METHOD FOR MODIFYING AN ONBOARD CONTROL SYSTEM OF A POOL CLEANER, AND POWER SOURCE FOR A POOL CLEANER

• US 20170293490A1
• Filed: 04/11/2016
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aqua Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aqua Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Hanan, Ethan, Durvasula, Kamesh, Correa, William Londono
• Application Number:
  US15/095,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20170293490A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/1654 Self-propelled cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

An onboard control system of an electrically powered pool cleaner (3) is disclosed. The disclosed system is configured to operate the pool cleaner in accordance with a setup (A, B, C) of the onboard control system (350). The pool cleaner is configured for receiving electrical power via a cable (2) connecting the pool cleaner (3) to a power source (1). A method for modifying the setup of the control system is also disclosed and comprises: providing setup data (B) to the power source (1), and modifying the setup of the onboard control system from the power source (1) via the cable (2), based on the setup data (B).

Claims

1. A method for modifying a setup of an onboard control system of an electrically powered automatic pool cleaner, the onboard control system configured to operate the pool cleaner in accordance with the setup of the onboard control system, the pool cleaner receiving electrical power via a cable connecting the pool cleaner to a power source, wherein the method comprises:

providing setup data to the power source;

transmitting the setup data from the power source to the onboard control system via the cable; and

modifying the setup of the onboard control system based on the transmitted setup data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, after receiving the setup data, the power source selectively:

triggers modification of the setup of the onboard control system of the pool cleaner when the pool cleaner is available for receiving the setup data via the cable;

or

stores the setup data in a memory of the power source when the pool cleaner is not available for receiving the setup data via the cable, and subsequently, when the pool cleaner becomes available for receiving the corresponding data via the cable, triggers modification of the setup data of the onboard control system of the pool cleaner based on the stored setup data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the setup data are stored in a memory of the power source, and wherein modifying the setup of the onboard control system is carried out in response to a trigger action carried out by a user.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing setup data to the power source comprises selecting operating parameters using an interface program running on a terminal external to the power source.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the power source includes a wireless communication module, and wherein providing setup data to the power source comprises providing the setup data to the power source over a wireless link, via the wireless communication module.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing setup data to the power source comprises providing the setup data to the power source over a wired link.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising storing at least two alternative sets of setup data in a memory of the power source, selecting one of the stored sets of setup data, and modifying the setup of the onboard control system on the basis of the selected set of stored setup data.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the setup data are stored in a memory of the power source.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the onboard control system is arranged to operate the pool cleaner based on data obtained from a plurality of onboard sensors of the pool cleaner, whereby the setup of the onboard control system determines at least in part the operation of the pool cleaner in response to the data obtained from the plurality of onboard sensors.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the onboard control system operates the pool cleaner in accordance with commands stored in the onboard control system, whereby modifying the setup of the onboard control system comprises modifying one or more of the commands.

11. A power source for a pool cleaner, comprising

a power supply for supplying electrical power to a pool cleaner via a cable, wherein the power source further comprises:

a memory for storing setup data for an onboard control system of the pool cleaner,

a receiver which receives the setup data from an external device, and

a communication module which communicates with and is operably coupled to the onboard control system of the pool cleaner via the cable;

wherein the power source is configured to trigger modification of a setup of the onboard control system, the modification being based upon the stored setup data.

12. The power source according to claim 11, wherein upon storage of the setup data for the onboard control system of the pool cleaner in the memory, the power source subsequently triggers modification of the setup of the onboard control system of the pool cleaner, based on the stored setup data.

13. The power source according to claim 12, wherein the triggering of the modification of the setup of the onboard control system based on the stored setup data occurs when the pool cleaner becomes available for receiving data via the cable.

14. The power source according to claim 12, wherein the triggering of the modification of the setup of the onboard control system based on the stored setup data occurs upon a trigger action carried out by a user.

15. The power source according to claim 11, wherein the triggering modification of the setup of the onboard control system based on the stored setup data occurs upon a trigger action carried out by a user.

16. A system comprising:

a power source; and

a pool cleaner with an onboard control system, the onboard control system of the pool cleaner being configured for modification by receiving signals over a cable interconnecting the power source and the pool cleaner, wherein the power source comprises;

power supply means for supplying electrical power to a pool cleaner via the cable;

a memory for storing setup data for the onboard control system of the pool cleaner;

a receiver which receives the setup data from an external device; and

a communication module which communicates with and is operably coupled to the onboard control system of the pool cleaner via the cable;

wherein the power source is configured to trigger modification of a setup of the onboard control system on the basis of the stored setup data.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein upon storage of the setup data for the onboard control system of the pool cleaner in the memory, the power source subsequently triggers modification of the setup of the onboard control system of the pool cleaner, based on the stored setup data.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the triggering of the modification of the setup of the onboard control system based on the stored setup data occurs when the pool cleaner becomes available for receiving data via the cable.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the triggering of the modification of the setup of the onboard control system based on the stored setup data occurs upon a trigger action carried out by a user.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein the triggering of the modification of the setup of the onboard control system based on the stored setup data occurs upon a trigger action carried out by a user.