MASSAGE BATHTUB AUTOMATIC CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20100168928A1
• Filed: 12/24/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dartpoint Tech. Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Dartpoint Tech. Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hsieh, Chung-hsin
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/282
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention discloses a massage bathtub automatic control system and method for controlling the same, which provides a control panel and a digital control unit, wherein the control panel is disposed with a visual-displaying unit, a master control device and an input device connected to the master control device. The visual-displaying unit displays multi-layer function menus where a user can use the input device to pick up one of function icons appearing. The picked up function icon corresponds operation of at least one of attaching devices or operations of combining the plural attaching devices connected to the bathtub, and simultaneously, the control panel sends a related control command to the digital control unit for performing such an operation on the corresponding attaching device. The operational result of the corresponding attaching device can be sent back to the control panel for data process. Therefore, this brings the user conveniences on rapid and simplified operation and watching the control performance in time.

Claims

1. A massage bathtub automatic control system for use in a massage bathtub with a plurality of attaching devices, comprising:

a control panel comprising a visual-displaying unit and a master control device connected to an input device wherein the master control device comprises a first interface bus, a microprocessor, and a memory providing the visual-displaying unit with an information, based on a control of the microprocessor, to show a function menu comprising a plurality of function icons, one of which has a set item corresponding to an operation of the attaching devices in single or combination, and the microprocessor transmits a control command to the first interface bus in response to the set item which is selected or/and set by the input device; and

a digital control unit comprising a microcontroller which controls the operation of the attaching devices in single or combination, based on the control command from the first interface bus, and accordingly returns an operational result of the corresponding attaching device to the control panel.

2. The massage bathtub automatic control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of attaching devices comprises a blower, a motor, at least one air valve, light units, at least one pump, a heater, at least one sensor, a timing device, and a spa device.

3. The massage bathtub automatic control system of claim 2 further comprising a pump management subsystem, a blower management subsystem, an air valve management subsystem, a light unit management subsystem, a heater management subsystem, each for managing the corresponding attaching device and linking to a corresponding function icon of the function menu to be selected and/or to be set by the input device.

4. The massage bathtub automatic control system of claim 3, wherein the memory of the control panel further stores an operating system, a hardware drive unit, and a human-computer interface for utilizing the information to show the function menu on the visual-displaying unit and/or forming at least one setting status corresponding to one of the set items of a specific function icon which is selected or/and set by the input device, whereby the setting status of the selected set item is treated as a latest configuration value to be stored in the memory, and the control command corresponding to the setting status is generated by the hardware driving unit and the human-computer interface.

5. The massage bathtub automatic control system of claim 4, wherein the setting status of the selected set item is shown on the function menu.

6. The massage bathtub automatic control system of claim 4, wherein the setting status of the set item comprises a single setting or a combinational setting of a variable parameter value, a fixed parameter value, a variable ratio value and a fixed ratio value.

7. The massage bathtub automatic control system of claim 6, wherein the parameter value represents a lamp color, a speed, a brightness, a time, a temperature, an air flowing amount, or an on/off state.

8. The massage bathtub automatic control system of claim 4 further comprising a primary management subsystem linking to a set item used to combine the setting statuses of one of the other set items, so as to perform a combinational operation of a device cluster grouped by at least one part of the attaching devices.

9. The massage bathtub automatic control system of claim 4, wherein a primary management subsystem linking to a set item used for storing a setting status combination of the plurality of set items corresponding to a pump management subsystem, a blower management subsystem, an air valve management subsystem, a light unit management subsystem and a heater management subsystem, so that a combinational operation of a device cluster grouped by at least one part of the attaching devices is simultaneously performed.

10. The massage bathtub automatic control system of claim 1, wherein the control panel is a portable wireless remote controller having a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) and a built-in wireless transmission module, and the first interface bus is a wireless transmission interface.

11. The massage bathtub automatic control system of claim 2, wherein the digital control unit further comprises:

a plurality of control logics and/or driving elements for performing the operation of the attaching devices and returning the operational results of the attaching devices; and

a core unit disposed in the microprocessor and used to coordinate the control logics and/or driving elements to control the operation of the attaching devices of the massage bathtub depending on the control command transmitted from the control panel via the first interface bus, and returning the operational result of the attaching devices to the control panel.

12. The massage bathtub automatic control system of claim 11, wherein the digital control unit further comprises a second interface bus using an identical communication protocol as the first interface bus, and is utilized to transmit one of control information or operational results generated among the attaching devices and the control logics and/or driving elements.

13. The massage bathtub automatic control system of claim 11, wherein the digital control unit further comprises a second interface bus having a wireless transmission module for wirelessly transmitting one of control information or operational results generated among the attaching devices and the control logics and/or driving elements.

14. A method of automatically controlling a massage bathtub connecting a plurality of attaching devices, the method comprising:

providing a digital control unit and a control panel comprising a visual-displaying unit and a master control device connected to an input device;

turning on a power switch on the control panel to initialize the control panel;

showing a function menu on the visual-displaying unit, the function menu comprising a plurality of set items each corresponding to an operation of the attaching devices in single or combination;

selecting one of the set item by using the input device to generate a control command via the master control device; and

the digital control unit controlling an operation of one of the attaching devices based on the control command, and then returning the operational result of the attaching device to the control panel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of attaching devices comprises a blower, a motor, an air valve, a light unit, a pump, a heater, a sensor, a timing device, and a spa device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of selecting one of the set items by using the input device further comprises:

forming at least one setting status of a attaching device corresponding to the set item which is selected or/and set by the input device; and

treating the at least one setting status to be a latest configuration value for being stored in a memory.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

showing the operational result of the corresponding attaching device on the function menu by using the visual-displaying unit.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing a pump management subsystem, a blower management subsystem, an air valve management subsystem, a light unit management subsystem, a heater management subsystem, each for managing the corresponding attaching device and linking to a corresponding function icon of the function menu to be selected and/or to be set by the input device.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

providing a primary management subsystem linking to a set item for storing a setting status combination of the plurality of set items corresponding to a pump management subsystem, a blower management subsystem, an air valve management subsystem, a light unit management subsystem, and a heater management subsystem into the memory, so that a combinational operation of a device cluster grouped by at least one part of attaching devices is simultaneously performed.

20. A method of automatically controlling an automatic control system for use in a massage bathtub connecting a plurality of attaching devices, the method comprising:

providing a digital control unit configuring a plurality of timers to detect a plurality of control panel simultaneously, when the system operates under a normal mode;

when the digital control unit receives a control command from one of the control panels via a first interface bus, one of the timers starts to count from a starting value until a predetermined upper threshold of a time period;

if the digital control unit receives other following control commands from the same control panel during the process of counting, the timer returns to the starting value and restarts to count from the starting value;

if the digital control unit does not receive other following control commands from the same control panel during the process of counting, the timer continues counting to obtain a time value;

if the digital control unit determines that a program operation of the control panel fails due to the time value in excess of the predetermined upper threshold of the time period, the control panel enters an emergency power-off mode which comprises automatic shutdown of the attaching device, power-off the control panel and restarting the control panel; and

if the digital control unit determines the time value does not exceed the predetermined upper threshold of the time period, the timer continues counting.