Method for processing water and control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10745291-B2
Application number	US-201815926713-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2018
Priority date	Mar 21, 2017
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A method for processing water and a control apparatus are provided. According to the method, a processor in communication with an apparatus for processing water may determine a water usage amount for an object; determine water usage time for the object; calculate time required for water preparation according to the water usage amount, a water preparation speed of the apparatus for processing water and a current amount of residual water; and determine time of starting water preparation according to the time required for water preparation and the water usage time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for processing water, comprising:
determining, by a processor in communication with a water processing apparatus in response to detecting an open status by one or more sensors of the apparatus for processing water, a water usage amount of processed water which is used by an object in connection with the apparatus, wherein the object includes one or more users, and in communication with one or more sensors, including at least one proximity sensor, that are configured to provide the apparatus with status assessments including location and movement of at least one of the users;
determining, by the processor, water usage time for the object;
calculating, by the processor, a time required for water preparation according to the water usage amount, a water preparation speed of the apparatus for processing water, and a residual amount of processed water remained in the apparatus; and
determining, by the processor, a time of starting water preparation according to the time required for water preparation and the water usage time,
wherein determining the water usage amount of processed water which is used by the object comprises:
calculating, by the processor, an average water usage amount for the object according to a historical water usage amount for the object;
acquiring, by the processor, change information reflecting a change of the object, as provided by the one or more sensors including at least one proximity sensor;
acquiring, by the processor, a value of a fluctuation parameter used to indicate a fluctuation of the water usage amount;
determining, by the processor, the water usage amount for the object based on the average water usage amount for the object, the change information, and the value of the fluctuation parameter; and
operatively connecting the processor to the water processing apparatus so as to start processing the water, responsive to the change information, at the determined time, and continue processing the water for the required time, and at the water preparation speed, in order to provide a determined amount of processed water.

2. The method according to claim 1 , herein acquiring the change information of the object comprises:
reading, by the processor, preset data of a user terminal corresponding to each user of the object; and
determining, by the processor; the change information on a number of the users of the object according to the preset data.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein acquiring the value of the fluctuation parameter of the water usage amount comprises:
receiving, by the processor, a value of the fluctuation parameter inputted by a user corresponding to the object; or
calculating, by the processor, the value of the fluctuation parameter according to historical statistics information.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the water usage time for the object comprises:
acquiring, by the processor, a distance between a location of a user terminal corresponding to the object and a destination as well as a movement velocity of the user terminal from a server,
wherein, the server is in a communication connection with the apparatus for processing water and the user terminal, and
wherein, the destination indicates a location of the apparatus for processing water;
calculating, by the processor, time for the user terminal to reach the destination according to the distance and the movement velocity; and
determining, by the processor, the calculated time as the usage time for the object.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the water usage time for the object comprises:
sending, by the processor, a time query request to a user terminal corresponding to the object;
receiving, by the processor, a time query response returned by the user terminal; and
determining, by the processor, a time carried in the time query response as being the water usage time for the object.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the water usage time for the object comprises:
searching for, by the processor, a latest water usage time for the object from historical information indicating water usage time for the object; and
determining, by the processor, the latest water usage time as being the water usage time for the object.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the water usage for the object comprises:
searching for, by the processor, an earliest water usage time for the object from historical information indicating water usage time for the object; and
determining, by the processor, the earliest water usage time as being the water usage time for the object.

8. A water processing system, comprising:
a water processing apparatus for processing water which is used by an object in connection with the apparatus, wherein, the object includes one or more users;
a processor in operative communication with the apparatus for processing water;
a machine-readable storage medium, configured to store processor-executable instructions; and
one or more sensors, including at least one proximity sensor, configured to provide the apparatus with status assessments including location and movement of at least one of the users;
wherein for executing the executable instructions, the processor is configured to perform the following:
determine, in response to detecting an open status by the one or more sensors, a water usage amount of processed water used by the object;
determine water usage time for the object;
calculate a time required for water preparation according to the water usage amount, a water preparation speed of the apparatus for processing water and a residual amount of processed water remained in the apparatus; and
determine a time of starting water preparation according to the time required for water preparation and the water usage time,
wherein when determining the water usage amount of processed water which is used by the object, the processor is further configured to:
calculate an average water usage amount for the object according to a historical water usage amount for the object;
acquire change information reflecting a change of the object, as provided by the one or more sensors including at least one proximity sensor;
acquire a value of a fluctuation parameter used to indicate a fluctuation of the water usage amount; and
determine the water usage amount for the object based on the average water usage amount for the object, the change information and the value of the fluctuation parameter;
and wherein the water processing apparatus is configured to start processing the water, responsive to the change information, at the determined time, and continue processing the water for the required time, and at the water preparation speed, in order to provide a determined amount of processed water.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein when acquiring the change information of the object, the processor is caused to:
read preset data of a user terminal corresponding to each user of the object; and
determine the change information on a number of the users of the object according to the preset data.

10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein when acquiring the value of the fluctuation parameter of the water usage amount, the processor is further caused to:
receive a value of the fluctuation parameter inputted by a user corresponding to the object; or
calculate the value of the fluctuation parameter according to historical statistics information.

11. The system according to claim 8 wherein when determining the water
usage time for the object, the processor is further caused to:
acquire, from a server, a distance between a l

Assignees

• Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wu Ke

Classifications

• G06Q10/06315 Primary

  Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis · CPC title

• B67D7/766

  of water separators · CPC title

• C02F2209/44

  Time · CPC title

• C02F2209/008

  comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas · CPC title

• C02F2101/20

  Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds · CPC title