Remote SPA monitor

• US 7,167,087 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Balboa Water Group LLC (Helios Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Balboa Instruments Incorporated (Helios Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dykema, Kurt A., Corrington, Richard A., Klamer, David L., Bouws, Brent K.
• Primary Examiner(s): La; Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US10/969,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20060092008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 340/505, 340/539.1, 340/539.26, 340/3.7, 700/275, 700/278, 700/282, 700/300, 392/465, 307/11, 307/42, 307/147
• US Class Current: 340/505
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 26/007 Wireless interrogation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for remotely monitoring a status of a spa installation includes transmitting wireless status commands from a spa monitor to a spa installation over a wireless link, and generating an alarm if status data is not returned via the wireless link.

Claims

1. A method for remotely monitoring a status of a spa installation, comprising:

transmitting wireless query signals from a spa monitor to a spa installation over a wireless link;

activating a receiver adapted to receive query response signals from the spa installation over the wireless link responsive to said query signals; and

generating an alarm under a set of conditions based on query response signals and lack of query response signals received from the spa installation via the wireless link.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing the spa monitor in a low power mode subsequent to said activating the receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating an alarm comprises generating an audible alert condition.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating an alarm comprises sending a message over a telephone link.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitting wireless query signals comprises transmitting said wireless query signals from the spa monitor located within a house or other structure in an interior location to the spa installation disposed in an outdoor location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating an alarm comprises activating a visual display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said activating a visual display comprises activating a visual display indicating a particular alarm condition.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising testing for signal link quality over said wireless link, and generating an indication of the signal quality.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said testing for signal link quality comprises:

sending a predetermined number of queries over said wireless link;

receiving responses to said queries from said spa installation; and

determining a signal quality from said responses.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining a signal quality from said responses includes:

determining whether a response was received to each of said predetermined number of queries.

11. A method for remotely monitoring a status of a spa installation, comprising:

automatically periodically sending query signals over a wireless RF communication link to a spa installation from a spa monitor remotely located relative to the spa installation;

monitoring the communication link at the spa monitor for query response signals from the spa installation responsive to said query signals;

generating an alarm under a set of conditions based on query response signals and lack of query response signals received from the spa installation.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising placing the remote spa monitor in a low power mode subsequent to said monitoring the communication link.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said generating an alarm comprises generating an audible alert condition.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said generating an alarm comprises sending a message over a telephone link.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said sending query signals comprises sending said query signals from the spa monitor located within a house or other structure in an interior location to the spa installation disposed in an outdoor location.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said generating an alarm comprises activating a visual display.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said activating a visual display comprises activating a visual display indicating a particular alarm condition.

18. A method for remotely monitoring a status of a spa installation, comprising:

automatically periodically sending query signals over a communication link to a spa installation from a spa monitor located remotely relative to the spa installation;

monitoring the communication link at the spa monitor for query response signals from the spa installation responsive to said query signals;

generating an alarm under a set of conditions based on query response signals including lack of query response signals received from the spa installation.

19. A method for remotely monitoring a status of a spa installation with a spa monitor panel located at a site remote from the spa installation, comprising:

(a) placing the spa monitor panel in a sleep or low power mode;

(b) at a predetermined time interval after placing the spa monitor panel in said sleep or low power mode, sending query signals over a communication link to the spa installation;

(c) awaiting reception of query response signals at the spa monitor panel, and repeating (b) a predetermined number of times or until query response signals are received at the spa monitor panel;

(d) if no query response signals are received at the spa monitor panel at (c), repeating (a), (b) and (c) for a predetermined number of iterations or until query response signals are received at the spa monitor panel;

(e) if no query response signals have been received at (d), declaring an alarm condition.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said predetermined time interval is in a range of 45 minutes to 75 minutes.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said predetermined time interval is about one hour.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said alarm condition is indicative of a loss of electrical power by the spa installation.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said communication link is a wireless communications link.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said communication link is a wireless RF link.

25. A remote spa monitor system for a spa installation including an electronic spa controller, the remote spa monitor system comprising:

a base station transceiver connected to the electronic spa controller through an interface allowing transmission of commands and data between the transceiver and the electronic spa controller, the transceiver comprising an RF transmitter and an RF receiver; and

a spa monitor remotely located relative to the spa installation, the spa monitor comprising a monitor RF transmitter and a monitor RF receiver for communicating with the base station transceiver, said spa monitor comprising an electronic controller connected to the monitor RF transmitter and the monitor RF receiver, the electronic controller adapted to periodically send query signals to the base station transceiver, monitor the monitor receiver for query response signals from the base station transceiver, and generate an alarm under a set of conditions based on query response signals and lack of query response signals received from the spa installation.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a sound generator, and wherein the spa monitor electronic controller is adapted to control the sound generator to generate the alarm.

27. The system of claim 25, further comprising a telephone dialer device, and wherein the spa monitor electronic controller is adapted to control the telephone dialer device to send an alarm message over a telephone link.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein said spa monitor is located within a house or other structure in an interior location.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the spa monitor comprises an indicator light, and wherein the monitor electronic controller is adapted to control the indicator light to indicate an alarm condition.