Dosage protection system and method for an aquatic environment

• US 8,828,728 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lamotte Chemical Products Company
• Original Assignee: Step Ahead Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Clark, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Soderquist, Arlen
• Application Number:
  US13/713,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20130168327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 119268-269, 210/739, 210/743, 210745-746, 422/62, 436/43, 436/50, 436/55, 436/68, 436/79, 436/105, 436/108, 436110-113, 436/125, 436/136, 436/138, 436163-164, 436/165, 436/172, 702/22, 702 27- 28, 702 30- 32
• US Class Current: 436/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/04 Arrangements for treating water specially adapted to receptacles for live fish
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/42 from bathing facilities, e.g. swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/006 comprising a software program or a logic diagram
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/14 NH3-N
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/15 N03-N
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/18 PO4-P
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/758 using reversible reaction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7786 Fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7793 Sensor comprising plural indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/15 Preventing contamination of the components of the optical system or obstruction of the light path
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/77 by observing the effect on a chemical indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/78 producing a change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8507 Probe photometers, i.e. with optical measuring part dipped into fluid sample
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/88 Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/127 Calibration; base line adjustment; drift compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/22 : using chemical indicators G01N31/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/18 : Water
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 : specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/805 : Optical property
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/809 : Multifield plates or multicontainer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 : Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/115831 : Condition or time responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/12 : Condition responsive control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/173076 : Nitrite or nitrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/173845 : Amine and quaternary ammonium
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/174614 : Tertiary amine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/175383 : Ammonia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/193333 : In aqueous solution
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/207497 : Molecular oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 : including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 : Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]

Abstract

An aquatic environment monitoring system and method that includes correction for adverse conditions in the monitoring system involving the development of confidence levels for certain conditions in the monitoring system using stored information related to the aquatic environment and/or the monitoring system. Corrections to adverse conditions may be made by the environment monitoring system automatically by the monitoring system and manually via communications to a user of the system.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring errors in an aquatic environment monitoring system, the method comprising:

measuring one or more error values in the environment monitoring system using the environment monitoring system, said measuring one or more error values including;

rotating a disc-shaped chemical indicator apparatus of the environment monitoring system in a clockwise direction and taking one or more clockwise readings from the chemical indicator apparatus with an optical reader of the environment monitoring system;

rotating the disc-shaped chemical indicator apparatus in a counter-clockwise direction and taking one or more counter-clockwise readings from the chemical indicator apparatus with the optical reader;

correlating the one or more clockwise readings with the one or more counter-clockwise readings to generate a friction error value;

determining at least one confidence level based on the one or more error values;

determining if the confidence level exceeds a threshold value stored in associated with the environment monitoring system; and

generating a correction instruction using a dosing calculator associated with the environment monitoring system, the correction instruction for correcting a condition associated with the one or more error values.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the aquatic environment monitoring system includes one or more chemical indicators on a chemical indicator holder and an optical reader configured for illuminating and reading the one or more chemical indicators.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more error values includes an error value related to a condition selected from the group consisting of a degradation in a chemical indicator due to photo-aging, a degradation in a chemical indicator due to water-aging, a physical contamination of a chemical indicator, an illumination imbalance related to an optical reader, a degradation of a light source of an optical reader, a physical contamination in water between an optical reader and a chemical indicator, a displacement due to friction between a chemical indicator apparatus and a monitoring unit, an error intrinsic in a chemical indicator, an error in distance between a chemical indicator apparatus and an optical reader, and any combinations thereof.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said determining at least one confidence level includes using an error source action matrix.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said measuring one or more error values includes detecting a contamination between a chemical indicator apparatus and an optical reader of the environment monitoring system, said detecting a contamination includes using one or more measurement illuminations and one or more reference illuminations of the chemical indicator apparatus by the optical reader.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the contamination between the chemical indicator apparatus and the optical reader includes a contamination selected from the group consisting of a contaminant on a chemical indicator of the chemical indicator apparatus, a contaminant on a surface of the optical reader, a contaminant in water between the optical reader and the chemical indicator apparatus, a physical defect in a chemical indicator of the chemical indicator apparatus, and any combinations thereof.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said measuring one or more error values includes referencing a stored expected value of a response from a chemical indicator with an actual detected value of a response from the chemical indicator;

and determining an error value from the relationship of the stored expected value and the actual detected value.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said measuring one or more error values includes determining an age of a chemical indicator of the environment monitoring system by referencing one or more stored values representing the amount of light illumination over time on the chemical indicator and/or referencing one or more stored values representing the amount of time the chemical indicator has been submersed in the water of the aquatic environment.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the correction instruction includes an instruction selected from the group consisting of an instruction to provide an alert to a user of the environment monitoring system to manually correct one or more error conditions, an instruction to the environment monitoring system to take an action to automatically correct one or more error conditions, an instruction to the environment monitoring system to stop automatically dosing one or more constituents to the aquatic environment, and any combinations thereof.

10. A machine-readable hardware storage medium including machine-executable instructions for performing a method of monitoring errors in an aquatic environment monitoring system, the instructions comprising:

a set of instructions for measuring one or more error values in the environment monitoring system using the environment monitoring system, said set of instructions for measuring one or more error values including;

a set of instructions for rotating a disc-shaped chemical indicator apparatus of the environment monitoring system in a clockwise direction and taking one or more clockwise readings from the chemical indicator apparatus with an optical reader of the environment monitoring system;

a set of instructions for rotating the disc-shaped chemical indicator apparatus in a counter-clockwise direction and taking one or more counter-clockwise readings from the chemical indicator apparatus with the optical reader;

a set of instructions for correlating the one or more clockwise readings with the one or more counter-clockwise readings to generate a friction error value;

a set of instructions for determining at least one confidence level based on the one or more error values;

a set of instructions for determining if the confidence level exceeds a threshold value stored in associated with the environment monitoring system; and

a set of instructions for generating a correction instruction using a dosing calculator associated with the environment monitoring system, the correction instruction for correcting a condition associated with the one or more error values.

11. A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the aquatic environment monitoring system includes one or more chemical indicators on a chemical indicator holder and an optical reader configured for illuminating and reading the one or more chemical indicators.

12. A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the one or more error values includes an error value related to a condition selected from the group consisting of a degradation in a chemical indicator due to photo-aging, a degradation in a chemical indicator due to water-aging, a physical contamination of a chemical indicator, an illumination imbalance related to an optical reader, a degradation of a light source of an optical reader, a physical contamination in water between an optical reader and a chemical indicator, a displacement due to friction between a chemical indicator apparatus and a monitoring unit, an error intrinsic in a chemical indicator, an error in distance between a chemical indicator apparatus and an optical reader, and any combinations thereof.

13. A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 10, wherein said set of instructions for determining at least one confidence level includes a set of instructions for using an error source action matrix.

14. A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 10, wherein said set of instructions for measuring one or more error values includes a set of instructions for detecting a contamination between a chemical indicator apparatus and an optical reader of the environment monitoring system, said set of instructions for detecting a contamination includes a set of instructions for using one or more measurement illuminations and one or more reference illuminations of the chemical indicator apparatus by the optical reader.

15. A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the contamination between the chemical indicator apparatus and the optical reader includes a contamination selected from the group consisting of a contaminant on a chemical indicator of the chemical indicator apparatus, a contaminant on a surface of the optical reader, a contaminant in water between the optical reader and the chemical indicator apparatus, a physical defect in a chemical indicator of the chemical indicator apparatus, and any combinations thereof.

16. A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 10, wherein said set of instructions for measuring one or more error values includes a set of instructions for referencing a stored expected value of a response from a chemical indicator with an actual detected value of a response from the chemical indicator;

and a set of instructions for determining an error value from the relationship of the stored expected value and the actual detected value.

17. A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 10, wherein said set of instructions for measuring one or more error values includes a set of instructions for determining an age of a chemical indicator of the environment monitoring system by referencing one or more stored values representing the amount of light illumination over time on the chemical indicator and/or referencing one or more stored values representing the amount of time the chemical indicator has been submersed in the water of the aquatic environment.

18. A machine-readable hardware storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the correction instruction includes an instruction selected from the group consisting of an instruction to provide an alert to a user of the environment monitoring system to manually correct one or more error conditions, an instruction to the environment monitoring system to take an action to automatically correct one or more error conditions, an instruction to the environment monitoring system to stop automatically dosing one or more constituents to the aquatic environment, and any combinations thereof.