Systems and methods for programming and controlling water delivery devices

• US 9,945,103 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2015
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler MIRA Limited (Kohler Company)
• Original Assignee: Kohler MIRA Limited (Kohler Company)
• Inventors: Thompson, Christopher Ian, Zhu, Xiangzhen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shafayet, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US14/693,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20150308084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 700282, 700283, 700284, 700285
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/075 Arrangement of devices for control of pressure or flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/055 Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/02 with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 19/006 Specially adapted for faucets
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/02 electric F16K31/004 takes precedence; magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/08 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1393 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87579 Faucet attachment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8766 With selectively operated flow control means

Abstract

A control system includes a water delivery device and a communications bridge. The water delivery device includes a mixing valve, a controller configured to control the mixing valve, and a first optical communications interface coupled to the controller. The communications bridge includes a second optical communications interface and a separate data communications interface. The communications bridge is configured to exchange information with the water delivery device using optical communications via the first and second optical communications interfaces, and to exchange information with a user device using electronic data communications between the user via and the data communications interface.

Claims

1. A control system for a water delivery device, the control system comprising:

a water delivery device comprising a mixing valve, a controller configured to control the mixing valve, and a first optical communications interface coupled to the controller; and

a communications bridge configured to be removably and physically coupled to the water delivery device and comprising a second optical communications interface and a separate data communications interface, the communications bridge configured to;

exchange information with the water delivery device using optical communications via the first and second optical communications interfaces, and

exchange information with a user device using electronic data communications between the user device and the communications interface via the user device and the data communications interface;

the communications bridge comprising an opening extending through the communications bridge and configured to receive a knob or handle attached to the water delivery device when the communications bridge is physically coupled to the water delivery device.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the communications bridge is configured to:

receive information from the user device via the data communications interface;

generate an optical signal comprising the information received from the user device; and

transmit the optical signal to the water delivery device via the second optical communications interface.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the information received from the user device comprises configuration settings for the water delivery device;

wherein the water delivery device is configured to extract the configuration settings from the optical signal, store the configuration settings within a memory of the water delivery device, and use the stored configuration settings to control the mixing valve.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein the configuration settings for the water delivery device comprise at least one of configuration parameters for the mixing valve, a disinfection schedule, or a flush cycle.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the communications bridge is configured to:

receive an optical signal from the water delivery device via the second optical communications interface;

generate an electronic data signal comprising the information received from the water delivery device; and

transmit the electronic data signal to the user device via the data communications interface.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to collect usage information describing control operations performed by the water delivery device and to store the usage information within a memory of the water delivery device;

wherein the optical signal received from the water delivery device comprises the stored usage information.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the usage information comprises at least one of water usage, duty flush cycles, or thermal disinfection events.

8. The control system of claim 6, wherein the user device comprises at least one of a user-operable mobile computing device, a user-operable non-mobile computing device, or a user-operable control panel and is configured to:

analyze the usage information from the water delivery device using an analysis application running on the user device;

generate an updated configuration setting for the water delivery device based on a result of the analysis; and

transmit the updated configuration setting to the water delivery device via the communications bridge.

9. A control system for a network of water delivery devices distributed throughout a facility, the control system comprising:

a plurality of mixing valves, each of the plurality of mixing valves fluidly connected to a discrete set of the water delivery devices and configured to affect an attribute of water output by the fluidly connected water delivery devices, wherein each of the discrete sets of water delivery devices is located in a different room of a facility;

a controller for the plurality of mixing valves, the controller configured to;

establish a communications link between the controller and a user device;

receive configuration information from a user device via the communications link; and

generate control signals for the plurality of mixing valves based on the configuration information; and

a communications bridge configured to be removably and physically coupled to one or more of the plurality of mixing valves and comprising an optical communications interface and a separate data communications interface, the communications bridge configured to;

receive the control signals from the controller via the data communications interface;

translate the control signals into optical signals; and

transmit the optical signals to one or more of the plurality of mixing valves via the optical communications interface, the control signals causing the plurality of mixing valves to controllably adjust the attribute of the water output by the fluidly connected water delivery devices;

the communications bridge comprising an opening extending through the communications bridge and configured to receive a knob or handle attached to one or more of the plurality of mixing valves when the communications bridge is physically coupled to one or more of the plurality of mixing valves.

10. The control system of claim 9, wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of configuration settings for the plurality of mixing valves, water outlet configuration settings, network configuration settings, a flush cycle, or a disinfection schedule.

11. The control system of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of control panels, each of the control panels corresponding to one of the discrete sets of water delivery devices and configured to present a user interface for monitoring and controlling the corresponding water delivery devices.

12. The control system of claim 11, wherein the configuration information comprises network configuration settings defining which of the control panels corresponds to each of the discrete sets of water delivery devices.

13. The control system of claim 11, wherein the user device comprises a remote device that communicates with the controller via a communications network.

14. The control system of claim 9, wherein the configuration information comprises a spa experience comprising an automated sequence of setpoints for the controller;

wherein generating the control signals for the plurality of mixing valves comprises;

receiving feedback signals indicating current values for the attribute of the water output by the water delivery devices,

calculating differences between the current values and the setpoints, and

using the calculated differences to generate the control signals.

15. A control system for a network of water delivery devices, the control system comprising:

a plurality of mixing valves, each of the plurality of mixing valves fluidly connected to a discrete set of the water delivery devices and configured to affect an attribute of water output by the fluidly connected water delivery devices;

a controller for the plurality of mixing valves, the controller configured to;

establish a communications link between the controller and a remote system via a communications network;

receive update data from the remote system via the communications link;

use the update data to update configuration settings stored within the controller, and

generate control signals for the plurality of mixing valves using the updated configuration settings; and

a communications bridge configured to be removably and physically coupled to one or more of the plurality of mixing valves and comprising an optical communications interface and a separate data communications interface, the communications bridge configured to;

receive the control signals from the controller via the data communications interface;

translate the control signals into optical signals; and

transmit the optical signals to one or more of the plurality of mixing valves via the optical communications interface, the control signals causing the plurality of mixing valves to controllably adjust the attribute of the water output by the fluidly connected water delivery devices;

the communications bridge comprising an opening extending through the communications bridge and configured to receive a knob or handle attached to one or more of the plurality of mixing valves when the communications bridge is physically coupled to one or more of the plurality of mixing valves.

16. The control system of claim 15, wherein the remote system comprises an Internet file server configured to provide the update data to the controller via the Internet.

17. The control system of claim 15, wherein the controller is one of a plurality of controllers, each controller located in a different facility and configured to control a corresponding set of mixing valves located in that facility.

18. The control system of claim 15, wherein the update data comprises at least one of updated firmware for the controller, updated control parameters used by the controller, or updated configuration settings for the controller.

19. The control system of claim 15, further comprising a control panel configured to present a user interface for monitoring and controlling at least one of the discrete sets of water delivery devices;

wherein the update data comprises an updated user interface for the control panel.

20. The control system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to:

collect usage information describing control operations performed by the network of water delivery devices;

store the usage information within a memory of the controller; and

report the usage information to the remote system via the communications network.