CONTROLLER

• US 20120296447A1
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: DAO, QUANG VAN, DILLER, CHRIS D., HOLZMAN, LOUIS M., HOWES, RONALD B. Jr., SKAFF, STEPHEN X., BUCK, CHRISTOPHER A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,261,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/9
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/064 by time modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0018 having an electronic display
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/061 sealed by a gasket held between a removable cover and a body, e.g. O-ring, packing

Abstract

A controlling and monitoring control application associated with one or more work operations of one or more utility devices is disclosed. The controller is programmed for controlling one or more external work operations associated with one or more utility devices. An I/O board is connected in communication with the primary controller having a module with a plurality of device-specific control applications associated with one or more device-specific work operations. The housing of the controller includes one or more cable access points for plugging a cable into the controller. The cable access points are sealed to prevent water from entering into the housing. A mounting bracket assembly provides flexibility for mounting the controller at various orientations and/or positions. The controller also includes a DC control circuit for controlling backlight luminance over the entire dimming ratio.

Claims

1. A controller for hospitality or healthcare services configured for simultaneous operation of multiple associated utility devices, comprising:

a primary controller having a multitasking operating system and a plurality of native control applications for controlling one or more native work operations;

a plurality of external control applications loaded onto the primary controller for controlling at least one or more external work operations associated with a utility device for providing hospitality or healthcare services; and

one or more of the native and external control applications operated simultaneously to monitor and control the native and external work operations.

2. The controller of claim 1 wherein the external work operations are associated with a single:

a. hospitality device; and

/or

b. healthcare device.

3. The controller of claim 1 wherein the external work operations are associated with two or more different:

a. hospitality devices; and

/or

b. healthcare devices.

4. The controller of claim 1 further comprising a first set of hospitality or healthcare device controls for one external work operation and a second set of hospitality or healthcare device controls for another external work operation.

5. The controller of claim 1 further comprising two or more sets of hospitality or healthcare device controls for one or more external work operations controlled or monitored simultaneously by the primary controller.

6. The controller of claim 1 wherein said native and external work operations are monitored and controlled simultaneously.

7. The controller of claim 1 further comprising a user interface having a display with one or more graphical elements associated with the native and external work operations.

8. The controller of claim 1 further comprising one or more graphical elements on a display associated with the plurality of external control applications programmed onto the primary controller.

9. The controller of claim 1 further comprises a user interface having at least one sensory output associated with the plurality of native and external control applications.

10. The controller of claim 9 wherein the sensory output includes a visual and an audio output.

11. The controller of claim 9 wherein the user-perceived outputs include a language option to select a nationality appropriate language, selected from:

a. a primary language; and

b. one or more secondary languages.

12. The controller of claim 9 wherein the user-perceived outputs include a training option, tutorial option and/or assistance option for the one or more work operations of a hospitality or healthcare device.

13. The controller of claim 1 further comprising at least one I/O board connected in communication with the primary controller having a module with a plurality of device-specific control applications associated with one or more hospitality or healthcare device-specific work operations.

14. The controller of claim 13 further comprising a device-specific code loaded onto the primary controller for executing and monitoring the one or more hospitality or healthcare device-specific work operations.

15. The controller of claim 1 further comprising at least one hospitality or healthcare device-specific module connected to the primary controller to monitor and control the one or more external work operations.

16. The controller of claim 12 wherein the training, tutorial and assistance options include text, audio or video selected based on a sensitivity to at least:

a. a specific operation;

b. a specific application;

c. a specific product;

d. a specific utility device.

17. The controller of claim 1 further comprising a display connected electrically in operable communication with a DC control circuit for controlling back light dimming of the display.

18. The controller of claim 17 wherein the DC control circuit includes:

a) a DC output current adapted for powering a lamp associated with the display; and

b) a capacitance filter for filtering the output current to the lamp by pulse width modulation.

19. A controller for simultaneous operation of multiple hospitality devices, comprising:

a primary controller having a multitasking operating system and a plurality of native control applications for controlling one or more native work operations;

a plurality of external control applications loaded onto the primary controller for controlling at least one or more hospitality operations associated with a hospitality device; and

one or more of the native and external control applications operated simultaneously to monitor and control the native control applications and the hospitality operations associated with a hospitality device.

20. The controller of claim 19 wherein the hospitality device includes one of:

a. a ware washing dispensing device;

b. an on-premise laundry device;

c. a pool or spa device;

d. an on-site chemistry generation and dispensing device;

e. a water conditioning device.

21. The controller of claim 20 further comprising two or more sets of hospitality device controls for one or more hospitality device operations controlled or monitored simultaneously by the primary controller.

22. The controller of claim 19 further comprising at least one I/O board connected in communication with the primary controller having a module with a plurality of hospitality device-specific control applications associated with one or more hospitality device-specific work operations.

23. A controller having a DC control circuit for controlling backlight dimming of an LCD display comprising:

a DC output current adapted for powering a lamp;

a pulse width modulator adapted for modulating the output current; and

a capacitance filter adapted for filtering the output current.

24. The controller of claim 23 further comprising a luminance of the backlight proportional to the output current.

25. The controller of claim 24 further comprising a dimming ratio of at least 2000:

1.

26. The controller of claim 25 wherein the luminance is linear over the entire dimming ratio.

27. A method for controlling and monitoring simultaneous operation of multiple hospitality and healthcare devices, comprising:

providing a primary controller having a multitasking operating system and a plurality of native control applications for controlling one or more native work operations;

loading a plurality of external control applications onto the primary controller for controlling at least one or more external work operations associated with a hospitality or healthcare device; and

simultaneously operating one or more of the native and external control applications to monitor and control the native and external work operations.

28. The method of claim 27 comprising simultaneously monitoring and controlling the external work operations of two or more hospitality or healthcare devices.

29. The method of claim 27 comprising simultaneously monitoring and controlling two or more sets of hospitality or healthcare device controls for one or more external work operations.

30. The method of claim 27 comprising simultaneously monitoring and controlling said native and external work operations.

31. The method of claim 27 comprising displaying one or more graphical elements associated with the native and external work operations on a user interface.

32. The method of claim 31 comprising displaying one or more external control applications programmed onto the primary controller.

33. The method of claim 31 comprising displaying a nationality appropriate language, selected from a primary language and/or one or more secondary languages.

34. The method of claim 31 comprising displaying a training option, tutorial option and/or assistance option for the one or more work operations of a hospitality or healthcare device.

35. The method of claim 27 comprising connecting at least one I/O board to the primary controller having a module with a plurality of device-specific control applications associated with one or more hospitality or healthcare device-specific work operations.

36. The method of claim 35 comprising loading a device-specific code onto the primary controller for executing and monitoring the one or more hospitality or healthcare device-specific work operations.

37. The method of claim 27 comprising connecting at least one hospitality or healthcare device-specific module to the primary controller to monitor and control the one or more external work operations.

38. The method of claim 31 comprising connecting a display at the user interface in operable communication with a DC control circuit for controlling back light dimming of the display.

39. The method of claim 38 comprising powering a display lamp with a DC output current and filtering the output current through a capacitance filter by pulse width modulation.

40. The method of claim 27 comprising simultaneously monitoring and controlling one or more hospitality devices selected from:

a. a ware washing dispensing device;

b. an on-premise laundry device;

c. a pool or spa device;

d. an on-site chemistry generation and dispensing device;

e. a water conditioning device.

41. A controller for hospitality or healthcare services configured for operation of a utility device or multiple utility devices, comprising:

a primary controller for controlling or monitoring one or more native work operations;

at least one sensory output associated with the work operations;

the primary controller having one or more configurable parameters; and

wherein the sensory outputs include a training, tutorial or assistance option including text, audio or video selected based on a sensitivity to the configurable parameters of the controller.

42. A controller for simultaneous operation of multiple utility devices, comprising:

a primary controller having a multitasking operating system and a plurality of native control applications for controlling one or more native work operations;

a plurality of external control applications loaded onto the primary controller for controlling at least one or more external work operations associated with a service industry utility device; and

one or more of the native and external control applications operated simultaneously to monitor and control the native and external work operations performed by the service industry utility device.

43. The controller of claim 42 wherein the service industry utility device includes at least one of:

a. a ware washing dispensing device;

b. an on-premise laundry device;

c. a pool or spa device;

d. an on-site chemistry generation and dispensing device;

e. a water conditioning device.