APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING A HABITAT ENVIRONMENT

• US 20160106074A1
• Filed: 10/20/2015
• Published: 04/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecotech Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ecotech Marine, LLC
• Inventors: LAWYER, Justin, CLASEN, Patrick, MARKS, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 10,412,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/003 Aquaria; Terraria A01K63/04, A01K63/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/02 Receptacles specially adapted for transporting live fish
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/06 Arrangements for heating or lighting in, or attached to, receptacles for live fish
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25011 Domotique, I-O bus, home automation, building automation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31434 Zone supervisor, collects error signals from, and diagnoses different zone
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/26 Special purpose or proprietary protocols or architectures network applications for proprietary or special purpose networking environments H04L67/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/81 Aquaculture, e.g. of fish
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 Home appliances

Abstract

A system is provided for controlling an aquatic habitat. The system for includes a server, a bridge, and a habitat component. The server includes a database containing information associated with a habitat component. The server also includes a communication interface for transmitting operating data for the habitat component. The bridge has a first communication unit configured to communicate with the server communication interface and transmit the operating data received from the server to the habitat component. The habitat component has a second communication unit for receiving operating data from the bridge.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system for controlling a habitat, comprising:

a habitat environment comprising a pair of sidewalls, a pair of end walls, and a bottom wall, wherein the habitat environment is made of a transparent material;

a user interface configured to receive an indication of a habitat specification, wherein the habitat specification comprises at least one of a shape of the habitat, a content of the habitat, a type of component within the habitat, and a number of components within the habitat;

a server comprising a database containing information associated with a habitat component and a communication interface for transmitting operating data for the habitat component, wherein the server is configured to receive the indication of the habitat specification from the user interface and wherein the operating data is generated based upon the indication of the habitat specification and the information associated with the habitat component;

a bridge having a first communication unit configured to communicate with the server communication interface and transmit operating data received from the server to the habitat component; and

a habitat component having a second communication unit for receiving the operating data from the bridge, wherein the habitat component is coupled to one sidewall or end wall such that the second communication unit is disposed outside the one sidewall or one end wall and is controlled based upon the operating data.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the habitat component comprises a microprocessor for processing the operating data received from the bridge to produce an output to control the operation of the habitat component.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the habitat component comprises internal memory configured to store the operating data.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the habitat component is capable of storing operating data relating to a day'"'"'s operation.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising a second habitat component comprising a third communication unit configured to receive the operating data from the habitat component and a microprocessor for processing the operating data received from the habitat component to produce an output to control the operation of the second habitat component.

26. The system of claim 21, further comprising a monitoring component comprising a fourth communication unit configured to transmit information to the bridge.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the transparent material is one of glass or acrylic.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the first communication unit is configured to wirelessly communicate with the server and to wirelessly transmit the operating data received from the server to the habitat component.

27. A system for controlling an aquatic habitat, comprising:

a user interface configured to receive at least one of an indication of an aquatic habitat specification and an indication of pump control information;

a bridge having a first communication unit configured to receive operating data from a user and transmitting the received operating data to a component associated with a habitat, wherein the operating data is based on the at least one of the indication of the aquatic habitat specification and the indication of pump control information;

a first pump associated with the habitat comprising a second communication unit configured to receive operating data from the bridge and a microprocessor for converting the operating data received from the bridge to produce an output to control the first pump, wherein the second communication unit of the first pump includes a transmitter and a receiver; and

a second pump associated with the habitat comprising a third communication unit configured to receive the operating data from the first pump and a microprocessor for converting the operating data received from the first pump to produce an output to control the second pump, wherein the operating data is transmitted from the transmitter of the second communication unit to a receiver of the third communication unit.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the first pump comprises internal memory configured to store at least a portion of the operating data received by the bridge.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising a server and wherein the operating data is transmitted from the server to the bridge.