Irrigation controller

An irrigation controller for controlling watering programs in an irrigation system that comprises a plurality of watering zones with a plurality of valves, the irrigation controller comprising:

• a means for enabling an inputting of commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for receiving commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for processing commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for controlling the plurality of watering zones according to the commands;
• a means for retaining information relating to watering programs;
• and
• a means for displaying information relating to watering programs;
• wherein the means for enabling an inputting of commands, the means for receiving commands, the means for processing commands, the means for controlling the plurality of watering zones, and the means for retaining information in combination comprise a means for allowing a user to establish watering programs wherein each watering program comprises at least one selected start time and at least one selected watering length;
• and
• wherein the means for allowing a user to establish watering programs further enables a user to input a Germinate command wherein a user can establish a germinate watering program that temporarily replaces a basic watering program that continues to be retained by the means for retaining information relating to watering programs, wherein the means for allowing a user to establish watering programs enables a user to input up to a given number of start times relative to the basic watering program while enabling a user to input a greater number of start times than the given number of start times relative to the germinate watering program, and wherein the germinate watering program automatically induces every day watering in the irrigation system whereby a user can temporarily replace a basic watering program with the germinate watering program that enables more frequent start times every day for enabling a germination of newly planted seed and whereby the user can supplant the germinate watering program with the basic watering program without a need for re-inputting the basic watering program.

An irrigation controller for controlling watering programs in an irrigation system that comprises a plurality of watering zones with a plurality of valves, the irrigation controller comprising:

• a means for enabling an inputting of commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for receiving commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for processing commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for controlling the plurality of watering zones according to the commands;
• a means for retaining information relating to watering programs;
• and
• a means for displaying information relating to watering programs;
• wherein the means for enabling an inputting of commands, the means for receiving commands, the means for processing commands, the means for controlling the plurality of watering zone, and the means for retaining information in combination comprise a means for allowing a user to establish watering programs wherein each watering program comprises at least one selected start time and at least one selected watering length;
• and
• wherein the irrigation controller further comprises a means for preventing simultaneous operation of a number of valves excessive of the maximum number of valves that allows for proper operation of the irrigation system during a normal operation of the irrigation controller and wherein the means for allowing a user to establish watering programs further enables a user to input a Winterize command to cause the irrigation controller to enter a winterize mode wherein a multiplicity of the plurality of valves can be simultaneously operated at any one time whereby a user can winterize an irrigation system more quickly than the user could if only one valve of the plurality of valves could be operated at any one time.

An irrigation controller for controlling watering programs in an irrigation system that comprises a plurality of watering zones with a plurality of valves, the irrigation controller comprising:

• a means for enabling an inputting of commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for processing commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for controlling the plurality of watering zones according to the commands;
• a means for displaying information relating to watering programs;
• and
• a means for retaining information relating to watering programs in the absence of power whereby the irrigation controller can retain watering programs even during extended periods without power wherein the means for retaining watering programs in the absence of power comprises an electrically erasable programmable readonly memory device operably associated with the means for processing commands relating to watering programs and the means for controlling the plurality of watering zones according to the commands.

An irrigation controller for controlling watering programs in an irrigation system that comprises a plurality of watering zones with a plurality of valves, the irrigation controller comprising:

• a means for enabling an inputting of commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for processing commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for controlling the plurality of watering zones according to the commands;
• a means for displaying information relating to watering programs;
• a means for retaining information relating to watering programs;
• and
• a means for detecting how many valves are operational in a given watering zone and a means for automatically adjusting a maximum allowable current in response to how many valves are operational in a given watering zone wherein the means for detecting how many valves are operational in a given watering zone comprises an analog precision rectifier.

An irrigation controller for controlling watering programs in an irrigation system that comprises a plurality of watering zones with a plurality of valves, the irrigation controller comprising:

• a means for enabling an inputting of commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for processing commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for controlling the plurality of watering zones according to the commands;
• a means for displaying information relating to watering programs;
• a means for retaining information relating to watering programs;
• a remote control unit;
• and
• a means for transmitting diagnostic information to the remote control unit regarding a status of the valves of the irrigation system.

An irrigation controller for controlling watering programs in an irrigation system that comprises a plurality of watering zones with a plurality of valves, the irrigation controller comprising:

• a means for selecting one or more of the plurality of watering zones to create a selected watering zone or zones wherein the means for selecting one or more of the plurality of watering zones comprising a key for each watering zone;
• a means for displaying information relating to watering programs comprising a means for indicating the selected watering zone or zones wherein the means for indicating the selected watering zone or zones comprises an indicator light disposed proximate each key for indicating whether the watering zone that is selectable by that key is a selected watering zone;
• a means for enabling an inputting of commands relating to watering programs for the plurality of watering zones;
• a means for processing commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for controlling the plurality of watering zones according to the commands;
• and
• a means for retaining information relating to watering programs;
• wherein the means for enabling an inputting of commands, the means for processing commands relating to watering programs, the means for controlling the plurality of watering zones according to the commands, and the means for retaining information in combination comprise a means for allowing a user to establish watering programs wherein each watering program comprises at least one selected start time and at least one selected watering length.

An irrigation controller for controlling watering programs in an irrigation system that comprises a plurality of watering zones with a plurality of valves, the irrigation controller comprising:

• a means for selecting one or more of the plurality of watering zones to create a selected watering zone or zones;
• a means for displaying information relating to watering programs comprising a means for indicating the selected watering zone or zones;
• a means for enabling an inputting of commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for processing commands relating to watering programs;
• a means for controlling the plurality of watering zones according to the commands;
• and
• a means for retaining information relating to watering programs;
• wherein the means for enabling an inputting of commands, the means for processing commands relating to watering programs, the means for controlling the plurality of watering zones according to the commands, and the means for retaining information in combination comprise a means for allowing a user to establish watering programs wherein each watering program comprises at least one selected start time and at least one selected watering length;
• wherein the means for allowing a user to establish watering programs enables a user to establish a selected start time and a selected watering length individually for each of a plurality of watering zones;
• wherein the means for allowing a user to establish watering programs further enables a user to select simultaneously for a plurality of watering zones a single selected start time and a single selected watering length;
• wherein the means for allowing a user to establish watering programs further enables a user to input a Skip Day command wherein a user can induce the watering program to skip one or more days;
• wherein the means for allowing a user to establish watering programs further enables a user to input a Water Percent command wherein a user can induce the watering program to water one or more watering zones for a selected percentage of a length of the selected watering length for the one or more watering zones whereby a user can alter an actual watering time of the one or more watering zones without changing the selected watering length for the one or more watering zones;
• wherein the means for allowing a user to establish watering programs further enables a user to input a Germinate command wherein a user can establish a germinate watering program that temporarily replaces a basic watering program that continues to be retained by the means for retaining information relating to watering programs, wherein the means for allowing a user to establish watering programs enables a user to input up to a given number of start times relative to the basic watering program while enabling a user to input a greater number of start times than the given number of start times relative to the germinate watering program, and wherein the germinate watering program automatically induces every day watering in the irrigation system whereby a user can temporarily replace a basic watering program with the germinate watering program that enables more frequent start times every day for enabling a germination of newly planted seed and whereby the user can replace the germinate watering program with the basic watering program without a need for re-inputting the basic watering program;
• a means for preventing simultaneous operation of a number of valves excessive of the maximum number of valves that allows for proper operation of the irrigation system during a normal operation of the irrigation controller;
• wherein the means for allowing a user to establish watering programs further enables a user to input a Winterize command to cause the irrigation controller to enter a winterize mode wherein a multiplicity of the plurality of valves can be simultaneously operated at any one time whereby a user can winterize an irrigation system more quickly than the user could if only one valve of the plurality of valves could be operated at any one time;
• and
• wherein the means for allowing a user to establish watering programs further enables a user to input a Review command to cause the irrigation controller to enter a review mode wherein the means for enabling an inputting of commands relating to watering programs is disabled whereby a user can review a given watering program without risk of accidentally altering the watering program.