Machine for anticipatory sensing and intervention to avoid swimmer entrapment

• US 20050193485A1
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Michael Lawrence Wolfe
• Original Assignee: Michael Lawrence Wolfe
• Inventors: Wolfe, Michael Lawrence
• Application Number:
  US11/069,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20050193485A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 4/504
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/082 by monitoring electrical characteristics of the water

Abstract

A machine for anticipatory sensing and intervention to avoid swimmer entrapment, with an active pre-entrapment sensor (e.g. ultrasonic) that assesses the relative hazard based on swimmer proximity to the drain cover. An Ultrasonic Transducer launches waves into the suction piping and/or drain system, and to receive echoes from the drain cover, swimmer limbs, hair or body, and the water surface parellel to the drain cover. A Transmitter/Pulser electrically energizes the ultrasonic transducer to launch waves into the suction piping and/or drain system, A Receiver/Processor detects the echoes electrical signals from the the ultrasonic transducer and to receive echoes from objects of interest beyond the pool drain. A Logic and Control element converts the detected signals into reliable information regarding a swimmer safety/hazard status. An Output provides a pump shutdown command when required. Solutions for both new construction and retrofit are described.

Claims

1. A machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in new pool construction, using the suction piping as a waveguide, for use with a swimming pool and/or spa or whirlpool hydraulic system, wherein said hydraulic system includes at least one pool pump having inlet and outlet lines, a pool drain line, at least one pool main drain, and a pump control contactor and/or SVRS, said ASI comprising:

An active suction entrapment sensor (e.g. ultrasonic) that can assess the relative hazard based on swimmer proximity to the drain cover;

An Ultrasonic Transducer, one or more, to launch waves into the suction piping and/or drain system, and to receive echoes from the drain cover;

swimmer limbs, hair or body; and

the pool or water surface parallel to the drain cover;

the mounting should be coaxial with the pipe to maintain axi-symmetry for the best ultrasonic wave performance;

A Transmitter/Pulser to electrically energize said ultrasonic transducer to launch waves into the suction piping and drain system;

A Receiver/Processor to detect the echoes electrical signals from the said ultrasonic transducer, and to receive echoes from objects of interest beyond the pool drain, including but not limited to, the drain cover, a swimmer'"'"'s body or limb, or long hair in close proximity to the drain and/or cover, and the pool or water surface parallel to the drain cover;

A Logic and Control element to convert the detected signals into reliable information regarding a swimmer safety/hazard status;

An Output to provide a pump shutdown command if a close approach by a swimmer near a drain is measured;

A housing for the Transmitter and Receiver, Logic and Control that can be located in the pool equipment area;

A transducer mounting and cable adjacent to the pump inlet suction piping; and

Other suction side piping and fittings that optimize performance, such as sweep elbows, will be used instead of the standard Schedule 40, 90 degree elbows, for the waveguide mode.

Alarms, both local and remote, are important to alert operating personnel to a hazardous condition, visible and audible types are used;

Self calibration and self test are both available because the normal pool water level remains within a fairly narrow renge such that the surface echo range from the transducer, or drain cover, is accurately known, the presence of the water surface echo is important to assure the system normal operation;

Water velocity is available from doppler or time-of-flight measures for the waveguide installations; and

A pool alarm to respond to a person falling into the water is also inherent in the design because the transducers can act in a passive mode as well.

2. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in new pool construction, using the suction piping as a waveguide, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transducers for waveguide feed are replaceable, and can be housed in a manner to allow for normal immersion or dry operation by means of bonding behind a thin plastic window in contact with the suction waterflow.

3. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in new pool construction, using the suction piping as a waveguide, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a means of venting air from the transducer housing is provided.

4. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in new pool construction, using the suction piping as a waveguide, as claimed in claim 1, wherein Ultrasonic transducers may be piezoelectric, ferromagnetic, electromagnetic, plastic film, crystal, ceramic or others.

5. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in new pool construction, using the suction piping as a waveguide, as claimed in claim 1, wherein CW, Spread Spectrum, FM, Tone Burst, Square Wave, Impulse and other forms of transducer excitation can be considered.

6. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in new pool construction, using the suction piping as a waveguide, as claimed in claim 1, wherein means for improving the S/N ratio and detectability can include passband filtering, matched filtering, correlation, integration, FFT, phase locking, and others;

both analog and digital.

7. A machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in new pool construction, using the drains to house the sensor transducer, for use with a swimming pool and/or spa or whirlpool hydraulic system, wherein said hydraulic system includes at least one pool pump having inlet and outlet lines, a pool drain line, at least one pool main drain, and a pump control contactor and/or SVRS, said ASI comprising:

An active suction entrapment sensor (e.g. ultrasonic) that can assess the relative hazard based on swimmer proximity to the drain cover;

An Ultrasonic transducer, one or more, to launch waves into the drain, and to receive echoes from the drain cover, swimmer limbs, hair or body, and the pool or water surface parallel to the drain cover;

A Transmitter/Pulser to electrically energize said ultrasonic transducer to launch waves into the drain and cover;

A Receiver/Processor to detect the echoes electrical signals from the said ultrasonic transducer, and to receive echoes from objects of interest beyond the pool drain, including but not limited to, the drain cover, a swimmer'"'"'s body or limb, or long hair in close proximity to the drain and/or cover, and the pool or water surface parallel to the drain cover;

A Logic and Control element to convert the detected signals into reliable information regarding a swimmer safety/hazard status;

An Output to provide a pump shutdown command if a close approach by a swimmer near a drain is measured;

A housing for the Transmitter and Receiver, Logic and Control that can be located in the pool equipment area;

A transducer mounting and cable, or in or under at least one main drain;

A main drain that has been modified with a removeable mounting provision for the transducer/cable assembly;

A conduit from the pool equipment pad to house and allow replacement of the transducer and cable assembly;

Alarms, both local and remote, are important to alert operating personnel to a hazardous condition, visible and audible types are used;

Self calibration and self test are both available because the normal pool water level remains within a fairly narrow renge such that the surface echo range from the transducer, or drain cover, is accurately known, the presence of the water surface echo is important to assure the system normal operation;

Water velocity is available from doppler or time-of-flight measures for the waveguide installations; and

A pool alarm to respond to a person falling into the water is also inherent in the design because the transducers can act in a passive mode as well.

8. A machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in new pool construction, using the drains to house the sensor transducer, as claimed in claim 7 the transducers are replaceable, and can be housed in a manner to allow for normal immersion or dry operation by means of bonding behind a thin plastic window in contact with the suction waterflow.

9. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in new pool construction, using the drains as claimed in claim 7, wherein a hydrophone can be integrated into the transducer housing for the purpose of improving swimmer detection, is provided.

10. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in new pool construction, using the drains, as claimed in claim 7 wherein Ultrasonic transducers may be piezoelectric, ferromagnetic, electromagnetic, plastic film, crystal, ceramic or others.

11. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in new pool construction, using the drains, as claimed in claim 7, wherein CW, Spread Spectrum, FM, Tone Burst, Square Wave, Impulse and other forms of transducer excitation can be considered.

12. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in new pool construction, using the drains, as claimed in claim 7, wherein means for improving the SIN ratio and detectability can include passband filtering, matched filtering, correlation, integration, FFT, phase locking, and others;

both analog and digital.

13. A machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment, for retrofit pool installation using the suction piping as a waveguide, for use with a swimming pool and/or spa or whirlpool hydraulic system, wherein said hydraulic system includes at least one pool pump having inlet and outlet lines, a pool drain line, at least one pool main drain, and a pump control contactor and/or SVRS, said ASI comprising:

An active suction entrapment sensor (e.g. ultrasonic) that can assess the relative hazard based on swimmer proximity to the drain cover;

An Ultrasonic Transducer, one or more, to launch waves into the suction piping and/or drain system, and to receive echoes from the drain cover;

swimmer limbs, hair or body; and

the pool or water surface parallel to the drain cover;

the mounting shold be coaxial with the pipe to maintain axi-symmetry for the best ultrasonic wave performance;

A Transmitter/Pulser to electrically energize said ultrasonic transducer to launch waves into the suction piping and drain system;

A Receiver/Processor to detect the echoes electrical signals from the said ultrasonic transducer, and to receive echoes from objects of interest beyond the pool drain, including but not limited to, the drain cover, a swimmer'"'"'s body or limb, or long hair in close proximity to the drain and/or cover, and the pool or water surface parallel to the drain cover;

A Logic and Control element to convert the detected signals into reliable information regarding a swimmer safety/hazard status;

An Output to provide a pump shutdown command if a close approach by a swimmer near a drain is measured;

A housing for the Transmitter and Receiver, Logic and Control that can be located in the pool equipment area;

A transducer mounting and cable adjacent to the pump inlet suction piping;

Alarms, both local and remote, are important to alert operating personnel to a hazardous condition, visible and audible types are used;

Self calibration and self test are both available because the normal pool water level remains within a fairly narrow renge such that the surface echo range from the transducer, or drain cover, is accurately known, the presence of the water surface echo is important to assure the system normal operation;

Water velocity is available from doppler or time-of-flight measures for the waveguide installations; and

A pool alarm to respond to a person falling into the water is also inherent in the design because the transducers can act in a passive mode as well.

14. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in retrofit installations, using the suction piping as a waveguide, as claimed in claim 13, wherein the transducers for waveguide feed are replaceable, and can be housed in a manner to allow for normal immersion or dry operation by means of bonding behind a thin plastic window in contact with the suction waterflow.

15. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in retrofit installations, using the suction piping as a waveguide, as claimed in claim 13, wherein a means of venting air from the transducer housing is provided.

16. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in retrofit installations, using the suction piping as a waveguide, as claimed in claim 13 wherein Ultrasonic transducers may be piezoelectric, ferromagnetic, electromagnetic, plastic film, crystal, ceramic or others.

17. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in retrofit installations, using the suction piping as a waveguide, as claimed in claim 13, wherein CW, Spread Spectrum, FM, Tone Burst, Square Wave, Impulse and other forms of transducer excitation can be considered.

18. The machine for Anticipatory Sensing and Intervention (ASI) to avoid swimmer entrapment in retrofit installations using the suction piping as a waveguide, as claimed in claim 13, wherein means for improving the SIN ratio and detectability can include passband filtering, matched filtering, correlation, integration, FFT, phase locking, and others;

both analog and digital.