# US 2017/0285672 A1 · Programmable Temperature Control System For Pools And Spas > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0285672 A1 - Document ID: US20170285672A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/359,112 - Filed: 2016-11-22 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-09 - Assignees: Hayward Industries, Inc. - Applicants: Hayward Industries, Inc. - Inventors: Kevin L. Potucek; Gilbert Conover; James Murdock - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170285672A1 ## CPC - G05D 23/1931: {to control the temperature of one space} - E04H 4/129: {Systems for heating the water content of swimming pools (solar collectors using pools F24S10/17, F24S10/10; by solar radiation F24S20/02)} - G05D 23/1902: {characterised by the use of a variable reference value} - G05D 23/1923: {using thermal energy, the cost of which varies in function of time} - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D) ## Abstract A system and method are provided for controlling water temperature in a body of water. The temperature control system includes a processor, a user interface for receiving a desired temperature and a desired time for reaching the desired temperature, a sensor interface for receiving sensor information from one or more sensors, and an actuator interface for controlling a plurality of heat sources. The processor determines one or more optimal heat sources for heating the body of water to the desired temperature by the desired time. The processor controls the one or more optimal heat sources through the actuator interface and periodically polls the sensor interface to determine whether changes in the operating environment require additional or alternate heat sources to be activated to ensure that the body of water is heated to the desired temperature by the desired time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A programmable temperature control system for a plurality of bodies of water, comprising: a user interface for allowing a user to specify a first desired temperature for a first body of water, a first desired time by which the first body of water is to be heated to the desired temperature, a second desired temperature for a second body of water, and a second desired time by which the second body of water is to be heated to the desired temperature; an actuator interface for controlling a plurality of heat sources; and a processor in electrical communication with the user interface and the actuator interface, the processor executing a stored temperature control program for automatically heating the first body of water to the first desired temperature by the first desired time and for automatically heating the second body of water to the second desired temperature by the second desired time using at least one of the plurality of heat sources. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The programmable temperature control system of claim 1, wherein the actuator interface actuates a valve for diverting heated water from one of the plurality of heat sources to one of the first or second bodies of water. ### Claim 3 A method for controlling temperature of a body of water, comprising: acquiring a desired temperature for said body of water and a desired time for reaching said desired temperature; selecting an optimal heat source from a plurality of heat sources operationally associated with said body of water; and heating said body of water to said desired temperature by said desired time using said optimal heat source. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving environmental information from one or more sensors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising controlling the optimal heat source based upon the received environmental information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising actuating an alternative heat source based upon the received environmental information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising actuating a second heat source in addition to said optimal heat source based up said received environmental information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the step of selecting said optimal heat source includes: calculating a required time value for each of the plurality of heat sources to heat the body of water to the desired temperature by the desired time; calculating an efficiency value for each of the plurality of heat sources to heat the body of water to the desired temperature by the desired time; generating a heat source priority list containing an entry for each of the plurality of heat sources; and sorting the heat source priority list by the required time values and the efficiency values. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the step of selecting the optimal heat source includes selecting a heat source with the highest priority from the heat source priority and actuating the optimal heat source to heat the body of water to the desired temperature by the desired time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the step of calculating the efficiency values includes determining an amount of energy required by each of the plurality of heat sources to heat the body of water to said desired temperature by the desired time. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the step of calculating the efficiency values includes determining a monetary cost for each of the plurality of heat sources to heat the body of water to the desired temperature by the desired time.