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US 11,255,076 B2Granted
System and method for controlling and monitoring bathroom water flow
AssigneeAbstract Engineering, Inc.
InventorsGreg Floyd, Ian Howard, Rahul Verma, Cameron Meziere, Emily Hood, Michael Mayes, Priya Sara Thomas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosure relates to a device that saves water, energy, and money and may record the savings with a software analytics dashboard. The device allows cold water to flow out when the shower is first turned on and slows or shuts water flow once the water is heated and the shower is unoccupied. After the presence of the user is detected, the shower flow may resume.
Claims32
A method of operating a bathing device for use in a bath stall, the bathing device comprising a housing, the housing containing a processing device, an inlet, a solenoid valve, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and an occupancy sensor, the method comprising:
- flowing water, received at the inlet, at a first flow rate through the solenoid valve, which is in an opened state, toward an outlet of the bathing device for use in the bath stall;
- determining, by the processing device via the temperature sensor, a temperature of the flowing water inside the solenoid valve, wherein the temperature of the flowing water is variable;
- determining, by the processing device via the pressure sensor, pressure inside of the solenoid valve;
- transmitting, by the occupancy sensor, a transmission signal toward the bath stall;
- receiving, by the occupancy sensor, a reception signal based on a reflection of the transmission signal;
- determining, by the processing device, whether the bath stall is occupied based on comparing the reception signal and one or more baseline signals;
- decreasing the first flow rate to below the first flow rate by at least partially closing the solenoid valve in response to
- (i) determining that the temperature of the flowing water inside the solenoid valve is at a steady state or greater than a temperature threshold,
- (ii) determining that the pressure inside the solenoid valve is above a pressure threshold, and
- (iii) determining that the bath stall is unoccupied;
- and
- maintaining flow of the water at the first flow rate through the solenoid valve in response to
- (i) determining that the temperature of the flowing water inside the solenoid valve is at a steady state or greater than a temperature threshold,
- (ii) determining that the pressure inside the solenoid valve is above a pressure threshold, and
- (iii) determining that the bath stall is occupied.
12 more elements
A bathing device, comprising:
- a housing having an inlet configured to receive flowing water at a first flow rate through a solenoid valve, which is in an open state, toward an outlet for use in the bath stall;
- a processing device housed in the housing;
- a temperature sensor comprised in the housing, wherein the processing device is configured to determine, via the temperature sensor, a temperature of the flowing water inside the solenoid valve, wherein the temperature of the flowing water is variable;
- a solenoid valve housed in the housing;
- a pressure sensor housed in the housing, wherein the processing device is configured to determine, via the pressure sensor, pressure inside of the solenoid valve;
- and
- an occupancy sensor housed in the housing, the occupancy sensor being configured to transmit a transmission signal toward the bath stall and to receive a reception signal based on a reflection of the transmission signal,
- wherein the processing device is configured to determine whether the bath stall is occupied based on comparing the reception signal and one or more baseline signals,
- wherein the processing device is configured to decrease the first flow rate to below the first flow rate by at least partially closing the solenoid valve in response to
- (i) determining that the temperature of the flowing water inside the solenoid is at a steady state or greater than a temperature threshold,
- (ii) determining that the pressure inside the solenoid is above a pressure threshold, and
- (iii) determining that the bath stall is unoccupied,
- wherein the processing device is configured to maintain flow of the water at the first flow rate through the solenoid valve in response to
- (i) determining that the temperature of the flowing water inside the solenoid is at a steady state or greater than a temperature threshold,
- (ii) determining that the pressure is above a pressure threshold, and
- (iii) determining that the bath stall is occupied.
13 more elements
A method of operating a bathing device for use in a bath stall, the bathing device comprising a housing, the housing containing a processing device, an inlet, a solenoid valve, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and an occupancy sensor, the method comprising:
- flowing water received at the inlet at a first flow rate through the solenoid valve, which is in an opened state, of the bathing device toward an outlet for use in the bath stall;
- determining, by the processing device via the temperature sensor, a temperature of the flowing water, wherein the temperature of the flowing water is variable;
- determining, by the processing device via the pressure sensor, pressure inside of the solenoid valve;
- transmitting, by the occupancy sensor, a transmission signal toward the bath stall;
- receiving, by the occupancy sensor, a reception signal based on a reflection of the transmission signal;
- determining, by the processing device, whether the bath stall is occupied based on comparing the reception signal and one or more baseline signals;
- responsive to determining that the temperature of the flowing water is at a steady state or greater than a temperature threshold and that the pressure is above a pressure threshold, decreasing the first flow rate to below the first flow rate by at least partially closing the solenoid valve after determining that the bath stall is unoccupied;
- responsive to determining that the temperature of the flowing water is at a steady state or greater than a temperature threshold and that the pressure is above a pressure threshold, maintaining flow of the water at the first flow rate through the opened solenoid valve after determining that the bath stall is occupied;
- transmitting, by the occupancy sensor, one or more second transmission signals toward one or more sources of water flow;
- receiving, by the occupancy sensor, one or more second reception signals based on reflection of the one or more second transmission signals;
- and
- transmitting, by the occupancy sensor, information associated with the one or more second reception signals for determining metering information associated with the one or more sources of water flow.
9 more elements
A bathing device, comprising:
- a housing having an inlet configured to receive flowing water at a first flow rate through an opened a solenoid valve, which is in an open state, of the bathing device toward an outlet for use in the bath stall;
- a processing device housed in the housing;
- a temperature sensor comprised in the housing, wherein the processing device is configured to determine, via the temperature sensor, a temperature of the flowing water, wherein the temperature of the flowing water is variable;
- a solenoid valve housed in the housing;
- a pressure sensor housed in the housing, wherein the processing device is configured to determine, via the pressure sensor, pressure inside of the solenoid valve;
- and
- an occupancy sensor housed in the housing, the occupancy sensor being configured to transmit a transmission signal toward the bath stall and to receive a reception signal based on a reflection of the transmission signal,
- wherein the processing device is configured to determine whether the bath stall is occupied based on comparing the reception signal and one or more baseline signals,
- wherein responsive to determining that the temperature of the flowing water is at a steady state or greater than a temperature threshold and that the pressure is above a pressure threshold, the processing device is configured to decrease the first flow rate to below the first flow rate by at least partially closing the solenoid valve after determining that the bath stall is unoccupied,
- wherein responsive to determining that the temperature of the flowing water is at a steady state or greater than a temperature threshold and that the pressure is above a pressure threshold, the processing device is configured to maintain flow of the water at the first flow rate through the opened solenoid valve after determining that the bath stall is occupied,
- wherein the occupancy sensor is configured to:
- transmit one or more second transmission signals toward one or more sources of water flow,
- receive one or more second reception signals based on reflection of the one or more second transmission signals, and
- transmit information associated with the one or more second reception signals for determining metering information associated with the one or more sources of water flow.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.