claim 21, wherein the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display different values of a system variable together.

24. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store system variables and execute irrigation schedules based upon values of at least a portion of the system variables;

a plurality of valve drivers coupled to the microcontroller, each adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices adapted to allow the user to view the system variables; and

a user display coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display values of at least a portion of the system variables, the user display comprising a color display screen, wherein

the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display system variables associated with different irrigation schedules or different irrigation programs in different colors.

25. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store and execute an irrigation schedule;

a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a display screen coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to display irrigation parameters associated with the irrigation schedule; and

a plurality of non-labeled user input devices proximate to the display screen coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices adapted to allow the user to create at least in part an irrigation schedule,

wherein the microcontroller is adapted to cause information to be displayed upon the display screen, wherein signaling by each of the plurality of non-labeled user devices corresponds to information displayed upon the display screen at a location proximate to a corresponding non-labeled user input device.

26. An irrigation controller, comprising:

a housing;

a microcontroller within the housing and adapted to store a password;

a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to output a zone activation signal to an actuatable zone valve in response to signaling from the microcontroller; and

a user interface comprising;

a plurality of user input devices coupled to the microcontroller and adapted to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices adapted to allow entry of the password to unlock password protected functionality of the controller, wherein

the microcontroller is adapted to cause the user display to display system variables associated with the password.

27. The irrigation controller of claim 26, wherein the plurality of user input devices are further adapted to allow entering of the password to password protect the functionality of the controller.

28. The irrigation controller of claim 26, wherein the microcontroller is programmed with the password.