System for the control and monitoring of sanitary appliances

• US 6,992,561 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2001
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aqua Rotter GmbH
• Original Assignee: Aqua Rotter GmbH
• Inventors: Roschinsky, Christian, Sandt, Burkhard, Rennau, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/362,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20040011716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.1, 340/3.51, 340/825.52, 340/506, 340/573.1, 340/825.69, 370/225, 210/143, 251/129.04, 462/3, 702/128, 307/66
• US Class Current: 340/3.1
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/04 Domestic or like local pipe systems domestic plumbing E03C1/02
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31162 Wireless lan
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31394 Field management, low level, instruments and controllers acting in real time
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31395 Process management, specification, process and production data, middle level

Abstract

A system for the control and monitoring of electronic sanitary appliances with a command level, an automation level and a field level. The automation level includes automation stations (1) which are each connected by a field bus (2) with several sanitary appliances (A, B, C, D, E). At least one radio station (4) is provided which communicates via a connected line with the appropriate automation station (1). The radio station (4) is in connection with at least one part (C, D) of the several sanitary appliances by means of a wireless data transmission path.

Claims

1. A system for the control and monitoring of electronic sanitary appliances comprising a command level, an automation level and a field level, an automation station provided in the automation level connected in series to several sanitary appliances through a field bus, at least one wireless control station connected to the field bus in series with some of the several sanitary appliances, each wireless control station communicating with the associated automation station in a line-bound way through the field bus, each wireless control station being in communication with at least a part of the several sanitary appliances through at least one wireless data bus.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the data communication through said wireless data bus is bidirectional.

3. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein one wireless control station is connected in a wireless manner to said part of the several sanitary appliances provided within up to three adjacent sanitary rooms at maximum.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein said sanitary appliances connected in a wireless manner to said wireless control stations are battery-operated.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the voltage values of batteries supplying said sanitary appliances are measured and informed to said associated wireless control station through said wireless data bus.

6. A system according to claim 4 wherein the communication between said wireless control stations and said battery-operated sanitary appliances is achieved with lower power consumption than the communication with those sanitary appliances connected in a line-bound way through the field bus.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said battery-operated sanitary appliances are only switchable into the receiving state after a message is available which is transmitted from said automation station to said associated wireless control station and addressed to said battery-operated sanitary appliances.

8. A system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of said wireless control stations, and at least one of said sanitary appliances comprises a selector for the automatic selection of that wireless control station for the wireless data communication, the data bus of which has the best transfer characteristics to said sanitary appliance.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the selection of said wireless control station is achieved by means of a comparison of the electric field strengths received from the individual wireless control stations.

10. A system according to claim 9 wherein with the use of a plurality of wireless control stations, data communication between at least one part of the sanitary appliances is provided by means of radio transmission.

11. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data transmitted to said sanitary appliances include instructions on a limited release of said sanitary appliances for their use in compliance with the instructions.

12. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data transmitted to said sanitary appliances include instructions on a limited release of said sanitary appliances for a special use.