Smart shower sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12209398-B2
Application number	US-202117514689-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2021
Priority date	Oct 29, 2020
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

A smart shower sensor configured to be fluidly coupled to a showerhead. The smart shower sensor is configured to provide notifications and/or transmit notifications to other smart devices based on, for example, water temperature and/or water usage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart shower sensor comprising:
an inlet receiver configured to couple to a water source and receive water from the water source;
a conduit fluidly coupled to the inlet receiver and configured to receive the water from the inlet receiver;
a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the water in the conduit;
an indicator configured to emit a notification of the temperature and a duration of the water flowing through the conduit;
a processor configured to:
receive, from a temperature sensor, a temperature signal corresponding to the temperature;
determine the duration; and
send, to the indicator, a notification signal corresponding to the temperature signal and a duration signal corresponding to the duration, wherein the indicator emits a notification of the temperature and the duration in response to receiving the notification signal; and
the processor includes a behavioral processor configured to determine baseline usage based on an average of prior flow signals, determine usage deviation from the baseline usage, and provide a behavioral notification to the user device based upon the usage deviation exceeding by a threshold deviation.

2. The smart shower sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit a temperature notification corresponding to the temperature and a duration notification corresponding to the duration; and
wherein the processor is further configured to transmit to a computing device, via the transmitter, the temperature notification and the duration notification.

3. The smart shower sensor of claim 2 , further comprising:
a flow sensor configured to sense a flow of the water through the conduit; and
wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive a flow signal corresponding to the flow of the water; and
transmit, via the transmitter to the computing device, the flow signal.

4. The smart shower sensor of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine the temperature of the water exceeds a temperature threshold; and
wherein the notification signal comprises a burn alert indicating the temperature of the water exceeds the temperature threshold.

5. The smart shower sensor of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine the duration of the shower exceeds a duration threshold; and
wherein the notification signal comprises a conservation alert indicating the duration of the shower exceeds the duration threshold.

6. The smart shower sensor of claim 1 , wherein the notification is an olfactory notification.

7. The smart shower sensor of claim 1 , wherein the indicator comprises an Internet of Things (IoT) device in wireless communication with the processor and the notification is a visual notification, an auditory notification, and/or an olfactory notification.

8. The smart shower sensor of claim 7 , wherein the Internet of Things (IoT) device comprises a smart light source configured to provide a visual notification of different light colors over a duration of water flow through the conduit.

9. The smart shower sensor of claim 6 , further comprising:
a memory in communication with the processor; and
a plurality of presets stored in the memory, each preset defining properties of the notification.

10. The smart shower sensor of claim 9 , wherein:
the plurality of presets are accessible on a user interface of a mobile user device; and
each preset is configured to associate the temperature and the duration with properties of the notification.

11. The smart shower sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
an outlet fluidly coupled to the conduit;
a conventional showerhead threadably coupled to the outlet;
wherein the inlet receiver is threadably coupled to a shower arm which conveys water from a conventional manual mixing valve and the discharge of water from the conventional showerhead is controlled solely by the conventional manual mixing valve.

12. The smart shower sensor of claim 11 , further comprising:
a housing receiving the conduit;
a battery compartment supported by the housing; and
a cover removably supported by the housing to enclose the battery compartment.

13. A smart shower sensor system comprising:
an inlet receiver configured to couple to a conventional manual mixing valve and receive water from the conventional manual mixing valve;
a conduit fluidly coupled to the inlet receiver and configured to receive the water from the inlet receiver;
an outlet fluidly coupled to the conduit;
a conventional showerhead threadably coupled to the outlet wherein the discharge of water from the conventional showerhead is controlled solely by the conventional manual mixing valve;
a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the water in the conduit;
a flow sensor configured to sense a flow of the water through the conduit;
an indicator configured to emit a notification of at least one of the temperature and the flow of the water flowing through the conduit;
a processor configured to:
receive, from the temperature sensor, a temperature signal corresponding to the temperature;
receive, from the flow sensor, a flow signal corresponding to the flow of the water; and
send to the indicator, a notification signal corresponding to at least one of the temperature signal and the flow signal, wherein the indicator emits a notification of at least one of the temperature and the flow in response to receiving the notification signal;

wherein the notification is at least one of a visual notification, an auditory notification, and an olfactory notification; and
wherein the indicator comprises an Internet of Things (IoT) device in wireless communication with the processor.

14. The smart shower sensor system of claim 13 , wherein the indicator is configured to emit a notification of the temperature and a duration of the water flowing through the conduit.

15. The smart shower sensor system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit a temperature notification corresponding to the temperature and a duration notification corresponding to the duration; and
wherein the processor is further configured to transmit to a computing device, via the transmitter, the temperature notification and the duration notification.

16. The smart shower sensor system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine the duration of the shower exceeds a duration threshold; and
wherein the notification signal comprises a conservation alert indicating the duration of the shower exceeds the duration threshold.

17. The smart shower sensor system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine the temperature of the water exceeds a temperature threshold; and
wherein the notification signal comprises a burn alert indicating the temperature of the water exceeds the temperature threshold.

18. The smart shower sensor system of claim 13 ,
wherein the inlet receiver is threadably coupled to a shower arm.

19. The smart shower sensor system of claim 18 , further comprising:
a housing receiving the conduit;
a battery compartment supported by the housing; and
a cover removably supported by the housing to enclose the battery compartment.

20. The smart shower sensor system of claim 13 , wherein the Internet of Things (IoT) device comprises a smart light source configured to provide a visual notification of different light colors over a duration of water flow through the conduit.

Assignees

• Delta Faucet Co

Inventors

• Boyer Bradley E
• Wales Joshua Drew
• Sickler Nathan
• Davidson Kyle Robert

Classifications

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• G16Y20/10

  relating to the environment, e.g. temperature; relating to location · CPC title

• G16Y40/10

  Detection; Monitoring · CPC title

• H04W4/38

  for collecting sensor information · CPC title

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title