Irrigation system controller apparatus

• US 5,038,268 A
• Filed: 05/12/1989
• Issued: 08/06/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ann S. Wachtler Separate Property Trust, First Westinghouse Ventures Corporation
• Original Assignee: AquaMetrics, Inc.
• Inventors: Floersch, Peter L., Krause, Dean R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORDON, PAUL P
• Application Number:
  US07/351,839
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 364/145, 364/140, 364/141, 364/143, 364/144, 364/146, 364/187-188, 364/420, 364/510, 239/68-73, 239/63, 239/65, 137/624.11, 137/624.18, 137/624.2
• US Class Current: 700/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86461 Variable cycle

Abstract

A computer-based controller controls and displays, on a real-time basis, the operation of a large number of watering stations. The controller provides functional statistics, assessment of the system flow characteristics and monitoring of station and system malfunctions. Control and modification of each station is turn-on time during each watering, the time between each station'"'"'s watering and the accumulated watering time interval are also provided. Soil moisture sensors and a flow meter provide reliable irrigation of large lawns while optimizing water conservation. Prompt response to malfunctions at the system and station level prevents costly catastrophes plaguing prior art irrigation control systems. A scanning irrigation controller permits multiple applications of small amounts of water during the irrigation cycle, resulting in reduced runoff loss and reduced leaching and puddling from oversaturation. A microprocessor-based architecture in the controller interfaces a key pad having a plurality of keys and corresponding key lights, at least one such key and light being provided for each watering associated station. The lights indicate the on/off status of each key in real time without requiring any sequencing operations to be performed for assessing the system status. The key pad also provides clock function keys to input time variables for the system and the stations. A display provides a variety of alpha-numeric messages including time values and errors or malfunctions. A plurality of valves may be operated by the system in a number of automatic modes or may be enabled for manual operation within preselected flow volume constraints.

Claims

1. In an irrigation system of the type having a plurality of watering stations, apparatus comprising:

means at said watering stations for selectively enabling and disabling the flow of water at said watering stations;

a plurality of moisture sensors, each of said sensors being associated with a respective one of said watering stations for determining moisture level;

a keyboard having a plurality of first keys disposed in groups, the keys in each group defining OFF, ON and AUTO states for an individual one of the stations, the OFF, ON and AUTO keys in each group selecting whether the individual one of the stations is not to be watered, whether the individual station is to be watered for a fixed period of time or whether the station is to be watered in a dwell time constituting the shorter of a fixed time or the time to achieve a particular moisture level in the earth at such individual station;

means for selecting a start time and a stop time defining a time window for enabling water flow at said watering stations; and

computer-based means for scanning said keyboard keys on a cyclic basis and sequentially enabling water flow at scanned stations having a corresponding first key in the ON or AUTO states during said time window.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said keyboard comprises a plurality of second keys for manually enabling selected ones of said watering station valves in accordance with the ON and OFF states of said second keys;

said apparatus further comprising means for disabling said ON key in each individual station and setting the AUTO key in such individual station to an ON state after a preselected period of time that such individual station has been watered during the watering window.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising means for altering and displaying said start time, said stop time and said fixed times.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising means for storing and incrementing accumulated watering time for each watering station on a real-time basis during said time window in accordance with the water flowing at the watering station.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 4 further comprising means responsive to said storing and incrementing means for closing the valve of each watering station for which the accumulated watering value has exceeded a predetermined time during said time window.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising means for selectively ignoring the determinations of said moisture sensor for at least one watering station whereby said moisture sensor for said at least the one watering station is treated as determining that moisture is required.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising a flow meter providing an indication of water flow through said irrigation system.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 7 further comprising means responsive to said indication of said flow meter for determining whether there are water leaks in said irrigation system.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 7 further comprising means responsive to said indication of said flow meter for determining the maximum and steady-state flow rates of said irrigation system.

10. The apparatus recited in claim 1 comprising a plurality of valves each associated with an individual one of the stations and having open and closed states and operative in the open state to provide for a watering of the associated station and operative in the closed state to prevent a watering at the associated station and a plurality of solenoids each associated with an individual one of the valves for drawing current to open the associated valve, means for sensing the current drawn by each of said solenoids and means responsive to said current sensing means for disabling said irrigation system in the event that the sensed current is greater than a particular value.

11. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of lights and wherein each key of said keyboard has associated with it a respective one of said lights for indicating the enable or disable state of said key.

12. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising a first controller included in said computer-based means for providing for the sequential scanning of the groups of keys, a second controller slaved to the first controller for providing a scanning, a second keyboard including a plurality of additional keys corresponding to the keys in the first keyboard and scanned by the second controller, a second plurality of stations, the second plurality of stations being watered sequentially on a cyclic basis in accordance with the setting of the additional keys.

13. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising a master valve having opened and closed states for controlling water flow through said irrigation system to the stations in the plurality and means for opening and closing said master valve in accordance with the quantity of water flowing at the stations.

14. In an irrigation system of the type having a plurality of valve-controlled watering stations, apparatus comprising:

means connected to said valves for selectively enabling and disabling the flow of water at said watering stations;

a keyboard having a plurality of first keys disposed in groups, each of said groups of first keys being associated with an individual one of said watering stations, the keys in each group providing an OFF state, an ON state for a fixed period and an AUTO state providing a dwell state for the shorter of a particular period and a period until a particular moisture level is reached in the earth at the individual station;

means for selecting a start time and a stop time defining a time window for enabling water flow at said watering stations;

computer-based means for scanning said groups of first keys on a cyclic basis and sequentially enabling water flow at each watering station whose keys provide for an ON state or an AUTO state.

15. The apparatus recited in claim 14 including means for obtaining a watering of each station for a preselected period of time during the time window when there has been no watering at the station for a particular cumulative period.

16. The apparatus recited in claim 14 further comprising means for altering and displaying said start time, said stop time, and said particular period.

17. The apparatus recited in claim 14 further comprising means for storing and incrementing accumulated watering time for each watering station on a real-time basis during said time window in accordance with the watering at such station.

18. The apparatus recited in claim 17 further comprising means responsive to said storing and incrementing means for closing the valve of each watering station for which the accumulated watering time has exceeded a particular value during said time window.

19. The apparatus recited in claim 14 further comprising a flow meter providing an indication of water flow through said irrigation system.

20. The apparatus recited in claim 19 further comprising means responsive to said indication of said flow meter for determining and indicating whether there are water leaks in said irrigation system.

21. The apparatus recited in claim 19 further comprising means responsive to said indication of said flow meter for determining the maximum and steady-state flow rates of said irrigation system.

22. The apparatus recited in claim 14 further comprising means for drawing current at each of the stations in accordance with the watering at said station and means for sensing the current drawn at each of said stations and means responsive to said current sensing means for disabling said irrigation system in the event that the sensed current is greater than a particular value.

23. The apparatus recited in claim 14 further comprising a plurality of lights and wherein each said key of said keyboard has activated and disabled states and associated with it an individual one of said lights for indicating the activated and disabled states of said key.

24. The apparatus recited in claim 14 further comprising an additional plurality of watering stations and an additional apparatus as recited in claim 14 and having an additional keyboard corresponding to the keyboard recited in claim 14 and having additional keys corresponding to the first keys for control of the additional plurality of watering stations in said irrigation system in accordance with the setting of the keys in the additional keyboard the additional keyboard being shared to the keyboard recited in claim 14.

25. The controller apparatus recited in claim 14 further comprising a master having enabled and disabled states valve for controlling water flow into said irrigation system and means for enabling and disabling said master valve.

26. The apparatus recited in claim 14 further comprising a plurality of moisture sensors, each of said sensors being associated with an individual one of said watering stations for determining moisture level and for controlling the watering at such individual station in the AUTO state in accordance with such determined moisture level.

27. The apparatus recited in claim 26 wherein said computer-based means is also operative to indicate different types of malfunctions at the individual stations and said keyboard is associated with said computer-based means to indicate the particular type of malfunction and the individual station at which said malfunction occurs.

28. The apparatus recited in claim 27 further comprising means for establishing individual priorities for different types of malfunctions and for individual stations and for displaying the different types of malfunctions and the stations incurring such different types of malfunctions in accordance with such established priorities.

29. In an irrigation system having a main water input, a combination of:

a plurality of spaced watering stations,

a plurality of valves at watering stations,

a master valve disposed at the main water input to the irrigation system and having open and closed states,

means for sensing the operation of each of said watering station valves for determining the occurrence of a valve malfunction when the master valve is open;

means responsive to said sensing means for closing said master valve upon the occurrence of particular valve malfunctions,

an auxiliary irrigation system disposed in a standby relationship and having timer controls for instituting the operation of the auxiliary irrigation system; and

means responsive to the closing of the master valve for implementing the operation of the timer controls to institute the operation of the auxiliary irrigation system.

30. The combination recited in claim 29 further comprising means for storing and incrementing accumulated watering time for each watering station on a real-time basis.

31. The combination recited in claim 30 further comprising means responsive to said storing and incrementing means for closing the valve of each watering station for which the accumulated watering time has exceeded a particular value.

32. The combination recited in claim 29 further comprising a flow meter providing an indication of water flow through said irrigation system.

33. The combination recited in claim 32 further comprising means responsive to said indication of said flow meter for determining whether there are water leaks in said irrigation system.

34. The combination recited in claim 32 further comprising means responsive to said indication of said flow meter for determining the maximum and steady-state flow rates of said irrigation system.

35. The combination recited in claim 29 further comprising an additional plurality of watering stations and an additional plurality of valves at the additional plurality of watering stations and means for providing for control of the additional plurality of valves at the additional plurality of watering stations in said irrigation system by the combination recited in claim 29.

36. The combination recited in claim 29 further comprising

means including a keyboard having keys actuatable to provide for a watering of individual stations in the plurality for a fixed period or for the shorter of a particular period or until the existence of a particular moisture level in the earth at the individual stations,

means for sequentially scanning the stations in the plurality on a cyclic basis to obtain watering at the stations in accordance with the actuation of the keys for the stations, and

means responsive to the watering at each station for a particular number of fixed periods for thereafter watering the station for the shorter of the particular period or until the existence of the particular moisture level in the earth at such station when such station is being scanned on a cyclic basis.

37. In an irrigation system having a plurality of stations, the combination of:

a plurality of valves having open and closed states and disposed at the different stations and operative in the open state to provide for a watering at the associated station and operative in the closed state to prevent such watering,

a plurality of serially interconnected keyboard panels, each such panel having keys selectively activated to control watering at an individual one of the stations,

means for sequentially selecting on a cyclic basis the activated keys for the different stations controlled by such keys,

means for providing one of the panels as a master panel to control the sequential selection of the keys in that panel and in the other panels on a cyclic basis, and

means responsive to the activated keys in the master panel and the other panels upon the selection of such keys on a cyclic basis for obtaining an opening of the valves associated with such keys.

38. The combination recited in claim 37 further comprising

means in each panel for providing a time window defining a starting time and an ending time for the sequential selection of the keys in such panel on a cyclic basis, and

means for storing and incrementing accumulated watering time for each watering station on a real-time basis during said time window.

39. The combination recited in claim 38 further comprising means responsive to said storing and incrementing means for preventing the opening of the valve of each watering station for which the accumulated watering time has exceeded a particular value during said time window.

40. The combination recited in claim 37 further comprising a flow meter providing an indication of water flow through said irrigation system.

41. The combination recited in claim 40 further comprising means responsive to said indication of said flow meter for determining whether there are water leaks in said irrigation system and for indicating on said panels flow rates in the irrigation system above a particular value.

42. The combination recited in claim 40 further comprising means responsive to said indication of said flow meter for determining the maximum and steady-state flow rates of said irrigation system.

43. The combination recited in claim 37 further comprising each of said valves including a solenoid drawing a current in the open state of the valve to obtain the flow of water through the valve and means for sensing the current drawn by each of said solenoids and means responsive to said current sensing means for disabling said irrigation system in the event that the sensed current is greater than a particular value.

44. The combination recited in claim 37 further comprising a plurality of lights and wherein each said key of said keyboard has associated with it a respective one of said lights for indicating the activated state of said key.

45. The combination recited in claim 37 further comprising a main water input for the water irrigation system and a master valve disposed at the main water input and having open and closed states and means for opening and closing said master valve dependent upon whether or not the cumulative flow of water through the master valve has reached a particular value.

46. The combination recited in claim 37 further comprising a plurality of moisture sensors, each of said sensors being associated with a respective one of said watering stations for determining moisture level, and

means associated with each watering station and responsive to the activation of the keys for the associated watering station for opening the valve at such station for the shorter of a fixed period of time or the time for obtaining a particular moisture level at such station.

47. The combination recited in claim 46 further comprising:

means connected to said valves for selectively enabling and disabling the flow of water at said watering stations;

means for selecting a start time and a stop time defining a time window for enabling water flow at said watering stations;

means for setting a dwell time and a soak time for each watering station, the dwell time being the period of time each watering station valve is turned on and the soak time being the period of time each watering station is turned off between dwell times; and

computer-based means for scanning said keyboard keys and sequentially enabling water flow for the dwell time at each watering station where a particular soak time for that watering station has been exceeded.

48. The combination recited in claim 47 further comprising means for altering and displaying on the panels said start time, said stop time, said dwell time and said soak time.

49. In an irrigation system of the type having a plurality of valves at spaced watering stations, a controller apparatus comprising:

means for selectively setting the sequence and timing for activating selected watering station valves for enabling the flow of water through the valves in accordance with such sequence and timing; and

means for establishing groups of said watering station valves, each said group having a master valve and at least one slave valve, each of said slave valves being activated and deactivated in synchronism with said master valve; and

computer-based means for selectively activating the watering station valves sequentially within said groups on a cyclic basis in accordance with the sequence and timing set for such valves to obtain the flow of water through the valves.

50. The controller apparatus recited in claim 49 further comprising:

means for sensing the moisture level adjacent each said watering station valve as a parameter for said sequence and timing;

means for selectively ignoring the moisture levels sensed by said sensing means at particular watering station valves which are slave valves within each of said groups and for obtaining the flow of water through said watering station valves for a fixed period of time when said watering station valves are activated; and

means for providing for the flow of water through other watering station valves which are slave valves within each of said groups when the moisture level sensed by the sensing means at such other watering station valves is below a particular value.

51. In combination,

a plurality of stations each disposed at an individual position in a particular area to provide for watering of the earth around such individual station,

a plurality of valves each disposed at an individual one of the stations and each having an open state to provide for watering at the station and a closed state to prevent watering at the station,

a plurality of sensors each disposed at an individual one of the stations and each constructed to sense the amount of moisture at the station,

a keyboard having a plurality of keys disposed in groups, each group representing an individual one of the stations and individual keys in each group providing for a closed state of the valve in the associated station, an open state of the valve in the associated station for a selected period of time and an open state, in a dwell mode, of the valve in the associated station for the shorter of a period of time until the sensor in the associated station indicates a particular level of moisture at the station or for a particular period of time if the sensor in the associated station does not indicate the particular level of moisture in the particular period, and

means for scanning the keys in the successive groups on the keyboard sequentially on a cyclic basis to obtain an operation of the valves in each successive station in accordance with the operation of the keys in such stations.

52. In a combination as set forth in claim 51,

means associated with the keyboard for converting the operation of valves in the plurality of the selected period of time to the operation of the open state of such valves in the dwell mode after such valves have operated for a particular aggregate number of the selected periods of time.

53. In a combination as set forth in claim 51,

means in the keyboard for providing for the scanning of the keys on the cyclic basis between a preselected beginning time and a preselected ending time.

54. In a combination as set forth in claim 51,

means associated with each watering station for indicating the time that the valve associated with such station is open, the time between successive openings of the valve associated with such station and the cumulative time during which the valve associated with such station is open.

55. In combination,

a plurality of stations each disposed at an individual position in a particular area to provide for watering of the earth around such station,

a plurality of valves each disposed at an individual one of the stations and each having an open state to provide for watering at the station and a closed state to prevent watering at the station,

a keyboard including a plurality of keys each associated with an individual one of the stations and actuatable to provide for the opening in a dwell state of the valve associated with such individual station, such dwell state providing for the opening of such valve for the lesser of a particular period of time or until the moisture level around such station reaches a particular value,

means for scanning the keys on the keyboard sequentially on a cyclic basis, and

means operative upon the scanning of the keys for providing for the operation of each valve in the dwell state in accordance with the actuation of the key associated with such valve.

56. In a combination as set forth in claim 55,

means in the keyboard for providing for the sequential scanning of the keys on a cyclic basis only between a particular start time and a particular stop time.

57. In a combination as set forth in claim 56,

means at the keyboard for overriding the opening of each valve in the dwell state and for obtaining the operation of such valve for a particular period of time, regardless of the moisture level in the earth at the station with which such valve is associated, when the key associated with such valve is scanned in the cyclic operation.

58. In a combination as set forth in claim 56,

means for converting to a scanning of each key in the dwell state after such key has been scanned for a particular number of times with the valve associated with such key open for the particular period of time.

59. In a combination as set forth in claim 55,

means in the keyboard for indicating any malfunction in the operation of the valves and the particular malfunction of such valves.

60. In combination for use with a plurality of keys each disposed at an individual position in a particular area to provide for watering of the earth around such individual station and a plurality of valves each disposed at an individual one of the stations and each having an open state to provide for a watering at the station and a closed state to prevent a watering at the station,

a keyboard including a plurality of keys disposed in groups, the keys in each group being associated with an individual one of the valves and being actuatable to prevent the opening of the valve or to provide for an opening of the valve in a dwell time constituting the shorter of a particular period and the period for producing a particular moisture level at the individual station,

first means for scanning the keys in each of the successive groups on a cyclic basis, and

second means responsive to the scanning of the keys in each group for obtaining an operation of the associated valve in accordance with the actuation of the keys in such group and with the moisture level of the earth at the associated station.

61. In a combination as set forth in claim 60,

there being an additional key in each group, such key being actuatable to provide for the opening of the associated valve for a pre-selected period of time,

the second means being operative to provide for the opening of each valve for the pre-selected period of time in accordance with the actuation of the additional key in the group associated with such valves.

62. In a combination as set forth in claim 61,

means for overriding the actuation of the additional key in each group to provide for the operation of the associated valve in the dwell state after the associated valve has been opened for the pre-selected period in a particular plurality of successive scans of such additional key.

63. In a combination as set forth in claim 60,

the keyboard including means for indicating any malfunction at each station and for indicating the specific type of malfunction which is occurring at such station.

64. In combination,

a plurality of stations each disposed at a particular position in a particular area to provide for watering of the earth around such particular station,

a plurality of valves each disposed at an individual one of the stations and each having an open state to provide for a watering at the station and a closed state to prevent any watering at the station,

a plurality of sensors each disposed at an individual one of the stations and each constructed to sense the amount of moisture at the station,

a keyboard including a plurality of keys each associated with an individual one of the stations and each providing, when actuated, for a dwell operation of operating the valve in such station for the shorter of a particular period and a time until the moisture level of the earth at the station reaches a particular level,

means for scanning the keys in the keyboard sequentially on a cyclic basis to obtain the dwell operation of the valves in the stations, and

means in the keyboard for indicating malfunctions, including malfunctions of the valves, at the different stations.

65. In a combination as set forth in claim 64,

the malfunction indicating means being operative on a priority basis to indicate the malfunctions at the different stations such that different malfunctions have a higher priority than others.

66. In a combination as set forth in claim 64,

the malfunction indicating means being operative on a priority basis to indicate the malfunctions at the different stations such that different stations have a higher priority for the malfunctions than other stations.

67. In a combination as set forth in claim 66,

a second plurality of keys in the keyboard each associated with an individual one of the stations and each actuatable to override the dwell operation of the valve in such individual station and to obtain the operation of the valve in such station for a fixed period of time, regardless of the moisture level of the earth at such station, when such individual station is scanned on a cyclic basis.

68. In a combination as set forth in claim 67,

means for overriding the keys in the second plurality after the operation of the valves for a particular number of fixed periods to obtain the operation of the valves thereafter in the dwell state.

69. In a combination as set forth in claim 67,

means for accumulating the time that the earth at each station is watered during a particular time period, and

means for preventing any further watering of each station after a particular count of the watering time at such station during such particular time period.

70. In combination,

a plurality of stations disposed at spaced positions,

means at each of the stations for providing a watering of the earth at such station,

a keyboard,

means associated with the keyboard for providing a scanning of the stations on a cyclic basis,

means at the keyboard for providing for the operation of the watering means at individual ones of the stations for a first particular period of time upon each scanning of such individual stations on a cyclic basis, and

means associated with the keyboard for providing for the operation of the watering means at such individual ones of the stations in accordance with the scanning of the stations, for the shorter of a second particular period or the occurrence of a particular moisture level at such individual stations, upon each scanning of such individual stations on a cyclic basis after such individual stations have been watered a particular number of times for the first particular period.

71. In a combination as set forth in claim 70,

means at the keyboard for providing for the inhibition of any further watering at individual ones of the stations during a particular watering period greater than the first and second periods after such individual stations have been watered for a preselected maximum period during such particular watering period.

72. In a combination as set forth in claim 71,

means at the keyboard for providing for the inhibition of any further watering at any of the stations during the particular watering period after a preselected maximum of watering has occurred on a cumulative basis at all of the stations.

73. In a combination as set forth in claim 70,

means at the keyboard for indicating individual types of malfunctions and the individual stations incurring such malfunctions, and

means associated with the keyboard for providing for the indication by the indicating means at the keyboard of the individual types of malfunctions and the individual stations incurring such individual types of malfunctions.

74. In a combination as set forth in claim 73,

means for establishing a priority at the keyboard for the indication of the individual types of malfunctions and a priority of the individual stations incurring such individual types of malfunctions, and

means associated with the keyboard for providing for the indication by the indicating means at the keyboard, in accordance with such established priorities, of the individual types of malfunctions and the individual stations incurring such individual types of malfunctions.

75. In combination,

a plurality of stations disposed at spaced positions,

means at each of the stations for providing a watering of the earth at such station,

a first keyboard having a plurality of keys disposed in first groups, the keys in each of the first groups being actuatable to control the watering of the earth at an individual one of the stations,

first controller means associated with the first keyboard for scanning the individual groups of keys sequentially on a cyclic basis to obtain the watering of the earth at the individual stations in accordance with the actuation of the keys in the individual groups,

a second keyboard having a plurality of keys disposed in second groups, the keys in each of the second groups being actuatable to control the watering of the earth at an individual one of the stations other than the stations controlled by the operation of the first controller means,

second controller means associated with the second keyboard for scanning the individual ones of the second groups of keys sequentially on a cyclic basis to obtain the watering of the earth at the individual stations associated with the keys in the second groups in accordance with the actuation of the keys in the individual ones of the second groups, and

means for slaving the operation of the second controller means with the operation of the first controller means.

76. In a combination as set forth in claim 75,

the keys in each of the first and second groups providing, when actuated, for the watering of the earth at the associated station for a fixed period of time or for the shorter of a particular period or until the earth at the station has a particular moisture level.

77. In a combination as set forth in claim 76,

means associated with the keys in each of the first and second groups for converting the watering at the stations from watering of the earth at the associated station for the fixed period to the shorter of the particular period or the occurrence of the particular moisture level in the earth at the associated station after the earth at the associated station has been watered for the fixed period for a particular number of times.

78. In a combination as set forth in claim 75,

means for adjusting the fixed period, the particular period and the particular moisture level for each of the stations.

79. In a combination as set forth in claim 76,

means for providing for the watering of the stations sequentially on a cyclic basis from a pre-selected starting time to a pre-selected ending time, and

means for preventing any further watering of each of the stations after such station has been watered for a particular accumulated time between the pre-selected starting time and the pre-selected ending time.

80. In a combination as set forth in claim 79,

means for preventing any further watering of the stations after such stations have cumulatively received a particular amount of watering between the pre-selected starting time and the pre-selected ending time.

81. In combination,

a plurality of stations disposed at spaced positions,

means at each of the stations for providing a watering of the earth at such stations,

a keyboard having keys associated with individual ones of the stations and actuatable to provide for a controlled watering of the earth at such individual stations,

means associated with the keyboard for providing for a scanning of the stations on a cyclic basis,

means associated with the keyboard and the stations for providing a controlled watering of the earth at the stations upon the scanning of the stations and in accordance with the actuation of the keys associated with the stations,

means for sensing different types of malfunctions at the individual stations, and

means at the keyboard for providing a visual indication of the different types of malfunctions sensed at the different stations, and the stations at which such malfunctions occur, in accordance with a priority established for the different types of malfunctions and a priority established for the individual stations.

82. In a combination as set forth in claim 81,

means at the keyboard for providing for the watering at each individual station, upon the scanning of the station, only when the moisture level of the earth at such individual station is below a particular value and only for the shorter of the time until the moisture level of the earth reaches the particular value or a particular period has elapsed after the initiation of such watering.

83. In a combination as set forth in claim 82,

means for initially providing a watering at individual stations for fixed periods of time upon the scanning of such stations and for providing for the watering at such individual stations, upon the scanning of such individual stations after the watering at such individual stations a particular number of the fixed periods of time, only when the moisture level of the earth at such individual stations is below the particular value and only for the shorter of the time until the moisture level of the earth reaches the particular value or a particular period has elapsed after the initiation of such watering.

84. In a combination as set forth in claim 83,

means for establishing for the watering a starting time and an ending time defining a time window, and

means for preventing stations from being watered during the time window after a particular amount of watering has been provided at such stations during the time window.

85. In a combination as set forth in claim 81,

means for providing for a watering of each individual station, regardless of the moisture level of the earth at such station, after there has been no watering of the earth at such station for at least a particular period of time during the scanning of the stations.

86. In a combination as set forth in claim 81,

an auxiliary timer control system at the stations,

means responsive to particular malfunctions in the stations for preventing the actuation of the keys in the keyboard from controlling the watering at the stations and for providing for the operation of the auxiliary timer control system at the stations.