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US 2012/0233765 A1Published application
System and Method for Controlling the Environment of a Steambath
OwnerMitchell Altman, Scott Sharitz +1inventors
InventorsMitchell Altman, Scott Sharitz, Paul Ulman
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Abstract
A steambath system is responsive to verbal commands to control the various aspects of the shower and steam environment such as water flow rate, water temperature, steam activation/de-activation, lighting intensity and/or color, music volume, music content, quantity and type of fragrance released, showerhead selection, radio activation, volume and station selection, television activation, volume and channel selection, DVD player activation and DVD selection, CD player activation and CD selection, and humidity control, and in a preferred embodiment utilizes radio frequency (RF) communication.
Claims20
An apparatus for controlling the steam environment of an enclosure sufficiently sized to enclose a human user, comprising
- a central processing unit having first input port means capable of processing an electrical signal corresponding to at least one audio command, second input port means capable of processing an electrical signal corresponding to at least one mechanically generated command, third input port means capable of processing a temperature indicative electrical signal corresponding to a temperature within the enclosure, and at least one output port means, the central processing unit being capable of generating an output command signal at said at least one output port means in response to at least one input signal at least one input port means;
- first transducer means in operable communication with the first input port means of the central processing unit, and capable of generating a first electrical signal in response to an audio signal from within the enclosure;
- second transducer means in operable communication with the second input port means of the central processing unit, and capable of generating a second electrical signal in response to a mechanically generated command by the user from within the enclosure;
- a temperature sensor in operable communication with the third input port means of the central processing unit, and capable of generating an electrical signal responsive to the temperature within the enclosure;
- and
- a steam generator in operable communication with at least one output port means of the central processing unit, and having an output vent for releasing steam under control of an output command signal generated by the central processing unit.
3 more elements
For use with a shower/steam enclosure, a system for use by a human user to control the steam environment within the enclosure and comprising:
- speaker means for accepting verbal user-generated commands pertaining to the steam environment;
- a touch screen display apparatus for accepting user commands entered by the user and pertaining to the steam environment;
- a touch screen display driver configured for two-way communication with the touch screen, said touch screen being configured to communicate said commands to the touch screen driver and to display images communicated to it by the touch screen driver;
- a voice processing unit in two-way communication configuration with said speaker means for processing said verbal user-generated commands;
- and
- a main processing unit in communication with said speaker means, touch screen driver and voice recognition unit to generate control signals in response to user-generated commands for controlling the steam environment, said main processing unit being adapted to communicate said control signals to at least one steam-environment parameter controlling actuator.
3 more elements
An apparatus for controlling the steam environment of an enclosure sufficiently sized to enclose a human user, comprising
- a central processing unit having first input port means capable of processing an electrical signal corresponding to at least one audio command, second input port means capable of processing an electrical signal corresponding to at least one mechanically generated command, third input port means capable of processing a temperature indicative electrical signal corresponding to a temperature within the enclosure, and at least one output port means, fourth input port means capable of processing an electrical signal corresponding to at least one user initiated radio frequency signal;
- the central processing unit being capable of generating an output command signal at said at least one output port means in response to at least one input signal at least one input port means;
- first transducer means in operable communication with the first input port means of the central processing unit, and capable of generating a first electrical signal in response to an audio signal;
- second transducer means in operable communication with the second input port means of the central processing unit, and capable of generating a second electrical signal in response to a mechanically generated command by the user from within the enclosure;
- a temperature sensor in operable communication with the third input port means of the central processing unit, and capable of generating an electrical signal responsive to the temperature within the enclosure;
- a steam generator in operable communication with at least one output port means of the central processing unit, and having an output vent for releasing steam under control of an output command signal generated by the central processing unit;
- and,
- a radio-frequency to controller area network converter having a first port means in operable communication with the fourth input port means of the control processing unit,
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.