Internet based spa networking system having wireless spa nodes

• US 9,058,027 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Watkins Manufacturing Corporation (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Watkins Manufacturing Corporation (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Macey, Stephen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norton, Jennifer L
• Application Number:
  US14/478,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 284 Days
• Field of Search: 700/9, 700/19, 700/20, 700/275, 700/286, 700/291, 700/83, 340/3.1, 702/62, 702/64, 702/188, 710/4, 710/26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5012 using the internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/005 Electrical circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/00 Arrangements for measuring currents or voltages or for indicating presence or sign thereof G01R5/00 takes precedence; for measuring bioelectric currents or voltages A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/00 Testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof monitoring of programme-control systems G05B19/048, G05B19/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1081 for peripheral access to main memory, e.g. direct memory access [DMA]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/122 where hardware performs an I/O function other than control of data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/26 with priority control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

A spa node comprising a spa controller, a power sense adapter configured to compute power being drawn by selected spa components; a spa network adapter, and a home network adapter, each of the three adapters including a wireless transceiver wherein the spa network adapter is configured to receive power data transmitted over a wireless link by the power sense adapter and to further receive status/performance data from the spa controller. The home network adapter is configured to receive power and status data transmitted by the spa network adapter over a wireless link and to convert that data to a form suitable for transmission to an Internet access point. The home network adapter is further linkable over the Internet to a central server, a dealer computer and a spa owner or user computer.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a spa controller at a user site configured to control operation of a plurality of spa components and to generate status data regarding the status of one or more of said spa components;

a spa network adapter at the user site configured to communicate with said spa controller to receive data including status data from said spa controller and to transmit data and commands to said spa controller, the spa network adapter having a first wireless transceiver;

a home network adapter at the user site having a second wireless transceiver and configured to receive data including status data transmitted from said spa network adapter over a wireless link between said first and second wireless transceivers;

circuitry configured to sense the current drawn by one or more selected spa components and to determine the power being drawn by said one or more spa components to generate power data;

wherein the spa network adapter is configured to transmit the power data to the home network adapter over the wireless link between the first and second wireless transceivers and the home network adapter is configured to convert the power data and status data to a form suitable for transmission to an Internet access point;

the home network adapter having a unique address, and being further configured to receive a command from a spa owner computer or spa dealer computer sent using said unique address and to transmit a received command to the spa network adapter; and

the spa network adapter being further configured to transmit a command received from the home network adapter to the spa controller for execution.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said home network adapter is configured to be linkable over the Internet to a central server, a dealer computer and/or a spa owner or user computer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selected spa component is one of a spa heater or a spa jet pump.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the spa owner computer comprises part of a handheld device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the spa dealer computer comprises part of a handheld device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said command is a first command to turn on a spa jet pump.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said spa controller is configured to turn on a spa jet pump in response to said first command.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further configured to employ the spa controller to transmit data to the spa network adapter confirming that the spa jet pump has been turned on.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further configured to send power data relating to the operation of the spa jet pump to the home network adapter after the spa jet pump has been turned on.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further configured to update a server web page with the latest status and power data regarding said spa jet pump.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said unique address is a MAC (media access control) address.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the home network adapter is configured to employ a secure socket direct data tunnel in the course of receiving a command to be transmitted to the spa controller.

13. Apparatus for use in implementing a spa network comprising:

a spa controller at a user site configured to control operation of a plurality of spa components and to generate status data regarding the status of one or more of said spa components;

a spa network adapter at the user site configured to communicate with said spa controller to receive data including status data from said spa controller and to transmit data and commands to said spa controller, the spa network adapter having a first wireless transceiver;

a home network adapter at the user site having a second wireless transceiver and configured to receive data including status data transmitted from said spa network adapter over a wireless link between said first and second wireless transceivers;

circuitry configured to sense the current drawn by one or more selected spa components and to determine the power being drawn by said one or more spa components to generate power data;

wherein the spa network adapter is configured to transmit the power data to the home network adapter over the wireless link between the first and second wireless transceivers and the home network adapter is configured to convert the power data and status data to a form suitable for transmission to another component of the spa network;

the home network adapter having a unique address, and being further configured to receive a command from a spa owner or spa dealer computer sent using said unique address and to transmit a received command to the spa network adapter; and

the spa network adapter being further configured to transmit a command received from the home network adapter to the spa controller for execution.

14. Apparatus for use in implementing a spa network comprising:

a spa controller at a user site configured to control operation of a plurality of spa components and to generate status data regarding the status of one or more of said spa components;

a spa network adapter at the user site configured to communicate with said spa controller to receive data including status data from said spa controller and to transmit data and commands to said spa controller, the spa network adapter having a first wireless transceiver;

a home network adapter at the user site having a second wireless transceiver and configured to receive data including status data transmitted from said spa network adapter over a wireless link between said first and second wireless transceivers;

circuitry configured to sense the current drawn by a selected spa component to generate current data;

wherein the spa network adapter is configured to transmit the current data to the home network adapter over the wireless link between the first and second wireless transceivers and the home network adapter is configured to convert the current data and status data to a form suitable for transmission to another component of the spa network;

the home network adapter having a unique address, and being further configured to receive a command from a spa owner computer or spa dealer computer sent using said unique address and to transmit a received command to the spa network adapter; and

the spa network adapter being further configured to transmit a command received from the home network adapter to the spa controller for execution.