Irrigation control systems and user interfaces

Abstract

Systems, user interfaces, and methods related to irrigation control systems are provided herein. In some embodiments, an irrigation control system includes an irrigation management application which, when executed by an electronic device, causes a user interface to be displayed to a user. The user interface includes features that permit a user to do one or more of configure, monitor, program, control, adjust various components and/or operations of the irrigation management system.

1 . An irrigation management system comprising:
 an irrigation management application for use in monitoring and/or controlling irrigation of at least one irrigation area including a plurality of irrigation stations, wherein the irrigation management application is configured to be executed by an electronic device including a control circuit, and a memory, wherein the irrigation management application is stored in the memory, and wherein when executed by the control circuit, the irrigation management application is configured to:
 cause a user interface to be displayed on a display to a user, the user interface including a map of a geographic region that includes the at least one irrigation area; and 
 cause the user interface to display station icons on the map, each station icon of the station icons corresponding to one of the plurality of irrigation stations; 
 wherein each of the station icons visually indicates an operational status of an irrigation station corresponding to a respective one of the station icons. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising the electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises one of a computer, a server, and a mobile handheld device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display is coupled to or part of the electronic device, and when executed, the irrigation management application is configured to cause the user interface to be displayed on the display by transmitting instructions to the display. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display is coupled to or part of another electronic device remote from the electronic device and configured to communicate with the electronic device, and when executed, the irrigation management application is configured to cause the user interface to be displayed on the display by transmitting signals to the another electronic device, and the another electronic device is configured to cause the user interface to be displayed on the display. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising another irrigation management application stored in a memory of the other electronic device. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the irrigation management application is distributed between the electronic device and one or more additional electronic devices such that at least portions of the irrigation management application are stored in the memory and a memory of the one or more additional electronic devices. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile electronic device and the irrigation management application comprises an application configured to link to a remote computer device or server configured to provide signaling to cause the application to display the user interface. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises a mobile electronic device and the irrigation management application comprises a browser application configured to display the user interface based on signaling received from a remote computer device or server in order to provide irrigation management functionality to the user via the user interface. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the operational status comprises a visual indication of whether the irrigation stations corresponding to the station icons are on or off. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the station icon comprises an animated image that changes between different sizes to indicate when the operational status of the irrigation station corresponding to the station icon is on. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the operational status comprises a visual indication of whether the irrigation station corresponding to the station icon is working properly or malfunctioning. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operational status comprises a visual indication representing an alert that the irrigation station corresponding to the station icon is malfunctioning. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the user interface is configured to display a diagnostic report listing the alert visually indicated by the station icon responsive to the user hovering over or clicking on the station icon. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the operational status comprises a visual indication representing an alert that the irrigation station did not pass a diagnostic test. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein, the user interface is configured, in response to a selection by the user of one or more of the station icons visible on the map, to generate an interactive irrigation station control panel, the interactive irrigation station control panel being configured to permit the user to view at least one of:
 a name indicator that indicates an identifier assigned to an irrigation station associated with the station icon selected by the user;   a nozzle type indicator indicating a nozzle type of one or more sprinklers controlled by the irrigation station associated with the station icon selected by the user;   a remaining watering time countdown for the irrigation station associated with the station icon selected by the user;   a graphical indicator of the remaining watering time in relation to a total watering time for which the irrigation station associated with the station icon selected by the user was activated;   a dry run forecast of an estimated time duration of a next watering event for the irrigation station associated with the station icon selected by the user;   a last run indicator that indicates a date and time of a last watering event completed by the irrigation station associated with the station icon selected by the user;   a sprinkler type indicator that indicates a type of one or more sprinklers used by the irrigation station associated with the station icon selected by the user; and   active adjustments indicator that indicates all active operational attribute adjustments for the irrigation station associated with the station icon selected by the user.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the graphical indicator of the remaining watering time includes a geometric shape that represents the total watering time for which the irrigation station associated with the station icon selected by the user was activated, and a shaded or colored portion of the geometric shape that indicates the remaining watering time for the irrigation station associated with the station icon selected by the user. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the nozzle type indicator is displayed within the interactive irrigation station control panel in a color that is specific to the nozzle type of the sprinklers controlled by the irrigation station associated with the station icon selected by the user. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the station icon visually indicates a nozzle type of one or more sprinklers controlled by the irrigation station corresponding to the station icon. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the station icon is displayed using a color that indicates the nozzle type of the one or more sprinklers controlled by the irrigation station corresponding to the station icon. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the station icon associated with an irrigation station that is actively irrigating is associated with a graphical indicator visually indicating a remaining watering time by the irrigation station and the remaining watering time by the irrigation station in relation to a total watering time for which the irrigation station was activated. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the graphical indicator of the remaining watering time includes a geometric shape that represents the total watering time for which the irrigation station was activated and a shaded or colored portion of the geometric shape that represents the remaining watering time for the irrigation station. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the station icon associated with an irrigation station that is actively irrigating is associated with an information field that displays an identifier of the station icon and a countdown of a remaining watering time by the irrigation station. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the operational status of at least one station icon visually indicates that at least one operational attribute of the irrigation station corresponding to the station icon has been adjusted. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the station icons visually indicates at least one informational attribute of the irrigation station corresponding to a respective one of the station icons. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein at least one operational attribute is visually indicated using one of a plurality of colors, each of the plurality of colors corresponding to different operational attributes of the irrigation station corresponding to the station icon. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein at least one operational attribute is visually indicated using one of a plurality of shades of a color, each shade of the color corresponding to a different value range of the at least one operational attribute of the irrigation station corresponding to the station icon. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein a first shade of the color indicates that a run time of the irrigation station was adjusted by about 10-70%, a second shade of the color indicates that the run time of the irrigation station was adjusted by about 70-130%, and a third shade of the color indicates that the run time of the irrigation station was adjusted by about 130-200%, and wherein the second shade is darker than the first shade and the third shade darker than the second shade. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the station icon is associated with a colored shape surrounding the station icon;   the colored shape surrounding the station icon is of a color that is different than a color of the station icon; and   the color of the colored shape surrounding the station icon indicates different values of the at least one operational attribute of the irrigation station corresponding to the station icon.