Removable time adjusting device, system, and method for adjusting an electronic plumbing controller

• US 10,082,805 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sdb Ip Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sdb Ip Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Allard, III, Rock R., Anderson, Blaine, Cannon, Jr., Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Everett, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US14/309,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/07 Arrangement of devices, e.g. filters, flow controls, measuring devices, siphons or valves, in the pipe systems
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/071 Arrangement of safety devices in domestic pipe systems, e.g. devices for automatic shut-off
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2605 Wastewater treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0617 specially adapted for fluid materials

Abstract

A system, device, and method for adjusting temporal settings of an electronic plumbing controller are provided. A removable time adjustment device includes at least one input device, at least one interface configured to communicate with the electronic plumbing controller, and at least one controller configured to set or adjust, on the electronic plumbing controller through the at least one interface, at least one temporal setting for the at least one plumbing fixture based at least partially on user input from the at least one input device.

Claims

1. A removable time adjusting device for adjusting at least one temporal setting on an electronic plumbing controller associated with at least one plumbing fixture, comprising:

a housing;

at least one input device arranged on the housing and configured to;

(i) select a fixture type of the at least one plumbing fixture from a plurality of fixture types, and (ii) select a port on the electronic plumbing controller from multiple ports on the electronic plumbing controller;

at least one interface arranged on the housing and configured to communicate and removably interface with the electronic plumbing controller, the at least one interface comprising a physical connection arrangement configured to physically connect to and disconnect from an interface or input device on the electronic plumbing controller; and

at least one controller supported by or contained within the housing and in communication with the at least one input device and the at least one interface, the at least one controller configured to;

(i) determine a selected fixture type or selected port based on user input received through the at least one input device;

(2) set or adjust, on the electronic plumbing controller through the at least one interface, at least one temporal setting for the at least one plumbing fixture based at least partially on user input from the at least one input device, the at least one temporal setting having a range of values within which the electronic plumbing controller can be set or adjusted, the range of values based on at least one of the selected fixture type and the selected port.

2. The removable time adjusting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one temporal setting comprises at least one of a run-time and a lockout-time.

3. The removable time adjusting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device comprises at least one of the following:

a button, a potentiometer, a touchscreen, a dial, a switch, or any combination thereof.

4. The removable time adjusting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one temporal setting comprises a run-time and a lockout-time, the removable time adjusting device further comprising a selection device configured to toggle between a setting to adjust the run-time of the at least one plumbing fixture and a setting to adjust the lockout-time of the at least one plumbing fixture.

5. The removable time adjusting device of claim 1, further comprising at least one display device in communication with the at least one controller, the at least one controller configured to display, on or with the at least one display device, at least one of the following:

a current run-time, a current lockout-time, a selected run-time, a selected lockout-time, setting information, a prompt, or any combination thereof.

6. The removable time adjusting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one temporal setting comprises at least one of a run-time and a lockout-time, and wherein the at least one controller is further configured to:

display, on at least one display device and in response to a first input, at least one of a current run-time and a current lockout-time;

display, on the at least one display device and in response to a second input, at least one of a new run-time and a new lockout-time; and

receive a third input comprising a selection or adjustment of the at least one of a new run-time and a new lockout-time.

7. The removable time adjusting device of claim 6, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to adjust at least one of the run-time and the lockout-time of the electronic plumbing controller based on the at least one of a new run-time and a new lockout-time.

8. A removable time adjustment system for adjusting or modifying at least one time-based setting for at least one plumbing fixture, comprising:

at least one plumbing control unit comprising at least one port and at least one microprocessor, the at least one port associated with at least one plumbing fixture, wherein the at least one microprocessor is configured to control the at least one time-based setting of the at least one plumbing fixture; and

a removable time adjusting device comprising a physical connection arrangement adapted to removably interface with the at least one plumbing control unit such that the removable time adjusting device can be connected to and disconnected from the at least one plumbing control unit, the removable time adjusting device configured to adjust or set the at least one time-based setting on the at least one plumbing control unit, the removable time adjusting device comprising at least one input device configured to select a port on an electronic plumbing controller from multiple ports on the electronic plumbing controller, the at least one time-based setting having a range of values within which the at least one plumbing controller can be set or adjusted, the range of values based on the port selected with the at least one input device.

9. The removable time adjustment system of claim 8, wherein the at least one time-based setting comprises at least one of a run-time and a lockout-time for the at least one plumbing fixture.

10. The removable time adjustment system of claim 9, wherein the lockout-time comprises a time period during which the at least one microprocessor is configured to prevent usage of the at least one plumbing fixture.

11. The removable time adjustment system of claim 10, wherein the at least one microprocessor is configured to prevent usage of the at least one plumbing fixture during the time period based at least partially on at least one of the following:

a number of uses in a predetermined time period, a number of attempted uses in a predetermined time period, a request to prevent usage of the at least one plumbing fixture, or any combination thereof.

12. The removable time adjustment system of claim 8, wherein the removable time adjusting device comprises a housing at least partially including or supporting at least one input device and at least one interface.

13. The removable time adjustment system of claim 12, wherein the at least one input device is configured to adjust or set the at least one time-based setting.

14. The removable time adjustment system of claim 12, wherein the at least one input device comprises at least one of the following:

a button, a potentiometer, a touchscreen, a dial, or any combination thereof.

15. The removable time adjustment system of claim 8, wherein the removable time adjusting device comprises at least one display device configured to display at least one of the following:

a current run-time, a current lockout-time, a selected run-time, a selected lockout-time, settings information, or any combination thereof.

16. The removable time adjustment system of claim 8, wherein the removable time adjusting device comprises at least one input device configured to enable selection of at least one of the following:

a single port of the at least one plumbing control unit, multiple ports of the at least one plumbing control unit, a plurality of ports corresponding to a type of fixture, all ports of the at least one plumbing control unit, or any combination thereof.

17. The removable time adjustment system of claim 8, wherein the removable time adjusting device comprises at least one microprocessor configured to:

display, on at least one display device, at least one of a current run-time and a current lockout-time;

display, on the at least one display device and in response to user input, at least one of a new run-time and a new lockout-time; and

adjust or set the at least one of a new run-time and a new lockout-time based at least partially on user input.

18. A method for adjusting a time-based setting of at least one plumbing fixture controlled by at least one plumbing control unit, the method performed with a removable time adjustment device comprising at least one controller, the method comprising:

receiving, from the at least one plumbing control unit, at least one of a run-time and a lockout-time for the at least one plumbing fixture;

displaying, on or with at least one display device, the at least one of a run-time and a lockout-time;

receiving user input comprising;

(i) at least one of a new run-time and a new lockout-time, (ii) a selection of a fixture type of a plurality of fixture types, and (iii) a selection of a specific port of the at least one plumbing control unit from multiple ports of the plumbing control unit, wherein the at least one of the new run-time and the new lockout-time is selected from a range of values based on at least one of the selection of the fixture type and the selection of the specific port; and

adjusting at least one of the run-time and the lockout-time of the at least one plumbing control unit based at least partially on the at least one of a new run-time and a new lockout-time.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the removable time adjustment device comprises the at least one display device and at least one input device, wherein the user input is received from the at least one input device.

20. A method for adjusting a time-based setting of a plumbing control unit, the plumbing control unit in communication with a plumbing fixture, the method comprising:

providing a removable time adjusting device configured to removably interface with the plumbing control unit using a physical connection arrangement, such that the removable time adjusting device can be connected to and disconnected from the plumbing control unit, the removable time adjusting device comprising at least one input device configured to enable selection of at least one of the following;

a single port of the at least one plumbing control unit, multiple ports of the at least one plumbing control unit, a plurality of ports corresponding to a type of fixture, all ports of the at least one plumbing control unit, a fixture type of a plurality of fixture types, or any combination thereof;

establishing communication between the removable time adjusting device and the plumbing control unit; and

adjusting, on the plumbing control unit with the removable time adjusting device, at least one of a run-time and a lockout-time for the plumbing fixture, wherein the at least one of the new run-time and the new lockout-time is selected from a range of values based on the selection made with the at least one input device.