Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090132066 | Low maintenance spa control system - A spa control system designed to reduce maintenance cost by providing modular construction for major control functions, with built-in diagnostic capabilities for isolating defective spa components. Multi-colored LEDs on the spaside panel constantly report the status of each component of the spa as well as the status of the functional modules themselves. Each time a component is activated, measurements of operational parameters, such as load currents, are instantly made and evaluated so that the proper LED color can be presented at the spaside. Since major functions such as audio, LED control, wireless, and spa logic are separated into removable modules, repair of the control system requires less time and less skilled personnel. Other design improvements, such as direct monitoring of heater element temperature and the purging of pumps on an as required-basis, enhance the spa's overall reliability and thus reduce the need for maintenance. | 05-21-2009 |
20110072573 | Spa control system with improved flow monitoring - A spa control system that measures the flow of water through the heater and accurately reports water temperature in the spa using only one solid-state sensor in the heater. The working condition of the sensor is first determined by activating the heater for a brief period of time, with the circulation pump de-energized, and watching for the expected heat rise at the sensor. A small rise is sufficient to proceed with the flow test. The rate of flow is now determined by energizing the pump, with the heater still de-energized, and observing the rate in which the moving water cools the inside of the heater. If there is no circulation of water through the heater, the temperature of the sensor will continue to rise from the energy applied when the heater was briefly energized. This rise will be quite significant and a clear indication of a flow problem. If the flow is found to be adequate, the heater will be energized for a normal period of time. The sensor is now carefully monitored for a sudden increase in temperature, which would indicate loss of a normal flow of water. It is known that the temperature of the water in the spa will be within one or two degrees of the observed temperature in the heater, even when the heater is energized. The water temperature can, therefore, be accurately reported to the user just from measuring the temperature of the water in the heater. The only problem with making all measurements at the heater is that the real water temperature is unknown when the pump is not running. This problem can result in short heating cycles, or create the need to run the pump several times per day just to check on the real water temperature. The present invention uses artificial intelligence to find the difference between the heater temperature and the real water temperature and then applies the learned difference to the heater temperature measurement as an offset for the next heater and pump activation, where a new offset will be calculated. | 03-31-2011 |
20110219530 | Spa control with improved heater management system - A spa control system that measures the flow of water through the heater of a spa and accurately reports water temperature in the spa using only one solid-state sensor in the heater. The working condition of the sensor is first determined by energizing the spa heater for a brief period of time, with the circulation pump de-energized, then quickly de-energizing the heater and watching for a heat rise at the sensor. A small rise is sufficient to proceed with the flow test. The flow rate is now determined by energizing the pump, with the heater still de-energized, and observing the rate at which the moving water cools the inside of the heater. If there is no circulation of water through the heater, the temperature of the sensor will continue to rise from the energy applied when the heater was briefly energized. This rise will be quite significant and a clear indication of a flow problem. Conversely, with normal flow, the inside of the heater will be cooled to approximately the same temperature as the spa water in just a few seconds. If the flow is found to be adequate, the heater may be energized for a normal period of time. Since, while cooling, a measured number of degrees is dropped in a measured number of seconds, a flow rate can be reported to the user as an estimate of gallons per minute. The sensor is now carefully monitored for a sudden increase in temperature, which would indicate loss of a normal flow of water. It is known that the temperature of the water in the spa will be within one or two degrees of the observed temperature at the sensor in the heater, even when the heater is energized. The water temperature can, therefore, be accurately reported to the user just from measuring the temperature of the water in the heater. The only problem with making all measurements at the heater is that the real water temperature is unknown when the pump is not running. This problem can result in short heating cycles, or create the need to run the pump several times per day just to check on the real water temperature. The present invention uses artificial intelligence to find the proper time to turn the pump back on at a time when the spa is just beginning to need heat. Any errors in finding this time are added back to subsequent calculations to make future cycles more accurate. | 09-15-2011 |
20120226383 | Low Maintenance Spa Control System - A spa control system designed to reduce maintenance cost by providing modular construction for major control functions, with built-in diagnostic capabilities for isolating defective spa components. Multi-colored LEDs on the spaside panel constantly report the status of each component of the spa as well as the status of the functional modules themselves. Each time a component is activated, measurements of operational parameters, such as load currents, are instantly made and evaluated so that the proper LED color can be presented at the spaside. Since major functions such as audio, LED control, wireless, and spa logic are separated into removable modules, repair of the control system requires less time and less skilled personnel. Other design improvements, such as direct monitoring of heater element temperature and the purging of pumps on an as required-basis, enhance the spa's overall reliability and thus reduce the need for maintenance. | 09-06-2012 |
20130027861 | VENTED WATERPROOF TOUCH SCREEN PANEL - A waterproof user interface panel includes an electronic display assembly having a touch sensitive surface for activation of touch switches, and a housing including a cutout area. A protective film is disposed over the assembly and secured to the housing. The housing includes a top surface, a bottom surface and a peripheral sidewall to define a housing cavity. Sealing material covers the bottom surface, with a void between the top surface of the sealing material and the electronic display assembly. A vent is provided between the void and the external environment to allow air to pass. A filter may be positioned in the vent to prevent the passage of water droplets through the filter while allowing the passage of air and water vapor. | 01-31-2013 |
20130135103 | Smart card wallet - A card wallet that can detect a missing credit card or driver's license is described. A wallet for holding plastic cards records electronically the addition of cards as well as the removal of cards. Whenever the number of cards in the wallet is less than the recorded number of cards, a signal is sent to the user warning the user that a card is missing. This may be the result of leaving a credit card at a checkout counter, theft, mishandling, or loss. The warning signal is issued only a short time after the last card was removed, aiding in rapid investigation and recovery. A simple method of detecting a missing card is to add the number of incoming cards and subtract the number of outgoing cards. An arrangement of momentary switches is used to determine the direction that the card is moving in the wallet. | 05-30-2013 |
20150055034 | WATERPROOF USER INTERFACE DISPLAY PANELS - A waterproof user interface panel includes an electronic display assembly having a touch or presence-sensitive surface. | 02-26-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100060462 | Led rescue light - The present invention describes a rescue light with a LED light source that meets a minimum requirement of 0.75 candela (cd) of intensity, over a full hemisphere of visibility, with a duration of 8 hours or more. The invention requires only 3 volts of battery power from relatively small batteries, making the invention small and lightweight. In one favorite embodiment the LED is a specially constructed device that uses a blue LED die enclosed with a uniform layer of phosphor on the outer surface of the LED body, which provides an equally bright white light in all directions. Due to the low power requirements of the LED, the device can easily produce white light over an entire hemisphere at the required brightness level for longer than the required amount of time. In another favorite embodiment, a power LED with a large viewing angle is powered with a relatively high current, so as to meet the requirements for intensity over the entire hemisphere, but the high current is applied for only short periods of time in order to meet the requirement for duration. In this second embodiment, a novel switching arrangement is provided to allow the user to turn the LED on and off by changing positions of a movable member of the device, where the original position of the movable member is independent of the operational state of the device. In a third favorite embodiment, multiple LEDs are incorporated for greater visibility, and the operational state of the device is changed by pressing a momentary switch. In all of the described embodiments, a water sensitive switch may be provided to activate the LED on contact with a body of water. | 03-11-2010 |
20140184069 | DOOR-MOUNTED CABINET LAMP - A battery powered LED lamp suitable for mounting on the inside surface of a cabinet door is described. The LEDs are arranged such that their light will illuminate the inside of the cabinet and its contents when the cabinet door is opened and left in a position roughly ninety degrees from its closed position. In a favorite embodiment, a photo sensor sends a signal to a microprocessor whenever the light level at the photo sensor is suddenly increased, which would likely happen whenever the door is opened. The microprocessor reacts to the signal by activating one or more LEDs for a prescribed period of time. Multiple LEDs are arranged in a pattern that will broadcast light into several shelves within the cabinet at the same time. | 07-03-2014 |