# US 12,110,669 B2 · Shower with electronically-actuated mode changing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,669 B2 - Document ID: US12110669B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/241,764 - Filed: 2021-04-27 - Published: 2021-10-28 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-28 - Assignees: Kohler Co. - Applicants: Kohler Co. - Inventors: Chanseol Chung - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110669B2 ## CPC - E03C 1/057: {touchless, i.e. using sensors} - G10L 25/48: specially adapted for particular use - B05B 1/12: capable of producing different kinds of discharge, e.g. either jet or spray (having selectively-effective outlets B05B1/16) - B05B 1/16: having selectively- effective outlets - B05B 1/169: {having three or more selectively effective outlets} - B05B 1/182: {characterised by their outlet openings or elements; Mounting arrangements therefor} - B05B 1/1823: {Concentric or coaxial groups} - B05B 12/00: Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area - E03C 1/0405: {enabling multiple spray patterns} - E03C 1/0408: {Water installations especially for showers (E03C1/06 takes precedence; shower heads B05B1/18)} - E03C 2201/30: Diverter valves in faucets or taps - G10L 25/03: characterised by the type of extracted parameters - G10L 25/27: characterised by the analysis technique - E03C: DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER (not connected to either water-supply main or to waste pipe A47K; devices of the kind used in the ground E03B, E03F); SINKS - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) ## Abstract A shower system for controlling a spray pattern of water includes a sprayer and a control device. The sprayer includes a housing and an electronic diverter. The housing includes a water inlet and a plurality of water outlets configured to discharge water from the housing to form a plurality of different spray patterns. The electronic diverter is located within the housing and configured to automatically divert the water to different sets of the plurality of water outlets to form the plurality of different spray patterns responsive to an instruction signal. The control device is separate from the sprayer and is configured to provide the instruction signal to the electronic diverter to cause the electronic diverter to change between the plurality of different spray patterns. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A shower system for controlling a spray pattern of water, the shower system comprising: a sprayer comprising: a housing comprising a water inlet and a plurality of water outlets configured to discharge water from the housing to form a plurality of different spray patterns; and an electronic diverter located within the housing and configured to automatically divert the water to different sets of the plurality of water outlets to form the plurality of different spray patterns responsive to an instruction signal, wherein the electronic diverter is configured to transition between the plurality of different spray patterns within a rotation interval less than an amount of time required for the water discharged from the housing to form a spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns; and a control device separate from the sprayer and configured to provide the instruction signal to the electronic diverter to cause the electronic diverter to change between the plurality of different spray patterns. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The shower system of claim 1, wherein the electronic diverter comprises a pattern wheel configured to rotate between a plurality of different positions to form the plurality of different spray patterns. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The shower system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of different positions comprise: a first position in which the pattern wheel causes the water discharged from the housing to form a first spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns; a second position in which the pattern wheel causes the water discharged from the housing to form a second spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns; and a third position in which the pattern wheel causes the water discharged from the housing to form a third spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The shower system of claim 3, wherein: the second position is located between the first position and the third position such that rotation of the pattern wheel from the first position to the third position causes the pattern wheel to rotate sequentially from the first position to the second position and then from the second position to the third position; and during rotation from the first position to the third position, the electronic diverter is configured to cause the pattern wheel to remain in the second position for less than an amount of time required for the second spray pattern to form such that the water discharged from the housing changes from the first spray pattern to the third spray pattern without forming the second spray pattern. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The shower system of claim 2, wherein the electronic diverter comprises an actuator configured to rotate the pattern wheel from a first position of the plurality of different positions to a second position of the plurality of different positions within the rotation interval less than the amount of time required for the water discharged from the housing to form the spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The shower system of claim 5, wherein the amount of time required for the water discharged from the housing to form the spray pattern is between 0.5 seconds and 0.7 seconds. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The shower system of claim 1, wherein the sprayer comprises a power supply contained within the housing and configured to supply power to the electronic diverter, the power supply configured to charge using kinetic energy derived from a flow of water through the sprayer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The shower system of claim 1, wherein the control device comprises a user interface and is configured to generate the instruction signal to cause the electronic diverter to change between the plurality of different spray patterns based on user input provided via the user interface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The shower system of claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to extract audio characteristics from a sound file and generate the instruction signal to cause the electronic diverter to change between the plurality of different spray patterns based on the audio characteristics of the sound file. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The shower system of claim 9, wherein the control device is configured to: split the sound file into a plurality of segments; calculate an audio frequency of each segment of the sound file; generate a sequence of spray patterns by matching the audio frequency of each segment of the sound file to a corresponding spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns; and generate the instruction signal to cause the electronic diverter to provide the sequence of spray patterns. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The shower system of claim 10, wherein calculating the audio frequency of each segment of the sound file comprises performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of each segment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The shower system of claim 9, wherein the control device is configured to: split the sound file into a segment having a time interval; calculate a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of the segment; determine a first peak and a second peak of the FFT, the first peak corresponding to a first frequency and a first amplitude, and the second peak corresponding to a second frequency and a second amplitude; calculate a weighted average of the first peak and the second peak; match the weighted average to a corresponding spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns; and generate the instruction signal to cause the electronic diverter to provide the corresponding spray pattern. ### Claim 13 A sprayer for use in a shower environment, the sprayer comprising: a housing comprising a water inlet and a plurality of water outlets configured to discharge water from the housing to form a plurality of different spray patterns; an electronic diverter located within the housing and configured to transition the water discharged from the housing between the plurality of different spray patterns responsive to an instruction signal provided by a control device separate from the sprayer, wherein the electronic diverter is configured to transition between the plurality of different spray patterns within a rotation interval less than an amount of time required for the water discharged from the housing to form a spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns, the electronic diverter comprising: a pattern wheel configured to rotate between a plurality of different positions to form the plurality of different spray patterns; and an actuator configured to operate the pattern wheel to rotate between the plurality of different positions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The sprayer of claim 13, wherein the plurality of different positions comprise: a first position in which the pattern wheel causes the water discharged from the housing to form a first spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns; a second position in which the pattern wheel causes the water discharged from the housing to form a second spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns; and a third position in which the pattern wheel causes the water discharged from the housing to form a third spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The sprayer of claim 14, wherein: the second position is located between the first position and the third position such that rotation of the pattern wheel from the first position to the third position causes the pattern wheel to rotate sequentially from the first position to the second position and then from the second position to the third position; and during rotation from the first position to the third position, the actuator is configured to cause the pattern wheel to remain in the second position for less than an amount of time required for the second spray pattern to form such that the water discharged from the housing changes from the first spray pattern to the third spray pattern without forming the second spray pattern. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The sprayer of claim 13, wherein the actuator is configured to rotate the pattern wheel from a first position of the plurality of different positions to a second position of the plurality of different positions within the rotation interval less than the amount of time required for the water discharged from the housing to form the spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The sprayer of claim 16, wherein the amount of time required for the water discharged from the housing to form the spray pattern is between approximately 0.5 seconds and approximately 0.7 seconds. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The sprayer of claim 13, further comprising a power supply contained within the housing and configured to supply power to the electronic diverter, the power supply configured to charge using kinetic energy derived from a flow of water through the sprayer. ### Claim 19 A method for controlling a sprayer in a shower system, the method comprising: generating, at a control device separate from the sprayer, an instruction signal for the sprayer to change between a plurality of different spray patterns; providing the instruction signal from the control device to an electronic diverter located within a housing of the sprayer, the housing comprising a water inlet and a plurality of water outlets configured to discharge water from the housing; operating the electronic diverter responsive to the instruction signal to automatically divert the water to different sets of the plurality of water outlets to form the plurality of different spray patterns, wherein operating the electronic diverter comprises transitioning between the plurality of different spray patterns within a rotation interval less than an amount of time required for the water discharged from the housing to form a spray pattern of the plurality of different spray patterns. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method claim 19, wherein operating the electronic diverter responsive to the instruction signal comprises operating a pattern wheel of the electronic diverter to rotate between a plurality of different positions to form the plurality of different spray patterns.