Spa controller computer interface for spas

Abstract

An apparatus adapted for implementing a user interface module for monitoring or programming a spa is provided. The apparatus includes a communication port adapted for establishing a communication link with the spa controller for receiving a signal conveying status information related to the spa from the spa controller. The apparatus also includes a display module and a processing unit operative for displaying on the display module a visual representation of the status information. A first control is also displayed for enabling user to modify operational settings of the spa. A second control is also displayed for allowing a user to cause the visual representation of the status information to be updated at least in part on the basis of the signal received at said communication port. Alternatively, the processing unit is adapted for generating a spa programming signal conveying spa operational setting and for transmitting the spa programming signal to the spa controller via the communication port.

1 . An apparatus adapted for implementing a user interface module for monitoring a spa, the spa including a spa controller, said apparatus comprising: 
 a) a communication port adapted for establishing a communication link with the spa controller for receiving signals conveying status information related to the spa;    b) a display module;    c) a processing unit in communication with said communication port and said display module, said processing unit being operative for: 
 i. displaying on said display module a visual representation of status information related to the spa;  
 ii. displaying a first control element for enabling user to modify operational settings of the spa;  
 iii. displaying a second control element allowing a user to cause the visual representation of status information to be updated on the basis of signals received at said communication port.  
   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said processing unit is responsive to the actuation of said first control element for: 
 a) generating a spa control signal for causing a modification of an operational setting of the spa;    b) releasing said spa control signal to said communication port for transmission to the spa controller.    
     
     
         3 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said processing unit is responsive to the actuation of said second control element for causing the visual representation of status information to be updated on the basis of signals received at said communication port.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said operational settings include at least one operational setting selected from the set consisting of a water temperature, a water pump setting and an air blower setting.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said communication link is a wire-line link.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said communication link is a wireless link.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said wireless link in a RF link.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said communication port is an IR port.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said apparatus is a portable computing device.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said portable computing device is a PDA.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said portable computing device is a cellular phone.  
     
     
         12 . A computer readable storage medium storing a program element for monitoring a spa suitable for execution by a computing apparatus, said computing apparatus having a display module and a processor, when executing on said processor said program element implementing: 
 a) a port for receiving a signal conveying status information related to the spa;    b) a graphical user interface for display on the display module, said graphical user interface including: 
 i. first information element conveying status information related to a certain operational setting of the spa;  
 ii. first control element for enabling a user to modify the certain operational setting of the spa;  
 iii. second control element for enabling a user to cause the first information element to be updated at least in part on the basis of the signal received at said port.  
   
     
     
         13 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the first information element is displayed in text format.  
     
     
         14 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said first control element includes a selection menu.  
     
     
         15 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said first control element includes a text box editable by a user of the computing apparatus.  
     
     
         16 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the certain operational setting of the spa includes a water temperature of the spa.  
     
     
         17 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said graphical user interface includes a third control element for enabling a user to select a display mode from a set of display modes for displaying said first information element.  
     
     
         18 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said set of display modes includes temperature in Celsius degrees and temperature in Fahrenheit degrees.  
     
     
         19 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said user interface module is adapted for displaying a plurality of first control elements, each first control element of said plurality of first control elements enabling a user to modify a respective operational setting of the spa.  
     
     
         20 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said graphical user interface module is adapted for displaying a plurality of first information elements conveying status information related to respective operational settings of the spa.  
     
     
         21 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said operational settings include at least one operational setting selected from the set consisting of a water temperature, a water pump setting and an air blower setting.  
     
     
         22 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said program element further implements a processing unit responsive to the actuation of the first control for: 
 a) generating a spa control signal for causing a modification of an operational setting of the spa;    b) releasing said spa control signal to said port for transmission to the spa controller.    
     
     
         23 . An apparatus adapted for implementing a user interface module for monitoring a spa said apparatus comprising: 
 a) a communication port adapted for establishing a communication link for receiving signals conveying error information related to the spa;    b) a display module;    c) a processing unit in communication with said communication port and said display module, said processing unit being operative for displaying on said display module a visual representation of the error information related to a spa.    
     
     
         24 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 23 , wherein said processing unit is operative for: 
 a) displaying a first control for enabling user to reset the display module such as to remove from display currently displayed error information;    b) displaying a second control allowing a user to cause the visual representation of the error information to be updated at least in part on the basis of the signals received at said communication port.    
     
     
         25 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said processing unit being operative for: 
 a) processing the signals conveying error information related to the spa to identify an associated error type from a set of possible error types;    b) maintaining a count of occurrence of each error type in said set of possible error types;    c) displaying the count of occurrence of each error type on said display module.    
     
     
         26 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said set of possible error types includes a high limit error type.  
     
     
         27 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said set of possible error types includes at least one error type selected from the set consisting of a high limit error type, a flow open error type, an overheat error type, a freeze error type, a pressure switch stuck open error type, a pressure switch stuck closed error type and a temperature probe problem error type.  
     
     
         28 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said error information related to a spa includes information associated to an error type.  
     
     
         29 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 28 , wherein said error information related to a spa includes error timing information.  
     
     
         30 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said communication port is adapted for receiving signals conveying software type information indicative of a software module installed on the spa, said processing unit being operative for displaying on said display module a visual representation of the software type information conveyed by the signals received at said communication port.  
     
     
         31 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 30 , wherein said processing unit is operative for displaying a third control allowing a user to cause a software module update to be released at the communication port for transmission over the communication link.  
     
     
         32 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 24 , wherein said apparatus is a portable computing device.  
     
     
         33 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 32 , wherein said portable computing device is a PDA.  
     
     
         34 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 32 , wherein said portable computing device is a cellular phone.  
     
     
         35 . A computer readable storage medium storing a program element for monitoring a spa suitable for execution by a computing apparatus, said computing apparatus having a display module and a processor, when executing on said processor said program element implementing: 
 a) a port adapted for receiving signals conveying error information related to the spa;    b) a graphical user interface for display on the display module, said graphical user interface including first information element conveying error information related to the spa.    
     
     
         36 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 35 , when executing on said processor said program element implementing a processing unit adapted for implementing: 
 i. first control element for enabling a user to reset the graphical user interface such as to remove currently displayed error information;    ii. second control for enabling a user to cause the visual representation of the error information to be updated at least in part on the basis of the signals received at said port.    
     
     
         37 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 36 , when executing on said processor said program element implementing a processing unit adapted for: 
 a) processing the signals conveying error information related to the spa to identify an associated error type from a set of possible error types;    b) maintaining a count of occurrence of each error type in said set of possible error types;    c) said first information element including the count of occurrence of each error type.    
     
     
         38 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 37 , wherein said set of possible error types includes a high limit error type.  
     
     
         39 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 37 , wherein said set of possible error types includes at least one error type selected from the set consisting of a high limit error type, a flow error type, an overheat error type, a freeze error type, a pressure switch stuck open error type, a pressure switch stuck closed error type and a temperature probe problem error type.  
     
     
         40 . An apparatus adapted for implementing a user interface module for programming a spa, the spa including a spa controller, said apparatus comprising: 
 a) a display module;    b) a processing unit in communication with said display module, said processing unit being operative for causing a plurality of control elements to be displayed on said display module, said plurality of control elements enabling a user to select a plurality of operational settings associated to the spa, said processing unit being responsive to the actuation of a control element of said plurality of control elements for: 
 i. generating a spa programming signal conveying a spa operational setting;  
 ii. releasing said spa programming signal;  
   c) a communication port adapted for establishing a communication link with the spa controller for transmitting said spa programming signal to the spa controller.    
     
     
         41 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 40 , wherein at least one control element in said plurality of control elements includes a selection menu.  
     
     
         42 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 40 , wherein at least one control element in said plurality of control elements includes a text box editable by a user of the apparatus.  
     
     
         43 . A apparatus as defined in  claim 40 , wherein at least one control element in said plurality of control elements allows the user to provide an electrical current measurement parameter associated to a component of the spa.  
     
     
         44 . A computer readable storage medium storing a program element for monitoring a spa suitable for execution by a computing apparatus, said computing apparatus having a display module and a processor, when executing on said processor said program element implementing: 
 a) a graphical user interface for display on the display module, said graphical user interface including: 
 i. a plurality of control elements to be displayed on said display module, said plurality of control elements enabling a user to select a plurality of operational settings associated to the spa;  
   b) a processing unit responsive to the actuation of a control element of said plurality of control elements for: 
 i. generating a spa programming signal conveying a spa operational setting;  
 ii. releasing said spa programming signal for transmission to the spa.  
   
     
     
         45 . A control system suitable for use in controlling a spa, said control system comprising: 
 a) a spa controller;    b) a remote computing device;    c) an interface signal converter adapted to be connected to said spa controller, when connected to said spa controller said interface signal converter establishing a first communication link with said spa controller, said interface signal converter being adapted to establish a second communication link with the remote computing device, said interface signal converter being adapted for receiving status information related to the spa over said first communication link and for transmitting signals conveying said status information over said second communication link;    d) said remote computing device comprising: 
 i. a communication port adapted for receiving signals conveying status information related to the spa from said interface signal converter over the second communication link;  
 ii. a display module;  
 iii. a processing unit in communication with said communication port and said display module, said processing unit being operative for: 
 1. displaying on said display module a visual representation of the status information;  
 2. displaying a first control for enabling user to modify operational settings of the spa;  
 3. displaying a second control allowing a user to cause the visual representation of the status information to be updated at least in part on the basis of the signal received at said communication port.  
 
   
     
     
         46 . An apparatus adapted for implementing a user interface module for updating a program element in a spa controller, said apparatus comprising: 
 a) a display module;    b) a processing unit in communication with said display module, said processing unit being operative for:    i. displaying information on said display module conveying a current software program element installed in spa controller; 
 ii. displaying a user control;  
 iii. in response to actuation of the user control, releasing a spa programming signal including of a software update module associated with the current software program element;  
   c) a communication port adapted for establishing a communication link with the spa controller for transmitting said spa programming signal to the spa controller for causing the current software program element to be updated by said software update module.    
     
     
         47 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 46 , wherein said apparatus is a portable computing device.  
     
     
         48 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 47 , wherein said portable computing device is a PDA.  
     
     
         49 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 47 , wherein said portable computing device is a cellular phone.  
     
     
         50 . A computer readable storage medium storing at set of instructions for updating a program element in a spa controller suitable, said set of instructions being suitable for execution by a computing apparatus having a display module and a processor in communication with the display module, when executing on the processor said set of instructions being operative for: 
 i. causing information to be displayed on said display module, the information conveying a current software program element installed in the spa controller;    ii. causing a user control to be displayed on said display module;    iii. in response to actuation of the user control, releasing a spa programming signal including of a software update module associated with the current software program element;    iv. establishing a communication link with the spa controller for transmitting said spa programming signal to the spa controller for causing the current software program element to be updated by said software update module.    
     
     
         51 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 50 , wherein said set of instructions being suitable for execution by a PDA.  
     
     
         52 . A computer readable storage medium as defined in  claim 50 , wherein said set of instructions being suitable for execution by a cellular phone.