CN112050471B

CN112050471B - System and control device for controlling water supply state

Info

Publication number: CN112050471B
Application number: CN201910487970.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 林文彬
Original assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd
Current assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd
Priority date: 2019-06-05
Filing date: 2019-06-05
Publication date: 2022-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 2039-06-05
Also published as: CN112050471A

Abstract

The invention discloses a system for controlling a water supply state, which comprises a switch and a control device. The switch is suitable for responding to user operation, generating a control instruction and broadcasting the control instruction; the control device is suitable for adjusting the water supply state according to the control instruction when receiving the control instruction. The invention also discloses a corresponding method for controlling the water supply state.

Description

System and control device for controlling water supply state

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of Internet of things, in particular to a system and a control device for controlling a water supply state.

Background

In a general waterway pipeline layout, a certain distance is reserved between the switch and the water supply equipment. For example, a household, such as a kitchen faucet, a bathroom faucet, or a shower head, is located at a distance from the water supply. In the case that the water supply device is a household water heater, a user needs to turn on a switch before using hot water and discharge a section of cold water to discharge the hot water. Meanwhile, after the user stops using the hot water, the hot water staying in the water path pipeline cannot be utilized. In the past, the method causes a lot of resource waste. This is also a not insignificant economic loss to the user.

In view of the above, a more rational water supply control system is needed to solve the above problems.

Disclosure of Invention

To this end, the present invention provides a system and control device for controlling the condition of a water supply in an attempt to solve or at least alleviate at least one of the problems identified above.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control apparatus including: a solenoid valve disposed on a waterway pipe at a water outlet of the water supply apparatus to control the water supply apparatus to supply water via the waterway pipe, the waterway pipe being coupled to a switch so as to discharge the water from the water supply apparatus via the switch; and a communication module arranged on the electromagnetic valve and adapted to control the power-on state of the electromagnetic valve according to the received control instruction, thereby controlling the water supply of the water supply equipment.

Alternatively, in the control apparatus according to the present invention, the control instruction includes: the control type, the communication identifier of the switch and the communication identifier of the control device; and the control type comprises controlling water outlet and controlling water closing.

Optionally, in the control device according to the present invention, the communication module is further adapted to parse the control instruction, and determine the control type when the communication identifier of the control device is the communication identifier of the communication module.

Optionally, in the control device according to the present invention, the communication module is further adapted to control the solenoid valve to be in a power-on state when the control type is control water-out, and to control the solenoid valve to be in a power-off state when the control type is control water-off; the solenoid valve is further adapted to control the water supply device to start supplying water when in the power-on state and to stop supplying water when in the power-off state.

Optionally, the control device according to the present invention further comprises an air hole disposed on the solenoid valve and adapted to discharge water in the waterway pipe when the solenoid valve is in a power-off state.

Optionally, in the control device according to the present invention, the communication module is a bluetooth module, and the control device is adapted to communicate with the switch and/or the client through a bluetooth Mesh network to receive a control instruction from the switch and/or the client.

Optionally, in the control device according to the present invention, the communication module is a ZigBee module, and the control device is adapted to communicate with the switch through a ZigBee network to receive the control instruction from the switch.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a switch including a communication module disposed thereon, adapted to generate a corresponding control instruction in response to a user operation and broadcast the control instruction, and further adapted to forward the control instruction upon receiving the control instruction from the communication module of the other switch, the control instruction being for instructing a water supply apparatus coupled to the switch to adjust a water supply state.

Optionally, in the switch according to the present invention, the control instruction includes: the control type, the communication identifier of the switch and the communication identifier of the control device; and the control type comprises controlling water outlet and controlling water closing.

Optionally, in the switch according to the present invention, the communication module is adapted to broadcast a control instruction so that the control device corresponding to the communication identifier adjusts the water supply state according to the control type upon receiving the control instruction.

Optionally, in the switch according to the present invention, the communication module is a bluetooth module, and the switch communicates with the control device through a bluetooth Mesh network.

Optionally, in the switch according to the present invention, the communication module is a ZigBee module, and the switch and the control device communicate through a ZigBee network.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a water supply state, comprising the steps of: when a control instruction is received, analyzing the control instruction; when the communication identifier of the control device contained in the control instruction is consistent with the pre-stored communication identifier, determining a control type; and adjusting the water supply state according to the control type, wherein the control instruction comprises: the control type comprises a control water outlet and a control water closing.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method of controlling a water supply state, comprising the steps of: responding to user operation, and generating a control instruction; and broadcasting the control instruction so that the control device adjusts the water supply state according to the control instruction when receiving the control instruction.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a system for controlling a water supply state, including: the switch is suitable for responding to user operation, generating a control instruction and broadcasting the control instruction; the control device is suitable for adjusting the water supply state according to the control instruction when receiving the control instruction.

Optionally, in the system according to the invention, the switch and the control device communicate via a bluetooth Mesh network or a ZigBee network.

Optionally, in the system according to the invention, the switch is further adapted to receive control commands from other switches and forward the control commands.

Optionally, the system according to the present invention further comprises a client adapted to generate a control instruction and broadcast the control instruction; the client communicates with the control device through a Bluetooth Mesh network.

According to the scheme of the invention, the linkage control of the switch and the control device is realized, and the user synchronously controls the water outlet state of the remote water supply equipment by operating the switch.

Furthermore, when a user opens the switch to use hot water, the hot water can be discharged without discharging a section of cold water, and after the user uses the hot water, the hot water in the water channel can be completely discharged, so that the resource waste is avoided.

The foregoing description is only an overview of the technical solutions of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention are described below in order to make the technical means of the present invention more clearly understood and to make the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more clearly understandable.

Drawings

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings, which are indicative of various ways in which the principles disclosed herein may be practiced, and all aspects and equivalents thereof are intended to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout this disclosure, like reference numerals generally refer to like parts or elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a system 100 for controlling a water supply condition according to some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a switch 110 according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a control device 120 according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a home water supply control system 400 according to some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a building water supply control system 500 according to some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 600 of controlling a water supply condition according to some embodiments of the invention; and

fig. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 700 of controlling a water supply state according to further embodiments of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a system 100 for controlling a water supply state according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1, a system 100 for controlling the condition of a water supply is generally coupled to a water supply 090. The water supply device 090 supplies water via a waterway pipe of the water outlet. In addition to the waterway conduit of the water outlet shown in fig. 1, the water supply apparatus 090 also has a waterway conduit of the water inlet, and since in the embodiment of the present invention, only the water outlet is referred to, only the water outlet will be described herein. Meanwhile, the water supply device 090 is not limited too much in the embodiment of the present invention, and may be a water storage tank, an electric water heater, a gas water heater, a solar water heater, or the like.

As shown in fig. 1, a system 100 for controlling a water supply state includes: a switch 110 and a control device 120. Wherein the control device 120 is arranged on the waterway pipeline of the water outlet of the water supply device 090 to control the water supply device 090 to supply water via the waterway pipeline; each of which is in turn coupled to a switch 110 so that a user can drain water from the water supply 090 by operating the switch 110. Meanwhile, communication modules are disposed in both the switch 110 and the control device 120 to ensure communication between the switch 110 and the control device 120.

In summary, 1 control device 120 may be disposed on the waterway pipe of each water outlet of the water supply device 090, and 1 switch 110 may be coupled to the other end of the waterway pipe to control the water supply state (e.g., start water supply and stop water supply) on the waterway pipe.

In addition, although only 2 switches 110 and 2 control devices 120 are shown in fig. 1, it should be understood that the number of switches 110 and control devices 120 is not limited by the embodiments of the present invention.

According to further embodiments of the present invention, the system 100 for controlling water supply may further comprise a client (not shown), and the client is also arranged with a corresponding communication module, so that the client can communicate with the switch 110 and the control device 120.

In the system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in one embodiment, the user operates the switch 110 to generate a control command, the switch 110 broadcasts the control command to the system 100, and when the control device 120 belonging to the same waterway pipe as the switch 110 receives the control command, the water supply state is adjusted according to the control command. In another embodiment, the user may operate directly on the client application, also generating and broadcasting control instructions into the system 100, until the corresponding control device 120 receives the control instructions, adjusting the water supply status according to the control instructions.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a switch 110 according to an embodiment of the invention. A typical switch may include: a water outlet, a valve core and a handle. The user controls the water outlet to discharge hot water or cold water by operating the handle. In addition to the desired configuration, in an embodiment in accordance with the invention, the switch 110 also includes a communication module 112. It should be noted that the structure and the opening mode of the switch 110 are not limited too much in the embodiment of the present invention, and the switch 110 is not limited to a faucet and a shower head, and any device capable of controlling water output can be used as the switch 110.

As shown in fig. 2, which is a lift-off switch, the communication module 112 is disposed on the handle of the switch 110. In the two-handle switch shown in fig. 2 (both handles are denoted as 114 and 116, respectively), if the supply state of the hot water is to be controlled, the communication module 112 may be disposed on the handle 114 on the side where the hot water is controlled; and vice versa.

In one embodiment, the communication module 112 is disposed on the switch 110 in the form of a physical key so as to receive an operation of a user. Continuing with the example of FIG. 2, when the user wants to use hot water, the hot water handle 114 is lifted and the button of the communication module 112 is pressed, although not limited thereto. In some inductive switches, the user only needs to approach the inductive switch when he wants to use water, and similarly, the communication module 112 can be disposed on the switch 110 by an inductive manner. Embodiments of the present invention are by way of example only and are not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control device 120 includes a solenoid valve 122 and a communication module 124. A solenoid valve 122 is disposed on the waterway pipe at the water outlet of the water supply device 090 to control the water supply of the water supply device 090 via the waterway pipe. The communication module 124 is disposed on the solenoid valve 122. The control device 120 communicates with the switch 110 or other devices in the system having corresponding communication modules via the communication module 124. Meanwhile, the communication module 124 controls the energization state of the solenoid valve 122 according to the received control instruction, thereby controlling the water supply of the water supply apparatus 090.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic structural diagram of the control device 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In which (a) shows a schematic view of the solenoid valve 122 in an energized state, and (b) shows a schematic view of the solenoid valve 122 in a de-energized state. The structure and operation of the solenoid valve 122 will be described with reference to fig. 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the communication module 124 is disposed above the solenoid valve 122 to control the energization state of the solenoid 302. The water inlet 304 is coupled to one end of a water outlet waterway pipe of the water supply apparatus 090, and the water outlet 305 is coupled to the other end of the waterway pipe. Generally, the solenoid valve is in a de-energized state, i.e., as shown in fig. (b). When the communication module 124 controls the solenoid valve 122 to be in the energized state (i.e., the solenoid 302 is energized), as shown in fig. (a), the valve core 303 moves downward, the spring 307 is compressed, the water inlet 304 is communicated with the water outlet 305, and at this time, water starts to be supplied to the switch 110 through the waterway pipeline. When the communication module 124 controls the solenoid valve 122 to be de-energized (i.e., the solenoid 302 is de-energized), as shown in fig. (b), the spring 307 is restored, and the water inlet 304 is disconnected from the water outlet 305, at which time the water supply to the switch 110 via the waterway pipeline is stopped. According to the embodiment of the invention, the air hole 306 is also arranged on the same side of the water inlet 304 on the electromagnetic valve 122, and when the electromagnetic valve 122 is in a power-off state, the air hole 306 can be used for completely discharging the water left in the waterway pipeline. Thus, after the switch 110 stops draining, water is no longer retained in the waterway conduit. Particularly, when the hot water switch is connected to the water path pipe, there is no cold water staying in the water path pipe before the switch 110 discharges the hot water, and resources are sufficiently used.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the communication module 112 disposed in the switch 110 and the communication module 124 disposed in the control device 120 may both be a bluetooth module and a ZigBee module. Taking a bluetooth module as an example, the plurality of switches 110 and the plurality of control devices 120 in the system 100 communicate via a bluetooth Mesh network. Meanwhile, in consideration of the transmission distance of the bluetooth Mesh protocol, when the spatial distance included in the system 100 is too large (e.g., the distance between the switch 110 and the control device 120 exceeds the bluetooth transmission distance), a bluetooth module may be additionally added to the system 100 for relaying a bluetooth signal (hereinafter, simply referred to as "relay module"). Similarly, when the communication modules are all ZigBee modules, the switch 110 and the control device 120 communicate with each other through the ZigBee network, and the communication process may refer to the description related to the bluetooth module, which is not described herein again.

It should be noted that, considering that the current mobile terminals (such as mobile phones, tablet, PCs, etc.) all have bluetooth modules, the system 100 may further include a client, and the client communicates with the switch 110 and the control device 120 in the system 100 through a bluetooth Mesh network. According to one embodiment, the switch 110 in the system 100 is switched in the client application so that when the user wants to control a switch to drain, the remote control device can be synchronized to supply water by operating the switch in the client application.

It should be noted that the communication modules may also be arranged as WIFI modules, even wired communication modules, and based on the description of the embodiments of the present invention, a person skilled in the art may set the communication modules by using any communication protocol to achieve the solution of controlling the water supply state according to the embodiments of the present invention.

The process of controlling hot water by the system 100 for controlling a water supply state will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 1 to 3, taking the control of a hot water supply state as an example. It should be understood that the control of cold or warm water by the system 100 can be realized by those skilled in the art based on the following description, which is not repeated herein.

When the user wants to use hot water, the hot water handle 114 of the switch 110 is lifted while the communication module 112 is pressed. At this time, the communication module 112 generates a control command for instructing the water supply device coupled to the switch 110 to adjust the supply state of the hot water. In one embodiment, the control command includes a communication identifier of the switch 110, a communication identifier of the control device 120 disposed on the same waterway pipe as the switch 110, and a control type. Wherein the control type comprises water outlet control and water closing control. When the user lifts the hot water handle 114 to use hot water, the control type is to control the water out. Then, the communication module 112 broadcasts the control command so that the control device corresponding to the communication identification of the control device adjusts the supply state of the hot water according to the control type when receiving the control command.

The other devices belonging to a communication network (e.g., other switches 110 including corresponding communication modules, the control device 120, the relay module, etc.) together with the switch 110 receive the control command as long as they are within the transmission distance. When receiving the control instruction, the other switches 110 or the relay module directly forwards the control instruction; the control device 120 first analyzes the control command, determines whether the communication identifier of the control device 120 included in the control command is the communication identifier of the communication module 124 (which may be pre-stored in the control device) of the control device, forwards the control command if the communication identifier is not the communication identifier of the control device, and continues to determine the control type if the communication identifier is not the communication identifier of the control device. In the present embodiment, when it is determined that the control type is the control of water discharge, the communication module 124 controls the solenoid valve 122 to be in the energized state, and the solenoid valve 122 controls the water supply device 090 to start supplying hot water in the energized state.

When the user needs to pause the hot water in the using process, the user only needs to press the hot water handle 114 of the switch 110.

When the user wants to finish using the hot water, the communication module 112 is pressed, and at this time, the communication module 112 generates a control command again. Similarly, the control command includes a communication identifier of the switch 110, a communication identifier of the control device 120 disposed on the same waterway pipeline as the switch 110, and a control type, where the control type is to control water shut-off. The communication module 112 then broadcasts the control command.

In the previous signal transmission process, the control command is received from other devices belonging to a communication network, as long as the other devices are within the transmission distance range. When receiving the control instruction, the other switches 110 or the relay module directly forwards the control instruction; the control device 120 first analyzes the control command, determines whether the communication identifier of the control device 120 included in the control command is the communication identifier of the communication module 124 of the control device, forwards the control command if the communication identifier is not the communication identifier of the control device, and continues to determine the control type if the communication identifier is not the communication identifier of the control device. In this embodiment, when it is determined that the control type is the control of turning off the water, the communication module 124 controls the solenoid valve 122 to be in the power-off state, and the solenoid valve 122 controls the water supply device 090 to stop supplying the hot water, and simultaneously, the remaining hot water in the waterway pipe is discharged through the air hole 306, and then, the user presses the hot water handle 114 of the switch 110 to turn off the switch 110.

In another embodiment, when the user controls the water supply 090 to supply hot water via the waterway conduit through an application on the client, the process is substantially identical to the above process except that the communication module is controlled to generate control instructions and broadcast into the system 100 by operating on the client. For the sake of brevity, no further description is provided herein.

As described above, in the system 100 according to the present invention, the communication module 112, the communication module 124, and the relay module may be bluetooth modules, and in this case, the control device 120 communicates with the switch 110 and/or the client through the bluetooth Mesh network and receives the control command from the switch 110 and/or the client. Alternatively, the communication module 112, the communication module 124, and the relay module may be ZigBee modules, and in this case, the control device 120 communicates with the switch 110 via the ZigBee network and receives a control command from the switch 110.

In summary, according to the system 100 of the present invention, the bluetooth Mesh network topology or the ZigBee network topology is used to realize the linkage control of the switch 110 and the control device 120, and the user can synchronously control the water outlet state of the remote water supply device 090 by operating the switch 110. Meanwhile, when a user turns on the switch to use hot water, the hot water can be discharged without discharging a section of cold water, and after the user uses up the hot water, the hot water in the water channel pipeline can be completely discharged, so that the resource waste is avoided.

Fig. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a home water supply control system 400 according to some embodiments of the invention. In general, the switches in the household are bathroom taps, shower heads in shower rooms, kitchen taps, etc. which are distributed in different rooms at a distance from the water supply.

In the home shown in fig. 4, a kitchen 401, a toilet 402, a bedroom 403, a dining room 404, a living room 405, a bedroom 406, a bedroom 407, a toilet 408, a balcony 409 and a laundry room 410 are included. Wherein the switches 110 are arranged in a kitchen 401, a toilet 402, a toilet 408 and a laundry room 410, and the toilet 402 and the toilet 408 each comprise two switches 110 (a tap for a washbasin and a shower head for a shower). The water supply apparatus 090 is arranged at the balcony 409. Meanwhile, in order to ensure complete transmission of signals, a relay module is additionally arranged between the restaurant 404 and the bedroom 406. It should be understood that fig. 4 is merely an example, and that a plurality of water supply devices 090 may be provided in a household, which is not limited by the embodiments of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 4, in the control system 400, the switches 110 in which the communication modules are arranged are indicated by circles, the control devices 120 in which the communication modules are arranged are indicated by squares (it should be understood that one control device 120 corresponds to each switch 110, and the control devices 120 are each arranged at the water outlet of the water supply apparatus 090, and only one square is shown as a representative in fig. 4 for convenience of description), the relay modules are indicated by triangles, and the network connection relationship is indicated by broken lines. It should be noted that the distances and positions shown in fig. 4 are merely exemplary, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

In fig. 4, when a user wants to use the switch a in the kitchen 401, the switch a generates and broadcasts a control instruction in response to the user's operation, and the switch B and the relay module C disposed in the toilet 402 receive the control instruction and forward the control instruction. As shown in fig. 4, the switch B will further forward the control command to the switch D, the relay module C will further forward the control command to the control devices E, …, and so on, and as for the process of broadcasting the control command, reference may be made to the connection relationship of the dotted lines in fig. 4, which is not listed here, and when the control device E receives the control command, if it is determined through analysis that the communication identifier in the control command is consistent with its own communication identifier, the water supply state is adjusted according to the control type, that is, the water supply device is controlled to start supplying water to the switch a via the waterway pipeline. For the transmission process of the control command for controlling water shut-off and the transmission of the control command for controlling water boiling, reference may also be made to the related description in conjunction with fig. 1 to 3, which is not repeated herein.

According to other embodiments of the present invention, the usage scenario of the system for controlling the water supply state is not limited to a home, but may be a building, such as a public place like a shopping mall, an office building, a school, a hospital, etc. Fig. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a building water supply control system 500 according to some embodiments of the invention.

As shown in fig. 5, the building has a total of 3 × 7 — 21 households, and according to the embodiment of the present invention, each household includes various switches 110 having communication modules 112 and relay modules, and a communication network for each household is formed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the communication network of each household in the building is used as a master node (and possibly a relay node in the network) in the communication network of the whole building, and is represented by a circle in fig. 5. Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the water supply apparatus 090 is implemented as a solar water heater and installed on the roof, and a control device disposed at the water outlet of each solar water heater is represented by a parallelogram in fig. 5 as a controlled node. The communication relationships of the nodes in the network are indicated by dashed lines.

In an embodiment, each node in the network has its communication identifier, and the control instruction generated by the master node carries the communication identifier of the master node, the identifier of the corresponding controlled node, and the control type. When the master control node broadcasts the control instruction, other master control nodes can be used as relay nodes to forward the control instruction until the corresponding controlled node receives the control instruction. For example, the main control node of a low floor far away from the roof can transmit control commands upwards layer by layer until the controlled node at the roof receives the control commands and controls the water supply state of the solar water heater.

According to the household water supply control system 400 and the building water supply control system 500, the water supply state can be automatically controlled, the resource waste is reduced, control instructions are mutually forwarded among all nodes in the network, the transmission time delay is reduced, and the work of the whole network cannot be influenced by the damage of any node in the middle.

Accordingly, fig. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 600 of controlling a water supply state according to some embodiments of the invention. The method 600 is adapted to be performed in the control device 120. It should be noted that the method 600 is provided as a supplement to the foregoing description, for the sake of brevity, and further details can be referred to in the foregoing description, and repeated portions are not repeated herein.

Referring to FIG. 6, the method 600 begins in step S610. In step S610, when a control command is received, the control command is analyzed. According to an embodiment of the invention, the control instructions comprise: a control type, a communication identifier of the switch 110, and a communication identifier of the control device 120, wherein the control type includes controlling water-out and controlling water-out. The embodiment of the present invention does not limit the format of the control command too much, and the data may be packed and used as the control command, or the data may be encrypted and used as the control command. In one embodiment, when the switch 110 and the control device 120 communicate through the bluetooth Mesh network, the control command may be encrypted data processed by a bluetooth encryption algorithm.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, each of the switch 110 and the control device 120 has its own communication identifier pre-stored thereon. In the subsequent step S620, when the communication identification of the control device included in the control instruction coincides with the communication identification prestored on the control device 120, the control type is further determined.

Subsequently, in step S630, the water supply state is adjusted according to the control type. For example, when the control type is control of water discharge, the control solenoid valve 122 is in an energized state so that the water supply apparatus 090 starts water supply to the switch 110 via the waterway pipe; when the control type is control water cut-off, the control solenoid valve 122 is in a power-off state, so that the water supply apparatus 090 stops supplying water to the switch 110 via the waterway pipe.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the control device 120 may further discharge the water staying in the waterway pipe using the air hole when the water supply is stopped.

Fig. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 700 of controlling a water supply state according to further embodiments of the present invention. The method is adapted to be performed in the switch 110. It should be noted that the method 700 is provided as a supplement to the foregoing description, for the sake of brevity, and further details can be referred to in the foregoing description, and repeated portions are not repeated herein.

Referring to FIG. 7, the method 700 begins in step S710. In step S710, a control instruction is generated in response to a user operation. According to an embodiment of the invention, the control instructions comprise: a control type, a communication identifier of the switch 110, and a communication identifier of the control device 120, wherein the control type includes controlling water-out and controlling water-out.

Subsequently, in step S720, the control instruction is broadcasted so that the control device 120 adjusts the water supply state according to the control instruction when receiving the control instruction.

In one embodiment, the switch 110 and the control device 120 communicate via a bluetooth Mesh network or a ZigBee network. When the switch 110 receives a control instruction from the other switch 110, the control instruction is forwarded.

The various techniques described herein may be implemented in connection with hardware or software or, alternatively, with a combination of both. Thus, the methods and apparatus of the present invention, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e., instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as removable hard drives, U.S. disks, floppy disks, CD-ROMs, or any other machine-readable storage medium, wherein, when the program is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention.

In the description provided herein, algorithms and displays are not inherently related to any particular computer, virtual system, or other apparatus. Various general purpose systems may also be used with examples of this invention. The required structure for constructing such a system will be apparent from the description above. Moreover, the present invention is not directed to any particular programming language. It is appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the present invention as described herein, and any descriptions of specific languages are provided above to disclose the best mode of the invention.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. It is understood, however, that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the foregoing description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. However, the disclosed method should not be interpreted as reflecting an intention that: that the invention as claimed requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modules or units or components of the devices in the examples disclosed herein may be arranged in a device as described in this embodiment or alternatively may be located in one or more devices different from the devices in this example. The modules in the foregoing examples may be combined into one module or may be further divided into multiple sub-modules.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modules in the device in an embodiment may be adaptively changed and disposed in one or more devices different from the embodiment. The modules or units or components of the embodiments may be combined into one module or unit or component, and furthermore they may be divided into a plurality of sub-modules or sub-units or sub-components. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and all of the processes or elements of any method or apparatus so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or processes or elements are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that while some embodiments described herein include some features included in other embodiments, rather than other features, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

Furthermore, some of the described embodiments are described herein as a method or combination of method elements that can be performed by a processor of a computer system or by other means of performing the described functions. A processor having the necessary instructions for carrying out the method or method elements thus forms a means for carrying out the method or method elements. Further, the elements of the apparatus embodiments described herein are examples of the following apparatus: the apparatus is used to implement the functions performed by the elements for the purpose of carrying out the invention.

As used herein, unless otherwise specified the use of the ordinal adjectives "first", "second", "third", etc., to describe a common object, merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this description, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as described herein. Furthermore, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. The present invention has been disclosed in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense with respect to the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A control device, comprising:

a solenoid valve disposed on a waterway pipe at a water outlet of a water supply apparatus to control the water supply apparatus to supply water via the waterway pipe, the waterway pipe being coupled to a switch so as to discharge the water from the water supply apparatus via the switch; and

the communication module is arranged on the electromagnetic valve and is suitable for controlling the power-on state of the electromagnetic valve according to a received control instruction so as to control the water supply of the water supply equipment, the electromagnetic valve controls the water supply equipment to start water supply when in the power-on state, and the electromagnetic valve controls the water supply equipment to stop water supply when in the power-off state;

the air hole is arranged on the electromagnetic valve and is suitable for discharging water in the waterway pipeline when the electromagnetic valve is in a power-off state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control instructions comprise: the control type, the communication identifier of the switch and the communication identifier of the control device; and

the control types comprise water outlet control and water closing control.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein,

the communication module is also suitable for analyzing the control instruction and determining the control type when the communication identifier of the control device is the communication identifier of the communication module.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein,

the communication module is also suitable for controlling the electromagnetic valve to be in a power-on state when the control type is water outlet control, and controlling the electromagnetic valve to be in a power-off state when the control type is water outlet control.

5. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-4,

the communication module is a Bluetooth module and is connected with the Bluetooth module,

the control device is suitable for communicating with the switch and/or the client through a Bluetooth Mesh network to receive control instructions from the switch and/or the client.

6. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-4,

the communication module is a ZigBee module,

the control device is adapted to communicate with the switch via the ZigBee network to receive control instructions from the switch.

7. A switch, comprising:

the communication module is arranged on the water supply device and is suitable for responding to user operation, generating a corresponding control instruction and broadcasting the control instruction, and the communication module is further suitable for forwarding the control instruction when receiving the control instruction from other switches, the control instruction is used for controlling the power-on state of an electromagnetic valve arranged on a waterway pipeline at the water outlet of the water supply device and indicating the water supply device coupled with the switch to adjust the water supply state, the electromagnetic valve controls the water supply device to start water supply when being in the power-on state, the electromagnetic valve controls the water supply device to stop water supply when being in the power-off state, and an air hole is arranged on the electromagnetic valve and is suitable for discharging water in the waterway pipeline when being in the power-off state.

8. The switch of claim 7, wherein the control instructions comprise: the control type, the communication identifier of the switch and the communication identifier of the control device; and

the control types comprise water outlet control and water closing control.

9. The switch of claim 8, wherein,

the communication module is suitable for broadcasting a control instruction, so that the control device corresponding to the communication identifier receives the control instruction and adjusts the water supply state according to the control type.

10. The switch of claim 9, wherein,

the switch and the control device are communicated through a Bluetooth Mesh network.

11. The switch of claim 9, wherein,

the communication module is a ZigBee module,

the switch and the control device are communicated through a ZigBee network.

12. A method of controlling a water supply state, comprising the steps of:

when a control instruction is received, analyzing the control instruction;

when the communication identifier of the control device contained in the control instruction is consistent with the pre-stored communication identifier, determining a control type; and

adjusting a water supply state according to the control type,

wherein the control instructions include: the control type comprises control water outlet and control water closing, the electromagnetic valve arranged on a water channel pipeline at a water outlet of the water supply equipment controls the water supply equipment to start water supply when in a power-on state, the electromagnetic valve controls the water supply equipment to stop supplying water when in a power-off state, and the electromagnetic valve is provided with an air hole suitable for discharging water in the water channel pipeline when in the power-off state.

13. A method of controlling a water supply state, comprising the steps of:

responding to user operation, and generating a control instruction;

broadcasting the control instruction so that the control device adjusts the water supply state according to the control instruction when receiving the control instruction, wherein the electromagnetic valve arranged on the waterway pipeline at the water outlet of the water supply equipment controls the water supply equipment to start supplying water when being in a power-on state, the electromagnetic valve controls the water supply equipment to stop supplying water when being in a power-off state, and the electromagnetic valve is provided with an air hole which is suitable for discharging the water in the waterway pipeline when being in the power-off state.

14. A system for controlling a water supply condition, comprising:

a switch according to any of claims 7 to 11, adapted to generate and broadcast control instructions in response to user operation;

a control device according to any one of claims 1-6, adapted to adjust the water supply conditions in accordance with a control instruction upon receipt of said control instruction.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the switch and control device communicate over a bluetooth Mesh network or a ZigBee network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein,

the switch is also suitable for receiving control commands from other switches and forwarding the control commands.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

the client is suitable for generating a control instruction and broadcasting the control instruction;

the client communicates with the control device through a Bluetooth Mesh network.