US 12,281,817 B2 · Methods and systems and apparatus to support reduced energy and water usage

Abstract

Provided is a method of signalling a command to a water heating appliance remote from a controllable water outlet fed from the appliance via a water supply installation, the method comprising: monitoring the water supply that feeds the controllable water outlet; detecting a sequence of changes in a property or state of the water supply consequent on operation of the controllable water outlet; correlating the sequence of changes with a stored pattern; detecting a match above a stored threshold; interpreting the match as a command. It is thus possible to manipulate a tap, or other controllable water outlet, to signal to a processor so that the temperature or flow rate of water supplied by the outlet can be increased. Thus a water supply system may have default flow and temperature levels designed for economy and low water usage, but a user can on demand override one or both of these limitations without the necessity of needing to go to the appliance to reset it. The water heating appliance is preferably an instantaneous water heating appliance. Also provided is a water supply installation including a water heating appliance, a controllable water outlet remote from the appliance, a water supply line arranged to feed the controllable water outlet with heated water from the appliance, and at least one sensor to sense a property or state of the water supply line, and a processor coupled to the at least one sensor; the processor being configured to detect a sequence of changes in a property or state of the water supply consequent on operation of the controllable water outlet; correlate the sequence of changes with a stored pattern; detect a match above a stored threshold; interpret the match as a command; and take an action in accordance with the command.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method of signalling a command to a water heating appliance from a controllable water outlet supplied with water from the water heating appliance via a water supply line, the water heating appliance incorporating a renewable energy source in a form of a heat pump or a solar heating arrangement, and an energy store containing an energy storage medium to store thermal energy, and an instantaneous water heater, the method comprising:

monitoring the water supply line that feeds the controllable water outlet;
detecting a sequence of at least three changes within an interval of less than five seconds in a property or state of the water supply consequent on operation of the controllable water outlet;
correlating the sequence of changes with a stored pattern of changes;
determining whether the sequence of at least three changes and the stored pattern of changes match within a stored threshold;
interpreting the match as the command;
wherein the water heating appliance is arranged initially to provide heated water in a first mode when the controllable water outlet is opened and is arranged to switch to a second mode when the command is received;
wherein the first mode comprises an economy mode using one or both of the renewable energy source and stored thermal energy from the energy store wherein the renewable energy source is used depending on the amount of thermal energy stored in the energy storage medium, and
wherein the second mode comprises using the instantaneous water heater as required to achieve a predetermined target flow and temperature;
and
wherein the purpose of the command is to change a flow rate or the temperature of the water supplied by the controllable water outlet.

7 more elements

A water heating appliance arranged to supply water to a controllable water outlet remote from the water heating appliance, the water heating appliance incorporating a renewable energy source in a form of a heat pump or a solar heating arrangement, and an energy store containing an energy storage medium to store thermal energy, and an instantaneous water heater, the renewable energy source being arranged to supply energy to the energy storage arrangement, the water heating appliance comprising:

a water supply line arranged to feed the controllable water outlet with heated water from the water heating appliance;
at least one sensor to sense a property or state of the water supply line;
and
a processor coupled to the at least one sensor,
the processor being configured to:
process data received from the at least one sensor to monitor a property or state of the water supply line that feeds the controllable water outlet;
detect a sequence of at least three changes within an interval of less than five seconds in a property or state of the water supply consequent on operation of the controllable water outlet;
correlate the sequence of changes with a stored pattern of changes;
determine that the sequence of at least three changes and the stored pattern of changes match within a stored threshold;
and
interpret the match as a command;
wherein the water heating appliance is arranged initially to provide heated water in a first mode when the controllable water outlet is opened and is arranged to switch to a second mode when the command is received;
wherein the first mode comprises an economy mode using one or both of the renewable energy source and stored thermal energy from the energy store wherein the renewable energy source is used depending on the amount of thermal energy stored in the energy storage medium, and
wherein the second mode comprises using the instantaneous water heater to achieve a predetermined target flow and temperature;
and
wherein the purpose of the command is to change a flow rate or the temperature of the water supplied by the controllable water outlet.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and systems and apparatus to support reduced energy and water usage

Life of this patent

Methods and systems and apparatus to support reduced energy and water usage

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17