Dockable remote control for portable spas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9326912-B2
Application number	US-201414262597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2014
Priority date	Jan 14, 2014
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A waterproof, floatable and dockable remote control for controlling portable spa functions comprising a waterproof touch screen display and a sealed battery housing containing a battery rechargeable by wireless power transfer wherein the remote communicates over a wireless link with a spa-based controller and employs a graphic display system designed to maintain graphics responsiveness while extending battery life.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A waterproof floatable remote control for a spa comprising:
a top housing comprising a first upper step leading to a second lower step;
a top polyester layer;
a first adhesive layer located about the perimeter of an underside of the top polyester layer and attaching the top polyester layer to a tread portion of the first upper step;
a clear polycarbonate layer having a sidewall lying adjacent a riser portion of the first upper step and having a rectangular top surface;
a resistive touch screen structure comprising an upper conductive layer located on a backside of the top polyester layer and spaced apart from a lower conductive layer located on a top surface of the clear polycarbonate layer;
a perimeter adhesive formed around a perimeter of the touch screen structure and bonding the backside of the top polyester layer to the top surface of the clear polycarbonate layer;
a second adhesive layer fastening a bottom surface of the polycarbonate layer to a tread portion of the second lower step;
an LCD module positioned adjacent a riser portion of the second lower step;
a clear optical bonding adhesive adhering the back of the polycarbonate layer to the top of the LCD module;
wherein the first adhesive layer on the underside of the top polyester layer forms a primary water proof seal and wherein the top polyester layer has a width greater than that of a width of the touch screen structure thereby preventing the touch screen structure from being exposed to water; and
wherein the second layer of adhesive provides mechanical support for both the polyester layer and the LCD module.

2. The remote control of claim 1 further comprising:
a bottom housing configured to mate with and attach to said top housing and having a receptacle therein;
a battery assembly mounted in said receptacle and comprising:
(a) a rectangular housing;
(b) a rechargeable battery assembly comprising a battery mounted in said housing; and
(c) a power receiving coil mounted in said housing beneath said battery assembly for charging said rechargeable battery;
wherein the rectangular housing of the battery assembly comprises:
a bottom part mating with a top part;
a watertight gland seal between said bottom part and said receptacle; and
wherein the battery assembly and the power receiving coil are centered within the bottom housing to promote even floating of the remote control.

3. The remote control of claim 1 further comprising a circuit board assembly mounted on a topside of the bottom housing.

4. The remote control of claim 3 wherein the circuit board assembly is positioned by two pegs or bosses and is attached by screws at each of four corners.

5. The remote control of claim 3 wherein a flexible electronic connector passes from the touch screen structure through an opening in a stepped housing cavity, then into a circuit board cavity, and then attaches to the circuit board assembly.

6. The remote control of claim 1 wherein the layers are concentric.

7. The remote control of claim 1 further configured to removably mount to a docking station fixedly located in a spa.

8. The remote control of claim 7 wherein said docking station comprises a communications interface to a central spa controller within the spa, a radio for communication with the remote, a wireless power transmitter, and a WiFi module for communication to nearby WiFi devices, such as a smart phone.

9. The remote control of claim 1 wherein a central cavity is defined by the riser portion of the second step.

10. The remote control of claim 2 wherein a gland seal is positioned between respective vertical walls of the top and bottom housings and a secondary seal is formed by a soft gel material embedded in a channel in the top housing into which protrudes the vertical wall of the bottom housing.

11. The remote control of claim 10 wherein the top and bottom housings are held together with first and second plastic snaps molded into the housings, as well as by threaded fasteners.

12. The remote control of claim 1 further comprising a graphics display system comprising a screen configuration table memory, a graphics memory, an SDRAM, and graphics electronics controlling image display on a display screen, the system being configured to:
preload screens from the flash memory to SDRAM upon system power-up based on the screen configuration table memory;
respond to a first command from a spa controller to draw a first new screen by sending image data from a memory buffer portion of SDRAM to the graphics electronics to cause display of the image represented by the image data;
respond to commands from the spa controller to update the first new screen image by constructing a new update image in a dynamic buffer portion of SDRAM; and
instantaneously cause display of the new image stored in the dynamic buffer to replace the image originally presented from the SDRAM memory buffer.

13. The remote control of claim 12 wherein the system is further configured to update the screen configuration table memory to reflect the new image being displayed.

14. The remote control of claim 12 wherein the screens which are preloaded during power-up comprise those screens which are most frequently used.

15. The remote control of claim 12 wherein the commands from the spa controller are received over a wireless link comprising a wireless transceiver located in said remote control.

16. The remote control of claim 12 wherein said graphics memory comprises flash memory.

Assignees

• Nicholson Larry
• Watkins Mfg Corp

Inventors

• Nicholson Larry

Classifications

• A61H2201/5007

  computer controlled · CPC title

• A61H2201/0115

  used in water · CPC title

• A61H33/005 Primary

  Electrical circuits therefor · CPC title

• A61H2201/5046

  Touch screens · CPC title

• G02F1/13338

  Input devices, e.g. touch panels · CPC title