Monitoring and controlling connected pool devices
AssigneePentair Water Pool and Spa, Inc.
InventorsEdward Brown, Gerry Callahan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and methods of remotely monitoring and controlling a pool controller for a pool or a spa via one or more remote computing devices are provided. In some embodiments, a remote user can be provided with information about the pool or the spa. The remote user is provided with an ability to remotely optimize a performance of the pool or the spa, including remotely adjusting a chemistry of the pool or the spa, remotely activating a heater of the pool or the spa, and/or remotely activating a pump of the pool or the spa.
Claims20
A system for controlling a pool or spa, comprising:
- a heater configured to heat water in a pool or spa;
- a variable speed pump configured to circulate water through the heater and the pool or spa;
- at least one temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of water in the pool or spa;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the heater, the variable speed pump, and the at least one temperature sensor, the controller comprising a processor and a memory, the processor configured to:
- receive a target pool or spa temperature;
- identify a minimum acceptable pump speed for the variable speed pump to assure the heater functions properly;
- and
- selectively activate the heater and the variable speed pump at a pump speed at or above the minimum acceptable pump speed to heat the pool or spa to the target pool or spa temperature.
A method of controlling a pool or spa system, comprising:
- receiving, by a controller of the pool or spa system, a target pool or spa temperature from a user device;
- sensing, by at least one temperature sensor communicatively coupled to the controller, a current temperature of water in the pool or spa system;
- identifying, by a processor of the controller, a minimum acceptable pump speed for a variable speed pump of the pool or spa system to assure a heater of the pool or spa system functions properly;
- and
- selectively activating, by the processor, the heater and the variable speed pump at a pump speed at or above the minimum acceptable pump speed to heat the pool or spa to the target pool or spa temperature.
A method of remotely controlling a pool or spa, comprising:
- receiving, by a remote server communicatively coupled to a controller of the pool or spa via a gateway and a network, a target pool or spa temperature from a user device;
- determining a pump type parameter identifying a pump of the pool or spa as one of a single speed pump or a variable speed pump;
- receiving, by the remote server, a selected pump speed or a desired flow rate from the user device in response to the pump type parameter identifying the pump as a variable speed pump;
- and
- transmitting, by the remote server, the target pool or spa temperature and at least one of the selected pump speed or the desired flow rate to the controller via the gateway to cause the controller to selectively activate a heater and the variable speed pump to heat the pool or spa to the target pool or spa temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.