Apparatus to provide a remote display of the operating condition of a water treatment system

• US 5,774,529 A
• Filed: 04/18/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ecowater Systems LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ecowater Systems LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Jeffrey A., Johannsen, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): PALAN, STEPHEN C
• Application Number:
  US08/634,315
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 379/99, 379/106.03, 379/106.01, 379/444, 379/282, 379/283, 379/386, 379/90.01, 379/92.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.17, 379/93.26, 379/93.28, 379/93.37, 340/870.01, 340/870.02, 340/870.03
• US Class Current: 379/106.03
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/42 by ion-exchange ion-exchange in general B01J
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C

Abstract

An apparatus for providing a remote display of the operating condition of a water treatment system having an electronic control utilizing a voice grade telephone system. A tone generator is associated with electronic control to generate tones which are transmitted through the telephone system to a decoder which provides digital signals to a microcomputer which provides a display of the operating conditions of the water treatment system at a remote location.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing a remote display of the operating status of a water treatment system having an electronic control comprising:

an electronic memory associated with the electronic control for storing data indicative of the operating status of the water treatment system, a send only data transmitter including,

a tone generator associated with said electronic memory,

a manual activator coupled to said tone generator, said manual activator operable by a person to activate said tone generator to generate tone pulses indicative of the data stored in said electronic memory, a telephone system including a microphone positioned by said person to receive said tone pulses, a decoding means at a location remote from said water treatment system, said decoding means receiving said tone pulses transmitted through said telephone system, and providing an output of digital signals indicative of the operating status of said water treatment system,

a second electronic control for processing said digital signals so as to provide a readable display of the operating status of said water treatment system at the location remote from said water treatment system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said telephone system is of at least voice grade.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second electronic means is a microcomputer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second electronic means is a personal computer.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said personal computer is provided with program for displaying the operating status of said water processing system derived from said digital signals.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tone pulses are generated in an asynchronous format.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said asynchronous format includes 1 start bit, 8 data bits, and 1 stop bit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said data bits represent a logic level "1" or a logic level "0".

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein one of said logic levels is represented by a tone period of substantially 30 msec followed by a non-tone period of substantially 10 msec, and the other of said logic levels is represented by a tone period of substantially 10 msec followed by a non-tone period of substantially 25 msec.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said digital signals are represented by two logic levels, one of said logic levels being represented by a tone period of substantially 30 msec followed by a non-tone period of substantially 10 msec, and the other of said logic levels is represented by a tone period of substantially 10 msec followed by a non-tone period of substantially 25 msec.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said decoding means includes an amplifier, a dual feedback bandpass filter, and an operational amplifier comparator connected in series, with an automatic gain control connected in parallel with said amplifier and dual feedback bandpass filter.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said decoding means includes an isolation transformer which provides said tone pulses to an operational amplifier connected in series with a dual feedback bandpass filter, an automatic gain control circuit is connected in parallel with said operational amplifier and dual feedback bandpass filter, with the output of said dual feedback bandpass filter being provided as an input to a operational amplifier comparator which provides a digital signal output.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water processing system is water softener system.