Improvement to an electronic controller for managing showers and baths with integration into third-party systems

Abstract

The present utility model relates to an improvement to an electronic controller for managing showers and baths, which aims to overcome the drawbacks described in the prior art by means of a system provided with a central unit (100) that comprises a server connected to an establishment's POS and allows it to generate passwords and issue system reports, being interconnected to controllers (200) provided with a communicator and connected to a solenoid (300) that controls the flow of water to the shower. The central unit (100) is provided with a microcomputer that manages all information and creates passwords, among other functions, and a transmitter that sends passwords and commands to the controllers (200), wherein all these functionalities and updates are controlled online or offline by the system.

Description

[0001] ADVANCED ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER FOR SHOWER AND BATH MANAGEMENT WITH INTEGRATION TO THIRD-PARTY SYSTEMS

[0002] Scope of Application of the Utility Model

[0003]

[0001] This utility model describes an improvement in an electronic controller for managing showers and baths. More specifically, it comprises a system equipped with a central unit that has a server connected to the establishment's POS terminals and that allows the generation of passwords and the issuance of system reports, being interconnected to controllers equipped with a communicator and a solenoid that controls the water flow to the shower. The central unit is equipped with a microcomputer that manages all information, creates passwords, among other functions, and a transmitter that uses its own protocol, sending passwords and commands to the controllers. All these functionalities and updates are controlled online or offline by the system, ensuring greater monitoring and management by operators, minimizing failures and maintenance.

[0004]

[0002] This new constructive form applied to the specially designed and developed electronic control system for showers aims to offer practicality, economy and rational use of water, generating several advantages in its use. Resulting in a product that has its own software and hardware and presents greater robustness, safety, practicality and sustainability.

[0005] Background of the Utility Model

[0006]

[0003] Currently, there are several shower and bath control and management systems that use tokens, where the user inserts the token into a box installed next to the shower, and the "weight" of the token activates and releases the water for use.

[0004] These systems are typically found in gas stations that provide shower facilities for users, mainly used by truck drivers. Thus, these establishments, in order to control shower use without wasting large amounts of water, choose to regulate shower time using devices that allow the water flow to be interrupted after a set time.

[0007]

[0005] However, the devices currently used in the market have constructive limitations, as they can be easily bypassed or damaged to release water for the desired time. Furthermore, these devices have a low robustness of construction and are composed of numerous components, which leads to constant maintenance due to the high incidence of water jets to which these devices are subjected during use and the humidity of the environment in which they are installed, easily deteriorating exposed components such as the display, keyboard, and other buttons.

[0008]

[0006] Another drawback lies in the fact that the vast majority of stations have existing infrastructure, and the installation of these devices ends up creating some inconveniences, as there are no provisions for running cables for the system installation, which makes its application difficult.

[0009]

[0007] Thus, the present inventor, seeking to solve market inconveniences, developed an electronic control system for managing showers and baths that offers robustness, safety, and efficiency in installation and information management, without the need for running cables and installation wires, as the system connects, through wireless communication between the installed devices, to the establishment's POS central unit and manages all information through the online or offline system.

[0010]

[0008] In a search conducted on the state of the art, we identified several documents claiming shower control and management equipment, among which we can highlight the following documents:

[0011]

[0009] Documents BRPI0500754-2, BRMU8502343-4 and

[0012] BRMU8801 693-5 describes equipment intended for the control and management of showers, however each document describes its own constructive form that differs from the developed system, and none of these documents describes the same system for interaction and management of information interconnected with the establishment remotely.

[0013]

[0010] Document BR20201801 0338-0, from the same owner, describes a controller for managing a shower sales system in locations such as gas stations, clubs, gyms, student housing, schools, among others, generating passwords for users and controlling their use in the showers available at the establishment; it is a system composed of equipment to activate each shower and a central unit to generate the passwords and manage the system numbers; the password is printed and given to the user and will be erased from memory when used in a specific shower; the shower is automatically terminated after the programmed time has elapsed; the central unit communicates with the controllers via wireless communication.

[0014]

[0011] Therefore, the present inventor, seeking to improve state-of-the-art equipment and previously developed equipment, has improved the control and management system in order to enhance the interaction of information between the devices and the establishment's management system, as well as improving the control devices in order to add greater robustness, safety and sustainability.

[0015]

[0012] Thus, the object of this utility model is an improvement in an electronic controller for managing showers and baths, comprising a system equipped with a central unit that has a server connected to the establishment's POS system, allowing the generation of passwords and the issuance of system reports. This unit is interconnected to controllers equipped with a communicator and a solenoid that controls the water flow to the shower. The central unit is equipped with a microcontroller that manages all information, creates passwords, among other functions, and a transmitter that sends passwords and commands to the controllers. All these functionalities and updates are controlled online or offline by the system, ensuring greater monitoring and management by operators, minimizing failures and maintenance.This new constructive form, applied to the specially designed and developed electronic control system for showers, aims to offer practicality, economy, and rational use of water, generating several advantages in its use. The result is a product that offers the possibility of remote software updates and maintenance, as well as greater robustness, safety, practicality, and sustainability.

[0016] Utility Model Summary

[0017]

[0013] These characteristics promote a device that exhibits greater robustness and improves the interaction and management system when compared with prior art documents.

[0014] A characteristic of the utility model is an improvement in an electronic controller for managing showers and baths that provides a central unit equipped with a structure that internally receives the arrangement of a circuit board.

[0018]

[0015] The utility model features an improvement in electronic controllers for managing showers and baths, providing a central unit equipped with a microcontroller integrated into the POS via a web server using a URL in the browser for managing passwords and access authorization.

[0019]

[0016] A feature of the utility model is an improvement in an electronic controller for managing showers and baths that provides for the printing of passwords.

[0020]

[0017] The utility model features an improvement in an electronic controller for managing showers and baths, which provides that the control unit is connected to the establishment's POS system, so that it waits for a new password to be generated or for a report of passwords issued and updated in the database linked to the POS via the internet.

[0021]

[0018] The utility model features an improvement in electronic controllers for managing showers and baths, providing a control device connected to the solenoid valve and the shower, with the device having a structure that includes a numeric keypad allowing the user to enter the password issued by the control unit.

[0022]

[0019] The utility model features an improvement in an electronic controller for managing showers and baths, which provides a controller equipped with an electronic board that connects to the central unit via an internet connection for managing and releasing the shower water opening and closing system.

[0023]

[0020] The utility model features an improvement in an electronic controller for managing showers and baths, which provides the controller connected to the solenoid valve via signal transmission wires and electrical power supply wires.

[0024]

[0021] The utility model features an improvement in an electronic controller for managing showers and baths that provides a microcontroller that enables the system to generate online bath reports, remote updates, and better code versioning control.

[0025]

[0022] The utility model features an improvement in an electronic controller for managing showers and baths that optionally provides, in conjunction with the POS, the management system that issues virtual passwords sent via SMS to the user's smartphone.

[0026]

[0023] The utility model features an improvement in an electronic controller for managing showers and baths that optionally provides the system with a QR code to perform the release with the bath control devices, allowing the system to communicate with other third-party systems, such as, for example, loyalty applications for gas stations, issuing passwords through applications, among other possibilities.

[0027]

[0024] The utility model features an improvement in an electronic controller for managing showers and baths that provides, in a second constructive form, the controller to activate the solenoid valve through a transmission signal emitted by the board and its power supply to occur through a battery, being managed and controlled by the central unit in order to indicate when it is necessary to change the battery and about any malfunction.

[0028] Description of the Drawings

[0029]

[0025] Figure 1 shows the front view of the ticket dispensing unit located next to the POS.

[0030]

[0026] Figure 2 shows the rear view of the password issuing unit located next to the POS, detailing the internal components, and Figure 2A shows the view of the transmitter that connects to the controllers.

[0031]

[0027] Figure 3 shows the flowchart of the system for managing the ticket issuing center at the POS.

[0032]

[0028] Figure 4 shows the front view of the controller located next to the shower.

[0033]

[0029] Figure 5 shows the rear view of the controller located next to the shower, detailing the internal components.

[0034]

[0030] Figure 6 shows the flowchart of the operation of the controllers next to the showers.

[0035]

[0031] Figure 7 shows the application of the controller applied to the solenoid valve next to the shower and Figure 7A shows the detail of the solenoid valve applied to the outlet pipe next to the shower.

[0036] Detailed Description of the Utility Model

[0037]

[0032] The improvement in electronic controller for shower and bath management, object of the present utility model, comprises a system composed of a central unit (100) located next to the cash register of the establishment which allows the generation of passwords and management by the operator and a set of controllers (200) located next to each shower in the bathroom, allowing the receipt of passwords and commands and a solenoid that controls the passage of water to the shower.

[0038]

[0033] The control unit (100) is equipped with a structure (10) with status indicator LEDs (15) and a transmission antenna (12) that internally receives a control board (11), said board (11) being equipped with a transmitter (16) that allows connection with the controllers (200).

[0039]

[0034] In addition, it features a microcontroller (14) that allows internet access and performs all equipment management, enabling the system to generate online bath reports, remote updates and better code versioning control.

[0040]

[0035] The control unit (100) via the microcontroller (14) is integrated into the POS via a web server generated by the control unit, the POS accesses this web server via URL in the browser, thus allowing the bath release passwords to be generated by the system.

[0041]

[0036] Passwords are printed using the establishment's existing printer as needed by the customer, so the system does not require an additional printer for issuing passwords, optimizing and facilitating system implementation. Optionally, the management system applied in conjunction with the POS can issue virtual passwords sent via SMS to the user's smartphone or via a mobile application, eliminating the need to print passwords. In addition, the system can generate a QR code to enable access to shower control devices and also has a communication interface for third-party programs and applications to issue shower passwords.

[0037] The central unit (100) is connected to the electrical network and the internet, linked to the establishment's POS system, so that it awaits commands from the operator to generate a new password, add or delete users for better management, or to generate a report of the passwords issued, with the password and report being printed by the printer and updated in the database linked to the POS via the internet.

[0042]

[0038] The control device (200) is connected to the solenoid valve (300) located between the water pipe and the shower, and the device (200) is equipped with a structure (20) and a numeric keypad (22) which allows the user to enter the password issued by the control unit (100).

[0039] The controller (200) is equipped with an electronic board (23) that connects to the control unit (100) via radio frequency transmission using its own protocol, which allows the management and release of the shower water opening and closing system, since the password, when generated by the control unit (100), is sent to and received by all the controllers (200) located in the bathroom, and these controllers await the entry of the password for release.

[0043]

[0040] The electronic board (23) is equipped with a microcontroller (231) and a transmitter (232) that connects to the control unit (100).

[0044]

[0041] The controller (200) is connected to the solenoid valve (300) and the shower via drive signal transmission wires (201) and power supply wires, so that the controller (200) is powered through the shower's power point.

[0045]

[0042] The duration of the shower is determined by the type of password the user has acquired, so that when the password is entered into the controller (200) the device already identifies how long the valve needs to remain open.

[0046]

[0043] In a second constructive form, the controller (200) actuates the solenoid valve (300) through a transmission signal emitted by the board and its power supply is provided by a battery, this constructive form being managed and controlled by the control unit (100) in order to indicate when it is necessary to change the battery and about any malfunction.

Claims

1. CLAIMS 1. IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER FOR SHOWER AND BATH MANAGEMENT WITH INTEGRATION TO THIRD-PARTY SYSTEMS comprises a system composed of a central unit (100) and a set of controllers (200) located next to each shower in the bathroom receiving passwords and commands that control the passage of water to the shower, the controller being interconnected to the establishment's POS system, in such a way that it waits for the generation of a new password or the generation of a report of the passwords issued, with the password and report being printed by the printer and updated in the database linked to the POS via the internet;the control device (200) is connected to the solenoid valve (300) and the shower, the device (200) being equipped with a structure (20) and a numeric keypad (22) which allows the user to enter the password issued by the control unit (100), characterized by the controller (200) being equipped with an electronic board (23) equipped with a transmitter (231) and microcontroller (232) that interconnects to the control unit (100) through radio frequency transmission communication for management and release of the shower water opening and closing system, the controller (200) is connected to the solenoid valve (300) through wires (201) for transmitting the activation signal and electrical power supply wires; the central unit (100) is equipped with a structure (10) with status indicator LEDs (15) and a transmission antenna (12), and is internally equipped with a control board (11) with a transmitter (16) and a microcontroller (14) integrated into the POS by means of a; The system uses a web server via URL in the browser to manage and release passwords using its own protocol. The passwords are printed on the establishment's own printer, which is connected to the electrical network and the internet, allowing the system to communicate with third-party systems, both online and offline.

2. IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER FOR SHOWER AND BATH MANAGEMENT WITH INTEGRATION TO THIRD-PARTY SYSTEMS, according to claim 1, characterized by the microcontroller (14) enabling the system to generate online reports of baths, remote updates and better code versioning control.

3. IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER FOR SHOWER AND BATH MANAGEMENT WITH INTEGRATION TO THIRD-PARTY SYSTEMS, according to any of the previous claims, characterized by optionally, the management system applied in conjunction with the POS issuing virtual passwords sent via SMS to the user's smartphone or through a mobile application.

4. IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER FOR SHOWER AND BATH MANAGEMENT WITH INTEGRATION TO THIRD-PARTY SYSTEMS, according to any of the previous claims, characterized by the system optionally generating a QR code to perform the release with the shower control devices.

5. IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER FOR SHOWER AND BATH MANAGEMENT WITH INTEGRATION TO THIRD-PARTY SYSTEMS, in accordance with any of the previous claims, characterized by in a second constructive form, the controller (200) actuating the solenoid valve (300) through a transmission signal emitted by the board and its power supply occurring through a battery, being managed and controlled by the central unit (100) in order to indicate when it is necessary to change the battery and about any malfunction.

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