Data processing: speech signal processing – linguistics – language – Speech signal processing – Application
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-25
2001-11-13
{haeck over (S)}mits, T{overscore (a)}livaldis Ivars (Department: 2641)
Data processing: speech signal processing, linguistics, language
Speech signal processing
Application
C704S270000, C236S012120, C004S623000, C004S111100, C251S129040, C137S607000, C137S559000, CD10S103000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317717
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to water faucet switches and more particularly pertains to a new voice activated liquid management system for allowing the control of a faucet by way of vocalizing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of water faucet switches is known in the prior art. More specifically, water faucet switches heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art water faucet switches include U. S. Pat. Nos. 5,430,826; 5,335,313; 5,345,538; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 349,151; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,854,498; and 5,441,075.
In these respects, the voice activated liquid management system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing the control of a faucet by way of vocalizing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of water faucet switches now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new voice activated liquid management system construction wherein the same can be utilized for allowing the control of a faucet by way of vocalizing.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new voice activated liquid management system apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the water faucet switches mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new voice activated liquid management system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art water faucet switches, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a bathroom with a sink basin having a water outlet in the form of a faucet, a bath tub having a water outlet in the form of a spigot, and a shower having a water outlet in the form of a shower dispenser. See FIG.
1
. Further provided is a toilet having a flush actuator adapted to flush the toilet upon the receipt of a flush signal. Also included is a plurality of water control assemblies, as shown in FIG.
8
. Such assemblies include a sink basin water control assembly connected to the faucet of the sink basin, a bath tub water control assembly connected to the spigot of the bath tub, and a shower water control assembly connected to the shower dispenser of the shower. Each water control assembly has a hot water variable valve coupled between the respective water outlet and a hot water line for receiving hot water therefrom. Associated therewith is a cold water variable valve coupled between the respective water outlet and a cold water line for receiving cold water therefrom. A temperature transducer is situated between the variable valves and the respective water outlet. In use, the temperature transducer is adapted for generating a temperature signal representing a combined temperature of water received from the variable valves. It should be noted that the valves are adapted to allow the flow of water only upon the receipt of an activation signal. Next included is a remote control panel situated within the bath tub. Such remote control panel has a flow toggle switch adapted to generate a flow control signal. As shown in
FIG. 2
, a central control panel is positioned within the bathroom exterior of the bath tub. The central control panel includes a housing with a rectilinear configuration having a front face, a rear face, a top face, a bottom face, and a pair of side face therebetween defining an interior space. As shown in
FIG. 5
, the top face and bottom face each have a groove formed therein between the side faces. The control panel further comprises a front transparent panel with a pair of elongated protrusions formed on a top and a bottom face thereof. Such protrusion is adapted for slidably engaging with the grooves of the housing thereby allowing the transparent panel to cover the front face. The housing also has a locking means for precluding the removal of the transparent panel. The central control panel further includes a display for depicting a digital number representative of a temperature. A temperature toggle switch is situated below the display for allowing the incremental adjustment of a current temperature. Associated therewith is a numeric keypad having a plurality of numeric buttons for allowing the manual entering of a discrete number representative of the current temperature. Also positioned on the front face is a flow toggle switch adapted to generate a flow control signal. As shown in
FIG. 2
, a plurality of light emitting diodes are positioned on the front face. Such diodes are adapted to illuminate upon the actuation thereof. In the preferred embodiment, the light emitting diodes include a shower diode, a bath tub diode, a sink basin diode, and a toilet diode. A voice recognition mechanism is situated within the housing of the central control panel and includes a microphone situated on the front face for receiving unique audio signals. In use, the voice recognition means is adapted for generating control signals corresponding to the unique audio signals received via the speaker. The control signals include a “shower” signal, a “sink basin” signal, a “toilet signal” signal, a “flush” signal, a “temperature” signal, a “flow” signal, a “up” signal, “down signal”, “on” signal, and “off” signal. Finally, control means is connected to the toilet, remote control panel, display, temperature toggle switch, flow toggle switch, numeric keypad, light emitting diodes, voice recognition mechanism and the valves of the water control assemblies. The control means is adapted to transmit to the sink basin, bath tub, and shower water control assemblies an activation signal and actuate the sink basin diode, the bath tub diode, the shower diode upon the receipt of the “sink basin”, “bath tub”, and “shower” signal, respectively, with the subsequent receipt of the “on” signal. This affords the flow of water from any of the water outlets with concurrent indication of which water outlet has been selected. The control means further serves to cease the transmission of the activation signal to the sink basin, bath tub, and shower water control assemblies and further cease the actuation of the corresponding diodes upon the receipt of the “sink basin”, “bath tub”, and “shower” signal, respectively, with the subsequent receipt of the “off” signal. The control means is further adapted to govern the valves of the water control assembly that is in receipt of the activation signal, or is dispensing water. Such governing entails maintaining a total water flow rate at a level indicative of the flow control signal. Further, the control means ensures that a proportion of water flow from the hot and cold water valves is such that the temperature signal received is representative of a temperature equal to the associated current temperature. This is accomplished by standard feedback methods. To allow the control of the temperature and flow rate while one of the water outlets is dispensing water, the current temperature of the sink basin, bath tub, and shower may be adjusted by the control means upon the receipt of the “sink basin”, “bath tub”, and “shower” signal, respectively, with at least one of the subsequent manipulation of the temperature toggle switches, manipulation of the keypad, receipt of the “temperature” and “up” signal, and receipt of the “temperature” and “down” signal. It should be noted that the toggle switch of the remote control panel only functions after the control means has received either the “bath tub” or “shower” signal. Similarly, the current water flow rate of the sink basin, bath tub, and shower may be adjusted by the control means upon the receipt of
Cooper Christopher A.
Kaelin Cynthia
Lindsey Kenneth R.
Chawan Vijay B
{haeck over (S)}mits T{overscore (a)}livaldis Ivars
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