DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-2 and 5-20 are pending.
Claims 3-4 are cancelled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the 102 rejections of the claims (see Amendment, Pages 17-19) have been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to the references being used in the current rejection.
Applicant’s arguments, with respect to the 103 rejections of the claims (see Amendment, Page 20), are directed to that “Potucek ‘226 fails to cure the deficiencies in Potucek.”
Examiner respectfully disagrees and submits that Potucek ‘226 (“Potucek-226”) teaches the amended claim 1 and claim 12 as discussed in Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 and Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 sections below, respectively.
Accordingly, the argument is not deemed persuasive, and the prior art rejections of the claims are maintained as described below.
Claim Objections
The following claims are objected to for informalities, lack of antecedent support, or for redundancies. The Examiner recommends the following changes:
Claim 1:
Lines 6-7, replace “the pieces of electrical equipment” with “the at least two pieces of electrical equipment”
Line 9, replace “the electrical control devices” with “the at least two electrical control devices”
Line 56, replace “said respective electrical control device” with “a respective electrical control device of the at least two electrical control devices”
Lines 57-58, replace “at least one other electrical control device” with “at least one other electrical control device of the at least two electrical control devices”
Claim 10, line 2, replace “at least one” with “at least two”
Claim 12:
Lines 17-18, replace “the at least one other electrical control device” with “at least one other electrical control device”
Line 24, delete “respective”
Line 25-26, replace “at least one other electrical control device” with “the at least one other electrical control device”
Line 34, delete “at least one”
Appropriate correction is respectfully requested.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 8-10, 14-16 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Potucek et al. (US 2019/0105226 A1) (“Potucek-226”).
Regarding independent claim 1, Potucek-226 teaches:
An electrical system dedicated to power supply and control of electrical equipment of a swimming pool, the electrical system comprising: (Potucek-226: Abstract “Systems and methods for providing network connectivity and remote monitoring, optimization, and control of pool/spa equipment are provided. “Internet-of-Things” (IoT) functionality is provided for pool and spa equipment in a flexible and cost-effective manner. Network connectivity and remote monitoring/control of pool and spa equipment is provided by various components such as a network communication and local control subsystem installed in pool/spa equipment, and other components. Also disclosed are various control processes (“pool logic”) which can be embodied as software code installed in any of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.”) (Poutucek-226: [0058] “… Additionally, the pool hub 230 could be powered by electrical current supplied by a breaker panel 217 or by photovoltaic (e.g., solar) cells and/or systems. Breaker panel 217 could also be a smart circuit breaker (e.g., a circuit breaker that can be controlled via wired or wireless communication) used to provide and/or to interrupt power to the devices disclosed herein. …”)
at least two pieces of electrical equipment; and at least two electrical control devices each being associated with one of the pieces of electrical equipment and being configured to control the respective associated piece of electrical equipment, each of the electrical control devices being utilized for the swimming pool and chosen among: a filtration electrical control device configured to control and supply power to one or more of a pump and a motorized valve to ensure water recycling flow, a lighting electrical control device configured to control and supply power a lighting system, a disinfection electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a disinfection system, a pH electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a pH regulation system, a cover electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a motorized cover for the swimming pool, a counter-current swimming electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a counter-current swimming system, a heating electrical control device configured to control and supply power to one or more of a water heater and an air heater for the swimming pool, a first pump electrical control device configured to control and supply power to one or more of an air propelling system and a water propelling system, a second pump electrical control device configured to control and power one or more of an air suction system and a water suction system, a switch electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a switch, a filling solenoid valve electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a solenoid valve to fill the pool with water, and a selection solenoid valve electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a solenoid valve configured to provide a massaging jet or counter-current swimming selection, (Potucek-226: [0048] “FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the system 10 of the present disclosure. The system 10 includes, but is not limited to, a plurality of network communication and local control subsystems 12a-12h which could be installed in or connected to a plurality of pool and spa equipment 14a-14h, so as to provide network connectivity and remote monitoring and control of the pool and spa equipment 14a-14h. The subsystems 12a-12h could communicate with each other over a network 16, which could include, but is not limited to, the Internet. Importantly, the subsystems 12a-12h provide “Internet-of-Things” functionality for the plurality of pool and spa equipment 14a-14h. It is noted that subsystems 12a-12h could further include a “big data” subsystem, subsystems for receiving input from manufacturers/factories, subsystems for receiving external data/input (e.g., data from the Internet), and subsystems for receiving input from customers. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the subsystems 12a-12h could include control logic for allowing each of the devices 14a-14h to interact with each other (e.g., to exchange data and commands for controlling each other), as well as to be remotely controlled by another system such as a remote server, a “cloud” based control system, a remote computer system, a smart device (e,g., smart phone, smart speaker, smart chip embedded in the body), etc., and combinations thereof as will be discussed in greater detail below.”) [Any two of the pool and spa equipment 14a-14h reads on “at least two pieces of electrical equipment”, and any two of the corresponding local control subsystems 12a-12h read on “at least two control devices”. Specifically, for this analysis, the pump 14a and the heating/cooling system 14b, and the corresponding local control subsystems 12a and 12b read on “at least two pieces of electrical equipment”, and “at least two control devices”, respectively.]
each of said at least two electrical control devices comprising: a microcontroller having a stored computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by the microcontroller, cause the microcontroller to control said respective associated piece of electrical equipment according to an algorithm dedicated to said respective associated piece of electrical equipment, and (Potucek-226: [0050] “FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of the subsystems 12a-12h in greater detail. … ”) (Potucek-226: [0051] “A processor 22 provides local processing capability for each of the subsystems 12a-12h. The processor 22 is in communication with a random access memory 24, and one or more non-volatile memories 28. The non-volatile memory 28 could store one or more local control programs 30 for providing local control of the pool or spa equipment in which the subsystem is installed. …”) [The combination of the processor and the memory reads on “a microcontroller”. The local control program executed on the processor for the respective pool or spa equipment reads on “to control … according to an algorithm dedicated to …”.]
a short-range or medium-range wireless communication system configured to integrate said respective associated piece of electrical control device to a local network and to exchange data with at least one other electrical control device integrated to said local network without using access to the Internet. (Potucek-226: [0048] as discussed above) (Potucek-226: [0050] “… As can be seen, a variety of subsystem components could be provided for providing network connectivity for pool and spa equipment via a multitude of wired and wireless means. As noted above, the subsystems 12a-12h could be installed in pool/spa equipment (e.g., within the physical housings of the equipment 14a-14h), or connected thereto, to provide network connectivity to each device. Advantageously, the subsystems 12a-12h can be provided as “after-market” components that provide network connectivity and remote monitoring and control for pool/spa equipment that does not ordinarily include such connectivity. Importantly, the subsystems 12a-12h allow for a wide variety of wired and wireless connections to the pool/spa equipment. For example, a smart telephone could directly connect with pool or spa equipment via a Bluetooth, WiFi, RF mesh (e.g., ZWave, Zigbee, Thread, Weave, etc.), or satellite connection, via the subsystems 12a-12h. Moreover, a home computer could connect to pool/spa equipment using a home WiFi network, via the subsystems 12a-12h or by way of a wired Ethernet connection to the pool/spa equipment. Still further, a remote server or “cloud” platform could connect to the pool/spa equipment via the subsystems 12a-12h, to allow for remote and/or web-based control.”) [Using the Internet is optional, and accordingly when other than Internet is used, it reads on “… without using access to the Internet”.]
wherein the microcontroller of the respective electrical control device is structured to selectively control the respective associated piece of electrical equipment according to at least two modes including: an autonomous mode for controlling the respective associated piece of electrical equipment in autonomy, independently of the data communicated within the local network from the at least one other electrical control device, and a network mode for controlling the respective associated piece of electrical equipment taking into account the data from the at least one other electrical control device integrated to the local network. (Potucek-226: [0117] “… Accordingly, because the application could be run, viewed, or accessed on a mobile device (e.g., not tethered to a specific location) the wizard/application enables the user to stand poolside, watching features as speeds/flows are automatically displayed by pump control logic 84 or selected by the user/installer for each prompt. The wizard/application also enables the user/installer to stand at the equipment pad, watching equipment function (e.g., heater ignition) as the pump steps through various speeds/flows. Optionally, as shown in steps 3946 and 3948, pump control logic 84 could sense and/or advise of a maximum speed/flow beyond which the pump cavitates or reaches an undesirable inflection point in energy consumption/efficiency. For example, pump control logic 84 could determine the maximum speed/flow beyond which the pump cavitates using operational data received from an accelerometer, optical sensor, or other means. In step 3946, pump control logic 84 determines if the user selected setpoints are causing pump cavitation. If a negative determination is made in step 3946, pump control logic 84 proceeds to step 3944, discussed hereinabove. If a positive determination is made in step 3946, pump control logic 84 proceeds to step 3948, where an alert is transmitted to the user. Alternatively, the system could determine speeds at which the pump cavitates beforehand and remove the speeds at which the pump cavitates from the acceptable setpoints that are presented to the user in step 3942. Also optionally, pump control logic 84 could suggest to the user alternative modes of operation (e.g., other than that selected by the user) that either improve the reliability of one or more pieces of installed pool/spa equipment, or improve the efficiency of one or more pieces of installed pool/spa equipment, individually, or as a whole system. For example, other pieces of installed pool/spa equipment could communicate with the pump control logic 84 and advise of optimum performance criteria. This logic could reside in other installed pool/spa equipment and be communicated to the pump, or the logic could be contained within the pump itself.”) (Potucek-226: [0129] “FIG. 19AC is a flowchart illustrating processing steps carried out by pump control logic 84 for adjusting the operation of the pump to meet the needs of other pool/spa equipment. For example, pump control logic 84 could increase the speed/flow of the pump in response to an increase in the output of the heater, necessitated by a drop in ambient temperature (e.g., heater output increased to maintain desired pool/spa temperature). In step 4102, the heater output is increased (e.g., due to a drop in ambient temperature). In step 4104, pump control logic 84 receives operational data from the heater (e.g., current or requested BTU output). In step 4106, pump control logic 84 determines if an increase in pump speed/flow is required based on the operational data received from the heater. If a negative determination is made in step 4106, pump control logic 84 returns to step 4104. If a positive determination is made in step 4106, pump control logic 84 proceeds to step 4108, where an instruction is transmitted to the pump to increase speed/flow. Pump control logic 84 then returns to step 4104. While the foregoing process steps are discussed in connection with the pump control logic 84 adjusting the operation of the pump in response to the needs of the heater during a drop in ambient temperature, it is contemplated that pump control logic 84 can adjust the operation of the pump in response to the needs of any of the installed pool/spa equipment disclosed herein.”) [The user selecting or controlling the pool equipment (e.g., pump) using user device reads on “an autonomous mode”. The alternative mode or the pool controller controlling the pool equipment reads on “a network mode”. The adjusting the operation of the pump to meet the needs of the heater reads on “controlling … taking into account the data from the at least one other electrical control device”.]
Regarding claim 8, Potucek-226 teaches all the claimed features of claim 1. Potucek-226 further teaches:
at least one gateway electrical device chosen among one of: a first gateway electronic device configured to generate a first gateway from said local network to an external network, a second gateway electronic device configured to generate a second gateway from said local network to a long-range link, and a third gateway electronic device, configured to generate a local gateway from said local network to a personal electronic device. (Potucek-226: [0055] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the present disclosure, indicated generally at 110. In this embodiment, network connectivity and remote monitoring/control of pool and spa components is provided by way of a central pool/spa system controller 114f. The pool/spa system controller 114f could be the OMNILOGIC pool/spa system controller manufactured and sold by Hayward Industries Inc. The pool/spa system controller 114f could communicate with one or more valve actuators 114e, a single speed pump 113, a variable speed pump 114a, pool/spa lighting systems 114h, a pool/spa heating or cooling system 114b, and/or a pool/spa chlorination system 114c, such as a salt chlorinator. Additionally, the pool/spa control system 114f could receive input from one or more external sensors 126 and could provide “personality” by way of remotely provisioned logic for the devices. The pool/spa control system 114f communicates with a remote server, such as the server 118, via a Wi-Fi router 122 and the Internet. The server 118 could communicate with one or more remote control systems 120, such as a smart device (e.g., smart phone, smart speaker, smart TV, embedded device), a computer system, a tablet computer, etc. The control system 114f could also receive external web data 131 via the Internet and Wi-Fi router 122 (e.g., time & date, sunrise/sunset data, regional and local weather forecasts, wind, UV, sunlight) for use by pool control logic 170, described hereinbelow. Additionally, the Wi-Fi router 122 could communicate with a home management system 125 in a peer-to-peer arrangement, if desired. …”)”)
Regarding claim 9, Potucek-226 teaches all the claimed features of claims 1 and 8. Potucek-226 further teaches:
wherein the external network comprises at least one remote server configured to exchange with said local network for one or more of: working of the at least two electrical control device taking into account external data, and control of the at least two electrical control device via a personal electronic device. (Potucek-226: [0058] “FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the system of the present disclosure, wherein remote connectivity is provided by way of a pool “hub” component 230. The pool hub component 230 includes a subset of the functional features of the pool/spa system controller 114f of FIG. 5, such as basic on/off control relays, the ability to select a pump speed, the ability to select heater temperature, the ability to control pool light colors and shows, the ability to set equipment schedules, and the ability to interlock one pool/spa component with another pool/spa component. The pool hub communicates with and controls a number of pool/spa components, such as a single speed pump 213, a variable speed pump 214a, pool/spa lighting systems 214h, a pool/spa heating system 214b, and a pool/spa chlorination system 214c. Additionally, the pool hub 230 can control a valve actuator 214e and can receive various sensor inputs 226 and 228, such as temperature sensors, wind speed sensors, runtime sensors, current/voltage usage sensors, flow sensors, heater pressure sensors, water temperature sensors, chlorine sensors, pH/ORP sensors, etc. Such sensors could be positioned internally within the hub, external thereto, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the pool hub 230 could be powered by electrical current supplied by a breaker panel 217 or by photovoltaic (e.g., solar) cells and/or systems. Breaker panel 217 could also be a smart circuit breaker (e.g., a circuit breaker that can be controlled via wired or wireless communication) used to provide and/or to interrupt power to the devices disclosed herein. The pool hub 230 could communicate with a remote server 218 via a Wi-Fi router 222 and a network connection such as the Internet. The server to 218 could include pool logic 270 which can be used to remotely monitor and control operation of the devices to 213, 214a, 214h, 214b, and 214c. The pool logic 270 could include any of the pool logic discussed herein. Additionally, the server 218 could communicate with one or more remote control devices 220, such as a smart cellular telephone, a remote computer, a tablet computer, etc. The server 218 could also receive external web data 231 via the Internet (e.g., time & date, sunrise/sunset data, regional and local weather forecasts, wind, UV, sunlight) for use by pool logic 270. Further, the server 218 could communicate with one or more third-party devices 224 via an appropriate cloud API. Further, the server 218 could process big data 232 and perform analytics 234 on various pool/spa data. Still further, the server 218 could communicate with a home management system 225, if desired.”)
Regarding claim 10, Potucek-226 teaches all the claimed features of claim 1. Potucek-226 further teaches:
wherein each of said at least one electrical control device is integrated into at least one box and is one of: irremovable with respect to said at least one box to form an all-in-one unit, and removable with respect to said at least one box to form a modular unit. (Potucek-226: [0050] “FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of the subsystems 12a-12h in greater detail. As can be seen, a variety of subsystem components could be provided for providing network connectivity for pool and spa equipment via a multitude of wired and wireless means. As noted above, the subsystems 12a-12h could be installed in pool/spa equipment (e.g., within the physical housings of the equipment 14a-14h), or connected thereto, to provide network connectivity to each device. )…”)
Regarding claim 14, Potucek-226 teaches all the claimed features of claim 1. Potucek-226 further teaches:
An electrical unit for a swimming pool, the electrical unit comprising: the electrical system according to claim 1; and the at least two piece of electrical equipment for the swimming pool, said at least two pieces of electrical equipment being chosen among one of: a pump, a motorized valve associated with a filtration system, a lighting system, a disinfection system, a pH regulation system, a motorized cover, a counter-current swimming system, one of a water heating system and an air heating system, one of an air propelling system and a water propelling system, one of an air suction system and a water suction system, a switch, a solenoid valve configured to fill the pool with water, and a solenoid valve configured to provide one or more of massaging jet and counter-current swimming selection. (Potucek-226: FIG. 1 and [0048] as discussed in claim 1)
Regarding claim 15, Potucek-226 teaches all the claimed features of claims 1 and 14. Potucek-226 further teaches:
A swimming pool comprising: a pool which is fitted with the electrical unit according to claim 14. (Potucek-226: [0049] “As can be seen, the pool and spa equipment 14a-14h could include various types of pool and spa equipment, such as a pump 14a, a heating/cooling system 14b, a sanitization system 14c, a water feature or miscellaneous subsystem 14d, a valve actuator 14e, a pool/spa control system 14f, a pool cleaner 14g, and/or a lighting system 14h. It is noted that, as described herein, the heating/cooling system 14b may also describe, or be described as, a heating system, heater, cooling system, cooler, or any combination thereof. Additionally, as can be seen in FIG. 1, the subsystems 12a-12h could also communicate with one or more servers 18, and/or with one or more smart devices 20 (e.g., phone, tablet, computer systems, etc.), via the network 16. Still further, an on-site control processor 19 could be in communication with the various systems shown in FIG. 1. The on-site control processor 19 could be a pool/spa control system installed at the location of a pool or spa, a reduced-functionality pool/spa control system, or another type of control system. Examples of such systems will be described in detail below.”)
Regarding claim 16, Potucek-226 teaches all the claimed features of claim 1. Potucek-226 further teaches:
wherein, in the network mode, the microcontroller of said at least one electrical control device is structured to control said at least one associated piece of electrical equipment taking into account the data from said local network and the data from at least one other electrical control device integrated to said local network. (Potucek-226: FIG. 19AC and [0129] as discussed in claim 1)
Regarding claim 19, Potucek-226 teaches all the claimed features of claims 1 and 8. Potucek-226 further teaches:
wherein said electrical system is devoid of a gateway electrical device. (Potucek-226: [0074] “FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the system of the present disclosure, indicated generally at 510. In this embodiment, wireless connectivity is provided directly within pool/spa equipment, allowing such equipment to communicate directly to the Internet. As shown, pool spa equipment, such as a single speed pump 513, a variable speed pump 5148, pool/spa lighting system 514h, heater 514b, and/or chlorinator 514c, in addition to valve actuators 514e, each have built-in wireless communications subsystems, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radiofrequency/RF mesh (e.g., ZWave, Zigbee, Thread, Weave, etc.), and or cellular wireless communication subsystems. Each of these devices can communicate directly with the Internet via a Wi-Fi router 522. Additionally, external sensors 526 could also communicate with the Wi-Fi router 522, and could also include built-in wireless communications such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radiofrequency/RF mesh (e.g., ZWave, Zigbee, Thread, Weave, etc.), and cellular communications. The sensors 526 could include, but are not limited to, heater pressure sensors, water temperature sensors, chlorine sensors, pH/aware pressure sensors, etc. It is noted that each of the pool/spa components could include the ability to remember schedules during a Wi-Fi outage (limp mode) as provisioned by remote pool logic. Additionally, each of these devices could include start/stop buttons, if desired, for stand-alone operation. A breaker panel 527 could provide electrical power to each of the pool/spa components. Breaker panel 527 could also be a smart circuit breaker (e.g., a circuit breaker that can be controlled via wired or wireless communication) used to provide and/or to interrupt power to the devices disclosed herein. In some embodiments, photovoltaic (e.g., solar) cells and/or systems could provide electrical power to one or more of the pool/spa components.”)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 2, 5-7, 12, 17-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Potucek-226, in view of Potucek et al. (US 2019/0018377 A1) (“Potucek”).
Regarding claim 2, Potucek-226 teaches all the claimed features of claim 1. Potucek-226 further teaches:
wherein each of said at least two electrical control device further comprises one or more of: at least one electrical connector configured to connect to a power supply, at least one power supply configured to power said at least one associated piece of electrical equipment, and at least one wired communication interface configured to integrate said at least one electrical control device to said local network and to exchange data by wire with said at least one other electrical control device integrated to said local network. (Potucek-226: FIG. 2 and [0050] as discussed in claim 1)
Potucek-226 does not expressly teach: wherein each of said at least two electrical control device further comprises one or more of: at least one electrical connector configured to connect to a power supply, at least one power supply configured to power said at least one associated piece of electrical equipment …
Potucek teaches:
wherein each of said at least two electrical control device further comprises one or more of: at least one electrical connector configured to connect to a power supply, at least one power supply configured to power said at least one associated piece of electrical equipment … (Potucek: [0054] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electronic components of the main control panel 4. The main control panel 4 includes a main panel motherboard 6 that holds various components of the main control panel 4 and provides interconnectivity therebetween. The main panel motherboard 6 can be a printed circuit board that can be conformal coated to prevent corrosion/damage from long term exposure to dampness. The main panel 4 includes a 12 VDC power supply assembly 44 and a 24 VDC power supply assembly 46. Connected to the main panel motherboard 6 is an AC input connector 34 that receives power from an AC power source, e.g., a standard outlet of a household. The AC input connector 34 sends the received power through a noise filter 80 (e.g., manufactured by Echelon, Inc.), which filters the power and removes any unwanted noise, and to a transformer connector 82 and a power supply input connector 86. The power supply input connector 86 allows connection of the main panel motherboard 6 with the 12 VDC power supply 62 and the 24 VDC power supply 64 via their respective AC connectors 68, 72. Each AC connector 68, 72 provides the respective power supply (e.g., 12 VDC power supply 62 and 24 VDC power supply 64) with 120 VAC power, which in turn converts same into 12 VDC and 24 VDC, respectively. The 12 VDC and 24 VDC output of the power supplies 62, 64 are connected to a respective power supply connector 66, 70 that are each connected to the power supply output connector 88 of the main panel motherboard 6. The power supply output connector 88 distributes power to various components of the main panel mother board 6. As mentioned previously, the AC input connector 34 provides AC power to the transformer connector 82 for connection with a chlorination transformer 74 that transforms the 120 VAC power to 24 VAC. The 24 VAC is returned by the chlorination transformer 74 to the transformer connector 82 for distribution among various components of the main panel motherboard 6.”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Potucek-226 and Potucek before them, to modify the local control subsystem that control the corresponding pool equipment, to incorporate connectors for a power input and power output.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would allow for receiving power from a power source and sending power to the corresponding pool equipment. (Potucek: [0054])
Regarding claim 5, Potucek-226 teaches all the claimed features of claim 1. Potucek-226 further teaches:
at least one master electrical device configured to centralize and route data communications between electrical control devices within said local network, said at least one electrical device comprising: at least one electrical connection system configured to connect to a power supply, and a short-range or medium-range wireless communication system configured to integrate said at least one master electrical device to said local network and to centralize and route (Potucek-226: [0048] as discussed in claim 1) (Potucek-226: [0049] “As can be seen, the pool and spa equipment 14a-14h could include various types of pool and spa equipment, such as a pump 14a, a heating/cooling system 14b, a sanitization system 14c, a water feature or miscellaneous subsystem 14d, a valve actuator 14e, a pool/spa control system 14f, a pool cleaner 14g, and/or a lighting system 14h. It is noted that, as described herein, the heating/cooling system 14b may also describe, or be described as, a heating system, heater, cooling system, cooler, or any combination thereof. Additionally, as can be seen in FIG. 1, the subsystems 12a-12h could also communicate with one or more servers 18, and/or with one or more smart devices 20 (e.g., phone, tablet, computer systems, etc.), via the network 16. Still further, an on-site control processor 19 could be in communication with the various systems shown in FIG. 1. The on-site control processor 19 could be a pool/spa control system installed at the location of a pool or spa, a reduced-functionality pool/spa control system, or another type of control system. Examples of such systems will be described in detail below.”) [Any one of the on-site control processor 19 or a remote server, a cloud based control system, a remote computer system, a smart device (e,g., smart phone, smart speaker, smart chip embedded in the body), etc. reads on “at least one master electrical device”.]
Potucek-226 does not expressly teach: said at least one electrical device comprising: at least one electrical connection system configured to connect to a power supply …
Potucek teaches:
said at least one electrical device comprising: at least one electrical connection system configured to connect to a power supply … (Potucek: [0054] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electronic components of the main control panel 4. The main control panel 4 includes a main panel motherboard 6 that holds various components of the main control panel 4 and provides interconnectivity therebetween. The main panel motherboard 6 can be a printed circuit board that can be conformal coated to prevent corrosion/damage from long term exposure to dampness. The main panel 4 includes a 12 VDC power supply assembly 44 and a 24 VDC power supply assembly 46. Connected to the main panel motherboard 6 is an AC input connector 34 that receives power from an AC power source, e.g., a standard outlet of a household. The AC input connector 34 sends the received power through a noise filter 80 (e.g., manufactured by Echelon, Inc.), which filters the power and removes any unwanted noise, and to a transformer connector 82 and a power supply input connector 86. The power supply input connector 86 allows connection of the main panel motherboard 6 with the 12 VDC power supply 62 and the 24 VDC power supply 64 via their respective AC connectors 68, 72. Each AC connector 68, 72 provides the respective power supply (e.g., 12 VDC power supply 62 and 24 VDC power supply 64) with 120 VAC power, which in turn converts same into 12 VDC and 24 VDC, respectively. The 12 VDC and 24 VDC output of the power supplies 62, 64 are connected to a respective power supply connector 66, 70 that are each connected to the power supply output connector 88 of the main panel motherboard 6. The power supply output connector 88 distributes power to various components of the main panel mother board 6. As mentioned previously, the AC input connector 34 provides AC power to the transformer connector 82 for connection with a chlorination transformer 74 that transforms the 120 VAC power to 24 VAC. The 24 VAC is returned by the chlorination transformer 74 to the transformer connector 82 for distribution among various components of the main panel motherboard 6.”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Potucek-226 and Potucek before them, to modify the control system that control the corresponding pool equipment, to incorporate connectors for a power input and power output.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would allow for receiving power from a power source and sending power to the corresponding pool equipment. (Potucek: [0054])
Regarding claim 6, Potucek-226 and Potucek teach all the claimed features of claims 1 and 5. Potucek-226 further teaches:
wherein said at least two electrical control devices configured as peripheral electrical control devices. (Potucek-226: [0052] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating various types of control logic in accordance with the present disclosure, for controlling various types of pool and spa equipment. The control logic, indicated generally as pool control logic 70, could be embodied as programmed instructions (software code) stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and could include water feature control logic 72, valve actuator control logic 74, cleaner control logic 76, lighting control logic 78, heater control logic 80, chemistry automation control logic 82, and pump control logic 84. Such logic could be installed locally (e.g., in one or more of the subsystems 12a-12h), on a remote server or computer system (e.g., in the server 18 or the smart phone/computer system 20), in the “cloud,” or in any combination of such systems. The functions provided by the logic 70-84 is described in greater detail below. As will be discussed in greater detail below the various logic operations disclosed herein (including the operational instruction disclosed herein) could be trigged by (e.g., receive and a signal from) various sensors and/or inputs to the system, as needed. Such inputs could be periodically monitored by the pool control logic 70 of the system 10.)
Regarding claim 7, Potucek-226 and Potucek teach all the claimed features of claims 1 and 5-6. Potucek-226 further teaches:
wherein the short-range or medium-range wireless communication system is structured to ensure at least one communication mode among one or more of: a centralized communication mode in which said at least one peripheral electrical control device is configured to communicate data with at least one other peripheral electrical control device via said at least one electrical device, and a decentralized communication moder in which said at least one peripheral electrical control device is configured to directly communicate data with at least one other peripheral electrical control device. (Potucek-226: FIG. 3 and [0050] as discussed in claim 1)
Regarding independent claim 12, Potucek-226 teaches:
An electrical control device, for an electrical system dedicated to supply power and control of electrical equipment of a swimming pool, said electrical control device comprising: (Potucek-226: [0048] “FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the system 10 of the present disclosure. The system 10 includes, but is not limited to, a plurality of network communication and local control subsystems 12a-12h which could be installed in or connected to a plurality of pool and spa equipment 14a-14h, so as to provide network connectivity and remote monitoring and control of the pool and spa equipment 14a-14h. The subsystems 12a-12h could communicate with each other over a network 16, which could include, but is not limited to, the Internet. Importantly, the subsystems 12a-12h provide “Internet-of-Things” functionality for the plurality of pool and spa equipment 14a-14h. It is noted that subsystems 12a-12h could further include a “big data” subsystem, subsystems for receiving input from manufacturers/factories, subsystems for receiving external data/input (e.g., data from the Internet), and subsystems for receiving input from customers. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the subsystems 12a-12h could include control logic for allowing each of the devices 14a-14h to interact with each other (e.g., to exchange data and commands for controlling each other), as well as to be remotely controlled by another system such as a remote server, a “cloud” based control system, a remote computer system, a smart device (e,g., smart phone, smart speaker, smart chip embedded in the body), etc., and combinations thereof as will be discussed in greater detail below.”) (Poutucek-226: [0058] “… Additionally, the pool hub 230 could be powered by electrical current supplied by a breaker panel 217 or by photovoltaic (e.g., solar) cells and/or systems. Breaker panel 217 could also be a smart circuit breaker (e.g., a circuit breaker that can be controlled via wired or wireless communication) used to provide and/or to interrupt power to the devices disclosed herein. …”) [Any one of the corresponding local control subsystems 12a-12h reads on An “electrical control devices”.]
a microcontroller having a storage computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by the microcontroller, cause the microcontroller to control respective associated piece of electrical equipment according to an algorithm dedicated to said respective associated piece of electrical equipment, (Potucek-226: [0050] “FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of the subsystems 12a-12h in greater detail. … ”) (Potucek-226: [0051] “A processor 22 provides local processing capability for each of the subsystems 12a-12h. The processor 22 is in communication with a random access memory 24, and one or more non-volatile memories 28. The non-volatile memory 28 could store one or more local control programs 30 for providing local control of the pool or spa equipment in which the subsystem is installed. …”) [The combination of the processor and the memory reads on “a microcontroller”. The local control program executed on the processor for the respective pool or spa equipment reads on “to control … according to an algorithm dedicated to …”.]
the microcontroller being structured to selectively control the respective associated piece of electrical equipment according to at least two modes including: an autonomous mode for controlling the respective associated piece of electrical equipment in autonomy, independently of the data communicated within the local network from the at least one other electrical control device, and a network mode for controlling the respective associated piece of electrical equipment taking into account the data from the at least one other electrical control device integrated to the local network; (Potucek-226: [0117] “… Accordingly, because the application could be run, viewed, or accessed on a mobile device (e.g., not tethered to a specific location) the wizard/application enables the user to stand poolside, watching features as speeds/flows are automatically displayed by pump control logic 84 or selected by the user/installer for each prompt. The wizard/application also enables the user/installer to stand at the equipment pad, watching equipment function (e.g., heater ignition) as the pump steps through various speeds/flows. Optionally, as shown in steps 3946 and 3948, pump control logic 84 could sense and/or advise of a maximum speed/flow beyond which the pump cavitates or reaches an undesirable inflection point in energy consumption/efficiency. For example, pump control logic 84 could determine the maximum speed/flow beyond which the pump cavitates using operational data received from an accelerometer, optical sensor, or other means. In step 3946, pump control logic 84 determines if the user selected setpoints are causing pump cavitation. If a negative determination is made in step 3946, pump control logic 84 proceeds to step 3944, discussed hereinabove. If a positive determination is made in step 3946, pump control logic 84 proceeds to step 3948, where an alert is transmitted to the user. Alternatively, the system could determine speeds at which the pump cavitates beforehand and remove the speeds at which the pump cavitates from the acceptable setpoints that are presented to the user in step 3942. Also optionally, pump control logic 84 could suggest to the user alternative modes of operation (e.g., other than that selected by the user) that either improve the reliability of one or more pieces of installed pool/spa equipment, or improve the efficiency of one or more pieces of installed pool/spa equipment, individually, or as a whole system. For example, other pieces of installed pool/spa equipment could communicate with the pump control logic 84 and advise of optimum performance criteria. This logic could reside in other installed pool/spa equipment and be communicated to the pump, or the logic could be contained within the pump itself.”) (Potucek-226: [0129] “FIG. 19AC is a flowchart illustrating processing steps carried out by pump control logic 84 for adjusting the operation of the pump to meet the needs of other pool/spa equipment. For example, pump control logic 84 could increase the speed/flow of the pump in response to an increase in the output of the heater, necessitated by a drop in ambient temperature (e.g., heater output increased to maintain desired pool/spa temperature). In step 4102, the heater output is increased (e.g., due to a drop in ambient temperature). In step 4104, pump control logic 84 receives operational data from the heater (e.g., current or requested BTU output). In step 4106, pump control logic 84 determines if an increase in pump speed/flow is required based on the operational data received from the heater. If a negative determination is made in step 4106, pump control logic 84 returns to step 4104. If a positive determination is made in step 4106, pump control logic 84 proceeds to step 4108, where an instruction is transmitted to the pump to increase speed/flow. Pump control logic 84 then returns to step 4104. While the foregoing process steps are discussed in connection with the pump control logic 84 adjusting the operation of the pump in response to the needs of the heater during a drop in ambient temperature, it is contemplated that pump control logic 84 can adjust the operation of the pump in response to the needs of any of the installed pool/spa equipment disclosed herein.”) [The user selecting or controlling the pool equipment (e.g., pump) using user device reads on “an autonomous mode”. The alternative mode or the pool controller controlling the pool equipment reads on “a network mode”. The adjusting the operation of the pump to meet the needs of the heater reads on “controlling … taking into account the data from the at least one other electrical control device”.]
a short-range or medium-range wireless communication system configured to integrate said respective electrical control device to a local network and to exchange for data with at least one other electrical control device integrated to said local network without using access to the Internet; … and at least one wired communication interface configured to integrate said at least one electrical control device to said local network and to exchange data by wire with said at least one other electrical control device integrated to said local network, (Potucek-226: [0048] “FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the system 10 of the present disclosure. The system 10 includes, but is not limited to, a plurality of network communication and local control subsystems 12a-12h which could be installed in or connected to a plurality of pool and spa equipment 14a-14h, so as to provide network connectivity and remote monitoring and control of the pool and spa equipment 14a-14h. The subsystems 12a-12h could communicate with each other over a network 16, which could include, but is not limited to, the Internet. Importantly, the subsystems 12a-12h provide “Internet-of-Things” functionality for the plurality of pool and spa equipment 14a-14h. It is noted that subsystems 12a-12h could further include a “big data” subsystem, subsystems for receiving input from manufacturers/factories, subsystems for receiving external data/input (e.g., data from the Internet), and subsystems for receiving input from customers. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the subsystems 12a-12h could include control logic for allowing each of the devices 14a-14h to interact with each other (e.g., to exchange data and commands for controlling each other), as well as to be remotely controlled by another system such as a remote server, a “cloud” based control system, a remote computer system, a smart device (e,g., smart phone, smart speaker, smart chip embedded in the body), etc., and combinations thereof as will be discussed in greater detail below.”) (Potucek-226: [0050] “… As can be seen, a variety of subsystem components could be provided for providing network connectivity for pool and spa equipment via a multitude of wired and wireless means. As noted above, the subsystems 12a-12h could be installed in pool/spa equipment (e.g., within the physical housings of the equipment 14a-14h), or connected thereto, to provide network connectivity to each device. Advantageously, the subsystems 12a-12h can be provided as “after-market” components that provide network connectivity and remote monitoring and control for pool/spa equipment that does not ordinarily include such connectivity. Importantly, the subsystems 12a-12h allow for a wide variety of wired and wireless connections to the pool/spa equipment. For example, a smart telephone could directly connect with pool or spa equipment via a Bluetooth, WiFi, RF mesh (e.g., ZWave, Zigbee, Thread, Weave, etc.), or satellite connection, via the subsystems 12a-12h. Moreover, a home computer could connect to pool/spa equipment using a home WiFi network, via the subsystems 12a-12h or by way of a wired Ethernet connection to the pool/spa equipment. Still further, a remote server or “cloud” platform could connect to the pool/spa equipment via the subsystems 12a-12h, to allow for remote and/or web-based control.”) [Using the Internet is optional, and accordingly when other than Internet is used, it reads on “… without using access to the Internet”.]
wherein the electrical control device is one of: a filtration electrical control device configured to control and supply power to one or more of a pump and a motorized valve to ensure water recycling flow, a lighting electrical control device configured to control and supply power a lighting system, a disinfection electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a disinfection system, a pH electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a pH regulation system, a cover electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a motorized cover for the swimming pool, a counter-current swimming electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a counter-current swimming system, a heating electrical control device configured to control and supply power to one or more of a water heater and an air heater for the swimming pool, a first pump electrical control device configured to control and supply power to one or more of an air propelling system and a water propelling system, a second pump electrical control device configured to control and power one or more of an air suction system and a water suction system, a switch electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a switch, a filling solenoid valve electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a solenoid valve to fill the pool with water, and a selection solenoid valve electrical control device configured to control and supply power to a solenoid valve configured to provide a massaging jet or counter-current swimming selection. (Potucek-226: [0048] and FIG. 1 as discussed above) [See the local control subsystem for the pump 12a, as illustrated in FIG. 1.]
Potucek-226 does not expressly teach: at least one electrical connection system configured to connect to a power supply; at least one electrical connection system configured to power said at least one associated piece of electrical equipment.
Potucek teaches:
at least one electrical connection system configured to connect to a power supply; at least one electrical connection system configured to power said at least one associated piece of electrical equipment. (Potucek: [0054] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electronic components of the main control panel 4. The main control panel 4 includes a main panel motherboard 6 that holds various components of the main control panel 4 and provides interconnectivity therebetween. The main panel motherboard 6 can be a printed circuit board that can be conformal coated to prevent corrosion/damage from long term exposure to dampness. The main panel 4 includes a 12 VDC power supply assembly 44 and a 24 VDC power supply assembly 46. Connected to the main panel motherboard 6 is an AC input connector 34 that receives power from an AC power source, e.g., a standard outlet of a household. The AC input connector 34 sends the received power through a noise filter 80 (e.g., manufactured by Echelon, Inc.), which filters the power and removes any unwanted noise, and to a transformer connector 82 and a power supply input connector 86. The power supply input connector 86 allows connection of the main panel motherboard 6 with the 12 VDC power supply 62 and the 24 VDC power supply 64 via their respective AC connectors 68, 72. Each AC connector 68, 72 provides the respective power supply (e.g., 12 VDC power supply 62 and 24 VDC power supply 64) with 120 VAC power, which in turn converts same into 12 VDC and 24 VDC, respectively. The 12 VDC and 24 VDC output of the power supplies 62, 64 are connected to a respective power supply connector 66, 70 that are each connected to the power supply output connector 88 of the main panel motherboard 6. The power supply output connector 88 distributes power to various components of the main panel mother board 6. As mentioned previously, the AC input connector 34 provides AC power to the transformer connector 82 for connection with a chlorination transformer 74 that transforms the 120 VAC power to 24 VAC. The 24 VAC is returned by the chlorination transformer 74 to the transformer connector 82 for distribution among various components of the main panel motherboard 6.”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Potucek-226 and Potucek before them, to modify the control system that control the corresponding pool equipment, to incorporate connectors for a power input and power output.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would allow for receiving power from a power source and sending power to the corresponding pool equipment. (Potucek: [0054])
Regarding claim 17, Potucek-226 and Potucek teach all the claimed features of claims 1 and 5. Potucek-226further teaches:
at least one electrical device consisting of an electrical control device. (Potucek-226: FIG. 1 and [0048] as discussed in claim 1)
Regarding claim 18, Potucek-226 and Potucek teach all the claimed features of claims 1 and 5. Potucek-226further teaches:
wherein said at least one master electrical device comprises a microcontroller having a stored computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by said microcontroller, cause said microcontroller to control said at least one associated piece of electrical equipment according to an algorithm dedicated to said at least one associated piece of electrical equipment, and a user interface. (Potucek-226: FIG. 1 and [0048] as discussed in claim 1) (Potucek-226: [0052] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating various types of control logic in accordance with the present disclosure, for controlling various types of pool and spa equipment. The control logic, indicated generally as pool control logic 70, could be embodied as programmed instructions (software code) stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and could include water feature control logic 72, valve actuator control logic 74, cleaner control logic 76, lighting control logic 78, heater control logic 80, chemistry automation control logic 82, and pump control logic 84. Such logic could be installed locally (e.g., in one or more of the subsystems 12a-12h), on a remote server or computer system (e.g., in the server 18 or the smart phone/computer system 20), in the “cloud,” or in any combination of such systems. The functions provided by the logic 70-84 is described in greater detail below. As will be discussed in greater detail below the various logic operations disclosed herein (including the operational instruction disclosed herein) could be trigged by (e.g., receive and a signal from) various sensors and/or inputs to the system, as needed. Such inputs could be periodically monitored by the pool control logic 70 of the system 10.
Regarding claim 20, Potucek-226 teaches all the claimed features of claim 1. Potucek-226 does not teach the recitations of claim 20.
Potucek teaches:
wherein each of said at least two electrical control devices is integrated into at least one box which is waterproof. (Potucek: [0048] “… The wireless remote control unit 58 could include a rechargeable battery, can be ruggedized and waterproof so that it can be used near a pool or spa, and could include an ultraviolet light (UV) resistant plastic enclosure. Importantly, the wired and wireless remote control unit 58 duplicates the functionality provided by the local terminal 28. The wired remote control unit could be an indoor unit that can be mounted to an interior wall of a house, or an outdoor version that can be mounted in or near a pool/spa.”) (Potucek: [0065] “The first external RS-485 bus 14 and the second external RS-485 bus 102 allow various devices to be connected to the control system 2 during or after installation, to add additional capabilities to the control system 2. These devices can be mounted externally to the main control panel 4 in their own weatherproof enclosure, or in some instances, internally with the main control panel 4. These devices can include an underwater pool/spa lighting control module (which permits control of underwater pool/spa lights using dedicated, low-voltage control wiring interconnected with the underwater pool/spa lights, or through power line carrier (PLC) control wherein controls are transmitted to the pool/spa lights over high or low voltage power lines which supply power to the lights), a wireless (“WiFi”) radio module 26, a Z-wave radio module, or another type of wired or wireless transmitter and/or receiver. Each of the radio modules could be manufactured to conform with required government radio frequency (RF) standards. The WiFi radio module 26 can connect to the Ethernet port of the main panel motherboard 6, thus creating an Ethernet to WiFi bridge. The main panel motherboard 6, and all associated devices/expansion boards, can communicate with a home network through a wired Ethernet connection via the Ethernet port, or wirelessly using the WiFi radio module 26. Additionally, the WiFi radio 26 allows the wireless remote control unit 58 or a wireless device 61 to communicate with the main panel motherboard 6 at ranges of 250 feet or more. The WiFi radio 26 can be mounted in a radome housing that is capable of withstanding a NEMA 3R rain test and mounted externally to the main control panel 4. Alternatively, the WiFi radio module 26 can be mounted inside the main control panel 4 with only the antenna mounted externally.”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Potucek-226 and Potucek before them, to modify the pool or spa control system components, to incorporate weatherproof or waterproof housings or enclosures.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would help protect the components from pool water or weather conditions. (Potucek: [0048] and [0065])
Claims 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Potucek-226, in view of Loebs (US 2014/0314062 A1) (“Loebs”).
Regarding claim 11, Potucek-226 teaches all the claimed features of claim 1. Potucek-226 further teaches:
at least one sensor that includes: at least one sensing device configured to acquire data representative of at least one working parameter of the swimming pool, a short-range or medium-range wireless communication system configured to integrate said at least one sensor to said local network and configured for data communication with at least one other electrical control device integrated to said local network; … wherein the microcontroller of the respective electrical control device is structured to control said respective associated piece of electrical equipment taking into account data from said at least one sensor. (Potucek-226: [0051] “ … The sensor interface subsystem allows the network communication and local control subsystem to obtain information from a wide variety of sensors associated with pool/spa equipment, as well as other types of sensors. …”) (Potucek-226: [0074] “… Additionally, external sensors 526 could also communicate with the Wi-Fi router 522, and could also include built-in wireless communications such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radiofrequency/RF mesh (e.g., ZWave, Zigbee, Thread, Weave, etc.), and cellular communications. The sensors 526 could include, but are not limited to, heater pressure sensors, water temperature sensors, chlorine sensors, pH/aware pressure sensors, etc. It is noted that each of the pool/spa components could include the ability to remember schedules during a Wi-Fi outage (limp mode) as provisioned by remote pool logic. …”) (Potucek-226: [0342] “The system could monitor a variety of types of plug in and/or wireless sensors (e.g., air, pool, spa, solar, temperature, etc.) for a variety of types of measurements (e.g., presence of flow, measurement of flow, line pressure, water levels, UV levels, wind speeds, light presence, etc.). Other types of sensors that could be used include turbidity sensors, bacteria sensors, alkalinity sensors, hardness sensors, RF sensors, sound wave sensors, different light spectrum sensors, reflectors, magnetic sensors, radar, infrared, humidity, evaporation, moisture, motion, galvanic corrosion, chemical corrosion, electrolysis, electrical storm sensors, etc. The sensors could analyze and/or process raw data (e.g., locally sensed parameters, from a third party source, etc.) with an integrated processor or communicate the raw data (e.g., locally sensed parameters, from a third party source, etc.) for processing in a co-located or remote processor. The sensor analysis could incorporate trigger points, trend monitoring, manual correlation analysis, automatic correlation analysis, etc. The sensors could be individual or grouped (e.g., for more efficient connection and/or pairing).”)
Potucek-226 does not expressly teach: a battery configured to power said at least one sensor.
Loebs teaches:
a battery configured to power said at least one sensor. (Loebs: [0093] “Another example of an Air:Node is a flow sensor (Air:Flo), which may be a paddle-type self-powered sensor or may operate on solar/battery power, and may mate with Air:Base modular pipe base. It displays digital flow reading in user-selectable units upon actuation of a membrane button on its body or a remote trigger. Default logging for this sensor may be every thirty minutes. Users may program discrete actions or accept system defaults, including safety functions, to occur upon reaching user-selectable or default flow limits, e.g. turning off a pump or increasing the speed of a pump when equipment-specific minimum flow rates are detected. The VERV system may also store such equipment-specific flow rates in its database. For example, if the minimum flow rate for a gas heater fails to be met, then a user-programmed or system default action may be to increase the pump speed causing an increase in flow, to prevent a dangerous overheating condition.”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Potucek-226 and Loebs before them, to modify the sensor for a pool or spa control system, to incorporate self-powered with battery.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would allow for incorporating wireless networks for controlling in the aquatic environment. (Loebs: Abstract “Described are hardware, software and related control systems using a mesh network in an environment that incorporates aquatic vessels such as pools, spas and fountains. The system uses fully wireless and semi-wireless devices in conjunction with various components within the aquatic system. Integrated hardware-based and software-based solutions are also present for the improved maintenance, monitoring and operation of home-based systems with aquatic vessels.”) (Loebs: [0002] “The present disclosure relates generally to mesh networks for use in an environment that incorporate aquatic vessels such as pools, spas and fountains. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to integrated hardware-based and software-based solutions for the improved monitoring and operation of systems that include such aquatic vessels.)
Regarding independent claim 13, Potucek-226 teaches all the claimed features of claim 1. Potucek-226 further teaches:
A sensor for the electrical system accordingly to claim 1 dedicated to supply power and control the at least two peces of electrical equipment of the swimming pool, said sensor comprising: at least one sensing system configured to acquire data representative of at least one working parameter of the swimming pool; a short-range or medium-range wireless communication system configured to integrate said sensor to a local network and to exchange data with at least one other electrical control device integrated to said local network without using access to the Internet. (Potucek-226: [0051] “ … The sensor interface subsystem allows the network communication and local control subsystem to obtain information from a wide variety of sensors associated with pool/spa equipment, as well as other types of sensors. …”) (Potucek-226: [0074] “… Additionally, external sensors 526 could also communicate with the Wi-Fi router 522, and could also include built-in wireless communications such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radiofrequency/RF mesh (e.g., ZWave, Zigbee, Thread, Weave, etc.), and cellular communications. The sensors 526 could include, but are not limited to, heater pressure sensors, water temperature sensors, chlorine sensors, pH/aware pressure sensors, etc. It is noted that each of the pool/spa components could include the ability to remember schedules during a Wi-Fi outage (limp mode) as provisioned by remote pool logic. …”) (Potucek-226: [0342] “The system could monitor a variety of types of plug in and/or wireless sensors (e.g., air, pool, spa, solar, temperature, etc.) for a variety of types of measurements (e.g., presence of flow, measurement of flow, line pressure, water levels, UV levels, wind speeds, light presence, etc.). Other types of sensors that could be used include turbidity sensors, bacteria sensors, alkalinity sensors, hardness sensors, RF sensors, sound wave sensors, different light spectrum sensors, reflectors, magnetic sensors, radar, infrared, humidity, evaporation, moisture, motion, galvanic corrosion, chemical corrosion, electrolysis, electrical storm sensors, etc. The sensors could analyze and/or process raw data (e.g., locally sensed parameters, from a third party source, etc.) with an integrated processor or communicate the raw data (e.g., locally sensed parameters, from a third party source, etc.) for processing in a co-located or remote processor. The sensor analysis could incorporate trigger points, trend monitoring, manual correlation analysis, automatic correlation analysis, etc. The sensors could be individual or grouped (e.g., for more efficient connection and/or pairing).”)
Potucek-226 does not expressly teach: a battery configured to power the sensor.
Loebs teaches:
a battery configured to power the sensor. (Loebs: [0093] “Another example of an Air:Node is a flow sensor (Air:Flo), which may be a paddle-type self-powered sensor or may operate on solar/battery power, and may mate with Air:Base modular pipe base. It displays digital flow reading in user-selectable units upon actuation of a membrane button on its body or a remote trigger. Default logging for this sensor may be every thirty minutes. Users may program discrete actions or accept system defaults, including safety functions, to occur upon reaching user-selectable or default flow limits, e.g. turning off a pump or increasing the speed of a pump when equipment-specific minimum flow rates are detected. The VERV system may also store such equipment-specific flow rates in its database. For example, if the minimum flow rate for a gas heater fails to be met, then a user-programmed or system default action may be to increase the pump speed causing an increase in flow, to prevent a dangerous overheating condition.”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Potucek-226 and Loebs before them, to modify the sensor for a pool or spa control system, to incorporate self-powered with battery.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would allow for incorporating wireless networks for controlling in the aquatic environment. (Loebs: Abstract “Described are hardware, software and related control systems using a mesh network in an environment that incorporates aquatic vessels such as pools, spas and fountains. The system uses fully wireless and semi-wireless devices in conjunction with various components within the aquatic system. Integrated hardware-based and software-based solutions are also present for the improved maintenance, monitoring and operation of home-based systems with aquatic vessels.”) (Loebs: [0002] “The present disclosure relates generally to mesh networks for use in an environment that incorporate aquatic vessels such as pools, spas and fountains. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to integrated hardware-based and software-based solutions for the improved monitoring and operation of systems that include such aquatic vessels.)
It is noted that any citations to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2123.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL W CHOI whose telephone number is (571)270-5069. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kenneth Lo can be reached at (571) 272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL W CHOI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
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