Peripheral dial sprinkler controller
Contents
1. will be on for 20 minutes station 2 will be on for 1 hour WATER BUDGET This mode enables a user to specify the particular percentage of the specified watering time to be used at each station For example by specifying 50 a user could reduce the watering times for each station without individu ally adjusting the station watering times and MOISTURE SENSOR This mode enables a user to specify whether a moisture sensor will be employed to reduce or augment watering times It should be noted that the above recited modes are exem plary Likewise different names for the mode may be devised or placed on the face 157 of the switch or dial 144 148 as well Other modes or settings may also be used including for example a setting such as RAIN DELAY which allows the user to skip one or more watering cycles Another potential setting is that of MANUAL WATERING which allows the system to water once and then stop Once the user has selected a particular mode 150 the user may modify the settings in this mode 150 using the controls 136 In some embodiments these controls 136 may be an increment control 136a and a decrement control 136b The increment control 136a allows a user to increase an indenti fied value whereas the decrement control 136b allows a user to decrease the value For example if the HOW OFTEN setting were selected the user could adjust the frequency of the watering schedule by pressing the increment cont2. different schedules namely schedule A or Schedule B or even to water on both Schedule A and Schedule B In other words the stations designated to water on Schedule A may be set to water more frequently and or for longer durations than the stations on Schedule B or vice versa By using the A B control 136 the user can designate the particular stations that will run on Schedule A and those that will run on Schedule B Other embodiments may also be constructed to employ yet additional schedules such as Schedule C Schedule D etc Further embodiments of the controller 100 may include yet additional controls such as a manual start control 136g The manual start control 136g operates to immediately initiate watering causing the controller 100 to transmit an open sig nal to one of the coupled valves Again it should be noted that the various controls and or modes described herein are exemplary Any type of control mode or setting may be used as a means of controlling the sprinkler system It should be noted that the present embodiments provide for significant advantages over other controllers For example in certain embodiments when the removable portion 108 is placed in a user s hand 180 he or she may quickly use his her other hand 182 to move the peripheral switch 144 in an arcuate path to pick the particular mode that needs to be adjusted Then using the controls 136 the desired adjust ments may be accomplished q
3. s hand FIG 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a hose tap timer and US 8 251 300 B2 3 FIG 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a hose tap timer DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The embodiments of the present invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different con figurations Thus the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention as represented in the Figures is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed but is merely representative of presently preferred embodiments of the invention Referring now to FIG 1 an exploded view of one embodi ment of a peripheral dial sprinkler controller 100 is illus trated The illustrated sprinkler controller 100 is designed for use in a sprinkler system not shown The sprinkler system may be an irrigation system designed to deliver water or other substances such as fertilizer via a system of pipes valves and sprinkler heads to facilitate growth of grass or vegetation in the area The sprinkler system may be divided into various sta tions or zones These stations include groups of pipes and sprinkler heads into which water m
4. the periph eral dial comprises a full ring dial 9 The fluid control device of claim 7 wherein the periph eral dial comprises a half ring dial 10 The fluid control device of claim 1 wherein the peripheral switch has an exposed gripping surface that comprises an outer peripheral surface of the fluid control device and wherein the at least two controls comprise an increment control a decrement control and an arrow over control 11 The fluid control device of claim 10 wherein the removable portion is sized to be held in one hand by a person enabling the person to manipulate the peripheral switch and controls with the person s other hand 12 The fluid control device of claim 10 further comprising an indicator identifying a selected mode of the fluid control device 13 The fluid control device of claim 12 wherein the indi cator comprises a pointer on the central portion 14 The fluid control device of claim 12 wherein the indi cator comprises a window on the peripheral switch that can be rotated to identify the selected mode 15 The fluid control device of claim 1 wherein the fluid control device comprises the hose tap timer the hose tap timer further comprising a hose inlet in fluid communication with the central por tion and at least one hose outlet in selective fluid communication with the hose inlet 16 The fluid control device of claim 15 wherein the hose tap timer is sized to be held in one hand by
5. 6 2010 cited by examiner 51 Int Cl BOSB 12 02 2006 01 Primary Examiner Darren W Gorman BOSB 1200 2006 01 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Austin Rapp amp Hardman 52 US Cle oasa 239 70 239 71 239 DIG 15 H AEETI PP 58 Field of Classification Search 0 0 00 239 67 239 69 70 71 73 DIG 15 137 624 11 624 22 ABSTRACE LSN 700 65 66 282 284 D10 40 A sprinkler controller includes a central portion and a periph See application file for complete search history eral switch being moveable in an arcuate path relative to the central portion The peripheral switch may be a peripheral 56 References Cited dial that can be rotated about the central portion The dial may U S PATENT DOCUMENTS be rotated to select a particular mode of the sprinkler control ler A display screen is positioned on the central portion At ATER A 1988 ae 1 al eree SA least two controls are also positioned on the central portion 5 5 lison E E 4 846 222 A 7 1989 Jang 3 71624 12 When a mode is selected by using the peripheral dial the user 5 135 168 A 8 1992 Wang nosece 239 70 may then employ the controls and the display on the screen 5 921 280 A 7 1999 Ericksen et al to modify the settings for the sprinkler controller A method of 6 547 211 B2 4 2003 Roman sses 251 30 01 using the sprinkler controller is also disclosed 6 719 010 B1 4 2004 Yi Chang 7 252 113 B2 8 2007 Jacobs etal we 137
6. 624 11 137 624 11 2005 0060065 A1 3 2005 King Yuan os 700 284 16 Claims 4 Drawing Sheets 150 100 U S Patent Aug 28 2012 Sheet 1 of 4 US 8 251 300 B2 U S Patent Aug 28 2012 Sheet 2 of 4 US 8 251 300 B2 FIG 4 U S Patent Aug 28 2012 Sheet 3 of 4 US 8 251 300 B2 FIG 6 U S Patent Aug 28 2012 Sheet 4 of 4 US 8 251 300 B2 US 8 251 300 B2 1 PERIPHERAL DIAL SPRINKLER CONTROLLER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Sprinkler systems are known in the industry A property owner may install a sprinkler system including pipes valves and sprinkler heads on his her property such that the system can distribute water to specific areas thereby allowing grass and vegetation to grow Many neighborhoods now require that each dwelling in the area have a functioning sprinkler system so that lawn and grass will remain green and have an attractive appearance Most sprinkler systems generally include a controller This controller is designed to selectively open and close the valves in the system When a valve is opened by the controller water and sometimes other substances such as fertilizer will flow and be provided to a particular area The controller may enable the property owner to program the sprinkler system so that it will automatically turn on or off at preset times Some areas of a property may require more or less water than others based upon factors such as the type of vegetation planted the
7. United States Patent US008251300B2 12 10 Patent No US 8 251 300 B2 Wilson 45 Date of Patent Aug 28 2012 54 PERIPHERAL DIAL SPRINKLER OTHER PUBLICATIONS CONTROLLER Orbit Irrigation Products Inc ST2 RF Sprinkler Timer Manual 2007 pp 1 19 75 Inventor Chadwick L Wilson Woods Cross UT Orbit Irrigation Products Inc Users Manual Nov 15 2007 pp US 1 19 73 Assignee Orbit Irrigation Products Inc North ERD 3 rodictsy Inc Touch Sereen Timor Manual Mar Salt Lake UT US Orbit Irrigation Products Inc Orbit WaterMaster User s Manual l Mar 6 2006 pp 1 53 Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this Orbit Irrigation Products Inc Installation Manual User s Manual patent is extended or adjusted under 35 Feb 13 2007 pp 1 26 U S C 154 b by 700 days Orbit Irrigation Products Inc Orbit WaterMaster Installation Manual User s Manual Jun 11 2001 pp 1 56 21 Appl No 12 401 508 Orbit Irrigation Products Inc Orbit WaterMaster Installation Manual User s Manual Dec 10 2002 pp 1 2 22 Filed Mar 10 2009 Orbit Irrigation Products Inc 4 Button Digital Hose Faucet Timer Installation and User s Guide Oct 25 2002 pp 1 2 65 Prior Publication Data Orbit Irrigation Products Inc Installation and User s Guide Hose Faucet Timer 2 Dial Model 62015 91600 Mar 2 2005 pp 1 3 US 2010 0230510 Al Sep 1
8. a person enabling the person to manipulate the peripheral switch and controls with the person s other hand
9. any location not just standing next to the base unit 104 shown in FIG 3 This enables a user to make adjustments to the settings modes while being physically present at different areas of a relevant property and viewing 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 8 firsthand whether a particular area is getting sufficient water By adjusting the setting while the user is inspecting the prop erty optimization of the water usage may more easily be achieved Once the user has made the appropriate changes to the modes the user may then dock the removable portion 108 back in the base unit 104 and the appropriate changes will be implemented FIG 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a removable portion 208 that may be used as part of a controller 100 The removable portion 208 is similar to that which is described above in conjunction with FIGS 1 4 Accordingly in the interest of brevity this description will not be repeated The removable portion 208 differs from that which was described above in that the indicator 284 is positioned at the 3 00 o clock position rather than the 12 00 o clock position discussed above Also the peripheral switch 244 comprises a twistable dial 248 that circumscribes only half or another portion of the removable portion 208 This switch 244 may have a gripping surface 152 as noted above This half ring peripheral switch 244 still allows the user to rotate the swi
10. ay flow Each station is controlled by at least one valve When a particular station is turned on by opening the pertinent valve or valves water will flow through the coupled line s and water the area ser viced by the sprinkler station When the valve is closed the station is shut off This process may be repeated for all of the sprinkler stations The sprinkler controller 100 is designed to control the sprinkler system by selectively allowing water to flow into each of the stations Thus through use of the sprinkler con troller 100 a user may program a sprinkler system to auto matically water at designated times For example a user may set the sprinkler controller to automatically water at night while the user is on vacation or for specified durations This pattern may vary for example based on the day of the week Thus using the sprinkler controller 100 a user can customize operation of the sprinkler system In one embodiment the sprinkler controller 100 may include a base unit 104 and a removable portion 108 In an alternative embodiment the sprinkler controller 100 is inte gral and there is no removable portion 108 1 e the base unit 104 and removable portion 108 comprise a unitary apparatus and are not designed to be selectively detachable from one another by an end user In embodiments having a removable portion 108 the removable portion 108 may be selectively detached from the base unit 104 Thus in such an embodime
11. change the various settings of the controller 100 In one embodiment the peripheral switch or dial 144 148 is positioned around the periphery 163 or a portion of the periphery 163 of the sprinkler controller 100 to allow the user unimpeded access and to permit easy grasping and manipu lation of the peripheral switch or dial 144 148 as illustrated in FIG 2 FIG 3 is a rear perspective view of the base unit 104 As can be seen in FIG 3 the rear surface 164 of the base unit 104 may include one or more sensor ports 168 Two sensor ports 168 are shown although a greater or lesser number of ports 168 may also be used The ports 168 are shown covered by a plug 172 However in use the plug 172 may be removed so that the port 168 may be placed in electronic communication with one or more sensors not shown The sensors may be for example a moisture sensor that senses precipitation or other types of moisture If such a sensor is used the sensor may notify the controller 100 of the precipitation so that the controller 100 may adjust if desired the amount of water provided by the sprinkler system based upon the amount of precipitation sensed In addition to sensor ports 168 the base unit 104 may also include valve ports 170 Four valve ports 170 are shown but again a greater or lesser number may be used as desired The valve ports 170 are designed to receive wires or another type of communication conduit to place the sprinkler controlle
12. dify and set the settings for the sprinkler controller For example if the SET TIME modeis selected by rotating the dial the user may then use the controls to modify set the time employed by the sprinkler controller Once the user is finished modifying the time he or she may then modify the next setting in a similar manner Such settings may include for example the duration of the watering cycle the start time of the watering cycle the fre quency of the watering cycle After the desired settings are input the RUN mode may be selected to instruct the con troller to operating according to the user specified settings Tn one embodiment the sprinkler controller may include a base unit and a removable portion that may be selectively separated from the base unit In an alternative embodiment the sprinkler controller is integral and there is no removable portion i e the base unit and removable portion comprise a 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 unitary apparatus and are not designed to be selectively detachable from one another by an end user In an embodiment involving a removable portion the removable portion may be designed to selectively engage the base unit The removable portion may include a self con tained power source the central portion the display screen the controls and the peripheral switch In one embodiment the controller is designed such that the removable portion may be he
13. e comprising a central portion 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 10 a peripheral switch being moveable in an arcuate path relative to the central portion to specific positions to select a mode of the fluid control device a display screen positioned on the central portion and at least two controls positioned on the central portion for altering settings for the fluid control device 2 The fluid control device of claim 1 wherein the fluid control device comprises a removable portion and a base unit the removable portion being separable from the base unit wherein the removable portion comprises the central portion the display screen the at least two controls and the peripheral switch 3 The fluid control device of claim 2 wherein the remov able portion is sized to be held in one hand by a person enabling the person to manipulate the peripheral switch and controls with the person s other hand 4 The fluid control device of claim 1 further comprising an indicator identifying a selected mode of the fluid control device 5 The fluid control device of claim 4 wherein the indicator comprises a pointer on the central portion 6 The fluid control device of claim 4 wherein the indicator comprises a window on the peripheral switch that identifies the selected mode 7 The fluid control device of claim 1 wherein the periph eral switch comprises a peripheral dial 8 The fluid control device of claim 7 wherein
14. erein the switch 144 may be rotated or moved in an arcuate path or otherwise adjusted around the perimeter of the central portion to alter the mode 150 of the removable portion 108 As illustrated in FIG 4 various modes 150 may be used Of course those skilled in the art will appreciate that other modes and settings may also be used The modes illustrated in FIG 4 include OFF If this mode is selected the controller 100 will be turned off such that the controller will not cause the sprinkler stations to turn on and off This selection is useful during the winter months or other periods of inactivity RUN If this mode is selected the controller 100 will run the specified watering schedule SET TIME In this mode the user may set and adjust the time of day to be used by the controller 100 e g set the clock in the controller 100 to reflect the current time SET DATE In this mode the user can select the date and or the day of the week used by the controller 100 START TIME This mode allows the user to program the starting time for the various stations to turn on as desired e g turn station 1 on at 9 00 a m turn station 2 on at 10 00 a m HOW OFTEN This mode allows the user to set how often the watering will occur e g every 3 days every day once a week twice a day on specified days of the week HOW LONG This mode allows the user to specify how long each particular station will be turned on e g station 1
15. ilar materials In some embodiments threads 116 used to secure the cap 112 may be positioned on the base unit 104 Of course in other embodiments the threads 116 may be added to the removable portion 108 Corresponding threads 120 are added to the cap 112 that engage the threads 116 and secure the cap 112 to the base unit 104 and or removable portion 108 The threads 116 120 allow the cap 112 to be removably US 8 251 300 B2 5 secured to the base unit 104 and or the removable portion 108 Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other methods or systems of connecting securing the cap 112 to the base unit 104 and or the removable portion 108 may also be used FIG 2 shows a perspective view of a removable portion 108 docked with the base unit 104 For purposes of clarity the cap 112 has been removed As can be seen from FIG 2 the display screen 132 displays information that may be viewed by a user In the case of FIG 2 this information is 12 00 PM which may indicate the time when a particular sprinkler sta tion will turn on or the current time Of course other infor mation may also be displayed such as the duration of time that the sprinkler station will run e g it will run for 45 minutes etc the frequency of watering e g watering every day twice a day 3 times a week etc the date the time the beginning and or ending time of the watering period as well as other information The user may use the controls 136 to
16. ld in one hand by a person enabling the person to manipulate the peripheral switch and controls with the per son s other hand In other words the removable portion may be removed from the base and fit in a person s hand so that he she can conveniently adjust the settings of the sprinkler system Once the adjustments are made the user may return the system to the base unit and the new settings will be implemented The present embodiments may also be implemented in connection with a hose tap timer that selectively allows water to flow through a coupled hose based upon control settings input by a user As with other disclosed embodiments the hose tap timer may comprise a central portion and a periph eral switch such as for example a rotatable dial being moveable in an arcuate path relative to the central portion to specific positions to select one or more modes of the hose tap timer A display screen may also be positioned on the central portion The central portion may also include at least two controls for altering settings for the hose tap timer The hose tap timer may further include a hose inlet in fluid communi cation with the central portion and at least one hose outlet in selective fluid communication with the hose inlet A user may adjust the sprinkler controller settings using the rotatable dial and the controls to specify for example when the water will be turned on how long the water will run and how frequently it will be
17. milar to the embodiment discussed in conjunction with FIG 7 However the difference between this embodiment and the embodiment discussed above is that tap timer 500 of FIG 8 includes an indicator 584 that comprises a transparent window 546 or window that otherwise highlights the selected mode Accord ingly when the peripheral switch or dial 544 548 is rotated the text will appear through the window 546 indicating that the identified mode 150 has been selected In other embodi ments text or symbols representing the selected mode are viewable or highlighted by the window 546 and the text or symbols representing non selected modes are viewable as well but for example are visible through a darker or differ ent colored material Also the window 546 may simply com prise an opening The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its structures methods or other essential characteristics as broadly described herein and claimed hereinafter The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restric tive The scope of the invention is therefore indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description All changes that come within the meaning and range of equiva lency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope What is claimed is 1 A fluid control device comprising a sprinkler controller or a hose tap timer the fluid control devic
18. n 108 in his or her hand The controller 100 may include a central portion 128 The central portion 128 may comprise an area within the remov able portion 108 The central portion 128 includes a change able display screen 132 capable of displaying information words numbers dates or times to a user In some embodi ments this screen 132 may be for example a liquid crystal display LCD or light emitting diode LED screen Other types of changeable screens may also be used The controller 100 also includes one or more controls 136 that are designed for altering settings for the sprinkler con troller 100 These settings will be discussed in greater detail below The controls 136 may be positioned on the central portion 128 Using the controls 136 the user can input desired settings for the sprinkler system controller 100 In the embodiment of FIG 1 these controls 136 comprise buttons 140 Other types of controls 136 may also be used It should be noted that in the embodiment of FIG 1 at least two controls 136 are shown Three or more controls 136 may also be used The exact number of controls 136 will depend upon the particular embodiment The controller 100 may also include a peripheral switch 144 This peripheral switch 144 may be positioned around the central portion 128 The peripheral switch 144 is moveable in an arcuate path relative to the central portion 128 to specific positions Movement of the switch 144 operates to selec
19. nt the base unit 104 is shaped and configured to receive the removable portion 108 In some embodiments the removable portion 108 may be shaped to snap fit into the base unit 104 The base unit 104 may be mounted for example to a wall or structure of the user s property such as a garage basement storage electrical room or shed The removable portion 108 may comprise a self contained power source 124 This power source 124 may comprise one or more batteries such as lithium alkaline or other types of batteries The power source 124 may be positioned within the removable portion 108 but may be in one embodiment accessible to allow the user to replace and or recharge the batteries Other embodiments may be designed such that when the removable portion 108 is docked with the base unit an 5 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 4 104 the power source 124 is recharged through a coupled electrical power supply Further embodiments may use a solar power system to recharge the source 124 The power source 124 provides power to the controller 100 to allow the user to program the controller 100 and or to provide electrical sig nals that open and close valves within the sprinkler lines The removable portion 108 may be a hand held unit that is shaped and or sized to fit within a user s hand In one embodi ment a user may adjust settings of the sprinkler controller 100 while holding the removable portio
20. r 100 in electronic communication with sprinkler valves that control the sprinkler stations Specifically the controller 100 may send electrical signals via the ports 170 to each particular station that will cause the pertinent valve to open and close at the designated time s When the valve is open water will flow into the pertinent line and the area serviced by the station will be watered via the coupled sprinklers When the valve is closed the water stops flowing and the sprinklers in that area are turned off FIG 4 shows an embodiment of the removable portion 108 positioned within a person s hand 180 The removable por tion 108 may in one embodiment be sized to fit into a single hand of the user thereby allowing the user to use his her other hand to rotate the switch 144 The central portion 128 may include an indicator 184 that identifies a selected mode 150 or setting As shown in this figure the indicator 184 may be a pointer 188 The indicator 184 shown in this Figure is posi tioned at the 12 00 o clock position of the removable por tion 108 Other locations of the indicator 184 may also be used as desired including for example the 3 00 o clock position the 6 00 o clock position or the 9 00 o clock position As noted above the user may select the particular modes of the controller 100 by rotating the switch 144 As described 0 an 5 20 25 40 45 55 65 6 h
21. re modes 150 of the hose tap timer 400 In other words a user may move the peripheral switch 444 in an arcuate path around the central portion 428 to select the desired mode Once selected the user may then manipulate the settings of the selected mode to adjust set the watering times and other settings con trolling when the water will flow through the tap timer 400 The embodiment of FIG 7 includes a half ring dial 448 with an indicator 184 at the 3 00 o clock position Other configu rations positions of the indicator 184 may be used as noted herein including having the indicator positioned at the 12 00 o clock position Also a full ring dial 448 may also be used As with the embodiments discussed above the hose tap timer 400 may be sized to be held in one hand by a person enabling the person to manipulate the peripheral switch 444 and controls 436 with the person s other hand Thus the user can pick up this unit in one hand even when it is attached to a hose and conveniently make the desired changes to the mode and settings with the other hand In other embodiments there may be a base unit and a removable portion that houses the central portion 428 as discussed above The embodiment disclosed in FIG 7 may include modes settings and controls similar to or the same as those illustrated in the embodiments shown in FIGS 1 6 FIG 8 illustrates another embodiment of a hose tap timer 500 The illustrated hose tap timer 500 is si
22. rol 136a and a decrement control 136b as desired Likewise if the SET TIME mode were selected the user could adjust the time hours or minutes by pressing these controls 136a 136b Those skilled in the art will appreciate how the various set tings may be adjusted in this manner In other embodiments the controls 136 may further include an arrow over control 136c This control 136c allows a user to move or change the focus to different settings within the designated mode For example in one embodi ment different start times may be specified within the START TIME mode The arrow over control 136c could allow auser to change the focus from one start time to another Once the focus is changed to another start time the user may employ the increment decrement controls 136a 136b to US 8 251 300 B2 7 adjust the start time Thus the arrow over control 136c allows the user to toggle between the adjustable values in each par ticular mode In some embodiments the controls 136 may also include a cancel or stop control 136d If the user presses this control active watering or a rain delay will be terminated The controls 136 may also include a reset control 136e that may allow the user to quickly reset the controller 100 or modes of the controller 100 to factory default settings Other types of controls 136 may include an A B button 136f Employing this control various stations may be set to water on
23. se tap timer 400 The hose tap timer 400 is designed to be connected to a hose not shown Accordingly the hose tap timer 400 includes at least one hose outlet 402 and one hose inlet 406 The hose tap timer 400 selectively places the hose inlet 406 in fluid communica tion with the hose outlet 402 to allow water to flow through the tap timer 400 As shown in FIG 7 two outlets 402 may be used However more than two outlets 402 may be employed as well Other embodiments may be designed with only a single outlet 402 The hose tap timer 400 may include a central portion 428 that may be positioned intermediate the outlet 402 and the inlet 406 The central portion 428 includes display screen 432 that is similar to and or identical to the display screen e g part number 132 of FIG 1 described above The central portion 428 may also include at least two controls 436 which as noted above may be buttons 440 The controls 436 may be similar and or identical to that which is described above and may operate to allow the user to adjust the settings of the hose tap timer 400 and more specifically the water flow through the hose tap timer 400 US 8 251 300 B2 9 As with the other disclosed embodiments the hose tap timer 400 may include a peripheral switch 444 This periph eral switch 444 may be a dial 448 or other feature that is capable of moving in an arcuate path relative to the central portion 428 to specific positions to select one or mo
24. slope of the land the number and type of sprinklers in the area and the degree of exposure to sun light As such the sprinkler controller may also allow the user to set the duration of each watering cycle Thus a sprinkler controller enables a property owner or manager to customize a watering system as desired While sprinkler controllers are valuable tools some users find that establishing or altering settings of a sprinkler con troller to a desired configuration can be confusing and time consuming It often takes a first time user 15 to 20 minutes or even longer to program the controller to desired settings Accordingly it would be an advancement in the industry to devise a sprinkler controller that is more user friendly and can be intuitively programmed within a few minutes Such a device is disclosed herein BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present embodiments relate to a new type of sprinkler controller The sprinkler controller comprises a central por tion and a peripheral switch being moveable in an arcuate path relative to the central portion The peripheral switch may be a peripheral dial that may be rotated about the central portion Rotating the dial selects a particular mode of the sprinkler controller A display screen is positioned on the central portion At least two controls are also positioned on the central portion When a mode is selected the user may then use the controls and the display on the screen to mo
25. t a mode of the sprinkler controller 100 The switch 144 may be rotated radially and or circumferentially about the central portion 128 to select a particular mode 150 of the controller 100 In some embodiments this switch 144 may be a periph eral dial 148 that may be rotated through various positions around the central portion 128 to select the particular mode 150 of the controller 100 This dial 148 may be a full ring dial in that it extends along the entire perimeter of the central portion 128 A half ring dial or a dial that extends around only a portion of the central portion 128 may also be used In some embodiments such as the embodiment of FIG 1 the peripheral switch 144 includes a gripping surface 152 that is exposed to the user This gripping surface 152 may com prise an outer peripheral surface 156 of the sprinkler control ler 100 that allows the user to more readily grip the removable portion 108 and or rotate the peripheral switch 144 employ ing the user s fingers To this end the gripping surface 152 may include one or more finger grips 160 or other similar features designed for enhanced gripping traction by the user The sprinkler controller may also include a cap 112 The cap 112 may be screwed over the top of the removable portion 108 to protect the removable portion 108 In one embodiment the cap 112 may be transparent or partially transparent The cap 112 may for example be made of a polymer or other sim
26. tch 244 in an arcuate path to select the desired mode 150 Spe cifically rotating this half ring dial 248 the controller 100 will be set to the various modes so that the settings may be updated or adjusted in the manner described above FIG 6 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a removable portion 308 that may be used as part of a con troller 100 In this embodiment the peripheral switch 344 may still be moved rotated in an arcuate path to select the desired mode 150 This switch 344 may be a peripheral dial 348 that extends around all or a portion of the removable portion 308 The switch 344 may have a gripping surface 152 as described above However in this embodiment the text indicating the various modes is printed directly on the body of the removable portion 308 or on other portions of the con troller A window 346 functions as the indicator 384 Spe cifically this window 346 is an area of the peripheral switch 344 that is transparent or otherwise highlighted so that the user can see the text by through the window 346 The align ment of the text within the window 346 indicates the mode 150 that has been selected For example if the HOW OFTEN words are viewable through the window 346 the user will be in the HOW OFTEN mode and will be able to adjust the settings for the identified mode using the controls 136 FIG 7 shows another embodiment of the present invention Specifically FIG 7 illustrates a ho
27. turned on Once programmed and coupled to an input and output hose the hose tap timer may be used to automatically control the flow of the water through the hose tap timer in accordance with a specified schedule BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the manner in which the above recited and other features and advantages of the invention are obtained will be readily understood a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illus trated in the appended drawings Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompa nying drawings in which FIG 1 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a periph eral sprinkler controller FIG 2 is a perspective view of a removable portion of the sprinkler controller of FIG 1 docked with a base unit FIG 3 is a rear perspective view of the base unit of FIG 2 FIG 4 is a perspective view of the removable portion of the embodiment of FIG 1 positioned in a user s hand FIG 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a removable portion positioned in a user s hand FIG 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a removable portion positioned in a user
28. uickly In fact testing has indi cated that the user can program the sprinkler system using the controller 100 much more rapidly than by using other sys tems In fact some tests have indicated that the average time required by the user to program the system via the controller 100 decreased from more than 5 minutes to about 2 minutes Thus the system allows rapid adjustment of sprinkler con troller settings One advantage of the disclosed embodiment is the use of a peripheral switch or dial 144 148 and a central portion 128 with a display screen 132 and controls 136a f This configu ration permits use of large and easily identifiable text or symbols to indicate the selected and available modes while employing a compact design As indicated above this design also allows the user to easily grasp and rotate the peripheral switch or dial 144 148 As a result a user can easily determine and change the mode of the sprinkler controller In the embodiment shown in FIG 4 the peripheral switch or dial 144 148 is positioned around the periphery 193 or a portion of the periphery 193 of the removable portion 108 to allow a user unimpeded access to the peripheral switch or dial 144 148 and to permit easy grasping and manipulation of the switch or dial 144 148 Another advantageous feature of the present embodiments is that the removable portion 108 is portable such that the user can walk around and make the necessary adjustments to the settings from
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