User interface for a sensor-based interface device for interrupting an irrigation controller

An interface unit interfacing with an irrigation controller that is separate from the interface unit, the interface unit comprising:

• a housing;
• a control unit within the housing, where the control unit is configured to:
• based on signaling received from a rain sensor, detect active rainfall and an absence of rain,
• the rain sensor including a moisture absorptive material configured to expand in response to the contact with the rainfall and contract in response to the absence of the rain;
• the signaling received from the rain sensor by the interface unit including data corresponding to a variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor;
• and
• determine, based on an analysis of the data corresponding to the variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor received by the interface unit in the signaling from the rain sensor by the interface unit, whether an interruption of one or more watering schedules executed by the irrigation controller should occur;
• and
• output signaling to instruct the interruption, the interruption being based on a determination by the control unit that the data corresponding to the variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor received by the interface unit in the signaling from the rain sensor indicates that a sensed rainfall accumulation amount is above a predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, the interruption being for an interval of time after a detection of a sensed stop of the rainfall;
• a switching device configured to cause the interruption in response to the signaling from the control unit;
• and
• a user interface integrated with the housing and comprising:
• a plurality of user input devices coupled to the control unit and configured to provide signaling to the control unit based upon a user's engagement therewith, the plurality of user input devices configured to allow the user to set and adjust at least the user set rainfall threshold parameter;
• and
• a user display comprising a display screen and coupled to the control unit;
• wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display screen to display to the user at least one of the sensed rainfall accumulation amount, the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter and whether irrigation is being interrupted.