Systems and Methods for Providing Network Connectivity and Remote Monitoring, Optimization, and Control of Pool/Spa Equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023142306-A1
Application number	US-202218086887-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 22, 2022
Priority date	Jan 22, 2016
Publication date	May 11, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing network connectivity and remote monitoring, optimization, and control of pool/spa equipment are provided. “Internet-of-Things” (IoT) functionality is provided for pool and spa equipment in a flexible and cost-effective manner. Network connectivity and remote monitoring/control of pool and spa equipment is provided by various components such as a network communication and local control subsystem installed in pool/spa equipment, and other components. Also disclosed are various control processes (“pool logic”) which can be embodied as software code installed in any of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A control system for a pool or a spa device, comprising:
a controller in communication with a pool or spa device, said controller monitoring operational parameters of said pool or spa device and controlling operation of said pool or spa device; and a wireless transceiver in communication with the controller, said wireless transceiver capable of establishing: (1) a first wireless communications link between said wireless transceiver and a mobile device, and (2) a second wireless communications link to a second wireless transceiver, said second wireless transceiver establishing a communications link between said second wireless transceiver and a remote computer system over the Internet; wherein said wireless transceiver transmits said operational parameters of said pool or spa device to at least one of said mobile device or said remote computer system, and receives commands for controlling said pool or spa device from at least one of said mobile device or said remote computer system.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pool or spa device is a variable speed pump.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless transceiver communicates with the controller via an RS-485 communication interface.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communications link is a Wi-Fi hotspot communications link between the wireless transceiver and the mobile device.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless transceiver is communicatively coupled to a user interface device.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the user interface device includes one or more LEDs configured to indicate a status of the pool or spa device.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the user interface device includes one or more LEDs configured to indicate a status of the wireless transceiver.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more LEDs are configured to indicate a status of the first wireless communications link or the second wireless communications link.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device communicates with the remote computer system.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the mobile device is configured to generate a user interface, the user interface of the mobile device displaying one or more of the operational parameters of the pool or spa device.

11 . A system for monitoring and controlling a variable speed pump, comprising:
a variable speed pump; a pump controller configured to monitor operational parameters of the variable speed pump and to control operation of the variable speed pump; and a communication module including a wired communication subsystem and a wireless communication subsystem, the wired communication subsystem operatively coupled to the pump controller and receiving one or more of the operational parameters of the variable speed pump; wherein the wireless communication subsystem is configured to transmit one or more of the operational parameters of the variable speed pump to a cloud-based pool or spa control system via a communications network; wherein the wireless communication subsystem is configured to transmit one or more of the operational parameters of the variable speed pump to a mobile device via direct wireless communication; wherein the communication module is configured to receive one or more control parameters from one or more of the cloud-based pool or spa control system and the mobile device and transmit the one or more control parameters to the pump controller; and wherein the pump controller controls operation of the variable speed pump based on the one or more control parameters.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the wired communication subsystem is operatively coupled to the pump controller via an RS-485 communications interface.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the pump controller receives one or more of the control parameters from the mobile device via a direct wireless communications link.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the direct wireless communications link is a Wi-Fi hotspot communications link.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the communication module includes a user interface device.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the user interface device includes one or more LEDs configured to indicate a status of the variable speed pump.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the user interface device includes one or more LEDs configured to indicate a status of the communication module.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more LEDs are configured to indicate a status of the wireless communication subsystem.

19 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the mobile device is configured to generate a user interface.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the user interface of the mobile device displays one or more of the operational parameters of the variable speed pump.

21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the user interface of the mobile device is configured to receive the one or more control parameters.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the user interface of the mobile device is configured to receive one or more additional control parameters for one or more additional pool or spa devices.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the variable speed pump includes one or more integral relays.

24 . The system of claim 23 , wherein the pump controller controls operation of the one or more additional pool or spa devices via the one or more integral relays based on the one or more additional control parameters received by the mobile device.

25 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the one or more additional pool or spa devices comprise one or more of a heating system, a cooling system, a sanitization system, a valve actuator, and lighting system.

26 . A wireless communications module for a pool or a spa device, comprising:
a processor configured to monitor and control a pool or spa device; a wireless communications subsystem including a wireless transceiver in communication with the processor, said wireless transceiver capable of establishing: (1) a first wireless communications link between said wireless transceiver and a mobile device; and (2) a second wireless communications link between said wireless transceiver and a remote computer system over the Internet; and a wired communications subsystem in communication with the processor, said wired communications subsystem including a wired communications interface capable of establishing a wired communications link between the processor and the pool or spa device; wherein said processor is configured to monitor one or more operational parameters of said pool or spa device over the wired communications link and transmit said one or more operational parameters to at least one of: (1) the mobile device over the first wireless communications link; and (2) the remote computer system over the second wireless communications link; wherein said processor is configured to receive one or more commands for controlling said pool or spa device from at least one of: (1) the mobile device over the first wireless communications link; and (2) the remote computer system over the second wireless communications link; and wherein said processor is configured to control said pool or spa device over the wired communications link.

27 . The module of claim 26 , wherein the processor, the wireless communicat

Assignees

• Hayward Ind Inc

Inventors

• Potucek Kevin
• Murdock James
• Carter James
• Fournier Gregory
• Johnson Iii Arthur W
• Blaine David
• Debruin Jason
• Parcell Jason
• Horrocks Craig
• Wiseman Kristopher Robert
• Denkewicz Raymond
• Sawyer Jr Douglas
• Petty Scott
• Aubrey Bruce
• Willis Vance
• Roy William
• Corn Benjamin

Classifications

• A61H2201/5043

  Displays · CPC title

• A61H2201/5082

  Temperature sensors · CPC title

• E04H4/129

  Systems for heating the water content of swimming pools (solar collectors using pools F24S10/17, F24S10/10; by solar radiation F24S20/02) · CPC title

• G05B19/416 Primary

  characterised by control of velocity, acceleration or deceleration (G05B19/19 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61H2201/0221

  Mechanism for heating or cooling · CPC title