U.S. patent application number 13/822342 was filed with the patent office on 2013-07-04 for remote monitoring shower water apparatus and method of remote monitoring a showering user.
This patent application is currently assigned to DLP LIMITED. The applicant listed for this patent is Robert William Stimpson. Invention is credited to Robert William Stimpson.
Application Number | 20130167938 13/822342 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43127914 |
Filed Date | 2013-07-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130167938 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stimpson; Robert William |
July 4, 2013 |
REMOTE MONITORING SHOWER WATER APPARATUS AND METHOD OF REMOTE
MONITORING A SHOWERING USER
Abstract
Remote-monitoring shower water apparatus comprises a housing, a
shower water inlet at the housing, a shower water outlet at the
housing, a controller at the housing which controls at least water
flow from the shower water inlet to the shower water outlet, and a
monitoring device which monitors at least one of the controller and
the user of the controller. The monitoring device includes at least
one sensor element and an offsite-signal transmitter at or adjacent
to the housing which transmits a status signal to a carer location
remote from an installation site of the shower water apparatus,
based on a status of the sensor element.
Inventors: |
Stimpson; Robert William;
(Douglas, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Stimpson; Robert William |
Douglas |
|
GB |
|
|
Assignee: |
DLP LIMITED
Douglas, Isle of Man
UK
|
Family ID: |
43127914 |
Appl. No.: |
13/822342 |
Filed: |
September 22, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
September 22, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2011/051792 |
371 Date: |
March 12, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
137/2 ;
137/557 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 137/0324 20150401;
E03C 1/05 20130101; A47K 3/281 20130101; Y10T 137/8326
20150401 |
Class at
Publication: |
137/2 ;
137/557 |
International
Class: |
A47K 3/28 20060101
A47K003/28 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 24, 2010 |
GB |
1016087.7 |
Claims
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27. (canceled)
28. (canceled)
29. (canceled)
30. (canceled)
31. (canceled)
32. (canceled)
33. Remote-monitoring shower water apparatus comprising a housing,
a shower water inlet at the housing, a shower water outlet at the
housing, a controller at the housing which controls at least water
flow from the shower water inlet to the shower water outlet, and a
monitoring device which monitors at least one of the controller and
the user of the controller, the monitoring device including a
sensor element and an offsite-signal transmitter at or adjacent to
the housing which transmits a status signal to a carer location
remote from an installation site of the shower water apparatus
based on a status of the sensor element.
34. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the
offsite-signal transmitter transmits a status signal to a remote
carer location in a different building.
35. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the
controller is an electronic controller, the monitoring device being
energisable by a power supply of the controller.
36. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, further
comprising an electric water heater, the monitoring device being
energisable by a power supply of the water heater.
37. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, further
comprising a comparator circuit which compares an output of the in
use sensor element with a predetermined expected output, the
offsite-signal transmitter being activatable if the said output is
outside a parameter of the predetermined expected output.
38. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, further
comprising an offsite-signal receiver at or adjacent to the housing
which receives a control signal from the carer location whereby the
controller is remotely controllable.
39. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 38, wherein at least
one of the offsite-signal transmitter and the offsite-signal
receiver are communicable with a telephone system.
40. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein a said
sensor element monitors each of the controller and the user of the
controller.
41. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the
sensor element of the said monitoring device is provided at or
adjacent to an exterior of the housing of the shower water
apparatus or is remote from the housing of the shower water
apparatus.
42. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the
monitoring device includes a user-operable alarm switch having a
user-graspable cord which outputs an alarm signal to the
offsite-signal transmitter.
43. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the or a
said sensor element is at least one of a piezo-electric sensor,
piezo-resistive sensor, ultrasonic sensor, low-power radar sensor,
capacitative sensor, and an audio-detection sensor.
44. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, further
comprising a drain pump which is spaced from the housing and which
is controllable by the controller.
45. A method of remote-monitoring a showering user using shower
water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, the method comprising the
steps of monitoring at least one of a controller of a shower water
device and a user of the controller, and outputting a status signal
to an offsite carer location remote from the installation site of
the shower water apparatus based on a status of the sensor
element.
46. A method as claimed in claim 45, further comprising the step of
remotely controlling the controller based on the outputted status
signal.
47. A method as claimed in claim 46, wherein remote control of the
controller is via at least one of a password protected signal and
an encrypted signal.
48. A method as claimed in claim 45, wherein the offsite carer
location includes a carer's mobile communications device.
49. A method as claimed in claim 45, wherein the outputted status
signal includes a phrase corresponding to the status of the sensor
element.
50. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 33, further
comprising a communications system in communication with the
offsite-signal transmitter of the monitoring device of the shower
water apparatus, and an offsite-carer monitoring element in
communication with the communications system which receives the
status signal from the offsite-signal transmitter.
51. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 50, wherein the
offsite-carer monitoring element is outside of the building in
which the shower water apparatus is located.
52. Shower water apparatus as claimed in claim 51, wherein the
controller of the shower water apparatus is remotely controllable,
the shower water apparatus including an offsite-signal receiver
which receives a control signal via the communications system from
the offsite-carer monitoring element.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to remote-monitoring shower
water apparatus, to a method of remote-monitoring a showering user
by a remote-carer using such apparatus, and to a remote-care
showering system which can be used by a remote-carer to monitor
and, preferably, remotely-control a showering device in the event
of an emergency.
[0002] The elderly and/or infirm usually prefer to remain in their
own homes in order to live as full and independent lives as
possible. This has added benefits in that less strain is placed on
care homes and Government run institutions. Telehealth and telecare
systems are known which typically rely on an alarm or panic pull
cord, and/or a push button for example formed as part of a
necklace, to alert a remote carer in the event of an emergency.
These devices rely on user activation and are not automatic in
their operation should the user encounter an issue whereby manual
activation cannot be accomplished.
[0003] Furthermore, accessible installation in a showering area is
complicated due to wiring regulations and having to provide a
permanent electricity supply in a wet environment and typically
within close proximity to a shower head.
[0004] The present invention seeks to provide a solution to these
problems.
[0005] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is
provided remote-monitoring shower water apparatus comprising a
housing, a shower water inlet at the housing, a shower water outlet
at the housing, a controller at the housing for controlling at
least water flow from the shower water inlet to the shower water
outlet, and a monitoring device for monitoring at least one of the
controller and the user of the controller, the monitoring device
including a sensor element and an offsite-signal transmitter at or
adjacent to the housing for transmitting a status signal to a carer
location remote from an installation site of the shower water
apparatus based on a status of the sensor element.
[0006] The term `remote-monitoring` used herein and throughout is
intended to encompass telephony based communication as well as
wide-area, dedicated wired, wireless or optical public or private
internet and wired, wireless and optical network communication.
Such monitoring may also beneficially be achieved by transmission
of information signals superimposed upon normal power supply mains
voltages distributed on community power supply infrastructure
cabling.
[0007] Preferable and/or optional features of the first aspect of
the invention are set forth in claims 2 to 17, inclusive.
[0008] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is
provided a method of remote-monitoring a showering user using
shower water apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the
invention, the method comprising the steps of monitoring at least
one of a controller of a shower water device and a user of the
controller, and outputting a status signal to an offsite carer
location remote from the installation site of the shower water
apparatus based on a status of the sensor element.
[0009] Preferable and/or optional features of the second aspect of
the invention are set forth in claims 20 to 25, inclusive.
[0010] According to a third aspect of the invention, there is
provided remote-care showering system comprising shower water
apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, a
communications system in communication with the offsite-signal
transmitter of the monitoring device of the shower water apparatus,
and an offsite-carer monitoring element in communication with the
communications system for receiving the status signal from the
offsite-signal transmitter.
[0011] Preferable and/or optional features of the third aspect of
the invention are set forth in claims 27 to 32, inclusive.
[0012] The invention will now be more particularly described, by
way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic layout of a remote-care
showering system in accordance with the third aspect of the
invention utilising remote-monitoring shower water apparatus in
accordance with the first aspect of the invention.
[0014] Referring to the drawing, there is shown a remote care
showering system 10 which comprises remote monitoring shower water
apparatus 12, a communications system 14, and an offsite carer
monitoring element 16. The communications system 14 is preferably a
telephone system such as a mobile communications network, but may
include a land line network all or any of which feed to a remote
base location at which the carer is or may be in contact with. The
communications system 14 may also include Internet connectivity
which may be in addition to or alternative to the telephone system.
The telephone system may of course be implemented via the Internet
using voice over IP protocol.
[0015] The remote base location of the offsite carer monitoring
element 16 typically includes a manned monitoring station for
receiving incoming alerts via the communications system 14. Such
alerts would then be acted upon and/or immediately relayed to the
nominated carer. However, the communications system 14 may be
additionally or alternatively in direct contact with a
communications device of one or more remote carers, such as a
mobile telephone or a pager. The manned monitoring station may be
remote of the shower installation, but still in the same building,
or may conveniently be a different building, such as a base or hub
for monitoring and reacting to multiple events.
[0016] The remote monitoring shower water apparatus 12 comprises a
shower water heater housing 18, a shower water inlet 20, a shower
water outlet 22, and a controller 24. The heater housing 18 is a
typical shower water unit housing 18, which may be plastics or
metal. The shower water inlet 20 is at the housing 18 and
connectable typically to a potable water supply. In this case, an
electric shower water heater element 26 is provided within the
housing 18. The heater element 26 is energisable to heat the
inflowing potable water from the shower water inlet 20. Heated
water from the heater element 26 flows to the shower water outlet
22, and from there to a shower head. The shower head may be rigidly
connected to the shower water outlet 22 of the housing 18 via fixed
pipework, or flexibly connected to the shower water outlet 22 via a
shower hose. The shower head is mounted or mountable above a shower
surface, such as a shower tray, bath, or wet floor.
[0017] The controller 24 at the housing 18 is preferably an
electronic controller with an electronic user interface comprising
one or more buttons and/or a mechanical user interface comprising a
rotary dial and/or lever, for example. A control unit 27 of the
controller 24 is provided within the housing 18, and interfaces
with the user interface on the exterior of the housing 18.
[0018] An electricity supply typically enters via a rear of the
housing 18 to supply the controller 24 and the heater element
26.
[0019] The remote monitoring shower water apparatus 12 also
comprises a monitoring device 28 for monitoring at least one of the
controller 24 and the user 30. In this case, both the controller 24
and the user 30 are monitored simultaneously. However, one or the
other may be monitored. The monitoring device 28 includes at least
one sensor element 32 and at least one offsite-signal transmitter
34 which in this case is provided within the housing 18.
[0020] The sensor element 32 outputs a status of at least one of
the user interface of the controller 24, the flow condition of the
shower water inlet 20, the flow condition of the shower water
outlet 22, and the condition of the heater element 26 to a central
processor 36 of the control unit 27. The output from the sensor
element 32 occurs periodically, and preferably multiple times per
second during use of the apparatus 12.
[0021] At least one further sensor element 38 of the monitoring
device 28 is provided externally of the housing 18. In this case,
the further sensor element 38 may be mounted on an exterior surface
of the housing 18, and this may be in a specific recess in the
housing 18 or simply at a most convenient location for the user 30,
or remotely spaced from the housing 18, such as on a wall of the
showering area.
[0022] The first said sensor element 32 and the further sensor
element 38 are preferably and conveniently powered by the
electricity supply of the housing 18. This may be a power supply
directly to the heater element, or more typically a power supply
which to the controller which feeds subsidiary elements, such as
the heater element therefrom.
[0023] The further sensor element 38, if remotely spaced from the
housing 18, may be independently powered by a fixed mains power
supply and/or a, preferably rechargeable, battery pack. The further
sensor element 38 is adapted to monitor a user 30 using the shower
water apparatus 12. To this end, the further sensor element 38 may
comprise at least one of a piezo-electric sensor, piezo-resistive
sensor, ultrasonic sensor, low-power radar sensor, and capacitative
sensor.
[0024] Furthermore, the further sensor element 38 may be or include
an audio detection sensor, for example, for detecting noise from a
user 30 and/or their usage of the shower apparatus 12.
[0025] An output of the further sensor element 38 is inputted to a
comparator circuit 40 forming part of the monitoring device 28 and
which is preferably provided within the housing 18. The comparator
circuit 40 typically undertakes signal conditioning which may
include filtering of extraneous noise and comparison with a
predetermined expected signal. The predetermined expected signal
is, for example, inputted during an installation process of the
apparatus 12 via a wired data connection port or wirelessly. This
would typically involve, for example, the recording of the user 30
using the shower installation in the normal way or may be inputted
as a standard data set during manufacture or production. During
use, therefore, an output signal by the further sensor element 38
periodically outputted to the comparator circuit 40 would be
filtered and analysed relative to parameters of the predetermined
expected signal. A monitoring signal is then be outputted to the
central processor 36 of the control unit 27 if at least the
parameters were exceeded.
[0026] On receipt of the monitoring signal, a control circuit 41 of
the central processor 36 outputs a control signal via a
conditioning circuit 42 to the offsite-signal transmitter 34. The
offsite-signal transmitter 34 is thus controlled to output the
monitoring signal to the communications system 14 and thus to the
offsite carer monitoring element 16.
[0027] Preferably, the monitoring signal is only outputted by the
offsite-signal transmitter 34 if an alert condition is detected by
the said parameters being exceeded. However, periodically, a test
signal may also be outputted by the offsite-signal transmitter 34
so that the remote carer is aware that the system is working
adequately. The monitoring signal received by the sensor element 32
and the further sensor element 38 may also be grouped into `safe`
and `unsafe` categories dependent on the whether an alert condition
is detected or not, and outputted accordingly to the remote
carer.
[0028] The monitoring signal may have a marker or tag indicating
which sensor element 32, 38 it was derived from. In this case, the
conditioning circuit 42 may conveniently interpret the control
signal outputted by the control circuit 41 as a particular phrase
relating to activity or inactivity of the user 30. As such, the
specific phrase can be outputted by the offsite-signal transmitter
34 to the offsite carer monitoring element 16 via the
communications system 14 as an electronic voice and/or as a text
message, for example. This thereby provides the remote carer with
valuable further information when an alert is received. Such
interpretative outputtable phrases may be, for example, `shower
off`; `shower on`; user in shower area`; `no user in shower area`;
`user moving` user not moving'; `user adjusting controls`;
`controls not adjusted for XX minutes`; `continuous water flow for
XX minutes`, where `XX` is a predetermined number dictated by the
installer or set by the user or carer.
[0029] Preferably, the monitoring device 28 further comprises an
offsite-signal receiver 44 in the housing 18 which is communicable
with the communications system 14 to receive a control signal from
the remote carer. The receiver 44 outputs to a control circuit of
the controller 24, thereby allowing a remote carer to control at
least one of the functions of the controller 24. For example, a
control signal received by the receiver 44 may enable a flow of
water from the shower water outlet 22 of the housing 18 to be
halted. This would be particularly beneficial in helping to prevent
the possibility of a user 30 in distress being subjected to, for
example, hypothermia. To prevent or limit the possibility of this
control function being misused, for example, if a carer's
communications device was stolen, the incoming control signal from
the remote carer may be password protected or encrypted.
[0030] Although it is preferable that the monitoring device be
provided within the water heater housing in order to conveniently
access the incoming electricity supply, the monitoring device may
be provided in its own monitor housing on or adjacent to the heater
housing. In this latter case, an electrical feed may be taken from
the incoming electricity supply of the water heater housing.
[0031] If the sensor is remote and in wireless communication, then
the monitoring device would include a wireless data receiver, and
the sensor element would include a wireless data transmitter.
Suitable transmission protocols would be Bluetooth.RTM. IEEE
802.15.1-2002 or wireless broadband IEEE 802.11n, for example.
[0032] The sensor element actively monitors the controller and the
further sensor element actively monitors the user. The sensor
element for the controller may simply be an electronic output of
the controller which is fed to the central processor. This may be
incorporated as part of the controller, and may be provided
integrally as one-piece or as a retro-fit. One or other of the
sensor elements may be dispensed with.
[0033] An alarm switch may also be included for manual activation
by the user in the event of an emergency. The alarm switch may
include a graspable pull cord and/or a push button switch, and may
be mounted remotely from the water heater housing and/or the or
each sensor element.
[0034] Although the monitoring device is suggested as being
incorporated as part of a shower water heater, it may be
incorporated as part of or adjacent to a shower water housing which
may be devoid of a water heater. In this case, heated water would
typically be fed into the housing from a remote boiler. Such a
shower water housing may be a shower water mixer housing.
[0035] A plurality of said sensor elements and/or further sensor
elements may be provided, all feeding back to the control circuit
of the monitoring device.
[0036] It is thus possible to provide remote-monitoring shower
water apparatus which can be accommodated directly within a shower
water heater housing or adjacent thereto, and which can
conveniently utilise an electrical power supply thereof. The
apparatus can monitor the status of the user and the controller of
the shower water heater, and externally report to a remote offsite
carer location. It is also possible to provide apparatus which can
be remotely controlled by the remote carer in the event of an alert
condition being automatically determined and transmitted.
[0037] The embodiments described above are provided by way of
examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to
persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *