AU2008202279A1

AU2008202279A1 - System and method for regulating a supply of water

Info

Publication number: AU2008202279A1
Application number: AU2008202279A
Authority: AU
Inventors: William Walter Calder
Original assignee: SIMPLE SHED Pty Ltd
Current assignee: SIMPLE SHED Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2007-06-01
Filing date: 2008-05-23
Publication date: 2008-12-18

Description

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P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REGULATING A SUPPLY OF WATER" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 00

TITLE

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REGULATING A SUPPLY OF WATER N FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to systems and methods for reducing water consumption. In particular, although not exclusively, the invention relates to a system and method for timing access to a water supply to a shower or bath 0 using an access code assigned to an individual.

oO BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Water conservation has become a critical issue in many regions of the world. Population growth, drought, and climate change are forcing many people to change their water use habits. Further, a general increased awareness of the earth's limited water resources also appears to be causing more people to become more aware of the amounts of water that they use and to take steps to reduce their water use.

Technology has played a significant role in water conservation efforts.

Improved agricultural irrigation techniques, advances in water storage and delivery mechanisms, improved water treatment technology, and new devices and methods for monitoring, regulating and reducing water usage have all played a role in improving the ability of humans to make more efficient use of water resources. In particular, various devices have been proposed for reducing water use in homes and other residences. For example, highly water efficient washing machines and dishwashers are now common. Further, advanced electronic residential water metres are able to more accurately and conveniently measure the total water use in a home. Also, various timing and volume-control devices have been proposed for regulating personal water use.

In particular, numerous devices have been proposed to limit the amount of water used in home bathrooms. For example, simple bathroom timers have been proposed so that users can more accurately limit shower times to brief 00 O periods such as four minutes. However, disadvantages of such timers include a need for each user to honestly adhere to a prescribed time limit, and a need for each user to remember to always set the timer before beginning a shower.

Coin operated shower timers have also been widely used in places such as national parks where there is a need to restrict water usage. However, these devices do not enable individual users to be allocated specific amounts of water based on individual needs and, because of the need to manage collection and distribution of coins or tokens, are generally unsuitable for home use.

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United States Patent Application Publication 2005/0016603 titled "Shower 10 Manager" is directed to an automated, externally mounted shower timer and flow control device powered by a low voltage battery. The application discloses use of a shower timer that operates over a fixed time interval for all users. After the interval is expired, a water supply to a shower is reduced significantly but is not entirely stopped. After water to the shower is fully turned off by the user, a reset interval then must expire before a full flow of water can be achieved again.

Although of significant utility for conserving water in some situations, disadvantages of the device described in this application include an inability to adapt a water flow based on the individual needs of users. Also, monitoring when a user completely shuts off a water supply requires additional sensors, adds complexity and expense, and requires sensor electronics to be located near a water discharge point. Locating electronics near a water discharge point can result in corrosion and premature failure of system components. Further, use of a fixed reset interval prevents multiple users of a water supply from accessing the water supply in rapid succession. For example, during busy mornings in some households numerous people are required to access a single shower, requiring one person to access the shower immediately after another.

There is therefore a need to overcome or alleviate the above discussed problems associated with regulating a supply of water such as a supply of water to a shower or bath.

00 O OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to overcome or alleviate one or more limitations of the prior art including providing an improved system and method for regulating a supply of water.

A further object of the present invention is to provide the public with a commercial choice or a useful alternative. Still further objects will be evident from the following detailed description.

0O 0 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect, the present invention is a system for regulating a supply of water comprising: a valve for restricting the flow of water from a water source; a processing unit operatively connected to the valve; and data entry means operatively connected to the processing unit; where in use the processing unit receives an identification of a user through the data entry means, matches the identification with a predetermined time period for supplying water, and causes the valve to be opened for the predetermined time period and then closed, thereby enabling the user to receive water from the water source for the predetermined time period.

Optionally, the system further comprises a memory operatively connected to the processing unit for storing a plurality of identifications each associated with one user in a plurality of users, wherein each user is associated with a predetermined time period for receiving water.

Optionally, the system further comprises a solenoid, operatively connected to the valve, for opening and closing the valve.

Optionally, the processing unit is wirelessly connected to the solenoid.

Optionally, the water source comprises a hot water pipe connected to a shower.

Optionally, the data entry means comprises an electronic keypad.

Optionally, the data entry means comprises an electronic display screen.

00 O Optionally, the processing unit further causes the valve to cycle closed C and open again during the predetermined time period to indicate that the Spredetermined time period is about to expire.

Optionally, the data entry means can be used to define the predetermined N 5 time period.

Optionally, the processing unit can be operatively connected to a secondary data entry means for defining the predetermined time period.

Optionally, the secondary data entry means comprises a personal 0 computer (PC) or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

N 10 According to still another aspect, the present invention is a method for regulating a supply of water. The method comprises processing an input that allocates a predetermined time period to an identification of a user. An input by the user including the identification of the user is then processed, whereby the user indicates that a supply of water is desired. It is then determined whether any time remains in the predetermined time period allocated to the user. If so, an open signal is transmitted to an actuator to open a valve for supplying water to the user. After the predetermined time period expires, a close signal is transmitted to the actuator to close the valve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To assist in understanding the invention and to enable a person skilled in the art to put the invention into practical effect, preferred embodiments of the invention are described below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for regulating a supply of hot water to a shower, according to some embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating electrical circuit features used to interconnect a keypad, a processing unit and a solenoid, according to an embodiment of the present invention that uses wireless communications; 00 0 FIG. 3 is a general flow diagram illustrating steps of a method for N regulating a supply of water according to some embodiments of the present invention; and FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating components of a kit that can be sold in a single package to enable convenient implementation of an embodiment of the present invention.

c-i ODETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 0 Embodiments of the present invention comprise a system and method for regulating a supply of water. Elements of the invention are illustrated in concise outline form in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are necessary to understanding the embodiments of the present invention, but so as not to clutter the disclosure with excessive detail that will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the present description.

In this patent specification, adjectives such as first and second, left and right, front and back, top and bottom, etc., are used solely to define one element or method step from another element or method step without necessarily requiring a specific relative position or sequence that is described by the adjectives. Words such as "comprises" or "includes" are not used to define an exclusive set of elements or method steps. Rather, such words merely define a minimum set of elements or method steps included in a particular embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram illustrates a system 100 for regulating a supply of hot water to a shower, according to some embodiments of the present invention. A conventional hot water valve 105 is positioned below a shower head 110 and regulates water flow through a hot water supply pipe 115.

Similarly, a conventional cold water valve 120 is positioned adjacent the hot water valve 105 and regulates water flow through a cold water supply pipe 125.

A regulating valve 130 is also located along the hot water supply pipe 115, and is connected to a solenoid 135. Electrical signals received from a processing unit 140 can activate the solenoid 135, which then opens or closes the regulating 00 O valve 130. Finally, the processing unit 140 is operatively connected to data entry 0 CI means such as a keypad 145.

A user of the system 100 is therefore able to program the processing unit 140 using the keypad 145 so that the solenoid 135 activates the regulating valve N 5 130 and regulates the flow of water to the shower head 110 in a desired manner.

For example, a head of household can define a master personal identification number (PIN) that can be used to define predetermined time periods for which N other members of the household can receive hot water from the shower head N 110. Thus a parent can use his or her master PIN to assign a unique user PIN 00 to each child in a family. Using the unique user PINs, each child then can be N allocated a predetermined time period for receiving hot water. That way, an individual user can be allocated different predetermined time periods based on his or her needs. For example, a girl may require more time in the shower to wash her long hair than is required by her brother. Thus the girl may be allocated six minutes of shower use per day, whereas the boy is allocated only four minutes. At the beginning of each day the predetermined time period is then automatically reset.

The keypad 145 can be mounted on a bathroom wall or other convenient location, and the processing unit 140 can be mounted in a hidden location such as behind a bathroom wall. Before a shower or bath, an individual user simply types in his or her PIN into the keypad 145. The PIN is then transmitted from the keypad 145 to the processing unit 140 where the PIN is matched with a predetermined time period. The processing unit 140 then transmits a signal to the solenoid 135, which opens the regulating valve 130. The user is then able to use the conventional hot water valve 105 and cold water valve 120 located inside a shower stall or bath, to dial a desired water flow rate and water temperature. When the predetermined time period is nearly expired, the processing unit 140 may transmit an alert signal to the solenoid 135 to cause the regulating valve 130 to be cycled rapidly for a brief period. That causes the flow of water from the shower head 110 to pulsate and indicates to the user that the hot water supply is about to be turned off. The user can then quickly finish his or her shower and turn off the hot and cold water valves 105, 120. When the 00 O predetermined time period expires, the processing unit 140 transmits another cN signal to the solenoid 135, which signal causes the regulating valve 130 to be closed. Thus if the user has not turned off the hot water valve 105 before the predetermined time period expires, the hot water supply from the shower head I 5 110 will be stopped and only cold water from the cold water supply pipe 125 will be available from the shower head 110.

Some embodiments of the present invention therefore enable very minor cN modifications to bathroom plumbing to create a sophisticated water regulation 0 cN system. Individual users can be assigned different amounts of water based on 00 their individual needs or entitlements. Through water flow pulses caused by cN oscillating the regulating valve 130, users can be made aware of the status of their particular water allocations, such as a single pulse indicating a half way point in a predetermined time period and multiple pulses indicating that only one minute remains in a predetermined time period. Further, where only a hot water supply is regulated, users are still able to use a cold water supply if necessary to complete a shower or bath.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the keypad 145, the processing unit 140 and the solenoid 135 can be interconnected using either wired or wireless connections, as indicated by the dashed lines 150 and 155. Further, power to the keypad 145, the processing unit 140 and the solenoid 135 can be provided using either batteries or a mains power supply.

Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic circuit diagram 200 illustrates electrical circuit features used to interconnect the keypad 145, the processing unit 140 and the solenoid 135, according to an embodiment of the present invention that uses wireless communications. An additional processing unit 205 including an antenna 210 is wired to the solenoid 135. An antenna 215 connected to the processing unit 140 then can be used to wirelessly transmit instruction signals to the processing unit 205 via the antenna 210. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the processing units 140, 205 can comprise standard microprocessors or application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

The processing unit 140 is shown connected to a non-volatile memory 220 and to a real-time clock 225. The non-volatile memory 220 comprises a 00 O computer readable medium such as a programmable read only memory N (PROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), or hybrid memory FLASH memory) as is well known in the art. The computer readable medium then comprises computer readable program code components for executing a method of the present invention for regulating a supply of water.

Referring to FIG. 3, a general flow diagram illustrates steps of a method 300 for regulating a supply of water according to some embodiments of the Spresent invention. At step 305, an input is processed that allocates a N predetermined time period to an identification of a user. For example, the holder 00

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C 10 of a master PIN uses the master PIN to program the processing unit 140 to i allocate a predetermined time period, such as four minutes, to a unique user

PIN.

At step 310, an input by the user including the identification of the user is then processed, whereby the user indicates that a supply of water is desired.

For example, a user types his or her unique user PIN into the keypad 145 and the unique user PIN is then processed by the processing unit 140.

At step 315, it is determined whether any time remains in the predetermined time period allocated to the user. If not, then the method 300 ends. For example, if a user is allocated a predetermined time period of six minutes a day for access to water from the showerhead 110, and he or she has already showered that day for the full six minutes, then no time will be remaining in the predetermined time period and the user will be unable to access hot water from the hot water supply pipe 115 as the regulating valve 130 will remain closed.

At step 320, if it was determined that time is remaining in the predetermined time period, then an open signal is transmitted to an actuator to open a valve for supplying water to the user. For example, in response to processing the unique user PIN and determining that time remains allocated to that unique user PIN, the processing unit 140 transmits an open signal to the solenoid 135, and in response the solenoid actuates the regulating valve 130 and enables water to flow to the shower head 110.

00 0 At step 325, after the predetermined time period expires, a close signal is Ntransmitted to the actuator to close the valve. For example, the processing unit 140 uses the real-time clock 225 to determine that the predetermined time period that is allocated to the unique use PIN has expired. The processing unit 140 therefore transmits a close signal to the solenoid 135, and in response the solenoid 135 closes the regulating valve 130 to prevent hot water from being supplied to the shower head 110.

Various other embodiments and modifications of the present invention are also enabled by the present disclosure. For example, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various designs can be used for the keypad 145, including use of a display screen for providing status information to a user, and a speaker for providing audible information to a user. Further, the processing unit 140 may be operatively connectable to secondary data entry means such as personal computers (PCs) and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Thus for example a holder of a master PIN can program the processing unit 140 using a PC or a PDA. More sophisticated algorithms for multiple users then can be readily programmed. For example, a spreadsheet showing predetermined time periods assigned to all users can be displayed, and algorithms for assigning or changing predetermined time periods based on different days of the week or based on other criteria can be readily programmed.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the processing unit 140 also can be programmed to provide variable actuations of the regulating valve 130. For example, rather than simply abruptly closing the regulating valve 130 at the expiration of a predetermine time period, the processing unit 140 can be programmed to cause the regulating valve 130 to close very slowly, enabling a user to finish a shower without an immediate and complete loss of hot water.

Still other embodiments of the present invention enable the invention to be easily retrofit into an existing plumbing system. By minimising required changes to existing pipe fittings and existing electrical wiring, such embodiments enable the present invention to be implemented easily and at low cost. Further, embodiments of the present invention also can be used to regulate other types of water or fluid supplies, such as garden water supplies.

00 0 Referring to FIG. 4, a diagram illustrates components of a kit 400 that can c-i be sold in a single package to enable convenient implementation of an embodiment of the present invention. The kit 400 comprises a transformer package 405; a combined solenoid and regulating valve 410 such as those commonly used in home washing machines and dishwashers; threaded fittings 415 used to splice the combined solenoid and regulating valve 410 into an existing copper water supply pipe; wiring 420; wire strippers 425; a Teflon tape roll 430; a keypad 435; and a processing unit in the form of a programmable controller 440.

00 0 10 The above description of various embodiments of the present invention is (Ni provided for purposes of description to one of ordinary skill in the related art. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to a single disclosed embodiment. As mentioned above, numerous alternatives and variations to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art of the above teaching. Accordingly, while some alternative embodiments have been discussed specifically, other embodiments will be apparent or relatively easily developed by those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, this patent specification is intended to embrace all alternatives, modifications and variations of the present invention that have been discussed herein, and other embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the above described invention.

Claims

1. A system for regulating a supply of water, comprising: N a valve for restricting the flow of water from a water source; a processing unit operatively connected to the valve; and N data entry means operatively connected to the processing unit; Swhere in use the processing unit receives an identification of a user oo 0through the data entry means, matches the identification with a predetermined c time period for supplying water, and causes the valve to be opened for the predetermined time period and then closed, thereby enabling the user to receive water from the water source for the predetermined time period.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a memory operatively connected to the processing unit for storing a plurality of identifications each associated with one user in a plurality of users, wherein each user is associated with a predetermined time period for receiving water.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a solenoid, operatively connected to the valve, for opening and closing the valve.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the processing unit is wirelessly connected to the solenoid.

The system according to claim 1, wherein the water source comprises a hot water pipe connected to a shower.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data entry means comprises an electronic keypad. 00 O

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data entry means N comprises an electronic display screen.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit further causes the valve to cycle closed and open again during the predetermined time period to indicate that the predetermined time period is about to expire. N

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data entry means can be 00 Oused to define the predetermined time period.

The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit can be operatively connected to a secondary data entry means for defining the predetermined time period.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the secondary data entry means comprises a personal computer (PC) or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

12. A method for regulating a supply of water, the method comprising: processing an input that allocates a predetermined time period to an identification of a user; processing an input by the user including the identification of the user, whereby the user indicates that a supply of water is desired; determining whether any time remains in the predetermined time period allocated to the user; if any time remains in the predetermined time period allocated to the user, transmitting an open signal to an actuator to open a valve for supplying water to the user: and 00 0 after the predetermined time period expires, transmitting a close signal to C1 the actuator to close the valve. 00