# US 2013/0167938 A1 · Remote monitoring shower water apparatus and method of remote monitoring a showering user > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0167938 A1 - Document ID: US20130167938A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/822,342 - Filed: 2011-09-22 - Published: 2013-07-04 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-24 - Assignees: DLP Limited - Inventors: Robert William Stimpson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130167938A1 ## CPC - A47K 3/281: {Accessories for showers or bathing douches, e.g. cleaning devices for walls or floors of showers (A47K3/30, A47K3/38, A47K3/40 take precedence)} - E03C 1/05: Arrangements of devices on wash-basins, baths, sinks, or the like for remote control of taps (remote control of taps or the like per se F16K) - Y10T 137/0324: With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid - Y10T 137/8326: Fluid pressure responsive indicator, recorder or alarm - A47K: SANITARY EQUIPMENT; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR, e.g. TOILET ACCESSORIES - 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 - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Remote-monitoring shower water apparatus comprises a housing, a shower water inlet at the housing, a shower water outlet at the housing, a controller at the housing which controls at least water flow from the shower water inlet to the shower water outlet, and a monitoring device which monitors at least one of the controller and the user of the controller. The monitoring device includes at least one sensor element and an offsite-signal transmitter at or adjacent to the housing which transmits a status signal to a carer location remote from an installation site of the shower water apparatus, based on a status of the sensor element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 (canceled) ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (canceled) ### Claim 4 (canceled) ### Claim 5 (canceled) ### Claim 6 (canceled) ### Claim 7 (canceled) ### Claim 8 (canceled) ### Claim 9 (canceled) ### Claim 10 (canceled) ### Claim 11 (canceled) ### Claim 12 (canceled) ### Claim 13 (canceled) ### Claim 14 (canceled) ### Claim 15 (canceled) ### Claim 16 (canceled) ### Claim 17 (canceled) ### Claim 18 (canceled) ### Claim 19 (canceled) ### Claim 20 (canceled) ### Claim 21 (canceled) ### Claim 22 (canceled) ### Claim 23 (canceled) ### Claim 24 (canceled) ### Claim 25 (canceled) ### Claim 26 (canceled) ### Claim 27 (canceled) ### Claim 28 (canceled) ### Claim 29 (canceled) ### Claim 30 (canceled) ### Claim 31 (canceled) ### Claim 32 (canceled) ### Claim 33 Remote-monitoring shower water apparatus comprising a housing, a shower water inlet at the housing, a shower water outlet at the housing, a controller at the housing which controls at least water flow from the shower water inlet to the shower water outlet, and a monitoring device which monitors at least one of the controller and the user of the controller, the monitoring device including a sensor element and an offsite-signal transmitter at or adjacent to the housing which transmits a status signal to a carer location remote from an installation site of the shower water apparatus based on a status of the sensor element. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the offsite-signal transmitter transmits a status signal to a remote carer location in a different building. ### Claim 35 (depends on 33) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the controller is an electronic controller, the monitoring device being energisable by a power supply of the controller. ### Claim 36 (depends on 33) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, further comprising an electric water heater, the monitoring device being energisable by a power supply of the water heater. ### Claim 37 (depends on 33) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, further comprising a comparator circuit which compares an output of the in use sensor element with a predetermined expected output, the offsite-signal transmitter being activatable if the said output is outside a parameter of the predetermined expected output. ### Claim 38 (depends on 33) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, further comprising an offsite-signal receiver at or adjacent to the housing which receives a control signal from the carer location whereby the controller is remotely controllable. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 38, wherein at least one of the offsite-signal transmitter and the offsite-signal receiver are communicable with a telephone system. ### Claim 40 (depends on 33) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein a said sensor element monitors each of the controller and the user of the controller. ### Claim 41 (depends on 33) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the sensor element of the said monitoring device is provided at or adjacent to an exterior of the housing of the shower water apparatus or is remote from the housing of the shower water apparatus. ### Claim 42 (depends on 33) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the monitoring device includes a user-operable alarm switch having a user-graspable cord which outputs an alarm signal to the offsite-signal transmitter. ### Claim 43 (depends on 33) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the or a said sensor element is at least one of a piezo-electric sensor, piezo-resistive sensor, ultrasonic sensor, low-power radar sensor, capacitative sensor, and an audio-detection sensor. ### Claim 44 (depends on 33) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, further comprising a drain pump which is spaced from the housing and which is controllable by the controller. ### Claim 45 (depends on 33) A method of remote-monitoring a showering user using shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, the method comprising the steps of monitoring at least one of a controller of a shower water device and a user of the controller, and outputting a status signal to an offsite carer location remote from the installation site of the shower water apparatus based on a status of the sensor element. ### Claim 46 (depends on 45) A method as claimed in claim 45, further comprising the step of remotely controlling the controller based on the outputted status signal. ### Claim 47 (depends on 46) A method as claimed in claim 46, wherein remote control of the controller is via at least one of a password protected signal and an encrypted signal. ### Claim 48 (depends on 45) A method as claimed in claim 45, wherein the offsite carer location includes a carer's mobile communications device. ### Claim 49 (depends on 45) A method as claimed in claim 45, wherein the outputted status signal includes a phrase corresponding to the status of the sensor element. ### Claim 50 (depends on 33) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, further comprising a communications system in communication with the offsite-signal transmitter of the monitoring device of the shower water apparatus, and an offsite-carer monitoring element in communication with the communications system which receives the status signal from the offsite-signal transmitter. ### Claim 51 (depends on 50) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 50, wherein the offsite-carer monitoring element is outside of the building in which the shower water apparatus is located. ### Claim 52 (depends on 51) Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 51, wherein the controller of the shower water apparatus is remotely controllable, the shower water apparatus including an offsite-signal receiver which receives a control signal via the communications system from the offsite-carer monitoring element.