METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MODIFYING A DEVICE FOR CLEANING A SUBMERGED SURFACE

• US 20150286194A1
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zodiac Pool Care Europe
• Original Assignee: Zodiac Pool Care Europe
• Inventors: Michelon, Thierry
• Granted Patent: US 9,791,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and device for modifying a device for cleaning a submerged surface, the device including a cleaning appliance, a control unit suitable control signals to the appliance, characterised in that a modification device is inserted onto the link between the control unit and the appliance, which modification device includes an antenna for receiving wireless request signals and a signal-processing unit for transmitting signals from the control unit to the appliance and, upon receipt of wireless request signals in the receiving antenna, for ignoring signals from the control unit, and producing and transmitting priority control signals to the cleaning appliance.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a device for cleaning a submerged surface in which a cleaning device is chosen comprising:

a cleaning appliance for a submerged surface comprising at least one electronic unit,

a control module;

linked directly or indirectly by a link with the electronic unit of the appliance,

adapted to be able to generate and send control signals to the electronic unit of the appliance via said link,

wherein a device, called modifying device, is chosen and inserted, on the link between the control module and the appliance, comprising;

an antenna adapted to be able to at least receive signals, called request signals, wirelessly,

a signal processing unit electrically linked to the antenna, and adapted to be able to;

transmit control signals received from the control module to the appliance via said link,

on reception of wireless request signals by the antenna;

not transmit at least some of the control signals received from the control module,

generate signals, called priority signals, to control the appliance,

transmit said priority signals to the appliance via said link.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the electronic unit embedded on board the appliance,

the control module is linked only by a wired link with the electronic unit of the appliance.

12. A device for cleaning a submerged surface comprising at least:

a submerged surface cleaning appliance comprising at least one embedded electronic unit,

a control module;

adapted to be able to be linked only by a wired link with the embedded electronic unit of the appliance,

adapted to be able to generate and send control signals to the embedded electronic unit of the appliance via said wired link,

a modifying device as claimed in claim 2.

3. A device for modifying a device for cleaning a submerged surface comprising a self-propelled submerged surface cleaning appliance and at least one control module for said appliance linked directly or indirectly to said appliance by a link, said modifying device being adapted to be able to be inserted on said link and comprising:

an antenna adapted to be able to at least receive signals, called request signals, wirelessly,

a signal processing unit electrically linked to the antenna, and adapted to be able to;

transmit control signals received from the control module to the appliance via said link,

on reception of wireless request signals by the antenna;

not transmit at least some of the control signals received from the control module,

generate signals, called priority signals, to control the appliance,

transmit said priority signals to the appliance via said link.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control module of said appliance is linked to said appliance only by a wired link.

5. The device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a first electrical connector, called upstream connector, adapted to be able to be electrically connected with a control module,

a second electrical connector, called downstream connector, adapted to be able to be electrically connected with a self-propelled submerged surface cleaning appliance.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising at least one input/output interface arranged between the signal processing unit and the upstream and downstream connectors.

7. The device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising at least one memory containing logic data, called reprogramming data, representative of instructions for reprogramming a control module.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the signal processing unit is adapted to, upon connection of a control module to the upstream connector, transmit said reprogramming data to said control module via the upstream connector.

9. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the antenna is adapted to be able to transmit wireless signals,

the signal processing unit is adapted to be able to;

a receive, from the appliance, signals containing data, called status data, relating to said appliance or to its environment,

generate signals, called status signals, from said status data,

wirelessly transmit status signals via the antenna.

10. The device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a remote control unit, adapted to be able to send wireless request signals.

11. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the signal processing unit and the antenna are adapted to transmit and receive wireless signals in a radio frequency domain and according to a protocol conforming to a Wi-Fi standard.

13. A method for wirelessly controlling a swimming pool cleaning appliance using a modifying device, comprising:

a) the wireless transmission of request signals to the modifying device, the request signals relating to the control of the swimming pool cleaning appliance, and

b) the wireless transmission of status signals by the modifying device, the status signals relating to the swimming pool cleaning appliance or to its environment in a swimming pool.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the transmission of control signals from a control module to the modifying device.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the processing of request signals received wirelessly by the modifying device and the generation of priority signals or transmission to the swimming pool cleaning appliance.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising the non-transmission of the control signals to the swimming pool cleaning appliance when priority signals are transmitted to the swimming pool cleaning appliance.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the transmission of status signals from the swimming pool cleaning appliance to the modifying device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the use of a remote control unit to transmit the request signals to the modifying device.

19. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the use of a remote control unit to transmit the request signals to the modifying device according to a protocol conforming to a standard of the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®

, or Zigbee®

type.