Location based temperature limit control for a water heater

• US 11,506,422 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2017
• Issued: 11/22/2022
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rheem Australia Pty Limited (Paloma Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Rheem Australia Pty Limited (Paloma Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Peng, Yue-Xin, Ng, Wilson, Ng, Alan, Zhang, Samuel, Agbayani, Martin, Zhou, Yao
• Primary Examiner(s): Herzfeld, Nathaniel
• Application Number:
  US16/465,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20190331363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,856 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1051 for domestic hot water
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 7/00 Storage heaters, i.e. heaters in which the energy is stored as heat in masses for subsequent release
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2007 for water heaters
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A method of controlling a temperature of water delivered by a water heating system, includes providing communication device which is adapted to receive a communication from at least one mobile device, the communication device being located so as to determine when the at least one mobile device is within a predefined zone in which is located a pre-selected water access point. In response to a determination that the at least one mobile device is within the predefined zone, enabling a user selecting a temperature setting of the where the water heating system. The selection is wirelessly communicated to a receiver which is in communication with the water heating system.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a temperature of water delivered by a water heating system, including:

providing a communication device which is adapted to receive a communication from at least one mobile device, said communication device being located so as to determine when said at least one mobile device is within a predefined zone, the communication device comprising a beacon device;

in response to receiving a message from the at least one mobile device indicative of the at least one mobile device having detected a beacon signal from the beacon device, determining that the at least one mobile device is within the predefined zone;

in response to determining that the at least one mobile device is within the predefined zone, enabling a user to select a temperature setting of said water heating system, the temperature setting being greater than a predetermined safe temperature threshold; and

in response to receiving a user selection, wirelessly communicating said selection to a receiver which is in communication with said water heating system.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein outside said predefined zone, the temperature setting is pre-set or is user-selectable within a lower temperature range which is below the predetermined safe temperature threshold.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, in the absence of said selection being made, said water heating system outputs water at a temperature within said lower temperature range.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temperature setting comprises a range of water temperatures above said predetermined safe temperature threshold.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said temperature setting is pre-set or selected by said user.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communication device is an emitting device which emits an emitted signal that is adapted to be detected by the at least one mobile device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of selecting said temperature setting includes authenticating a user and/or authenticating said mobile device.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said temperature setting is automatically selected by said user and/or said mobile device being authenticated.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said user authentication comprises password or passcode verification, biometric verification, or a combination thereof.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said mobile device authentication comprises one or more of the following:

scanning a barcode or Quick Response (QR) code, near field communication (NFC) scanning, or resting or cradling said mobile device at a pre-set location or connection point.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said user and/or mobile device authentication is performed at an authentication device located within said predefined zone.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, including recording an internet protocol (IP) address of said mobile device upon a determination of said mobile device being near a pre-selected water outlet, and verifying that any subsequent communication originates from the same IP address.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selection initiates a session during which said water heating system delivers water at a selected temperature, and at the end of said session, said water heating system reverts to delivering water at a previous or default temperature.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, including the step of, after a pre-selected water outlet is turned on to deliver water at the selected temperature, starting a timer once the pre-selected water outlet is turned off and finishing the session after said timer reaches a predetermined time period.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an expiration of said temperature setting is one or more than one of the following:

pre-set by the user based on duration of use, triggered by user-deactivation, triggered by a loss of detection of said signal by said mobile device, or a combination of one or more thereof.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said water heating system is adapted to deliver heated water to two or more water outlets.

17. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said emitted signal includes one or more than one of the following:

Bluetooth signal, Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) signal, an infra-red beam, a predetermined sound frequency pattern, or an ultra-sound signal.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1, including the step of assigning a priority to said at least one mobile device, wherein when there are two or more mobile devices, said receiver receives communication from one of the two or more mobile devices with a higher priority.