Programmable irrigation controller having user interface
DCFirst Claim
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1. An irrigation controller, comprising:
- a housing;
a microcontroller within the housing and configured to store and execute an irrigation schedule;
a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and configured 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 configured to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices configured to allow the user to create an irrigation schedule; and
a user display coupled to the microcontroller and configured to display irrigation parameters associated with the irrigation schedule, the user display comprising a display screen, wherein,the microcontroller is configured to cause the user display to display all system variables associated with the irrigation schedule together to the user, the irrigation schedule corresponding to a single irrigation zone,the all system variables comprise an irrigation start day, an irrigation start time, watering frequency per irrigation start day, and a duration associated with the irrigation schedule.
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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.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An irrigation controller, comprising:
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a housing; a microcontroller within the housing and configured to store and execute an irrigation schedule; a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and configured 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 configured to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices configured to allow the user to create an irrigation schedule; and a user display coupled to the microcontroller and configured to display irrigation parameters associated with the irrigation schedule, the user display comprising a display screen, wherein, the microcontroller is configured to cause the user display to display all system variables associated with the irrigation schedule together to the user, the irrigation schedule corresponding to a single irrigation zone, the all system variables comprise an irrigation start day, an irrigation start time, watering frequency per irrigation start day, and a duration associated with the irrigation schedule. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An irrigation controller, comprising:
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a housing; a microcontroller within the housing and configured to modify an existing irrigation schedule and execute the modified irrigation schedule; a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and configured 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 configured to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith; and a user display coupled to the microcontroller and configured to display an irrigation parameter associated with an irrigation schedule, wherein the microcontroller is configured to cause the user display to display a variable irrigation duration adjustment schedule associated with the existing irrigation schedule. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An irrigation controller, comprising:
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a housing; a microcontroller within the housing and configured 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 configured 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 configured to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith; and a user display coupled to the microcontroller and configured 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 configured to cause the user display to display a numeric indication of an amount of time remaining until the suspension is removed. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. An irrigation controller, comprising:
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a housing; a microcontroller within the housing and configured to store and execute an irrigation schedule; a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and configured 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 configured to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith; and a user display coupled to the microcontroller and configured to display irrigation parameters associated with the irrigation schedule, the user display comprising a display screen, wherein the microcontroller is configured 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. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An irrigation controller, comprising:
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a housing; a microcontroller within the housing and configured to store and execute an irrigation schedule; a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and configured 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 configured 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 configured to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of non-labeled user input devices configured to allow the user to create at least in part an irrigation schedule, wherein the microcontroller is configured to cause information to be displayed upon the display screen, wherein signaling by each of the plurality of non-labeled user input devices corresponds to information displayed upon the display screen at a location proximate to a corresponding non-labeled user input device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An irrigation controller comprising:
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a housing; a microcontroller within the housing and configured to store and execute an irrigation schedule; a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and configured 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 configured to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices configured to allow the user to create an irrigation schedule; and a user display coupled to the microcontroller and configured to display irrigation parameters associated with the irrigation schedule, the user display comprising a display screen, wherein the microcontroller is configured to cause the user display to simultaneously display all system variables associated with the irrigation schedule together to the user, the all system variables comprise an irrigation start day, an irrigation start time, watering frequency per irrigation start day, and a duration associated with the irrigation schedule.
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28. An irrigation controller, comprising:
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a housing; a microcontroller within the housing and configured to store and execute an irrigation schedule; a valve driver coupled to the microcontroller and configured 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 configured to provide signaling to the microcontroller based upon a user'"'"'s engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices configured to allow the user to create an irrigation schedule for each of a plurality of irrigation zones; and a user display coupled to the microcontroller and configured to display irrigation parameters associated with irrigation schedules, the user display comprising a display screen, and wherein, upon user selection of a given irrigation zone by the user, the microcontroller is configured to cause the user display to display, for the given irrigation zone, all system variables associated with the irrigation schedule of the given irrigation zone together to the user without further user manipulation of the user interface; the all system variables comprising an irrigation start day, an irrigation start time, a watering frequency per irrigation start day, and a duration associated with the irrigation schedule.
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Specification