Patent Application
20250207420
The present disclosure relates to swimming pools or spas. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for performing an operation related to the swimming pool or spa.
Swimming pools or spas have several components such as lights, jets, sprays, chemical feeders, etc. A swimming pool or spa user may remotely control these components using a mobile application. For instance, the user may remotely provide a command through the mobile application for turning on jets and drains circulating the water in the swimming pool or spa. This provides a convenient way for the user to control components of the pool.
However, the existing approach requires the user to turn on or turn off all of the jets and/or drains in the swimming pool or spa at the same time. Similarly, all lights are turned off or on at the same time through such a mobile application. Even if an option was provided to the user for operating only selective lights, jets, and/or drains in the swimming pool or spa, the user would have to manually check which lights, jets, and/or drains are installed at a particular location in the swimming pool or spa. Only after knowing the locations, names, or identifiers of the components in the swimming pool or spa, the user must manually decide which particular component in the swimming pool or spa is to be operated or controlled.
A device related to a swimming pool or spa is provided. The device may include a user interface designed to receive a selection of an area of the swimming pool or spa on a digital map of the swimming pool or spa. The digital map may define the swimming pool or spa into a plurality of areas. The user interface may be further designed to identify a plurality of components of the swimming pool or spa corresponding to the selected area and receive a selection of at least one component from the plurality of components on the digital map of the swimming pool or spa. The device may also include a controller designed to output a command to perform an operation related to the swimming pool or spa at the selected at least one component of the swimming pool or spa.
The at least one component of the swimming pool or spa may include at least one jet, at least one jet valve, at least one drain, at least one drain valve, at least one chemical feeder, at least one light, or combinations thereof. In some examples, the operation related to the swimming pool or spa may include a temperature control operation, a dosing operation, a sanitization operation, a light control operation, or combinations thereof.
In some instances, the controller may be further designed to transmit a signal to the at least one component of the swimming pool or spa to activate or deactivate the at least one component of the swimming pool or spa based at least in part on the operation related to the swimming pool or spa. In other instances, the controller may be further designed to create the digital map by digitally dividing the swimming pool or spa into at least one row and at least one column that defines a grid overlayed on the swimming pool or spa. In this instance, the grid may conceptually section the swimming pool or spa into the plurality of areas.
In some examples, the digital map may identify a length of the swimming pool or spa, a width of the swimming pool or spa, a height of the swimming pool or spa, an above-ground height of the swimming pool or spa, a below-ground depth of the swimming pool or spa, and a location of the at least one component of the swimming pool or spa.
In some instances, the controller may be further designed to transmit an indication of the digital map of the swimming pool or spa to the user interface through a network. The digital map of the swimming pool or spa may be stored at a memory associated with the controller.
A system related to a swimming pool or spa is provided. The system may include a swimming pool or spa, at least one swimming pool or spa component associated with the swimming pool or spa, and a controller. The controller may include a memory designed to store a digital map of the swimming pool or spa. The digital map of the swimming pool or spa may define a plurality of areas of the swimming pool or spa. The controller may be designed to receive a selection of an operation related to the swimming pool or spa, receive a selection of an area of the plurality of areas of the swimming pool or spa, and transmit a signal to the at least one swimming pool or spa component that instructs the at least one swimming pool or spa component to perform the operation.
In some instances, the controller may be further designed to transmit the signal to the at least one swimming pool or spa component over a network.
In some examples, the at least one swimming pool or spa component may include at least one jet, at least one jet valve, at least one drain, at least one drain valve, at least one chemical feeder, at least one light, at least one pump, at least one filter, at least one chlorinator, or combinations thereof.
In some instances, the digital map may identify a length of the swimming pool or spa, a width of the swimming pool or spa, a height of the swimming pool or spa, an above-ground height of the swimming pool or spa, a below-ground depth of the swimming pool or spa, and a location of the at least one component of the swimming pool or spa. Each area of the plurality of areas may be provided in the form of at least one square, at least one triangle, at least one circle, at least one hexagon, or any combination thereof.
A method related to a swimming pool or spa is provided. The method may include receiving a selection of an operation related to the swimming pool or spa. The method may also include receiving a selection of an area of the swimming pool or spa corresponding to a digital map of the swimming pool or spa, wherein the area of the swimming pool or spa may be associated with the selected operation related to the swimming pool or spa. The method may further include outputting a command to activate at least one component of the swimming pool or spa to perform the selected operation related to the swimming pool or spa, wherein the at least one component may be associated with the selected area of the swimming pool or spa.
In some instances, the method may further include locating the at least one component at least partially within the selected area of the swimming pool or spa. The at least one component may be designed to perform the selected operation related to the swimming pool or spa. In some instances, the method may further include determining that the selected area does not include the at least one component, wherein the at least one component may be designed to perform the selected operation related to the swimming pool or spa and determining that the at least one component may be at least partially located within a second area of the plurality of areas, wherein the second area is adjacent to the selected area.
In other examples, the digital map of the swimming pool or spa may include at least one row and at least one column that defines a grid overlayed on the swimming pool or spa. The grid may conceptually section the swimming pool or spa into a plurality of areas.
In some instances, the method may further include receiving one or more images of the swimming pool or spa and creating the digital map based at least in part on the one or more images of the swimming pool or spa.
In some examples, the method may further include performing the selected operation related to the swimming pool or spa at the at least one component based at least in part on the command to activate the at least one component of the swimming pool or spa. The operation related to the swimming pool or spa may include at least one of a temperature control operation, a chemical feeding operation, a sanitization operation, a light control operation, or combinations thereof.
In some instances, the at least one component may include at least one jet, at least one drain, at least one chemical feeder, at least one light, at least one sanitation equipment, or combinations thereof.
An apparatus related to a swimming pool or spa is provided. The apparatus may include means for receiving a selection of an operation related to the swimming pool or spa. The apparatus may also include means for receiving a selection of an area of the swimming pool or spa corresponding to a digital map of the swimming pool or spa, wherein the area of the swimming pool or spa may be associated with the selected operation related to the swimming pool or spa. The apparatus may further include means for outputting a command to activate at least one component of the swimming pool or spa to perform the selected operation related to the swimming pool or spa, wherein the at least one component may be associated with the selected area of the swimming pool or spa.
Before any embodiments of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the disclosure. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of the disclosure. Thus, embodiments of the disclosure are not intended to be limited to embodiments shown but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which like elements in different figures have like reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the disclosure. Skilled artisans will recognize the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the disclosure.
Referring now to
The system 100 may further include a controller 116, one or more components 132, one or more pumps 118, one or more filters 120, one or more heaters 122, a network 126, a mobile device 128, and a user 130. The components or parts of the system 100 may support techniques for performing an operation related to the swimming pool or spa 102. The user 130 may input a request, which may cause the controller 116 to instruct at least one of the one or more components 132 (collectively referred to as components 132) to perform the operation of the swimming pool or spa that is related to the request. The controller 116 may include an operations manager 140 that may support techniques for performing the operation related to the swimming pool or spa 102. Techniques described herein provide functionality, including a digital map of the swimming pool or spa 102, that may be used in identifying the correct components 132 and area of the swimming pool or spa 102 associated with the requested operation.
The one or more components 132 may be installed at the swimming pool or spa 102. The components 132 may include one or more jets 104A-104D (collectively referred to herein as jets 104), one or more drains 106A-106D (collectively referred to herein as drains 106), one or more chemical feeders 108A-108F (collectively referred to herein as chemical feeders 108), one or more lights 110A-110I (collectively referred to herein as lights 110), one or more jet valves 112A-112D (collectively referred to herein as jet valves 112), and one or more drain valves 114A-114D (collectively referred to herein as drain valves 114). In some examples, at least some of the components 132 may be submerged in the swimming pool or spa 102. In some alternative examples, at least some of the components 132 may be positioned above the water level in the swimming pool or spa 102.
The jets 104 may provide water to, move water within, or return water to the swimming pool or spa 102. For example, the jets 104 may refer to a mechanical or an electro-mechanical component (to provide water into the swimming pool or spa 102) or any such component that may provide water into the swimming pool or spa 102. The jets 104 may include a first jet 104A, a second jet 104B, a third jet 104C, and a fourth jet 104D. In examples other than that shown in
At least some of the drains 106 may remove water from the swimming pool or spa 102. For example, the drains 106 may refer to a mechanical or an electro-mechanical component (to remove water from the swimming pool or spa 102) or any such component. In some examples, some of the drains 106 may provide water to one or more other components of the swimming pool or spa 102, such as sanitation equipment or devices, including an ultraviolet sanitizer. The drains 106 may include a first drain 106A, a second drain 106B, a third drain 106C, and a fourth drain 106D. In examples other than that shown in
The chemical feeders 108 may provide or dose one or more chemicals to the water of the swimming pool or spa 102. For example, the chemical feeders 108 may refer to a mechanical or an electro-mechanical component designed to feed chemicals into the swimming pool or spa 102), or any other similar component. The chemical feeders 108 may include a first chemical feeder 108A, a second chemical feeder 108B, a third chemical feeder 108C, a fourth chemical feeder 108D, a fifth chemical feeder 108E, and a sixth chemical feeder 108F. In examples other than that shown in
Additionally, the lights 110 may include a first light 110A, a second light 110B, a third light 110C, a fourth light 110D, a fifth light 110E, a sixth light 110F, a seventh light 110G, an eighth light 110H, and a ninth light 110I. In examples other than that shown in
Each jet 104 may be connected to a corresponding jet valve 112. In some examples, the first jet 104A may be connected to a first jet valve 112A, the second jet 104B may be connected to a second jet valve 112B, the third jet 104C may be connected to a third jet valve 112C, and the fourth jet 104D may be connected to a fourth jet valve 112D. Likewise, each drain 106 may be connected to a corresponding drain valve 114. For example, the first drain 106A may be connected to a first drain valve 114A, the second drain 106B may be connected to a second drain valve 114B, the third drain 106C may be connected to a third drain valve 114C, and the fourth drain 106D may be connected to a fourth drain valve 114D. In some examples, each of the drain valves 114 and the jet valves 112 may refer to an electrically controlled valve, such as a solenoid valve.
Furthermore, each of the drain valves 114 may be connected to one or more pumps 118. The one or more pumps 118 may be connected to one or more filters 120. The one or more filters 120 may, in turn, be connected to one or more chlorinators 124. Also, each of the jet valves 112 may be connected to the one or more chlorinators 124. Thus, water may be drained from the swimming pool or spa 102 from the drains 106 if a corresponding drain valve 114 is operated in an open state. To filter the water of the swimming pool or spa 102, water may enter the one or more filters 120 through the one or more pumps 118 via at least some of the drains 106. After filtering, the water may pass through one or more heaters 122 if the water is to be heated, otherwise the water may bypass the one or more heaters 122. The water may reach the one or more chlorinators 124 for chlorinating the water. After chlorination, the water may reenter the swimming pool or spa 102 from at least a subset of the jets 104, if a corresponding jet valve 112 is operated in an open state.
Moreover, at least some of the components 132 (e.g., the drain valves 114, jet valves 112, jets 104, drains 106, chemical feeders 108, and lights 110) may be connected to a controller 116. The controller 116 may provide signals to the connected components to perform one or more operations. The one or more operations may include activating or deactivating the component 132, adjusting functionality of the component 132, opening or closing the component 132, or the like. For instance, the controller 116 may transmit or otherwise output a signal to a drain valve 114 to open or close the drain valve 114. As another example, the controller 116 may transmit a signal to a light 110 to turn the light 110 off or on, to change the intensity or color of the emitted light, set a timer for the light 110 to turn on or off, set a pattern for using the lights 110, or the like.
The controller 116, through the operations manager 140, may provide signals or commands to a subset of the components 132 when the user 130 provides an input or a selection to operate any of the components 132. In some examples, the user 130 may provide the input or selection directly to a user interface of the controller 116. In other examples, the user 130 may provide the input or selection at a user interface of a mobile application executed on a mobile device 128. The mobile application may be a swimming pool or spa application that interfaces, or otherwise interacts with, with the swimming pool or spa 102 and provides the user 130 with information and operability related to the swimming pool or spa 102. When the user 130 provides input at the user interface of the mobile application, the mobile device 128 may transmit one or more signals indicating the input or selection to the controller 116 through a network 126.
As mentioned above, different areas of the swimming pool or spa 102 may be represented in a digital map. In some examples, the digital map may superimpose a grid onto the swimming pool or spa 102, such that the swimming pool or spa is conceptually broken into different areas. These different areas may be represented on the digital map, which in turn may be represented at a user interface of the controller 116 or the mobile device 128.
The digital map may be generated by the controller 116 or mobile device 128 or may be preloaded into a storage device of the controller 116 or the mobile device 128. The preloading may occur, in some examples, upon installation of the swimming pool or spa 102. In examples where the digital map may be generated by the controller 116 or mobile device 128, a camera of the mobile device 128 may be pointed at the swimming pool or spa 102 to receive one or more images of the swimming pool or spa 102. These images may be used to create the digital map of the swimming pool or spa 102. The mobile device 128 may generate the digital map or may provide the one or more images to the controller 116 to generate the digital map. In examples where the mobile device 128 generates the digital map, the mobile device 128 may also transmit a copy of the digital map of the swimming pool or spa 102 to the controller 116 through the network 126. Similarly, the controller 116 may also transmit a copy of the digital map of the swimming pool or spa 102 to the mobile device 128 through the network 126 when the digital map of the swimming pool or spa 102 is not preloaded into the mobile device 128. Preparation and usage of the digital map of the swimming pool or spa 102 is further explained below with reference to
The mobile device 128 may be provided in the form of a user device, a wireless device, a remote device, a handheld device, or a subscriber device, or some other suitable terminology, where the “device” may also be referred to as a unit, a station, a terminal, or a client, among other examples. A mobile device 128 may be provided in the form of a personal electronic device such as a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or a personal computer. In some examples, a mobile device 128 may include or be referred to as a wireless local loop (WLL) station, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or a machine type communications (MTC) device, among other examples, which in addition to the functionality described herein, may be implemented in various objects such as appliances, vehicles, or meters, among other examples.
The controller 116 may be in communication with the mobile device 128 over one or more communication links 134. In some examples, the controller 116 may communicate with the mobile device 128 directly via a device-to-device (D2D) communication link (for example, in accordance with a peer-to-peer (P2P), D2D, or sidelink protocol). In other examples, such as that shown in
The network 126 may be provided in the form of, for example, the Internet, intranets, extranets, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wired networks, wireless networks, cloud networks, or other suitable networks, or any combination of two or more such networks. For example, such networks may include cellular networks, satellite networks, cable networks, Wi-Fi networks, Ethernet networks, RS485 connections, and other types of networks. In some instances, network 126 may be operating in accordance with a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network, an LTE-A Pro network, a New Radio (NR) network, or other systems and radio technologies, including future systems and radio technologies not explicitly mentioned herein. In some instances, the network 126 may be provided in the form of a short-range network (such as Bluetooth, Near-Field Communication (NFC), etc.). In one example, the network 126 may be an isolated private network utilizing a private Internet Protocol (IP) address and limiting access to the network 126. In some examples, the network 126 may include one or more computing devices that may be arranged, for example, in one or more server banks or computer banks, or other arrangements.
The controller 116 may provide capability to individually or collectively control the one or more components 132. The operations manager 140 may receive the request from the user 130, either via the mobile device 128 or another device associated with the controller 116, to perform an operation related to the swimming pool or spa 102. The controller may be in communication with the components 132, which are devices that support functionality of or provides features for the swimming pool or spa 102. The controller 116 may provide a digital map that represents different areas of the swimming pool or spa 102, which may be used in conjunction with performing the operation.
Referring now to
The digital map 200 may represent the swimming pool or spa 102 and may be output at a display device. The digital map 200 may include information related to the swimming pool or spa 102 such as length, width, above-ground or under-ground height, or other parameters or metrics related to the dimensions of the swimming pool or spa 102. The digital map 200 may further identify the locations of the one or more components 132 within the swimming pool or spa 102. For example, the digital map 200 may provide indications that represent the location of each of the jets 104, drains 106, chemical feeders 108, lights 110, jet valves 112, and the drain valves 114.
As shown, the digital map 200 of the swimming pool or spa 102 may include one or more rows 202A-202F (collectively referred to herein as rows 202) and one or more columns 204A-204H (connectively referred to herein as columns 204). The rows 202 may include a first row 202A through a sixth row 202F (also referred to herein as R1-R7). The columns 204 may include a first column 204A through an eighth column 204H (also referred to herein as C1-C8). The rows 202 and columns 204 may define a grid 206, which may be overlayed or superimposed over the swimming pool or spa 102. The grid 206 may define a plurality of areas 208 (also referred to as sections, squares, shapes, or the like), which are illustrated as rectangles in
The mobile device 128 or the controller 116 may create the digital map 200 by digitally dividing the area of the swimming pool or spa 102 into the rows 202 and columns 204. The digital map 200 may be created using one or more images of the swimming pool or spa 102. It is understood that the digital map 200 of the swimming pool or spa 102 may also be created by dividing the area of the swimming pool or spa 102 into other shapes, such as triangles, circles, hexagons, or any other shape instead of rectangles or squares.
Table 1 provides an example list of areas 208, along with an identifier of any of the one or more components 132 at least partially located within the area 208, and an identifier of each area 208 adjacent to or otherwise neighboring the respective area 208. In this example of Table 1, a total of 48 areas 208, labeled as G1-G48, may be defined between eight columns 204 (C1-C8) and seven rows 202 (R1-R7). Each of these areas 208 may be mapped using input provided by a user and also a known location of each one or more components 132 within the swimming pool or spa 102.
Table 1 provides a mapping between each area 208, the components 132 at least partially located within the respective area 208, and neighboring areas 208 of the respective area 208. For example, area G1 may include a first chemical feeder 108A and a first jet 104A. Areas adjacent to or neighboring area G1 may include areas G2, G9, and G10. In some examples, the areas adjacent to or neighboring area G1 may include only areas that share a row 202 or a column 204 with area G1, such as areas G2 and G9. In other examples, other adjacent or neighboring areas 208 may be defined. For example, neighboring areas 208 may be determined to be any areas 208 within two rows 202 or two columns 204 of the respective area 208. Other examples are contemplated. Further, a component 132 may be located within a single area 208 or may be located within multiple areas 208.
A user, such as the user 130, may use the digital map 200 to identify or select one or more areas 208 of a swimming pool or spa 102. The digital map 200 may be used to identify which components 132 are present within each identified or selected area 208. Alternatively, the user 130 may use the digital map 200 to identify or select different components 132, and the digital map 200 may be used to identify the corresponding areas 208 in which the identified or selected components 132 are located.
In some examples, Table 1 may be stored at the controller 116 or at the mobile device 128. The controller 116 or mobile device 128 may use the information in the table to interpret instructions received by the user 130. For example, the user 130 may select an operation they want to perform, such as dimming the lights in a certain section of the swimming pool or spa 102. The user may interact with a user interface, either associated with the controller 116 or the mobile device 128, to input the operation the user 130 desires to be performed. The user interface may display the digital map, which enables the user 130 to select the one or more areas 208 corresponding to the section of the swimming pool or spa 102 where the user 130 wants the lights dimmed. The area selection and operation information may be received at or provided to the controller 116, wherein the controller 116 can use Table 1 to provide commands to the lights 110 within the selected areas 208 to dim according to the user 130 selection. Other examples are contemplated.
Referring now to
At 302, the method 300 may include receiving, at a user interface, an input selecting which type of operation to perform. The user interface may be provided in the form of a graphical user interface associated with a display device or user interface of the controller 116 or the user interface may be associated with the mobile device 128. For example, the graphical user interface may be output at a display device that may be located at the controller 116 or may be external to the controller 116. In other examples, the graphical user interface may be output at a display device, such as a screen, of a mobile device 128.
The graphical user interface may provide one or more options which are available to the user, which may be provided in the form of one or more buttons, one or more touchscreens softkeys, voice activated commands, proximity-based commands, or the like. The user may select one or more of the options by interacting with the user interface. The operations manager 140 of the controller 116 may determine which type of operation the user selects based on the input received at the user interface.
In some examples, the types of operations that can be performed may include a temperature control operation 304, a chemical feeding operation 306, a sanitizing operation 308, and a light control operation 310. In other examples, additional types of operations may be performed.
The temperature control operation 304 may include increasing the temperature of the water of the swimming pool or spa. In other examples, the temperature control operation 304 may include decreasing the temperature of the water of the swimming pool or spa. In yet other examples, the temperature control operation 304 may include maintaining a desired temperature of the water of the swimming pool or spa for a selected period of time. In other examples, other types of temperature control operations 304 may be performed. Some examples of the temperature control operation 304 may be associated with a certain temperature to be maintained or achieved with the temperature control operation 304.
In some examples, the chemical feeding operation 306 may include feeding a specific chemical into a swimming pool or spa. For example, the chemical feeding operation 306 may include feeding pH adjusters like muriatic acid or soda ash into the water of the swimming pool or spa to balance the pH of the water of the swimming pool or spa. In other examples, the chemical feeding operation 306 may include feeding algaecides into the water of the swimming pool or spa to control the growth of algae. In yet other examples, the chemical feeding operation 306 may include feeding cyanuric acid into the water of a swimming pool or spa to protect chlorine from UV degradation. In other examples, the chemical feeding operation 306 may include feeding calcium hardness increasers into the water of the swimming pool or spa to adjust mineral levels. In other examples, other types of chemical feeding operations 306 may be performed. Some examples of the chemical feeding operation 306 may be associated with a certain level or threshold of the relevant chemical feed to be maintained or achieved with the chemical feeding operation 306.
In other examples, the sanitizing operation 308 may include dispensing antimicrobials such as chlorine and bromine into the water of the swimming pool or spa to kill bacteria that may cause recreational water illnesses. In additional examples, the sanitizing operation 308 may include utilizing an ultraviolet sanitizer to irradiate the water with ultraviolet radiation that may kill some bacterial. In other examples, other types of sanitizing operations 308 may be performed. Some examples of the sanitizing operation 308 may be associated with a certain level or threshold sanitation to be maintained or achieved with the sanitizing operation 308.
In some examples, a light control operation 310 may include turning the lights in and around the swimming pool or spa on or off, dimming or increasing the brightness, or changing the color. In other examples, a light control operation 310 may include setting a schedule for when the lights in and around the swimming pool or spa turn on and off or otherwise changing the state of the lights. In yet other examples, a light control operation 310 may include creating artistic expressions or “light shows” using the lights in and around the swimming pool or spa. In other examples, other types of light control operation 310 may be performed. Some examples of the light control operation 310 may be associated with a certain level or threshold sanitation to be maintained or achieved with the light control operation 310.
As described herein, each of the operations may be restricted to specific areas of the swimming pool or spa. Each of the operations may also be associated with a time period, such as an indication of when to begin the operation, how long the operation is to be performed, or when to end the operation.
Each operation may be performed by one or more corresponding swimming pool or spa components. For example, the heater 122 may carry out a temperature control operation 304. In another examples, the one or more chemical feeders 108A-108F may carry out the chemical feeding operation 306. In yet another example, the chlorinator 124 may carry out a sanitizing operation 308. In yet another example, the one or more lights 110A-110I may carry out a light control operation 310. In some examples, more than one type of component may perform part of the operation. For example, the heater 122 may heat the water for the temperature control operation, while the drains 106, drain valves 114, jets 104, and jet valves 112 may also be utilized in the heating operation, to aid in circulating water between the swimming pool or spa 102 and the heater 122.
At 312, the method 300 may include receiving, at the user interface, an input selecting which area of the grid the operation will be performed in. In some examples, the user interface may be the same user interface as that used to receive the input selecting the type of operation. However, in other examples, this may be a different user interface. For example, the user may provide an input to perform the selected operation at a mobile device, and then select an area of the grid using a user interface associated with the controller 116, or vice-versa.
At 314, the method 300 may include verifying that the appropriate components that are able to perform the operation is at least partially within the selected area. For example, if a chemical feeding operation 306 is selected for a particular area of the swimming pool or spa, one or more chemical feeders 108 may be located in the selected area in order to carry out that operation within the particular area. For example, the one or more chemical feeders 108 may be completely or at least partially located within the particular area. Likewise, if a light control operation 310 is selected, one or more lights 110 may be located in or partially within the selected area to carry out that operation. In some examples, the operations manager 140, or another component of the controller 116, may perform the techniques to verify that an appropriate component 132 is located at least partially within the selected area.
However, if the appropriate component to perform the operation is not in the selected area, the method 300 proceeds to 320. At 320, the method 300 may include checking areas adjacent to the selected area for the appropriate component in order to perform the operation. Once an appropriate component is found in an adjacent area, the method 300 may proceed to 316. Similar to the previous step, the operations manager 140, or another component of the controller 116, may perform the techniques to determine that an appropriate component 132 is located at least partially within an area adjacent to the selected area.
In examples where no appropriate component is found within the area or in areas neighboring or adjacent to the selected area, then the operation cannot be performed for that selected area. The method 300 may further include outputting an error message indicating that there are no components within the selected area or neighborhood of the selected area that can perform the selected operation. The method 300 may further include requesting the user to select a different area or to request a different operation be performed. In some examples, the method 300 may include indicating those areas of the swimming pool or spa that contain components that are capable of performing the operation. The indication may be provided in the form of highlighting those areas in the digital map that contain the appropriate components, changing the color of the areas, providing a selectable list of the areas, or any other technique for indicating the areas. In these examples, the method 300 may return to 312.
However, if the appropriate component to perform the operation is within the selected area or a neighboring or adjacent area, the method 300 proceeds to 316. At 316, the method 300 may output a command to the appropriate components in the selected area or the adjacent area to perform the operation. Similar to the previous steps, the operations manager 140, or another component of the controller 116, may perform the techniques to command the components to perform the operation.
At 318, the method 300 may perform the operation. The operation may be performed by the appropriate components of the swimming pool or spa.
Referring now to
At 406, the mobile device 128 may run one or more mobile applications. The mobile device 128 may run one or more specific mobile applications designated to manage and control one or more pool components. The one or more applications may include swimming pool mobile applications, calendar mobile applications, and location mobile applications. Additionally, other mobile applications may be executed at the mobile device 128. Some of these applications may serve as or include a user interface, allowing the user 130 to input preferences for pool component management.
At 404, the controller 116 may optionally create a digital map of the swimming pool or spa. The digital map may be created by a camera of the mobile device 128 by pointing the camera at the swimming pool or spa 102. In other instances, a digital map of the swimming pool or spa 102 may be preloaded to the controller 116.
The controller 116 may send one or more signals 408 indicating the digital map of the swimming pool or spa 102 to the mobile device 128. In other examples, the controller 116 may also send a copy of the digital map of the swimming pool or spa 102 to the mobile device 128 through the network 126 when the digital map of the swimming pool or spa 102 is not preloaded into the mobile device 128. In some examples, the one or more signals 408 may include a copy of the digital map, may provide information for the mobile device 128 to generate the digital map, may provide a uniform resource locator (URL) or other link for the mobile device 128 to download the digital map, or the like.
At 410, the mobile device 128 may receive an input for a selection of operations. In an example, the input for a selection of operations may be made by a user 130. In other examples, the input for a selection of operations may be scheduled ahead of time by a user 130 using one or more of the mobile applications stored on the mobile device 128.
Upon receiving the selection of operations, the mobile device 128 may send one or more signals 412 indicating the selected operation to the controller 116. The mobile device may send the one or more signals 412 over a network 126, as described with reference to
Next, a display of the digital map 414 may be output at a user interface of the mobile device 128. As mentioned previously, the digital map may be created by the controller 116 and sent to the mobile device 128 or the digital map may be preloaded at the mobile device 128. Once a display of the digital map 414 is provided at the mobile device 128, the mobile device 128 may receive an input of a selection of the area that the selected operation is to be performed in at 416. A user 130 may input the selection of the area via the user interface of the mobile device 128.
Upon receiving the input selection of the area that the selected operation is to be performed, the mobile device 128 may send one or more signals 418 indicating the selected area to the controller 116. The mobile device 128 may send the one or more signals 418 over the network 126, as described with reference to
Upon receiving the one or more signals 418 which indicate the selected area, the controller 116 may identify the appropriate component at 420. Identifying the appropriate component may include checking the selected area to confirm that a swimming pool or spa component that is able to carry out the selected operation is present in the selected area. An appropriate component may include a component that has the ability to carry out the selected operation. For example, to carry out a temperature control operation, a heater 122 as described with reference to
In some examples, the controller 116 may search the selected area to identify the appropriate component. In other examples, the controller 116 may search adjacent areas to the selected area to identify the appropriate component at 420.
Once the appropriate component has been identified, the controller 116 may send one or more command signals 422 to the pool component 402 to perform the operation. In some examples, the one or more command signals 422 may be sent over the network 126 as described with reference to
At 424, the pool component 402 may perform the selected operation. In some instances, the operation to be performed may be a temperature control operation, a chemical feeding operation, a sanitizing operation, and a light control operation. Additionally, or alternatively, other types of operations related to a swimming pool or spa may be performed.
The pool component 402 may continue performing the operation at 424 until the operation ceases. The mobile device 128 may receive an input to cease the operation at 426. In an example, the input to cease operation may be input by a user 130. In this instance, the mobile device 128 may send a cease operations signal 428 to the controller 116. The cease operations signal 428 may be sent over a network 126 as described with reference to
Alternatively, the operation may cease when one or more thresholds or conditions set by the user are met. For example, if desired temperature of the pool section is reached, the operation may cease. However, to maintain the temperature the system may reevaluate the parameters (such as a temperature of the selected area) in periodic manner. If the temperature is lower than the desired temperature, the operations may begin again. The temperature may be reevaluated according to a defined number of times or with a scheduled time duration of the operation, and the controller 116 may activate the relevant pool components 402 to maintain the desired temperature. Similar techniques may be applied with other types of operations, such as for chemical feeding, sanitizing, or the like.
At 432, the pool component 402 may cease operations when the operation is completed. In another example, the pool component 402 may cease the operation when it is manually deactivated by a user 130. Furthermore, in some examples, the operations may cease based on a manual input of the user that may override any previous instruction or scheduled time for the operation to be performed.
Referring now to
In some examples, the digital map 508 may also show the locations for the one or more components. The areas and the components may be selectable by the user. For example, the user may make a selection of area 510 on the digital map 508. The digital map may also identify a length, a width, a height, an above-ground height, a below-ground depth of the swimming pool or spa, or combinations thereof.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
The receiver 815 may provide a means for receiving information such as packets, user data, control information, other signals, and any combination thereof associated with various information channels (for example, control channels, data channels, information channels, wired or wireless channels, and the like). Information may be passed on to other components of the device 805. The receiver 815 may utilize a single antenna or a set of multiple antennas. The receiver 815 may be designed to receive information related to the user 130 of the swimming pool or spa 102 from one or more mobile devices 128. The receiver 815 may also be designed to receive a selection of one or more operations to be performed, a selection of one or more areas to perform the operation in, and one or more commands to cease the operations. The receiver 815 may be designed to receive the information regarding the guidelines and/or recommended actions for performing the operations in the swimming pool or spa 102.
The transmitter 810 may provide a means for transmitting signals generated by other components of the device 805. For example, the transmitter 810 may transmit information such as packets, user data, control information, other signals, or any combination thereof associated with various information channels (for example, control channels, data channels, information channels, wired or wireless channels, and the like). In some examples, the transmitter 810 may be co-located with a receiver 815 in a transceiver module. The transmitter 810 may utilize a single antenna or a set of multiple antennas. The transmitter 810 may also be designed to transmit signals and indications related to a selected operation, a selected area, a command to cease the selected operation, an indication that an appropriate component is present in the selected area, or a notification that the operation is completed.
The transmitter 810 may also be designed to transmit one or more signals to provide a digital map of the swimming pool or spa 102 or to transmit a signal that the operation has been completed. Further, the transmitter 810 may be configured to transmit a request to a server to provide recurring information regarding suggested guidelines and/or actions for performing operations related to the swimming pool or spa 102.
The transmitter 810, the receiver 815, the communications manager 820, the operations manager 825, the user interfaces 830, the output devices 850, or various combinations or components thereof may be examples of means for performing various aspects of a method related to a swimming pool or spa as described herein. For example, the transmitter 810, the receiver 815, the communications manager 820, the operations manager 825, the user interfaces 830, the output devices 850, or various combinations or components thereof may be capable of performing one or more of the functions described herein.
In some examples, the transmitter 810, the receiver 815, the communications manager 820, the operations manager 825, the user interfaces 830, the output devices 850, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in hardware (for example, in communications management circuitry). The hardware may include at least one of a processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), a microcontroller, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof configured as or otherwise supporting, individually or collectively, a means for performing the functions described in the present disclosure. In some examples, at least one processor and at least one memory in communication with the at least one processor may be configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein (for example, by one or more processors, individually or collectively, executing instructions stored in the at least one memory 840). In some examples, the one or more processors 835 may be provided in the form of a single-core processor, a dual-core processor, a quad-core processor, a hexa-core processor, an octa-core processor, a deca-core processor, or any other type of processor.
In some examples, the memory 840 may refer to a read access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), a flash memory, or any other type of memory. The memory 840 may be designed to store or otherwise save data related to one or more swimming pool or spa component, different types of operations, various digital maps, user profile data, historical data associated with the system 100, and the like.
Additionally, or alternatively, the transmitter 810, the receiver 815, the communications manager 820, the operations manager 825, the user interfaces 830, the output devices 850, or various combinations or components thereof may be implemented in processor executable code 845 (for example, as communications management software or firmware) executed by the at least one processor 835 (for example, referred to as processor executable code 845). If implemented in code executed by at least one processor 835, the functions of the transmitter 810, the receiver 815, the communications manager 820, the operations manager 825, the user interfaces 830, the output devices 850, or various combinations or components thereof may be performed by a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, an ASIC, an FPGA, a microcontroller, or any combination of these or other programmable logic devices (for example, configured as or otherwise supporting, individually or collectively, a means for performing the functions described in the present disclosure).
In some examples, the communications manager 820 may be configured to perform various operations (for example, receiving, obtaining, monitoring, outputting, transmitting) using or otherwise in cooperation with the transmitter 810, the receiver 815, or both. For example, the communications manager 820 may receive information from the receiver 815, send information to the transmitter 810, or be integrated in combination with the transmitter 810, the receiver 815, or both to obtain information, output information, or perform various other operations as described herein.
The communications manager 820 may support the techniques for performing operations in a swimming pool or spa in accordance with examples disclosed herein. The communications manager 820 may be capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for receiving information associated with a selected operation related to swimming pool or spa from at least a mobile device. The communications manager 820 may be further capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for transmitting information associated with a selected operation related the swimming pool or spa from at least a mobile device.
In some examples, the communications manager 820 may be further capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for receiving an input at a user interface to selecting an operation for the swimming pool or spa. In additional examples, the communications manager 820 may be also capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for displaying one or more digital maps at the user interface in association with selecting an operation for the swimming pool or spa. In some examples, the communications manager 820, may be further capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for receiving a second input at the user interface to select an area from the one or more areas displayed on the digital map of the swimming pool or spa to perform the operation related to the swimming pool or spa.
The operations manager 825 may be aspects of or an example of the operations manager 140 of
The operations manager 825 may be designed to identify an appropriate component to perform and operation based at least, in part, on receiving the input of a selected area to perform the selected operation. In other examples, the operations manager 825 may also be designed to cease the selected operation based at least in part on receiving an input at the user interface. In other examples, the operations manager 825 may also be designed to output an alert that the selected operation has been completed. For example, the operations manager 825 may cause the user interface 830 or the output device 850 to output the alert.
The one or more user interfaces 830 may manage input and output signals for the device 805. The one or more user interfaces 830 may also manage peripherals not integrated into the device 805. In some cases, the one or more user interfaces 830 may represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral. In some cases, the one or more user interfaces 830 may utilize an operating system such as iOS®, ANDROID®, MS-DOS®, MS-WINDOWS®, OS/2®, UNIX®, LINUX®, or another known operating system. Additionally, or alternatively, the one or more user interfaces 830 may represent or interact with a modem, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, or a similar device. In some cases, the one or more user interfaces 830 may be implemented as part of one or more processors, such as the at least one processor 835. In some cases, a user may interact with the device 805 via the one or more user interfaces 830 or via hardware components controlled by the one or more user interfaces 830.
The one or more user interfaces 830 may be configured to receive a first input to select an operation related to the swimming pool or spa. The one or more user interfaces 830 may also be configured to display one or more digital maps of the swimming pool or spa. Additionally, the one or more user interfaces 830 may be configured to receive a second input to select at least one area to perform the operation related to the swimming pool or spa.
Some examples of the device 805 may omit a user interface 830, and instead the device 805 provides signals to an external device (e.g., a mobile device) to provide the functions of the one or more user interfaces 830 as described herein.
The user interfaces 830 are further capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for receiving a first input to select an operation related to the swimming pool or spa, displaying one or more digital maps of the swimming pool or spa, and receiving a second input to select an area to perform the operation related to the swimming pool or spa. The user interfaces 830 are further capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for identifying that the selected area contains an appropriate swimming pool or spa component to carry out the selected operation. The user interfaces 830 are further capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for receiving an input at the user interface to cease the operation.
The one or more output devices 850 may include a light emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic LED (OLED) display, or another known display. In other examples, the one or more output devices 850 may be provided in the form of one or more speakers or one or more motors to create haptic feedback. However, some examples of the device 805 do not include an output device 850, and instead the device 805 provides signals to an external device, such as a mobile device, to provide functions of the output devices 850.
The one or more output devices 850 may be further capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for outputting an indication of one or more operation options at the user interface in association with the swimming pool or spa. The one or more output devices 850 are further capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for outputting a display of one or more digital maps of the swimming pool or spa to select an area to perform the selected operation in association with selecting an operation related to a swimming pool or spa to perform.
The one or more output devices 850 may be further capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for outputting instructions for at least one operation paired with at least one time frame. The one or more output devices 850 may be further capable of, configured to, or operable to support a means for outputting an indication to cease the operation.
By including or configuring the transmitter 810, the receiver 815, the communications manager 820, the operations manager 825, the user interfaces 830, and the output devices 850 in accordance with examples as described herein, the device 805 (for example, at least one processor controlling or otherwise coupled with the transmitter 810, the receiver 815, the communications manager 820, the operations manager 825, the user interfaces 830, the output devices 850, or a combination thereof) may support techniques for performing an operation related to a swimming pool or spa.
The device 805 may be able to download, store, or execute software having computer-executable instructions. The software may include one or more modules, such as the operations manager 825. The one or more modules may include, for example, algorithms to monitor or store the measurements or other data received from one or more of the system components such as the sensors, valves, tank, or pumps, or may monitor or store real-time and historic flow patterns and usage data. The device 805, via the one or more modules, may also perform calculations or other data analysis or modeling processes to determine various outcomes. The outcomes may include, for example, turning one or more of the components of the system on or off at certain times or intervals or placing one or more of the system components in standby mode.
The operations manager 825 may be electronically connected to the one or more user interfaces 830 and other components of the system 100, including the various sensors, valves, tank, and pump via one or more wires or may be electronically connected via a communications network. The communications network may be a wireless network such as a personal area network (PAN) or LAN, a cellular network, or the Internet, or any other type of network.
In some examples, the operations manager 825 may be able to self-diagnose or troubleshoot problems that arise without input from one of the various components or a user. Artificial intelligence or machine learning may be used to learn different patterns of usage to predict future behavior.
In some instances, the one or more modules may include a training module that may be designed to execute instructions related to one or more data analysis and modeling processes. In some examples, the training module may generate and iteratively train itself to provide dynamic data analysis and outcomes, and the advanced analytics may be used to perform system or component diagnostics, generate alerts, notifications, or action items, provide customized recommendations according to user or service provider settings or preferences, and similar processes.
In some examples, one or more metrics or characteristics (for example, historic water usage data, system pressure, total dissolved solid (TDS) concentration, or water flow rates) may be used as parameters in one or more processes to iteratively train a training model or a plurality of machine learning training models. For example, a training model or machine learning module may train on user preferences and output the digital map in such as way as to emphasize previously selected areas or areas predicted by the model. In other examples, the selections may be updated based on predicting what operations the user may select. Processes for “iteratively training the machine learning training model” may include machine learning processes, artificial intelligence processes, and other similar advanced machine learning processes. In various examples, the iteratively trained machine learning model(s) may be designed to perform various advanced data analysis and modeling processes. In some examples, these processes may be performed by multiple machine learning models, or multiple aspects of a single machine learning model (for example, an ensemble model), or a combination thereof. In one non-limiting example, the machine learning training model(s) may be designed to generate, train, and execute a plurality of nodes, neural networks, gradient boosting algorithms, mutual information classifiers, random forest classifications, and other machine learning and artificial intelligence-related algorithms. The system and processes described herein may include different or additional details, data, measurements, parameters, metrics, or characteristics than those described herein.
The device 805 may be Bluetooth enabled and have Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity. The water treatment system components, that is, the pool components (the sensors, valves, feeder, pump, etc.) may be IoT-enabled or communicatively connected smart components.
In some examples, the at least one processor 835 may be coupled with one or more memories 840 and may be configured to individually or collectively execute the processor executable code 845 to cause the swimming pool or spa control device to receive a first input at a user interface to select an operation related to the swimming pool or spa, output a display of a digital map at the user interface, receive a second input at the user interface to select at least one of the one or more areas to perform the operation, perform one or more operations associated with the at least one selected area, and cease the operation.
The memory 840 may be configured to store or save the one or more operations related to a swimming pool or spa, preferences of a user, historical selected operation associated with a user, the digital map, maintenance schedules, operation schedules, and any such information.
The device 805 may work in conjunction with, or independent from, one or more local controllers associated with one or more pool components as disclosed herein. Alternatively, one or more local controllers associated with the pool components may work in conjunction with, or independent from, the device 805 to effectuate the operational modes and other methods described herein.
Referring now to
The method 900 starts at 902. At 904, the operations manager, using one or more processors, may receive a selection of the operation related to the swimming pool or spa. The selection of an operation related to the swimming pool or spa may be received from a user 130 using a mobile device 128 as described with reference to
At 906, the operations manager, using the one or more processors, may receive a selection of an area of the swimming pool or spa corresponding to a digital map of the swimming pool or spa, wherein the wherein the area of the swimming pool or spa is associated with the selected operation related to the swimming pool or spa.
At 908, the operations manager, using one or more processors, may output a command to activate at least one component of the swimming pool or spa to perform the selected operation related to the swimming pool or spa, wherein the at least one component is associated with the selected area of the swimming pool or spa.
The method ends at 910.
Referring now to
The method 1000 starts at 1002. At 1004, a selection of an area of the swimming pool or spa 102 on a digital map 200 of the swimming pool or spa 102 may be received from the user 130. A software application may be executed by a controller 116 or a mobile application that is executed by a mobile device 128 and renders a digital map 508 of the swimming pool or spa 102 for the user 130. As shown in
At 1006, one or more components 132 of the swimming pool or spa 102 may be identified corresponding to the selected area 510. To identify such one or more components 132, the software application or the mobile application may utilize example Table 1 to first identify an area corresponding to the selected area 510. As shown in
In one example, the user 130 may select the operation 506 as a temperature control operation for providing heated water at 25 degrees Celsius (as an example). Such temperature input may be provided by the user 130 at the controller 116 or the mobile device 128. In this scenario, the software application or the mobile application may identify components in the selected neighboring areas G9, G11, and G26 only corresponding to the temperature control operation. In this case, the relevant components for the temperature control operation are jets and drains. The remaining other components (such as a first light 110A in the G9 area for light control operation) in areas G9, G11, and G26 that are not relevant for the temperature control operation are also ignored. Thus, a first drain 106A in G9 neighboring area, and a second jet 104B in G11 neighboring area are first identified for the temperature control operation and the identified area G18. Based on these identified components (the first drain 106A in G9 and the second jet 104B in G11) corresponding to the selected temperature control operation, the software application or the mobile application may further identify the G11 components from the first drain 106A in G9 and the second jet 104B, corresponding to the selected area (i.e., G18). The closest component may be the first drain 106A in G9 corresponding to the selected area (i.e., G18), thus, the software application or the mobile application may identify the first drain 106A for the temperature control operation.
With reference to the method 1000, as identified area G18, the neighboring areas of the identified area G18 are G9, G10, G11, G17, G19, G25, G26, G27. As can be seen, neighboring areas G10, G17, G19, G25, and G27 do not have any corresponding components. Thus, such neighboring areas G10, G17, G19, G25, and G27 may be ignored by the software application or the mobile application. Only neighboring areas G9, G11, and G26 have components. Thereby, the first drain 106A and the first light 110A in the G9 neighboring area, the second jet 104B and the third light 110C in the G11 neighboring area, and the ninth light 110I in the G26 neighboring area are identified components corresponding to the selected area 510. The identification of the one or more components 132 also involves highlighting (with different colors or enlarged sizes, etc.) these identified components on the digital map 508.
At 1008, a selection of at least one component from one or more identified components may be received from the user 130 on the digital map 508 of the swimming pool or spa 102 rendered at the device 502. The user 130 may double click, single click, double tap, single tap, or long press on a component on the digital map 508 for making the selection of that component. Considering the same example above, the software application or the mobile application, the user 130 may select the third light 110C in the G11 neighboring area. Thereby, the selection of the third light 110C may be received from the user 130 on the digital map 508.
At 1010, a command may be transmitted to activate the selected at least one component of the swimming pool or spa 102 to perform one or more operations related to the swimming pool or spa 102. Further, based on the selection of the at least one component, an operation corresponding to that selected component may be triggered. With respect to the above example, the selection of the third light 110C may be received from the user 130, which indicates that a light control operation related to the swimming pool or spa 102 may be performed. For this, the device 502 may transmit a command to the third light 110C. Once the third light 110C is activated or turned on, the light is projected from the third light 110C into the water of the swimming pool or spa 102. As a result, only the selected area (i.e., in the G11 area) may be illuminated with light (i.e., the third light 110C) to perform localized light control operations in the swimming pool or spa 102.
In some examples, the operation related to the swimming pool may include a temperature control operation, a dosing operation, a sanitization operation, a light control operation, or any such operation of the swimming pool or spa 102.
The method 1000 ends at 1012.
In another example, a selection of the area 510 of an operation related to the swimming pool or spa 102 may be received from a user 130. A software application being executed by the device 502 or a mobile application being executed by the device 502 may render an option “operation” 506 as shown in
In another example, a selection of an area of the swimming pool or spa 102 on a digital map 508 of the swimming pool or spa 102 may be received from the user 130. The software application executed by the controller 116 or the mobile application executed by the device 502 may render the digital map 508 of the swimming pool or spa 102 for the user 130. As shown in
In another example, one or more components of the swimming pool or spa 102 may be identified corresponding to the selected operation 506 and the selected area 510.
In another example, a command may be transmitted to activate the identified one or more components of the swimming pool or spa 102 for performing the selected operation related to the swimming pool or spa 102. Considering the above examples, the device may transmit a command to the first jet valve 112A (of the first jet 104A) and the first drain valve 114A (of the first drain 106A) for activating the first jet valve 112A (corresponding to the first jet 104A) and the first drain valve 114A (corresponding to the first drain 106A) corresponding to the identified one or more components (first drain 106A and its corresponding first jet 104A). Once the first jet valve 112A and the first drain valve 114A are activated or turned on, the water from the first drain 106A may be drained first and provided to the heater 122 for heating the water. The heated water may be supplied to the swimming pool or spa 102 through the first jet 104A. Thus, only the selected area (i.e., in the G18 area) may be provided with heated water for performing localized temperature control operations in the swimming pool or spa 102. The localized temperature control operation in the swimming pool or spa 102 may be performed by just activating the selected components of the swimming pool or spa 102 and thereby, there may be no need to activate all of the components of the swimming pool or spa 102 at the same time to perform the temperature control operation.
Once sufficient heated water at the inputted temperature (i.e., water imparted with a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, as an example) is provided to the selected area (i.e., in the G18 area), the device 502 may transmit a command to the first jet valve 112A and the first drain valve 114A to deactivate or turn-off the first jet valve 112A and the first drain valve 114A to stop the supply of the heated water in the selected area.
The present disclosure also encompasses performing a chemical feeding operation related to the swimming pool or spa 102 when the device 502 receives a selection of this operation from the user 130. As another example, the user 130 may input a selection (in
Based on the identified area G31, the software application or the mobile application may determine if the identified area has a corresponding component or not. In this example, the identified area G31 may not have any corresponding components. In this scenario where there may not be a component in the G31 area, the software application or the mobile application may further search the neighboring areas of the identified area to identify any corresponding component. Taking the same example as identified area G31, the neighboring areas of the identified area G31 are G22, G23, G24, G30, G32, G38, G39, G40. As can be seen from Table 1, the neighboring areas G22, G23, G30, G38, and G40 do not have any corresponding components. Thus, such neighboring areas G22, G23, G30, G38, and G40 may be ignored by the software application or the mobile application. The remaining neighboring areas (i.e., three neighboring areas G24, G32, and G39), may be searched for identifying corresponding components.
Considering an example that the user 130 has selected operation 506 as the chemical feeding operation, the software application or the mobile application may identify components in the selected neighboring areas G24, G32, and G39 only corresponding to the chemical feeding operation. In this case, relevant components (i.e., the fourth chemical feeder 108D in the G24 area) for the chemical feeding operation may be the one or more chemical feeders. The remaining components (such as a sixth light 110F in the G32 area for light control operation and the fourth drain 106D in the G39 area) which may not be relevant for the chemical feeding operation may also be ignored. Thus, the fourth chemical feeder 108D in the G24 area may be identified for the chemical feeding operation. Based on these identified components (the fourth chemical feeder 108D in the G24 area) corresponding to the selected chemical feeding operation, a command may be transmitted to activate the identified one or more components of the swimming pool or spa 102 for performing the selected operation related to the swimming pool or spa 102. Considering the above example, the device 502 may transmit a command to the fourth chemical feeder 108D in the G24 area. Once the fourth chemical feeder 108D in the G24 area is activated or turned on, the chemical from the fourth chemical feeder 108D may be dispensed into the water of the swimming pool or spa 102. Thereby, only the selected area (i.e., in the G24 area) may be fed with chemicals to perform localized chemical feeding operations in the swimming pool or spa 102. The localized chemical feeding operation in the swimming pool or spa 102 may be performed by activating the selected components of the swimming pool or spa 102 and thereby, it may not be necessary to activate all of the components of the swimming pool or spa 102 at the same time to perform the chemical feeding operation.
The present disclosure also encompasses performing a light control operation related to the swimming pool or spa 102 when the device 502 may receive a light control operation selection from the user 130. As another example, the user 130 may input a selection (in
Based on the identified areas G36 and G44, the software application or the mobile application may determine if the identified area has a corresponding component or not. In this example, the identified area G44 has a corresponding component which is the eighth light 110H whereas the identified area G36 may not have any corresponding components. In this scenario where a corresponding component (i.e., the eighth light 110H) is identified in the G44 area, the software application or the mobile application may determine that the identified component (i.e., the eighth light 110H) may be relevant for the light control operation as selected by the user 130, the device 502 may transmit a command to the eighth light 110H in the G44 area. Once the eighth light 110H in the G44 area is activated or turned on, the light may be illuminated from the eighth light 110H into the water of the swimming pool or spa 102. Thereby, only the selected area (i.e., in the G44 area) may be illuminated with light (eighth light 110H) for performing a localized light control operation in the swimming pool or spa 102. The localized light control operation in the swimming pool or spa 102 may be performed by activating the selected components of the swimming pool or spa 102 and thereby, it may not be necessary to activate all of the components of the swimming pool or spa 102 at the same time to perform the light control operation.
Although the present disclosure depicts a black solid circle used by the user 130 for selecting an area on the digital map 508, it is understood that any other shape (such as rectangular, triangular, cruciform, or any other shape) may also be used by the user 130 to select an area on the digital map 508. The present disclosure also encompasses validation of the one or more inputs by the user 130 for selecting an area on the digital map 508 before proceeding to the next stage of processing. In some examples, a pre-defined set of inputs may be defined for the user 130 for selecting an area on the digital map 508 that may further be validated.
As the system 100 may sense and control the state of water (in terms of temperature, dosing, lighting, etc.) in various regions of the swimming pool or spa 102, the controller 116 may be directed to operate the swimming pool or spa 102 using a combination to make the swimming pool or spa 102 ready to be used in a fastest way possible as per the user's requirements.
The present disclosure also encompasses the technical feature of determination of mapping between the one or more jets 104A-104D and/or the one or more drains 106A-106D for the temperature control operation. The mapping refers to different combinations of opening and closing the one or more jets 104A-104D and/or the one or more drains 106A-106D. Such mapping may be based on the selection of an area of the swimming pool or spa 102 by the user 130 on the digital map 200 of the swimming pool or spa 102. For example, for heating an area of the swimming pool or spa 102 between the third jet 104C and the fourth drain 106D, the controller 116 may automatically map the third jet 104C with the fourth drain 106D to adjust the heating of that selected area of the swimming pool or spa 102.
Furthermore, calibration of respective angles of the one or more jets 104A-104D and/or the one or more drains 106A-106D may also be performed based on the selection of an area of the swimming pool or spa 102 by the user 130 on the digital map 508 of the swimming pool or spa 102. The one or more jets 104A-104D and/or the one or more drains 106A-106D may be positioned at their respective angles which may be changed for supplying and draining water at a particular region of the swimming pool or spa 102 that corresponds to the area of the swimming pool or spa 102 selected by the user 130 on the digital map 508.
Systems, apparatus, and techniques of the present disclosure may provide for: a) automatic control of selective components of a swimming pool or spa based on a selection of an area in a digital map of the swimming pool or spa, b) automatic performance of an operation (such as temperature control, light control, etc.) related to the swimming pool or spa based on the selective control of the components of the swimming pool or spa, c) performance of localized operations (such as temperature control, light control, etc.) in the selected area of swimming pool or spa, d) energy savings due to selectively operating the components of the swimming pool or spa instead of operating all of the components at the same time, e) cost saving due to selective operation of the components, including selective use of chemicals that may have to be supplied, f) improved user experience due to more operability of the features of the swimming pool or spa to the user's preferences, and g) improved user experience due to a more seamless approach regarding the operations and the areas of the swimming pool or spa at the user interface.
Information and signals described herein may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the description may be represented by electromagnetic waves, voltages, currents, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.
The various illustrative blocks and components described in connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, a CPU, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor but, in the alternative, the processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration). Any functions or operations described herein as being capable of being performed by a processor may be performed by multiple processors that, individually or collectively, are capable of performing the described functions or operations.
The functions described herein may be implemented using hardware, software executed by one or more processors, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented using software executed by one or more processors, the functions may be stored as or transmitted using one or more instructions or code of a computer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of the disclosure and appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, functions described herein may be implemented using software executed by one or more processors, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or combinations of any of these. Features implementing functions may also be physically located at various positions, including being distributed such that portions of functions are implemented at different physical locations.
Computer-readable media includes both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one location to another. A non-transitory storage medium may be any available medium that may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that may be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and that may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Also, any connection may be properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of computer-readable medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, include CD, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray disc. Disks may reproduce data magnetically, and discs may reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media. Any functions or operations described herein as being capable of being performed by a memory may be performed by multiple memories that, individually or collectively, are capable of performing the described functions or operations.
As used herein, including in the claims, “or” as used in a list of items (for example, a list of items prefaced by a phrase such as “at least one of” or “one or more of”) indicates an inclusive list such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Also, as used herein, the phrase “based on” shall not be construed as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, an example step that is described as “based on condition A” may be based on both a condition A and a condition B. For example, as used herein, the phrase “based on” shall be construed in the same manner as the phrase “based at least in part on.”
As used herein, including in the claims, the article “a” before a noun is open-ended and understood to refer to “at least one” of those nouns or “one or more” of those nouns. Thus, the terms “a,” “at least one,” “one or more,” and “at least one of one or more” may be interchangeable. For example, if a claim recites “a component” that performs one or more functions, each of the individual functions may be performed by a single component or by any combination of multiple components. Thus, the term “a component” having characteristics or performing functions may refer to “at least one of one or more components” having a particular characteristic or performing a particular function. Subsequent reference to a component introduced with the article “a” using the terms “the” or “said” may refer to any or all of the one or more components. For example, a component introduced with the article “a” may be understood to mean “one or more components,” and referring to “the component” subsequently in the claims may be understood to be equivalent to referring to “at least one of the one or more components.” Similarly, subsequent reference to a component introduced as “one or more components” using the terms “the” may refer to any or all of the one or more components. For example, referring to “the one or more components” subsequently in the claims may be understood to be equivalent to referring to “at least one of the one or more components.”
The term “determine” or “determining” encompasses a variety of actions and, therefore, “determining” can include calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (such as via looking up in a table, a database, or another data structure), identifying, ascertaining, and the like. Also, “determining” can include receiving (for example, receiving information), accessing (for example, accessing data stored in memory), retrieving, and the like. Also, “determining” can include resolving, obtaining, selecting, choosing, establishing, and other such similar actions.
In the appended figures, similar components or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If just the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label or other subsequent reference label.
The description set forth herein, in connection with the appended drawings, describes example configurations and does not represent all the examples that may be implemented or that are within the scope of the claims. The term “example” used herein means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration” and not “preferred” or “advantageous over other examples.” The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing an understanding of the described techniques. These techniques, however, may be practiced without these specific details. In some figures, known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.
In other instances, other configurations of the systems and methods described herein are possible. For example, those of skill in the art will recognize, according to the principles and concepts disclosed herein, that various combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions of the components discussed above can provide appropriate control for a variety of different configurations of robotic platforms for a variety of applications.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the disclosure has been described above in connection with particular embodiments and examples, the disclosure is not necessarily so limited, and that numerous other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications and departures from the embodiments, examples, and uses are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. The entire disclosure of each patent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as if each such patent or publication were individually incorporated by reference herein. Various features and advantages of the disclosure are set forth in the following claims.
This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/613,887, filed on Dec. 22, 2023, entitled “SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR PERFORMING AN OPERATION RELATED TO A SWIMMING POOL/SPA,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63613887 | Dec 2023 | US |
