RADIO CONTROLLED SHOWER HEAD
First Claim
1. A system for controlling flow of water through a shower head comprising:
- a shower mat having an embedded transmitter, an embedded energy-harvesting electrical power supply, and an embedded switch, said switch sending a power pulse provided by said electrical power supply to said transmitter when said switch is activated by pressure of a bather'"'"'s foot, said transmitter transmitting a control signal in response to each received power pulse;
a low-voltage DC power source;
a receiver, powered by said DC power source, said receiver and said transmitter operating on a common frequency, and said receiver having control logic which alternately activates and deactivates a driver transistor of a solenoid control circuit in response to a receipt of control signals from said transmitter; and
a solenoid-controlled valve in line with water flow to the shower head, said valve having a control solenoid with an input that is coupled to said low-voltage DC power source through said driver transistor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for controlling water flow through a shower head includes a shower mat made of resilient material having a transmitter, an electrical power supply, and a switch embedded and hermetically sealed therein. The switch, when activated by a bather, sends a power pulse provided by the power supply to the transmitter, which transmits a control signal in response to each received power pulse. Separate from the shower mat, the system also includes a low-voltage DC power source, a receiver powered by the power source, and control logic which alternately activates and deactivates a driver transistor of a solenoid control circuit in response to the receipt of control signals received by the receiver from the transmitter. A solenoid-controlled valve in line with water flow to the shower head has a control solenoid with an input that is coupled to the low-voltage power source through the driver transistor.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for controlling flow of water through a shower head comprising:
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a shower mat having an embedded transmitter, an embedded energy-harvesting electrical power supply, and an embedded switch, said switch sending a power pulse provided by said electrical power supply to said transmitter when said switch is activated by pressure of a bather'"'"'s foot, said transmitter transmitting a control signal in response to each received power pulse; a low-voltage DC power source; a receiver, powered by said DC power source, said receiver and said transmitter operating on a common frequency, and said receiver having control logic which alternately activates and deactivates a driver transistor of a solenoid control circuit in response to a receipt of control signals from said transmitter; and a solenoid-controlled valve in line with water flow to the shower head, said valve having a control solenoid with an input that is coupled to said low-voltage DC power source through said driver transistor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for controlling flow of water through a shower head comprising:
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a shower mat made of resilient material having a transmitter, an electrical power supply, and a switch, said transmitter, said electrical power supply and said switch being embedded and hermetically sealed within said mat, and said switch sending a power pulse provided by said electrical power supply to the transmitter when said switch is activated by a bather, said transmitter transmitting a control signal in response to each received power pulse; a low-voltage DC power source; a receiver, powered by said DC power source, said receiver and said transmitter operating on a common frequency, and said receiver having control logic which alternately activates and deactivates a driver transistor of a solenoid control circuit in response to a receipt of control signals from said transmitter; and a solenoid-controlled valve in line with water flow to the shower head, said valve having a control solenoid with an input that is coupled to said low-voltage DC power source through said driver transistor. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for controlling flow of water through a shower head comprising:
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a shower mat made of resilient, polymeric, light-transmissible thermoplastic material having an transmitter, an energy-harvesting electrical power supply comprising at least one photocell and an associated charge storage device, and a switch, said transmitter, said electrical power supply and said switch being embedded and hermetically sealed within said mat, and said switch sending a power pulse provided by said charge storage device to the transmitter when said switch is activated by a bather, said transmitter transmitting a control signal in response to the received power pulse; a low-voltage DC power source; a receiver, powered by said DC power source, said receiver and said transmitter operating on a common frequency, and said receiver having control logic which alternately activates and deactivates a driver transistor of a solenoid control circuit in response to a receipt of control signals from said transmitter; and a solenoid-controlled valve in line with water flow to the shower head, said valve having a control solenoid with an input that is coupled to said low-voltage DC power source through said driver transistor. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification