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

1. 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.

2. The interface unit of claim 1 , wherein the display screen is configured to display one or more pictorial representations; and

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display screen to display a plurality of pictorial representations that in combination convey to the user the at least one of the sensed rainfall accumulation amount, the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, and whether irrigation is being interrupted; and

wherein the control unit in being configured to cause the display screen to display the plurality of pictorial representations is configured to cause the display screen to simultaneously display the plurality of the pictorial representations.

3. The interface unit of claim 1 , wherein the display screen is configured to display one or more pictorial representations; and

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display screen to display a plurality of pictorial representations that in combination convey to the user the at least one of the sensed rainfall accumulation amount, the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, and whether irrigation is being interrupted; and

further comprising:

a receiver coupled with the control unit, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a communication from a remote sensor, where the communication comprises data indicating the sensed rainfall accumulation amount above the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter; and

the control unit is configured to:

receive the data indicating that the sensed rainfall accumulation amount exceeds the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter; and

communicate the signaling to cause the switching device, when it is determined by the control unit that the data indicating the sensed rainfall accumulation amount exceeds the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, to cause the interruption;

wherein the control unit in being configured to cause the display screen to display the plurality of pictorial representations is configured to cause the display screen to display an interrupt indicator and a rain indicator in response to a determination by the control unit that the sensed rainfall accumulation amount exceeds the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter,

wherein the combination of the interrupt indicator and the rain indicator conveys to the user that the irrigation is interrupted based on the sensed start of rainfall.

4. The interface unit of claim 3 , wherein the control unit is configured in part to instruct the interruption of the one or more watering schedules executed by the irrigation controller based on a user set interval of time of the interruption after the sensed stop of the rainfall; and

wherein the plurality of user input devices are configured to allow the user to set and adjust the interval of time of the interruption after the sensed stop of the rainfall.

5. The interface unit of claim 4 , wherein the control unit in being configured to cause the display screen to display the plurality of pictorial representations is configured to cause the display screen to not display a water spray indicator such that the combination of the interrupt indicator and the lack of the display of the water spray indicator conveys to the user that the irrigation is being interrupted, and the combination of the interrupt indicator, the lack of the display of the water spray indicator and the rain indicator conveys to the user that the irrigation is interrupted based on the sensed rainfall accumulation amount being above the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter.

6. The interface unit of claim 5 , wherein the control unit in being configured to communicate the signaling to cause the switching device to cause the interruption is further configured such that the signaling communicated by the control unit to cause the switching device to cause the interruption is not communicated to the irrigation controller.

7. The interface unit of claim 4 , wherein the control unit in being configured to cause the display screen to display the plurality of pictorial representations is configured to cause the display screen to display, based on the sensed rainfall accumulation amount, a rainfall indicator that depicts a graphical representation of the sensed rainfall accumulation amount.

8. The interface unit of claim 1 ,

wherein the display screen is configured to display one or more pictorial representations; and

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display screen to display a plurality of pictorial representations that convey to the user the sensed rainfall accumulation amount and wherein the pictorial representations that convey to the user the sensed rainfall accumulation amount include a graphical representation comprising one or more displayed bars dependent on the sensed rainfall accumulation amount with a greater number of bars being displayed as the sensed rainfall accumulation amount increases.

9. The interface unit of claim 1 ,

wherein the display screen is configured to display one or more pictorial representations; and

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display screen to display a plurality of pictorial representations that in combination convey to the user the at least one of the sensed rainfall accumulation amount, the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, and whether irrigation is being interrupted; and

wherein the control unit in being configured to cause the display screen to display the plurality of pictorial representations is configured to cause the display screen to display an interrupt indicator and to not display a water spray indicator such that the combination of the interrupt indicator and a lack of the display of the water spray indicator conveys to the user that the irrigation is being interrupted.

10. The interface unit of claim 1 ,

wherein the display screen is configured to display one or more pictorial representations; and

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display screen to display a plurality of pictorial representations that in combination convey to the user the at least one of the sensed rainfall accumulation amount, the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, and whether irrigation is being interrupted; and

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display screen to display the plurality of pictorial representations that in combination convey to a user a mode of operation and whether irrigation is being interrupted.

11. The interface unit of claim 1 , wherein the interval of time of the interruption after the sensed stop of the rainfall, is predefined by being programmed into the control unit.

12. The interface unit of claim 1 , wherein the interval of time of the interruption after the sensed stop of the rainfall is selected from one of 48 hours and 72 hours.

13. The interface unit of claim 1 ,

wherein the display screen is configured to display one or more pictorial representations; and

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the display screen to display a plurality of pictorial representations that in combination convey to the user the at least one of the sensed rainfall accumulation amount, the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, and whether irrigation is being interrupted; and

wherein the control unit in being configured to cause the display screen to display a plurality of pictorial representations is configured to cause the display screen to display a countdown of a remainder of time left on the interval of time of the interruption after the sensed stop of the rainfall.

14. The interface unit of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to output signaling to instruct a reset of the interval of time after the sensed stop of the rainfall, in response to a sensed start of another rainfall.

15. A method for use in irrigation control, the method comprising:

receiving, from a rain sensor, signaling indicating one of a sensed rainfall accumulation amount and a sensed stop of rainfall at a user interface integrated with an interface device including a control unit,

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 including data corresponding to a variable amount of expansion and contraction of the moisture absorptive material of the rain sensor;

causing, via the interface device and based on an analysis by the control unit 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, an interruption of one or more watering schedules executed by an irrigation controller that is separate from the interface unit, 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 the sensed rainfall accumulation amount is above a predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, the interruption being for an interval of time after the sensed stop of the rainfall;

receiving, at the interface device, an interval of time for the interruption of one or more watering schedules executed by the irrigation controller after the sensed stop of the rainfall; and

displaying, on a user display of the interface device, at least one of the sensed rainfall accumulation amount, the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter, and whether irrigation is being interrupted, such that a state of interrupting irrigation based at least on a relationship between the sensed rainfall accumulation amount and the predefined rainfall accumulation threshold parameter is conveyed to the user via the user display of the interface device.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the receiving, at the interface device, an interval of time for the interruption of one or more watering schedules executed by the irrigation controller after the sensed stop of the rainfall further comprises one of:

receiving a user input specifying the interval of time of the interruption after the sensed stop of the rainfall; and

programming the control unit to define the interval of time of the interruption after the sensed stop of the rainfall.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the receiving the interval of time for interruption after the sensed stop of the rainfall further comprises receiving the interval of time of the interruption after the sensed stop of the rainfall preset to one of 48 hours and 72 hours.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the displaying step further comprises displaying a countdown of a remainder of time left on the interval of time of the interruption after the sensed stop of the rainfall.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the receiving the interval of time for interruption after the sensed stop of the rainfall further comprises resetting the interval of time after the sensed stop of the rainfall, in response to a sensed start of another rainfall.