Pool floatation device with sonar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10062259-B2
Application number	US-201615282427-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Oct 1, 2015
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A pool floatation device including a body configured to float on the surface of water of a pool. A sonar device may be coupled to the body and configured to detect movement of an object beneath the surface of the water of the pool. A wireless communication device may be coupled to the body and configured to transmit a wireless signal for indicating to a terminal device that the sonar device has detected movement of the object beneath the surface of the water of the pool.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pool floatation device comprising:
a body having an outer perimeter, and being configured to float on a surface of water of a pool, the body including an upper portion configured to be located above the surface of the water, and a lower portion protruding away from the upper portion and configured to be located below the surface of the water;
a set of device controls located along the outer perimeter of the body, between the upper portion of the body and the lower portion of the body, the set of device controls including at least a power switch and a data port for connecting a computing device;
a ring removably coupled to the body and located on top of the set of device controls, the ring configured to conceal the set of device controls and form a seal to prevent the water from contacting the set of device controls;
a sonar device coupled to the body and configured to use passive sonar to detect an object beneath the surface of the water of the pool by detecting an acoustic signal beneath the surface of the water and corresponding to a sound made by the object;
a memory positioned within the body and configured to store a plurality of sound profiles;
a processor connected to the memory and the sonar device, and configured to determine when the detected acoustic signal matches at least one sound profile of the plurality of sound profiles; and
a wireless communication device coupled to the body, connected to the processor, and configured to transmit a wireless signal for indicating to a terminal device that the sonar device has detected the object beneath the surface of the water of the pool.

2. The pool floatation device of claim 1 , wherein the sonar device is further configured to detect the object with active sonar.

3. The pool floatation device of claim 1 , further comprising a light and a speaker, and wherein the processor is configured to:
cause the light to illuminate or the speaker to produce sound upon determining the detected acoustic signal matches the particular sound profile.

4. The pool floatation device of claim 3 , wherein the wireless communication device is configured to receive a wireless signal indicating the particular sound profile.

5. A pool floatation device comprising:
a body configured to float on a surface of water of a pool, the body including an upper portion configured to be located above the surface of the water of the pool, and a lower portion protruding away from the upper portion and configured to be located inside the water;
a water quality detection device coupled to the lower portion of the body and configured to detect a water quality of the water of the pool;
a chemical dispensing device coupled to the lower portion of the body and configured to store a chemical and dispense the chemical into the water;
a wireless communication device coupled to the body and configured to:
transmit a wireless signal for indicating to a terminal device the water quality detected by the water quality detection device, and
receive, from the terminal device, an indication by a user to dispense the chemical stored by the chemical dispensing device; and

a processor coupled to the body, connected to the wireless communication device and the chemical dispensing device, and configured to immediately dispense the chemical upon receiving the indication to dispense the chemical is received from the terminal device.

6. The pool floatation device of claim 5 , wherein the water quality detection device is configured to detect the water quality selected from a group consisting of chemical factors of the water, chemical levels of the water, contaminant levels of the water, and combinations thereof.

7. The pool floatation device of claim 5 , wherein the wireless signal indicates a measure of the water quality detected by the water quality detection device.

8. The pool floatation device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine when the water quality detected by the water quality detection device is greater than or less than a threshold value.

9. The pool floatation device of claim 8 , further comprising a memory configured to store the threshold value, and wherein the wireless communication device is configured to receive a wireless signal indicating the threshold value.

10. The pool floatation device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to cause the chemical dispensing device to automatically dispense the chemical in response to the water quality being greater than or less than the threshold value.

11. A method comprising:
detecting, with a sonar device coupled to a body floating in a pool, using passive sonar, an acoustic signal beneath a surface of water of the pool and corresponding to a sound made by an object beneath the surface of the water of the pool;
storing, in a memory, a plurality of sound profiles;
determining, by a processor connected to the sonar device, when the detected acoustic signal matches at least one sound profile of the plurality of stored sound profiles;
providing an alert upon the detecting of the object beneath the surface of the water of the pool, the alert being illumination of a light located on the body or transmission of sound from a speaker located on the body;
transmitting, with a wireless communication device coupled to the body, a wireless signal for indicating to a terminal device that the sonar device has detected the object beneath the surface of the water of the pool;
producing, by the terminal device, a notification to a user that the sonar device has detected the object beneath the surface of the water of the pool;
receiving, by the terminal device from the user, an indication to disable the alert provided by the body floating in the pool; and
disabling, by the terminal device via the wireless communication device, the alert provided by the body floating in the pool.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising detecting, with a water quality detection device coupled to the body, a water quality of the water of the pool.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising dispensing, with a chemical dispensing device coupled to the body, a chemical into the water of the pool.

14. A method comprising:
detecting, by a water quality detection device of a pool flotation device, a water quality of water in a pool;
determining, by a processor of the pool flotation device, that the water quality is below a threshold value;
communicating, by a wireless communication device of the pool flotation device to a mobile device, a signal indicating that the water quality is below the threshold value;
receiving, by the mobile device, the wireless signal indicating that the water quality is below the threshold value;
producing, by the mobile device, a notification associated with the detected water quality;
receiving, by the mobile device, an indication from a user to dispense a chemical from a chemical dispensing device of the pool flotation device;
communicating, by the mobile device to the wireless communication device of the pool flotation device, an indication to dispense the chemical; and
immediately dispensing upon receiving the indication from the user, by the chemical dispensing device of the pool flotation device, the chemical into the water of the pool.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the notification is selected from a group consisting of a sound, a movement, an indicator displayed on a screen of the mobile device, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Superior Communications Inc

Inventors

• Sentosa Samuel
• Chen George
• Cho Adam

Classifications

• B63B2022/006

  specially adapted for measuring or watch purposes · CPC title

• E04H4/06

  Safety devices; Coverings for baths · CPC title

• G01N33/18

  Water · CPC title

• G08B21/08 Primary

  responsive to the presence of persons in a body of water, e.g. a swimming pool; responsive to an abnormal condition of a body of water · CPC title