Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/008—Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F9/00—Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
  • C02F9/20—Portable or detachable small-scale multistage treatment devices, e.g. point of use or laboratory water purification systems
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/001—Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance
  • C02F1/004—Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance using large scale industrial sized filters
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/02—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by heating
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/30—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by irradiation
  • C02F1/32—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by irradiation with ultraviolet light
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/72—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by oxidation
  • C02F1/76—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by oxidation with halogens or compounds of halogens
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/72—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by oxidation
  • C02F1/78—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by oxidation with ozone
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2209/00—Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
  • C02F2209/001—Upstream control, i.e. monitoring for predictive control
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2209/00—Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
  • C02F2209/005—Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
  • C02F2209/006—Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC] comprising a software program or a logic diagram
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2209/00—Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
  • C02F2209/005—Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
  • C02F2209/008—Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC] comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2209/00—Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
  • C02F2209/40—Liquid flow rate

Definitions

• the present invention generally relates to water filtration systems, and more particularly, to water filtration systems that are able to analyze and adjust to individual water contaminant profiles or user preferences.
• Water filtration devices that deploy filter status indicators are well known in the art. Such devices may display a visual indicator, sound an alarm, or simply turn off when a filter has reached the end of its useful life.
• the useful life specification of a water filter is usually calculated by using a nationwide average of contaminants in municipal water.
• water quality varies dramatically from district to district, and using an average means that some users end up changing their filters too often, while others don't change their filters often enough. This leads to unnecessary expense in one case, and poor water quality in the other.
• different types of water may require different filters - some users may need a heavy-duty filter because their local water is highly contaminated, while some users require only a light-duty filter because their local water is purer.
• a child may be much more sensitive to mercury or lead than an adult, and would require purer water.
• People may also have different preferences as to the pH of their water, ionization of their water, the presence or absence of fluoride, or other parameters.
• an object of the present invention is to provide a water filtration system and method that provides customized water filtration depending on the user's location and individual preferences.
• a database of water quality and contaminant profiles in different water districts is provided.
• the database can be located on the Internet, on a dedicated server, on the user's computer, or anywhere else that a database can be stored.
• a water filtration system can access the database and find the water contaminant profile at the municipality where the water filtration system is located. The water filtration system can then customize its operation depending on the particular water contaminants in the municipality where it is located.
• the water contaminant profiles stored in the database can include historical data regarding past water contaminant levels, current data, and projections of future data regarding trends in water contaminant levels.
• the customization can happen in several different ways. The below are some non-limiting examples.
• the water filtration system can change the filter life expectancy depending on the contaminant profile of the water.
• the water filtration system can request a particular type of filter, or the user may be able to select the appropriate filter for their municipality by accessing the database.
• the water filtration system can adjust the flow rate through the filter; a slower flow rate would ensure greater purification of the water.
• the system can also respond to a boil-water alert sent out by the municipality, either by notifying the user (i.e. by a visual or auditory indicator), or by automatically treating the water to render it potable.
• the water can be disinfected by ozone generated by a UV light; the water can be boiled; chlorine or other disinfectants can be injected; or the flow rate through the filter can be slowed down.
• a mobile device such as a smartphone is incorporated into the system.
• the water filtration device can communicate with the smartphone by means of a wireless connection such as Bluetooth, wi-fi, or any other wireless protocol known in the art.
• the smartphone can also communicate with the Internet as part of its normal operation, and can access the database, preferably by means of a special app.
• the smartphone is capable of identifying the user's location by means of its GPS function, and can automatically retrieve the data related to the contaminant profile at the location of the smartphone.
• the user can also enter preference data into the app on their smartphone; for example, the data can relate to preferred purification levels, particular sensitivities to various contaminants, taste preferences, and so on.
• This preference data is then transmitted to the water filtration device, which then adjusts filter life expectancy, requests a different type of filter, reroutes the water through a supplementary filter, adds substances to the water, or slows down or speeds up the flow rate through the filter in order to modify the water quality according to user preferences.
• the water filtration device can send data to the Internet or to the smartphone directly.
• the water filtration device can send an alert when the filter needs to be changed; this alert can be sent directly to the smartphone or to the Internet.
• the server can then automatically send a text message to the user's smartphone, or an email, or any other message on any other protocol, to alert the user of the need for a filter change. Similar alerts can be sent to indicate other alert conditions - a leak in the system, a broken UV bulb, absent ozone bubbles, and so on.
• the system can identify individual users in the same household, and react differently to different users. For example, different users can have different sensitivities to various contaminants in the water, or different taste preferences for their water.
• the system can determine which user is accessing the water by identifying the user's smartphone, by identifying an article worn or carried by the user (say, a RFID tag), or by biometrics such as face recognition, fingerprints, and so on, and customize its operation depending on which user is requesting the water.
• the system can also track water usage, either by the household as a whole, or by each individual user.
• the system can alert the user as to whether they are drinking enough water, and advise them as to how much water they need to drink for proper hydration.
• the system can alert the household when they are using too much water, and advise them as to how to reduce their water usage to match national averages.
• the system does this by means of a smartphone app installed on the user's smartphone.
• Fig. 1 shows a high-level diagram of the preferred embodiment of the system.
• Fig. 2 shows a flowchart of the preferred embodiment of the invention in operation.
• Fig. 3 shows screenshots of the smartphone app of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 1 shows a high-level diagram of the preferred embodiment of the system of the present invention.
• Water filtration device 100 comprises communication module 110, controller 150, replaceable filter 130, ozonation module 125, ozone concentration module 115, flow rate modifier 135, shutoff module 140, and disinfectant module 145.
• the water filtration device 100 may be connected to one individual tap or to the entire household water supply.
• the communication module 110 can communicate with smartphone 160, directly with the cloud 170, or both.
• the communication module 110 is capable of Bluetooth communication with a smartphone or other mobile device 160 and wi-fi communication with the cloud 170. In other embodiments, only one of the two communication modes is present, or an entirely different wireless communication protocol is used in addition to, or instead of, Bluetooth and/or wi-fi communication.
• Controller 150 is connected to the communication module 110 and receives and sends data to and from the flow rate modifier 135, ozonation module 125, ozone concentration module 115, replaceable filter 130, shutoff module 140, and disinfection module 145.
• the controller preferably comprises a processor, memory, and software known to those skilled in the art.
• Flow rate modifier 135 slows down or speeds up the water flow rate depending on purification needs. If greater purification is required, the flow rate modifier slows down the water flow so that the water spends more time in the ozonation module 125 and the replaceable filter 130. This results in more purification.
• the flow rate modifier can set the flow rate statically or modify it dynamically depending on which user is accessing the water, on real-time data received from the database, or on any other parameters.
• Ozonation module 125 and ozone concentration module 115 disinfect and purify the water by means of ozone bubbles.
• the ozone concentration module 115 preferably comprises a UV light to generate the ozone.
• the water passes through the ozonation module 125 and then passes through the replaceable filter 130.
• Replaceable filter 130 can comprise a RFID tag identifying the filter, the date of installation, its useful life, and other parameters.
• the controller 150 can then communicate with the replaceable filter 130 to determine whether it needs to be replaced, how much of its useful life remains, or other parameters relating to the filter.
• the data is then passed to the communication module 110, which communicates with the cloud 170, with the user's mobile device 160, or both, to convey the information to the user.
• Shutoff module 140 is capable of shutting off the water flow through the water filtration device. For example, if the municipality issues a water quality alert and the water filtration device is incapable of rendering the water potable, or some other emergency condition occurs, the controller 150 can trigger the shutoff module to shut off the water flow through the device.
• Disinfection module 145 is capable of disinfecting the water in the event of a water quality alert, or for municipalities with very contaminated water.
• the water may be disinfected by boiling it, injecting a disinfectant such as chlorine into the water, supplementary ozonation, supplementary filtering, or any other method of disinfection known in the art.
• Database 180 is located in the cloud and comprises information regarding water contaminant profiles in at least one municipality.
• the information in the database comprises current water contaminant profiles for the water, historical water contaminant profile data, and projected future trends for water contaminant profiles.
• database 180 is located on a server that can be accessed via the Internet by the communication module 110, and can also be accessed via the Internet by the user.
• the database 180 preferably also contains data regarding the type of water filter that is needed for the water contaminant profile of the municipality, such that a user may access the database, enter their zip code or other location data, and find out what type of filter they need to purchase.
• the database 180 also contains boil-water alerts put out by a municipality, so that the water filtration device, or the user, can access the data regarding such alerts.
• the database data may come from the municipality, from independent water analysis, or from a contaminant analysis module in the water filtration device itself.
• Smartphone 160 is able to communicate with the database 180 by means of its built-in Internet connection (either via wi-fi, cellular data, or any other method of accessing the Internet).
• smartphone 160 is also able to communicate with the water filtration device 100.
• the communication may happen via Bluetooth, wi-fi, or any other wireless communication protocol.
• the water filtration device 100 may send data to the smartphone 160 regarding alert conditions such as a need to replace the filter, a broken UV bulb or malfunctioning disinfection module (i.e. no ozone bubbles), a leak, and so on.
• the smartphone receives that data and alerts the user of the alert condition.
• the communication module 110 sends data to the Internet regarding the alert condition and the alert is then sent to the user's smartphone.
• smartphone 160 has an app installed that can communicate with the database 180 and with the water filtration device 100.
• the app enables the smartphone to determine the water contaminant profile at the smartphone location, allows the user to enter water filtration preferences, and identifies the user to the water filtration device.
• the app also performs other functions, as is described below.
• the water filtration device 100 comprises only one replaceable filter 130.
• the replaceable filter 130 may come in several different types to accommodate different contaminant profiles.
• the user selects the appropriate type of filter by accessing the database directly via the Internet or by having their smartphone or the water filtration device inform them of what type of filter they need to purchase for the water at their location.
• the system retains the information on the store where it was purchased. The user can then automatically be rerouted to the online shopping page of the same store when they need to purchase filters.
• the water filtration device 100 comprises at least two replaceable filters.
• the water may be rerouted through different individual filters depending on user preferences and needs, or may be rerouted through at least two filters in series.
• Fig. 2 shows a flowchart of the water purification method of the present invention.
• the user's smartphone establishes the user's location 200. This can be done automatically by the smartphone, or manually entered by the user.
• the smartphone then contacts the database 210 to determine the water contaminant profile at the user's location, and transmits the water contaminant profile to the water filtration device 220.
• the smartphone may perform these steps by means of its wi-fi connection, a cellular data connection, a Bluetooth connection (for communicating with the water filtration device), or any combination of the above.
• the water filtration device then adjusts its operation 230 in response to the water contaminant profile.
• a few non-limiting examples are listed below. For example, it may adjust the filter life expectancy depending on the water contaminant levels; heavier contaminant levels would then mean that the filter would need to be changed more often. It may indicate the type of filter it requires, or the number of filters or the type of supplementary filter it requires. It may change the flow rate through the filter - a slower flow rate means that the filter would purify the water better, while a faster flow rate would mean less purification. It may shut off the water flow altogether. Other ways of adjusting the operation of the water filtration device may also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
• the user can also enter preference data into their smartphone 240.
• the preference data is then transmitted to the water filtration device 250.
• the water filtration device then adjusts its operation based on user preference data as well as, or instead of, the local water contaminant profile.
• FIG. 3 shows some screenshots of the smartphone app that is a part of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• Screenshots 300 provide a welcome and login / create account screen to allow the user to log in to the app or to create an account.
• the user can edit their personal profile by entering their age, weight, and location (or allow the smartphone to determine the location automatically).
• the user can link a filter unit to the app via the "Add new zuvo unit” screen 310, and manage several different water filtration units via the "Manage Units and Filters” screens 320.
• the app offers a filter guide screen 330 and allows the user to enter filter details via the "Add filter info" screen 340.
• the main screen of the app is shown in screenshot 350. It shows the days remaining on the filter, water quality data in the area, and daily water consumption and water consumption goals for the user.
• the user can access a more detailed summary of water quality data in their area 360 as well as any boil- water alerts issued by their water district.
• the user can also access a contaminant detail screen 370 for more detailed descriptions of any contaminants they want to learn more about.
• Tapping on the filter icon on the main screen 350 takes the user to a purchase filter screen 360.
• the user may select the appropriate filter for their type of water and purchase it online.
• the user By tapping on the water consumption button on the main screen 350, the user is taken to their "hydration coach" screen 370. The user is then able to see their weekly water consumption, edit their personal profile (age, weight, and so on), and see their daily goal for water consumption.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Clinical Laboratory Science (AREA)
• Water Treatment By Sorption (AREA)
• Physical Water Treatments (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=49514828

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (1)

Cited By (6)

Citations (4)

• 2013
  • 2013-04-30 WO PCT/US2013/038944 patent/WO2013166069A1/fr not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

Similar Documents

Legal Events