Sensor device for interrupting irrigation
First Claim
1. A method for controlling irrigation comprising:
- generating an indication representing the amount of rain fall at a sensor unit;
transmitting a signal comprising at least the indication from the sensor unit to an interface unit, wherein the interface unit is adapted to cause an interruption of programmed watering schedules of an irrigation controller and wherein the interface unit is separate from the irrigation controller;
receiving the signal at the interface unit;
receiving user input relating to the interruption of the programmed watering schedules of the irrigation controller via a user interface integrated with the interface unit, wherein the user input defines a rain interruption threshold;
determining, at the interface unit, based at least on the indication from the signal and the user input, whether irrigation should be interrupted; and
generating an interrupt command to interrupt irrigation in the event it is determined that the irrigation should be interrupted; and
wherein the determining step further comprises determining, based at least on a rate of rain fall whether the irrigation should be interrupted,wherein the user input received via the user interface defines a rain interruption threshold, andwherein the determining whether the irrigation should be interrupted step comprises determining, based on the rate of rain fall, that the irrigation should be interrupted, regardless of whether a relationship exists between the rain interruption threshold and the indication at the interface unit; and
wherein the determining that the irrigation should be interrupted step further comprises determining, based on the rate of rain fall, that the irrigation should be interrupted where the amount of rain fall that is less than the rain interruption threshold.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided herein for permitting or interrupting irrigation using sensor equipment. In one embodiment, a method for controlling irrigation comprising the steps of: generating an indication representing the amount of rain fall at a sensor unit; transmitting a signal comprising at least the indication from the sensor unit to an interface unit, wherein the interface unit is adapted to cause an interruption of programmed watering schedules of an irrigation controller; receiving the signal at the interface unit; determining, based at least on the indication from the signal, whether irrigation should be interrupted; and generating an interrupt command to interrupt irrigation.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for controlling irrigation comprising:
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generating an indication representing the amount of rain fall at a sensor unit; transmitting a signal comprising at least the indication from the sensor unit to an interface unit, wherein the interface unit is adapted to cause an interruption of programmed watering schedules of an irrigation controller and wherein the interface unit is separate from the irrigation controller; receiving the signal at the interface unit; receiving user input relating to the interruption of the programmed watering schedules of the irrigation controller via a user interface integrated with the interface unit, wherein the user input defines a rain interruption threshold; determining, at the interface unit, based at least on the indication from the signal and the user input, whether irrigation should be interrupted; and generating an interrupt command to interrupt irrigation in the event it is determined that the irrigation should be interrupted; and wherein the determining step further comprises determining, based at least on a rate of rain fall whether the irrigation should be interrupted, wherein the user input received via the user interface defines a rain interruption threshold, and wherein the determining whether the irrigation should be interrupted step comprises determining, based on the rate of rain fall, that the irrigation should be interrupted, regardless of whether a relationship exists between the rain interruption threshold and the indication at the interface unit; and wherein the determining that the irrigation should be interrupted step further comprises determining, based on the rate of rain fall, that the irrigation should be interrupted where the amount of rain fall that is less than the rain interruption threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for controlling irrigation comprising:
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generating an indication representing the amount of rain fall at a sensor unit; transmitting a signal comprising at least the indication from the sensor unit to an interface unit, wherein the interface unit is adapted to cause an interruption of programmed watering schedules of an irrigation controller and wherein the interface unit is separate from the irrigation controller; receiving the signal at the interface unit; receiving user input relating to the interruption of the programmed watering schedules of the irrigation controller via a user interface integrated with the interface unit, wherein the user input defines a rain interruption threshold; determining, at the interface unit, based at least on the indication from the signal and the user input, whether irrigation should be interrupted; generating an interrupt command to interrupt irrigation in the event it is determined that the irrigation should be interrupted; and wherein the signal further comprises an indication of a signal strength of signals received at the sensor unit that were transmitted by the interface unit and a battery strength of the sensor unit. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A method for controlling irrigation comprising:
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generating an indication representing the amount of rain fall at a sensor unit; transmitting a signal comprising at least the indication from the sensor unit to an interface unit, wherein the interface unit is adapted to cause an interruption of programmed watering schedules of an irrigation controller and wherein the interface unit is separate from the irrigation controller; receiving the signal at the interface unit; receiving user input relating to the interruption of the programmed watering schedules of the irrigation controller via a user interface integrated with the interface unit, wherein the user input defines a rain interruption threshold; determining, at the interface unit, based at least on the indication from the signal and the user input, whether irrigation should be interrupted; generating an interrupt command to interrupt irrigation in the event it is determined that the irrigation should be interrupted; and wherein the signal further comprises data indicating a signal strength of signals received at the sensor unit that were transmitted by the interface unit.
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26. A method for controlling irrigation comprising:
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generating an indication representing the amount of rain fall at a sensor unit; transmitting a signal comprising at least the indication from the sensor unit to an interface unit, wherein the interface unit is adapted to cause an interruption of programmed watering schedules of an irrigation controller and wherein the interface unit is separate from the irrigation controller; receiving the signal at the interface unit; receiving user input relating to the interruption of the programmed watering schedules of the irrigation controller via a user interface integrated with the interface unit, wherein the user input defines a rain interruption threshold; determining, at the interface unit, based at least on the indication from the signal and the user input, whether irrigation should be interrupted; generating an interrupt command to interrupt irrigation in the event it is determined that the irrigation should be interrupted; and wherein the generating the indication step comprises sensing a resistance value of a wiper contacting a resistive sensing element, the wiper and the resistive sensing element forming a linear potentiometer, the wiper coupled to a hygroscopic material, wherein a position of the wiper is physically displaced on the resistive element as moisture is absorbed into or evaporated out of the hygroscopic material.
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27. A method for controlling irrigation comprising:
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generating indications each representing the amount of rain fall at a sensor unit and a temperature at the sensor unit; periodically transmitting signals from the sensor unit to an interface unit, each signal comprising at least a respective indication, wherein the interface unit is adapted to cause an interruption of programmed watering schedules of an irrigation controller and wherein the interface unit is separate from the irrigation controller; receiving the signals at the interface unit; receiving user input relating to the interruption of the programmed watering schedules of the irrigation controller via a user interface integrated with the interface unit, wherein the user input defines a rain interruption threshold and a temperature interruption threshold; determining, at the interface unit, that the irrigation should be interrupted based on at least two of the indication from one or more of the received signals, the rain interruption threshold, the temperature interruption threshold, a rate of rain fall and a rate of temperature change; opening a normally closed switch integrated into the interface unit to interrupt the irrigation, the normally closed switch coupled to an input of the irrigation controller or to a common line or a controller output line of the irrigation controller; subsequently determining, at the interface unit, that the interruption of the irrigation should be removed based on at least two of the indication from one or more of the received signals, the rain interruption threshold, the temperature interruption threshold, the rate of rain fall and the rate of temperature change; and closing the normally closed switch to remove the interruption of the irrigation in the event the interruption of the irrigation is determined to be removed; and wherein the determining step further comprises determining, based at least on the rate of rain fall whether the irrigation should be interrupted, wherein the determining whether the irrigation should be interrupted step comprises determining, based on the rate of rain fall, that the irrigation should be interrupted, regardless of whether a relationship exists between the rain interruption threshold and the indication at the interface unit; and wherein the determining that the irrigation should be interrupted step further comprises determining, based on the rate of rain fall, that the irrigation should be interrupted where the amount of rain fall that is less than the rain interruption threshold.
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Specification