Control device detection for pool or spa systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025152468-A1
Application number	US-202418941608-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 8, 2024
Priority date	Nov 15, 2023
Publication date	May 15, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for control device detection for pool or spa systems are disclosed. In an example method, a computing system outputs, to a first electrical port, a test signal. The computing system determines an electrical measurement for the first electrical port using the test signal. The computing system identifies a first control device for a first piece of pool or spa equipment based on the electrical measurement. The computing device records first information about the first control device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A pool automation controller for detecting electrical components of a pool or spa system, comprising:
one or more electrical ports, each electrical port configured to receive a connection to a control device associated with a piece of pool or spa equipment; one or more non-transitory computer-readable media; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, the one or more processors configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable media to perform operations including:
outputting, to a first electrical port, a test signal;
determining an electrical measurement for the first electrical port using the test signal;
identifying a first control device for a first piece of pool or spa equipment based on the electrical measurement; and
recording first information about the first control device.

2 . The pool automation controller of claim 1 , wherein recording the first information about the first control device comprises:
outputting, to a client device, the first information to cause the client device to generate a request for second information about a mapping of the first piece of pool or spa equipment to the first control device using a user interface; and receiving, from the client device, the second information about the mapping, wherein the second information about the mapping is useable to update a system status for the pool or spa system.

3 . The pool automation controller of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute additional processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable media to perform additional operations comprising:
outputting, to a plurality of electrical ports, a test signal for each electrical port; determining an electrical measurement for each electrical port of the plurality of electrical ports using the respective test signals; identifying a plurality of control devices for pieces of pool or spa equipment based on the corresponding electrical measurements; recording second information about the plurality of control devices; receiving, from a client device, for each control device of the plurality of control devices, information about an association of the control device with a piece of pool or spa equipment; and outputting, to the client device, a system status including a mapping of a piece of pool or spa equipment for each control device of the plurality of control devices.

4 . The pool automation controller of claim 1 , further comprising a digital interface and wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute additional processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable media to perform additional operations comprising:
receiving second information about a second piece of pool or spa equipment, wherein the second piece of pool or spa equipment is communicatively coupled with the pool automation controller via the digital interface; and recording third information about the second piece of pool or spa equipment, wherein the third information is useable to update a system status for the pool or spa system.

5 . The pool automation controller of claim 1 , further comprising one or more inductance coils configured to measure a current induced by an alternating-current (“AC”) electrical input, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute additional processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable media to perform additional operations comprising:
receiving second information about one or more first induced currents from the one or more inductance coils for a second piece of pool or spa equipment;
identifying the second piece of pool or spa equipment based on the one or more first induced currents; and
recording third information about the second piece of pool or spa equipment, wherein the third information is useable to update a system status for the pool or spa system.

6 . The pool automation controller of claim 1 , wherein the test signal is output to the first electrical port in response to a triggering event, the triggering event being one of: a startup of the pool automation controller; an expiration of a periodically occurring predetermined period of time; or a detection of a connection to the first electrical port.

7 . The pool automation controller of claim 1 , wherein:
the first control device is a valve actuator; and the first piece of pool or spa equipment is a valve configured to direct flow of water to or from a body of water associated with the pool or spa system.

8 . The pool automation controller of claim 1 , wherein:
the first control device is an electromechanical relay; and the first piece of pool or spa equipment is one of a pump, a heater, or a light.

9 . The pool automation controller of claim 1 , wherein:
the first piece of pool or spa equipment is a temperature sensor; and the first control device is the temperature sensor.

10 . The pool automation controller of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute additional processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable media to perform an additional operation comprising:
determining, based on the first information about the first control device, a type of the first piece of pool or spa equipment based, wherein the type is one of a valve, a pump, a heater, or a light.

11 . The pool automation controller of claim 1 , wherein:
outputting, to the first electrical port, the test signal comprises applying a predetermined voltage across one or more terminals of the first electrical port to cause a current in a circuit including the one or more terminals of the first electrical port and the first control device; and the electrical measurement for the first electrical port is one of a first measurement of the current in the circuit or a second measurement of a voltage drop based on at least one voltage determined using the one or more terminals of the first electrical port.

12 . The pool automation controller of claim 1 , wherein the test signal is applied for a predetermined first duration, the predetermined first duration being less than a second duration required to activate the first piece of pool or spa equipment.

13 . The pool automation controller of claim 1 , further comprising one or more inductance coils configured to measure a current induced by an AC electrical input and wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute additional processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable media to perform additional operations comprising:
receiving information about one or more first induced currents from the one or more inductance coils for the first piece of pool or spa equipment connected to the first electrical port; identifying the first piece of pool or spa equipment based on the one or more first induced currents; and automatically generating information about an association of the first control device with the identified first piece of pool or spa equipment.

14 . A method, comprising:
outputting, to a first electrical port, a test signal; determining an electrical measurement for the first electrical port using the test signal; identifying a first control device for a first piece of pool or spa equipment based on the electrical measurement; and recording first information about the first control device.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
outputt

Assignees

• Zodiac Pool Systems Llc

Inventors

• Eames Darin
• Minassian Minas
• Bareng Eusebio Domingo
• Morrison Sandra
• Young Jeremy

Classifications

• E04H4/14

  Parts, details or accessories not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A61H2201/5082

  Temperature sensors · CPC title

• A61H2201/5015

  using specific interfaces or standards, e.g. USB, serial, parallel · CPC title

• A61H2033/0083

  Illumination · CPC title

• A61H2033/0079

  using remote control signal transmission devices, e.g. ultrasonic, infrared · CPC title