FLUID TEMPERATURE REGULATION SYSTEM

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of United States Provisional Ser. No. 63/729,020, filed on Dec. 6, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to temperature regulation of a fluid, and more particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to apparatuses, systems, and methods for chilling and/or heating water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cold therapy has been used to assist with various bodily conditions for a significant amount of time. For example, cold therapy is used when a person presses ice against an injury to reduce pain and swelling. Cold therapy has been used to reduce nerve activity, lower skin temperature, reduce swelling, reduce sensitivity to pain, etc. Building upon that foundation of using cold to treat certain conditions, people have adopted ice baths in an effort to reduce muscle soreness, reduce inflammation, improve circulation, increase their metabolism, provide balance to the nervous system to improve cognitive function, reduce stress, and even improve sleep. This societal adaptation of using ice baths for various health benefits has increased, particularly over the past decade, as people have recognized the value of ice baths.

As society's adaptation of ice baths has increased, a need has developed for a more convenient and universal way of providing large volumes of ice water to individuals. However, most people have limited access to large volumes of ice water, particularly in a residential setting. For people who have sought the added convenience of accessing ice baths in a residential setting, oftentimes these people have had to purchase specialty tubs (e.g., inflatable tubs) that need to be filled up with tap water at room temperature and then a water chiller device is connected to the tub to slowly chill the water that is in the tub. That process can take several hours for the water chiller device to slowly chill the water to a desirable temperature. The current process for making water chillers more readily available in a residential setting is inefficient, inconvenient, and time consuming. Thus, a need exists for improved apparatuses, systems, and methods for more readily providing large volumes of ice water.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided through the provision of an apparatus that includes a controller and a refrigerant compressor operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the refrigerant compressor is configured to be activated and deactivated in response to signals from the controller, the refrigerant compressor is configured to increase pressure of a refrigerant to increase temperature of the refrigerant. The apparatus also includes a condenser operatively coupled to the refrigerant compressor, the condenser configured to receive the refrigerant from the refrigerant compressor. The apparatus also includes an electronic expansion valve configured to receive the refrigerant from the condenser and reduce the pressure of the refrigerant to cool down the refrigerant and a heat exchanger that includes evaporator coils that cause the refrigerant to absorb heat from the fluid in the plumbing system to chill the fluid to a temperature between 32° F.-50° F.

Also disclosed herein is a system that includes an apparatus for regulating temperature of a fluid in a plumbing system. The system includes an electronic device that includes an interface for receiving one or more user inputs, the one or more user inputs setting the temperature. The apparatus includes a controller and a refrigerant compressor operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the refrigerant compressor is configured to be activated and deactivated in response to signals from the controller, the refrigerant compressor is configured to increase pressure of a refrigerant to increase temperature of the refrigerant. The apparatus also includes a condenser operatively coupled to the refrigerant compressor, the condenser configured to receive the refrigerant from the refrigerant compressor. The apparatus also includes an electronic expansion valve configured to receive the refrigerant from the condenser and reduce the pressure of the refrigerant to cool down the refrigerant and a heat exchanger that includes evaporator coils that cause the refrigerant to absorb heat from the fluid in the plumbing system to chill the fluid to a temperature between 32° F.-50° F.

In addition, a method that includes receiving, at a controller of an apparatus, an input signal for regulating the temperature of the fluid. The method also includes transmitting one or more signals to a refrigerant compressor operatively coupled to the controller to increase or decrease pressure of a refrigerant, the one or more signals being transmitted in response to a feedback signal received from a temperature sensor that is configured to monitor temperature of an output of the fluid. The method also includes cooling the refrigerant via condenser coils of a condenser and expelling, via one or more cooling fans, heat from the refrigerant as the refrigerant passes through the condenser. The method also includes reducing pressure, via an electronic expansion valve, of the refrigerant to cool the refrigerant and absorbing, via a heat exchanger, heat from the fluid to chill the fluid to a set temperature between 32° F.-50° F.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the concepts described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more aspects are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed as examples in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing as well as objects, features, and advantages of one or more aspects are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an example fluid chilling apparatus, according to an implementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A depicts a block diagram of an example dual fluid heating and chilling apparatus, according to an implementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B depicts a block diagram of an example dual fluid heating and chilling apparatus, according to an implementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 an example system configured to perform various processes described herein, according to an implementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 depicts an example cloud computing environment, according to an implementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 depicts an example of cloud computing layers, according to an implementation of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an example method of for fluid temperature control, according to an implementation of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example method for fluid temperature control, according to an implementation of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the present invention and certain features, advantages, and details thereof are explained more fully below with reference to the non-limiting examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and the invention may take various forms. Further, the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, as some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components. Thus, specific structural and functional details illustrated herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations, modifications, and combinations of the herein described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the included claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.

Descriptions of well-known processing techniques, systems, components, etc. are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the invention in detail. It should be understood that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating aspects of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, and not by way of limitation. Various substitutions, modifications, additions, and/or arrangements, within the spirit and/or scope of the underlying inventive concepts will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. Note further that numerous inventive aspects and features are disclosed herein, and unless inconsistent, each disclosed aspect or feature is combinable with any other disclosed aspect or feature as desired for a particular embodiment of the concepts disclosed herein.

The specification may include references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “various embodiments,” “one or more embodiments,” etc. may indicate that the embodiment(s) described may include a particular feature, structure or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. In some cases, such phrases are not necessarily referencing the same embodiment. When a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, such description can be combined with features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with other embodiments, regardless of whether such combinations are explicitly described. Thus, unless described or implied as exclusive alternatives, features throughout the drawings and descriptions should be taken as cumulative, such that features expressly associated with some particular embodiments can be combined with other embodiments.

The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “couples,” “coupling,” and the like should be broadly understood to refer to connecting two or more elements or signals electrically and/or mechanically, either directly or indirectly through intervening circuitry and/or elements. Two or more electrical elements may be electrically coupled. Two or more electrical elements may be electrically coupled, either direct or indirectly, but not be mechanically coupled; two or more mechanical elements may be mechanically coupled, either direct or indirectly, but not be electrically coupled; two or more electrical elements may be mechanically coupled, directly or indirectly, but not be electrically coupled. Coupling (whether only mechanical, only electrical, or both) may be for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an instant. “Electrically coupled” and the like should be broadly understood and include coupling involving any electrical signal, whether a power signal, a data signal, and/or other types or combinations of electrical signals.

In addition, as used herein, the terms “about,” “approximately,” “relatively,” or “substantially” for any numerical values or ranges indicate a suitable dimensional tolerance that allows the device, part, or collection of components to function for its intended purpose as described herein.

Additionally, illustrative embodiments are described below using specific code, designs, architectures, protocols, layouts, schematics, or tools only as examples, and not by way of limitation. Furthermore, the illustrative embodiments are described in certain instances using particular software, tools, or data processing environments only as example for clarity of description. The illustrative embodiments can be used in conjunction with other comparable or similarly purposed structures, systems, applications, or architectures. One or more aspects of an illustrative embodiment can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

As understood by one skilled in the art, program code can include both software and hardware. For example, program code in certain embodiments of the present invention can include fixed function hardware, while other embodiments can utilize a software-based implementation of the functionality described. Certain embodiments combine both types of program code.

A fluid heating and chilling device may be referred to herein as a water heater and chiller. A fluid chilling device may be referred to herein as a water chiller. In some embodiments, apparatuses, systems, and methods may utilize a tankless fluid heating and chilling device or a tankless fluid chilling device. In some embodiments, the tankless fluid heating and chilling device or the tankless fluid chilling device may provide a fluid (e.g., water) that is chilled or heated relatively instantaneously before providing the water to an appliance (e.g., a tub, sink, shower, etc.) for a particular use (e.g., an “ice” bath that uses water that has been chilled to an ice water temperature). Although colloquial discussion of getting water from a tap or faucet is referred to as “hot” water and “cold” water, the “cold” water that comes out of the tap or faucet is typically around 50-60° F. (10-15° C.). Room temperature water is typically around 78° F. (25° C.). As referenced herein, the temperature of an “ice” bath may utilize a temperature of water that is much lower than what is typically referred to as “cold” water and certainly much colder than room temperature water. The apparatuses, systems, and methods disclosed herein can be utilized to provide water at a temperature that is near the freezing point of water (i.e., near 32° F.). The actual temperature of the water could be controlled by the user based on their personal tolerance. However, if a user desires to obtain chilled water that is near the freezing point of water, there is currently nothing available that can provide that temperature of water (e.g., ˜33° F.-50° F.) in sufficient volume to fill a tub or to take a shower where the water at the desired temperature could be provided relatively instantaneously (e.g., in less than 5 minutes). The apparatuses, systems, and methods disclosed herein provide a new approach to water chilling that is unavailable using existing technology.

In some embodiments, the fluid chilling device or water chiller is a stand-alone device that can be operatively connected to a plumbing system of a building (e.g., a residence or a commercial establishment) to provide chilled water to any one of a number of appliances operatively connected via the plumbing system. For example, the water chiller may be operatively connected to a given number of tubs, showers, and/or sinks, and a user may utilize the water chiller functionality to have relatively instantaneous chilled water at one or more of these appliances via the same water chiller device. In some embodiments, the fluid temperature control process may utilize a fluid heating and chilling device that provides a dual functionality of water heating and/or water chilling that is operatively connected to the plumbing system of the building. Thus, the water heater and chiller device may provide chilled water and/or hot water to different appliances within the plumbing system. For example, a user may use the water heater and chiller device to warm the water so that they can take a “hot” shower (i.e., using warm water) and the same water heater and chiller device to chill the water to take an “ice” bath in a tub merely by turning on the water at each respective appliance and waiting a few seconds or at most less than five minutes for the water at the desired temperature traveling through the pipes of the plumbing system to reach the appliance.

Tankless water heaters are more efficient than tank storage water heaters because the tankless water heater only heats water on demand, whereas tank storage water heaters are continually being reheated in order for hot water stored to a storage tank to be readily available. In addition, the amount of hot water in a tank storage water heater is limited by the size of the storage tank, whereas a tankless water heater heats the water flowing through the water heater on demand as the supply of hot water is not limited to the size of the storage tank. In addition, tankless water heaters often are smaller than tank storage water heaters and can be mounted on walls, which can free up floor space floor space. Because tankless water heaters are not storing a large volume of water, the impact of leaks and water damage. These benefits also apply to tankless water chillers, which are relatively compact apparatuses/devices that can chill water relatively instantaneously on demand. For individuals who desire the benefit of having readily available “hot” water and readily available “ice” water, it would be bulky for there to be two separate tanks with one tank storing heated water and another tank storing chilled water. Thus, disclosed herein are apparatuses, systems, and methods that provide or otherwise utilize a tankless water chiller or a tankless water heater and chiller.

In addition, one of the challenges that need to be overcome in being able to provide a volume of chilled water that is at a temperature near freezing such that the flow rate of the water would be sufficiently feasible to fill up a tub or to take a shower. For example, a system that provides chilled water that is at a temperature near freezing that provides water at 5 gallons per hour or even 20 gallons per hour would be very inefficient and ineffective for the purposes of an “ice” bath or “ice” shower. Most users are accustomed to traditional faucets where the standard flow rate is around 1-2.2 gallons per minute, which the apparatuses, systems, and methods disclosed herein are designed to achieve and capable of achieving.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an example fluid chilling apparatus 100, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. The apparatus 100 may include a controller 102 for controlling the apparatus 100. In particular, the controller 102 may be configured to control and capable of controlling or otherwise setting the temperature of the fluid (i.e., water) that exits from the apparatus 100. In one embodiment, the controller 102 may include or may be operatively connected to an interface for receiving inputs from a user. In some embodiments, the controller 102 may include a radio receiver for receiving a wireless signal (e.g., from a wireless mobile device, from a wireless control panel external to the apparatus 100). In this example, a user may select, via the wireless mobile device and/or a wireless control panel, a desired temperature for the fluid that is to pass through the plumbing system of a building. In some embodiments, when an input is received by the controller 102, the controller 102 initiates various operations within the apparatus 100 to regulate or otherwise control the temperature of the fluid. Specifically, the controller 102 may turn on or off a refrigerant compressor 104. The refrigerant compressor 104 pressurizes a refrigerant (e.g., hydrofluorocarbons such as R-404A, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluoroolefins, R-134a, R-290 (propane), R-600a (isobutane), etc.), which raises the temperature of the refrigerant. When the refrigerant enters the refrigerant compressor 104 it is in a low-pressure gaseous state where the refrigerant has absorbed heat from the surrounding environment or a cooled space. By increasing the pressure, the refrigerant compressor 104 reduces the refrigerant's volume, thereby increasing the temperature and allowing heat to be more effectively transferred to condenser coils of a condenser 106. The refrigerant releases heat that was generated from the refrigerant compressor 104. As the refrigerant moves through the condenser coils of the condenser 106, the refrigerant cools and condenses into a high-pressure liquid form. A cooling fan 108 assists in expelling heat from the refrigerant into the surrounding environment. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant moves through an electronic expansion valve 110 that reduces the pressure of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant to cool down the refrigerant prior to the refrigerant entering the heat exchanger 112. The heat exchanger 112 may include evaporator coils that cause the refrigerant to reabsorb heat, which causes the refrigerant to evaporate back into a gas. The phase change removes heat from the outside environment inside the input water supply 114, thereby chilling the water from the input water supply 114 to produce an output of chilled water 116. The gaseous refrigerant then returns to the refrigerant compressor 104 and the heat transfer cycle continues for as long as the apparatus 100 is in operation. A temperature sensor 118 may also provide feedback to the controller 102 so that the controller can regulate the compressor based on flow rate and temperature so that the chilled water 116 is maintained at a relatively constant temperature. The apparatus 100 may be tankless such that the water that passes through the input water supply 114 and the apparatus 100 is instantaneously chilled prior to being distributed through the plumbing supply.

FIG. 2A depicts a block diagram of an example dual fluid heating and chilling apparatus 200A, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. The fluid heating and chilling apparatus 200A includes a controller 202A, which functions similarly to controller 102 of FIG. 1. The controller 202A is operatively coupled to the chiller portion of the apparatus 200A, and specifically a refrigerant compressor 204A, which functions similarly to the refrigerant compressor 104 of FIG. 1. The controller 202A is also operatively coupled to heating portion of the apparatus 200A, and specifically a burner 220A that is used for heating the fluid.

Similar to the apparatus 100 of FIG. 1, the chiller portion of the apparatus 200A has a condenser 206A that condenses the refrigerant into a high-pressure liquid form, a cooling fan 208A that expels heat into the surrounding environment, an electronic expansion valve 210A that reduces pressure to cool down the refrigerant, and a heat exchanger 212A that causes the refrigerant to reabsorb heat from the input water supply 214A. The chiller portion also includes a temperature sensor 218A that senses the temperature of the output of chilled water 216A. The temperature sensor 218A may constantly monitor the temperature and provide feedback to the controller 202A, which then adjusts the system to increase or decrease the cooling output of the chiller portion of the apparatus 202A. If the temperature sensor 218A determines that the temperature has risen above a desired level, it sends a signal to the controller 202A to increase cooling, which activates the compressor 204A to lower the temperature. Conversely, if the temperature is too low, the temperature sensor 218A may pause or reduce the cooling activity, thereby preventing excessive cooling or freezing of the water in the plumbing system.

The heating portion of the apparatus 202A utilizes a tankless water heater functionality that heats a gas 222A (e.g., natural gas) using a burner 220A that is ignited by the controller 202A. The heat 224A from burning the gas 222A is transferred to the fluid as it moves through the heat exchanger 226A. The burner 220A may adjust the flame intensity based on the water flow rate and the temperature setting, which are monitored using the temperature sensor 228A. If the demand for hot water increases, the burner 220A intensifies in response to a signal from the controller 202A in order to maintain a constant output temperature of the heated water 230A.

FIG. 2B depicts a block diagram of an example dual fluid heating and chilling apparatus 200B, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. The fluid heating and chilling apparatus 200B includes a controller 202B, which functions similarly to controller 102 of FIG. 1. The controller 202B is operatively coupled to the chiller portion of the apparatus 200B, and specifically a refrigerant compressor 204B, which functions similarly to the refrigerant compressor 104 of FIG. 1. The controller 202B is also operatively coupled to heating portion of the apparatus 200B, and specifically a burner 220B that is used for heating the fluid.

Similar to the apparatus 100 of FIG. 1, the chiller portion of the apparatus 200B has a condenser 206B that condenses the refrigerant into a high-pressure liquid form, a cooling fan 208B that expels heat into the surrounding environment, an electronic expansion valve 210B that reduces pressure to cool down the refrigerant, and a heat exchanger 212B that causes the refrigerant to reabsorb heat from the input water supply 214B. The chiller portion also includes a temperature sensor 218B that senses the temperature of the output of chilled water 216B. The temperature sensor 218B may constantly monitor the temperature and provide feedback to the controller 202B, which then adjusts the system to increase or decrease the cooling output of the chiller portion of the apparatus 202B. If the temperature sensor 218B determines that the temperature has risen above a desired level, it sends a signal to the controller 202B to increase cooling, which activates the compressor 204B to lower the temperature. Conversely, if the temperature is too low, the temperature sensor 218B may pause or reduce the cooling activity, thereby preventing excessive cooling or freezing of the water in the plumbing system.

The heating portion of the apparatus 202B may be operatively coupled to a water heater 250B that is operatively connected to a temperature sensor 228B for regulating the temperature of the heated water 230B. In some embodiments, the water heater 250B may be external to the apparatus 202B. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the water heater 250B is internal to the apparatus 202B.

FIG. 3 an example system 300 configured to perform various processes described herein, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. In instances in which the apparatus (e.g., such as apparatus 100, apparatus 200A, apparatus 200B) are in communication with a wireless device, certain data may be stored to computer readable storage media. Computer readable storage media, as used herein, may be used for long-term, intermediate-term, and/or short-term storage of computer-readable instructions, but is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire. In another embodiment, these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instructions, which implement certain functions/acts. Example computer program instructions may include assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language (e.g., Java, Ruby, Python, C #, hypertext preprocessor (PHP), C++, or the like, and procedural programming languages, such as FORTRAN, BASIC, the “C” programming language, or similar programming languages. The computer program instructions, whether stored in the computer-readable storage medium and/or computer-readable memory may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. Alternatively, computer program implemented steps or acts may be combined with operator or human implemented steps or acts in order to carry out an embodiment of the invention.

The example computer system 300 may be incorporated into a user device that includes, for example, a laptop, a computer, a tablet, a mobile computing device such as a smart phone, an internet-of-things device, a smart home device, a wireless control panel, any combination of the aforementioned, and/or any other electronic device with processing and communication capabilities. The computer system 300 is in communication with the apparatus 350, which may be a singular apparatus or multiple apparatuses and may include, for example, fluid chilling apparatus 100, dual fluid heating and chilling apparatus 200A, dual fluid heating and chilling system 200B, and other devices (e.g., server(s)). In another implementation, the controller (e.g., controller 102, controller 202A, controller 202B) of the apparatus (e.g., such as apparatus 100, apparatus 200A, apparatus 200B) may incorporate, be connected to, or otherwise include a computer system 300.

The computer system 300 includes one or more central processing unit(s) 302 (CPU) that includes one or more processor(s) 304. The CPU(s) 302 and/or additional processor(s) 304 include functional components used in the execution of instructions and/or otherwise may be configured to perform a computer-implemented method by executing instructions. For example, the CPU(s) 302 and/or additional processor(s) 304 may include functional components to fetch program instructions from one or more locations such as the memory 306, which may include a cache or main memory. The CPU(s) 302 and/or additional processor(s) 304 may decode the program instructions and execute the program instructions, which may or may not require accessing the memory 306 as part of the instruction execution. Further, the CPU(s) 302 and/or additional processor(s) 304 may write results of the executed instructions to, for example, a destination register for storing the result of the execution, or various other locations for further processing and/or storage. The CPU 302 may include a control unit 308 that directs the operation of the processor(s) 304 and may include, for example, a binary decoder to convert coded instructions into timing and control signals that direct the operation of various other components (e.g., memory 306) of the computer system 300.

Processor(s) 304 may include circuitry for implementing communication and/or logic functions of the computer system 300. The processor(s) 304 may include a digital signal processor, a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), programmable logic arrays (PLA) a state machine, a controller, gated or transistor logic, discrete physical hardware components, various analog to digital converters, digital to analog converters, and/or other support circuits and/or combinations thereof. According to various embodiments, the processor(s) 304 may also include register(s) 310 that configured as a small amount of fast storage and may be used and/or otherwise accessed by one or more of the functional components for various operations (e.g., arithmetic operations, bitwise operations, etc.). The processor(s) 304 may also utilize a combinational logic system 312 to perform various calculations (e.g., using Boolean algebra) on input signals and stored data to produce specified outputs from such inputs. Control and signal processing functions of the computer system 300 are allocated between these processor(s) 304 according to their respective capabilities based on the functionality used to encode and interleave messages and data prior to modulation and transmission thereof. Processor(s) 304 may include an internal data modem and other functionality to operate software programs (e.g., computer programs 316). In one non-limiting example, the processor(s) 304 may be capable of operating a connectivity program, such as a web browser application, that may then allow the computer system 300 to transmit and receive (e.g., to one or more external device(s) 350) content such as, for example, web content, location-based content, etc. in accordance with a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and/or the like.

The memory 306 may be operatively coupled to the processor(s) 304 and can be or include main or system memory (e.g. RAM), non-volatile memory, volatile memory, or any computer readable storage media used to store data, code or other information that the processor(s) 304 use in the execution of program instructions. Memory 306 can include storage device(s) such as hard drive(s), flash media, optical media, and/or cache memory that may be embedded and/or removable, as examples. Memory 306 can include, for instance, a cache, such as a shared cache, which may be coupled to local caches (examples include L1 cache, L2 cache, etc.) of processor(s) 304. In various embodiments, the memory 306 includes any tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use ban an instruction execution device (e.g., processor(s) 304). The memory 306 can store any number of pieces of information and data used by the computer system 300 to implement functions described herein as well as other functions not expressly described.

Additionally, memory 306 may be or include at least one computer program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules, instructions, code or the like that is/are configured to carry out functions of embodiments described herein when executed by the processor(s) 304. Memory 306 can store an operating system 314, other computer programs 316, such as one or more computer programs/applications that execute to perform aspects described herein, and/or various other data items. Specifically, programs/applications can include computer readable program instructions and code that may be configured to carry out functions of embodiments of aspects described herein, and can also include cashed data, user files, audio files, video recordings, files downloaded or received from other devices, and/or other data items required or related to any or all of the programs/applications. Example programs/applications can include integrated software applications that manage device resources, generate user interfaces, accept user inputs, and facilitate communications with other devices among other functions. Programs/applications can also include applications (e.g., a mobile application) considered web-browser applications that typically provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that can be displayed (e.g., via a user interface) and may include features for accepting inputs from users (e.g., via control puts such as text boxes, data fields, hyperlinks, pull down menus, check boxes, and the like).

Computer system 300 may also include input/output (I/O) interfaces 318 through which external device(s) 350 are connected. Example external device(s) 350 in some examples may include an external sever, workstation, set of servers, cloud-based application or system, etc. located outside of the user computer system 300 that the computer system 300 may access via the Internet. In some examples, external device(s) 350 may additionally or alternatively include electrical components included within the user device itself. Specifically, an I/O device may be incorporated into the computer system 300 itself or the I/O device may be regarded as an external device 350 coupled to the computer system 300 through one or more I/O interfaces 318.

External device(s) 350 can include, but are not limited to, printers, display monitors, microphone(s), speaker(s), camera(s), lights, non-transitory storage media (e.g., ROM), accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, sensor devices configured to sense temperature, a display screen (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), light emitting diode (LED) display, or the like), a sensitive input screen (e.g., a touch screen or the like), and/or any other devices that enable a user to interact with computer system 300 to communicate with one or more other computing systems or peripheral devices, non-volatile magnetic media (typically called a “hard drive”), and/or any other suitable devices adapted to provide an input or output to the computer system 300 and/or commonly used with any suitable operating system on personal computers, central computing systems, phones, and/or similar devices.

I/O interfaces 318 may provide communication (e.g., two-way communication and data exchanges). Example I/O interfaces 318 may additionally or alternatively include, for example, a network interface/adapter that enables the computer system 300 to communicate with one or more networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g., the Internet), and/or provide communication with other computing devices or systems, storage devices, or the like. Specific examples of I/O interfaces 318 may also include Ethernet-based (such as Wi-Fi) interfaces, near-field communication devices, transceivers, and/or Bluetooth® adapters. (BLUETOOTH is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc., Kirkland, Washington, U.S.A.). The I/O interfaces 318 may be configured, in some embodiments, as a means for providing user inputs via virtual buttons, selectable options, a virtual keyboard, a touch screen, a touchpad, and other indicia that, when touched, can be used by the user to control the computer system 300. The I/O interfaces 318 may include and/or be operatively connected to circuitry used to convert analog signals and/or other signals into digital data, and/or may be configured to convert digital data to another type of signal. For example, the I/O interfaces 318 may receive and convert physical contact inputs, physical movements, temperature, flow rate of a fluid, etc. to digital data. Once converted, the digital data may be provided to the processor(s) 304 for processing.

The I/O interfaces 318 may be coupled to processor(s) 304, external device(s), and each other via one or more buses, circuitry, intraconnections, and/or other connections that facilitate communication. Bus connections represent one or more of any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a high-speed interface, and a processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation, such architectures include the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), the Micro Channel Architecture (MCA), the Enhanced ISA (EISA), the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI). The bus connections may operatively couple and/or electrically connect various components of the computer system 300 with one another directly or indirectly by way of intermediate components.

The communication between I/O interfaces 318 and external devices 350 can occur across wired and/or wireless communications link(s) 320, such as Ethernet-based wired, universal serial bus (USB) wired or wireless connections. Example wireless connections include cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, proximity-based, near field, or other types of wireless connections. More generally, communications link(s) 320 may be any appropriate wireless and/or wired communication link(s) 120 for communicating data. In some instances, the communications link(s) may utilize various modes and/or protocols, including, as non-limiting examples, global system for mobile (GSM) voice communication, short message service (SMS), enterprise messaging service (EMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS) messaging, second-generation (2G) wireless communication protocols IS-95 such as code division multiple access (CDMA), IS-136 such as time division multiple access (TDMA), personal digital cellular (PDC), or general packet radio service (GPRS), third-generation (3G) wireless communication protocols, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), CDMA2000, wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and/or time division-synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), fourth-generation (4G) wireless communication protocols such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE), fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication protocols, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication protocols such as Bluetooth 5.0, ultra-wideband (UWB) communication protocols, and/or the like.

Computer system 300 may be operational with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. Computer system 300 may take any of various forms, well-known examples of which include, but are not limited to, personal computer (PC) system(s), laptop(s), handheld device(s), mobile device(s)/computer(s) such as smartphone(s), tablet(s), and wearable device(s), multiprocessor system(s), microprocessor-based system(s), and distributed cloud computing environment(s) that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like. The computer system 300 may also be referred to herein as a data processing device/system, computing device/system/node, or simply a computer.

In some embodiments, the computing system environments may be configured such that the computer system 300 can generate content data manually or obtain content data from a third-party source, such as a cloud storage service or remote database to provide software updates to the computer system 300. The third-party system can be integrated with the computer system 300 through an application programmable interface (API) software application that facilitates communication between software systems by mapping computer-readable commands and data formats between systems. In some embodiments, the computer system 300 accesses the third-party system using an Internet browser software application to access a web-based software interface.

FIG. 4 depicts an example cloud-computing environment 400, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cloud-computing environment 400 may be provided by a “provider” and include a network 460 that is communicatively connected, via wireless and/or wired connections to various network devices that may be local and/or remote to one another. Example network devices may include the controller 102 of FIG. 1, controller 202A of FIG. 2A, controller 202B of FIG. 2B, and/or any wireless control panel or computing device, mobile device, and/or server. As depicted, the network 460 can be a large distributed network that includes multiple servers (e.g., file servers, catalog servers, computing servers, application servers, etc.), databases, storage locations, and/or computers. The network 460 may facilitate sharing data and/or resources across distributed locations. Although singly depicted with one network 460 for illustrative convenience, the cloud-computing environment 400 may include more than one network without departing from the scope of this description. In some embodiments, the network 460 may be or include a secured network. In some embodiments, the network 460 may be implemented, at least in part, through one or more connections to the Internet. In some embodiments, a portion of the network 460 may include a virtual private network (VPN) or an Intranet.

The cloud-computing environment 400 may also include wired and wireless links, including, as non-limiting examples, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 802.20, WiMAX, LTE, and/or any other wireless link. The network 460 may include any internal or external network, networks, sub-network, and combinations of such operable to implement communications between various computing components within and beyond the illustrated cloud-computing environment 400. The network 460 may communicate, for example, Internet Protocol (IP) packets, frames using frame relay, voice, video, data, and other suitable information between network addresses. The network 460 may also include one or more local area networks (LANs), radio access networks (RANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), wide area networks (WANs), personal area networks (PANs), WLANs, campus area network (CAN), storage-area network (SAN), all or a portion of the internet and/or any other communication system or systems at one or more locations.

The network 460 may incorporate various cloud-based deployment models including, for example, private cloud (i.e., an organization-based cloud managed by either the organization or third parties and hosted on-premises or off premises), public cloud (i.e., cloud-based infrastructure available to the general public that is owned by an organization that sells cloud services), community cloud (i.e., cloud-based infrastructure shared by several organizations and manages by the organizations or third parties and hosted on-premises or off premises), and/or hybrid cloud (i.e., composed of two or more clouds e.g., private community, and/or public that remain unique entities but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., load-balancing between cloud networks).

At least some of the network devices may include the controller 102 of FIG. 1, controller 202A of FIG. 2A, controller 202B of FIG. 2B, and/or any wireless control panel or computing device may include a computer system, such as the computer system 300 of FIG. 3. The network 460 may also include any number of data sources, user devices, consumers, customers, third-party devices, external databases, servers, etc. from any number of users (e.g., individual persons, institutions, companies, organizational entities, groups, etc.). In some embodiments, the network 460 incorporates any number of virtual resources, such as cloud resources or virtual machines. Virtual resources may utilize a cloud-computing configuration to provide an infrastructure that includes a network of interconnected nodes and provides stateless, low coupling, modularity and semantic interoperability. Such interconnected nodes may incorporate a computer system that includes one or more processors, a memory, and a bus that couples various system components (e.g., the memory) to the processor, and may be grouped physically or virtually in one or more networks. It should be understood that such interconnected nodes may include the types of computing devices and systems depicted, as an example, in FIG. 3, which is intended to be illustrative only, and such interconnected nodes can communicate with any type of computerized device across the network 460. Such virtual resources may be available for shared use among multiple distinct resource consumers and in certain implementations, virtual resources do not necessarily correspond to one or more specific pieces of hardware, but rather to a collection of pieces of hardware operatively coupled within a cloud-computing configuration so that the resources may be shared as needed.

Cloud computing utilized by the cloud-computing environment 400 is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing, memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or interaction with a provider of the service. Processes described herein may be performed singly or collectively by one or more computer systems (e.g., such as computer system 300) that are accessible via the network 460. It is to be understood that although this disclosure includes a detailed description on cloud computing, implementation of the teachings recited herein are not limited to a cloud-computing environment. Rather, embodiments of the present invention are capable of being implemented in conjunction with any other type of computing environment now known or later developed.

The network 460 of the cloud-computing environment 400 may be configured to be accessed by a network device such as controller 102 of FIG. 1, controller 202A of FIG. 2A, controller 202B of FIG. 2B, and/or any wireless control panel or computing device to provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed without requiring human interaction with the provider. Further, the network 460 may be accessed through standard computer systems (e.g., via I/O interfaces 318 of computer system 300) used by thin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, PDAs, etc.). Further, the network 460 may pool computing resources to serve multiple network devices using, for example, a multi-tenant model with various physical and virtual resources assigned in accordance with demand. For instance, physical and/or virtual resources accessed via the network 460 may be dynamically assigned and reassigned to different end-users such that the end-user has no control or knowledge of the exact location of the provider resources accessed via the network 460, although general abstraction may be used to identify a datacenter location, city, state, country, etc. The network 460 may also be scaled and provisioned, sometimes automatically, rapidly and elastically based on various functionality requirements and/or usages. In some instances, the network resources available via the network 460 may be regulated based on a metering capability (e.g., based on storage, processing, bandwidth, active user accounts, etc.).

FIG. 5 depicts an example of cloud computing services, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cloud computing services may be utilized by a cloud computing environment (e.g., cloud-computing environment 400) and may include a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) 570, a Platform as a Service (PaaS) 580, and/or an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) 590. The cloud computing services offer infrastructure, platforms, and/or applications/software as services to and end-user so that the end-user does not need to maintain resources on a local computing device. The SaaS service 570 may provider an end-user with the ability to use the provider's applications that are accessible and operable via cloud infrastructure. Specifically, the provider's applications layer 572 may be accessible via various network devices that include computer systems (e.g., computer system 300) via, for example, a thin client interface such as a web browser. With the SaaS model, the end-user is not authorized to manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, network, servers, operating systems, storage, or individual application capabilities offered by the provider, with the exception of limited user-specific application configuration settings.

The PaaS service 580 may provide the end-user with the ability to deploy consumer-created or acquired applications onto the cloud infrastructure using a platform layer 582, where the consumer-created applications may be created using programming languages and tools supported by the provider. Specifically, the end-user is not authorized to manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, or storage. However, the end-user is authorized to control the deployed applications and possibly application hosting environment configurations available via the platform layer 582.

The IaaS service 590 may provide the end-user with the ability to provision processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources. The IaaS service includes a hardware layer 592 that is responsible for managing the physical resources available via the cloud-computing environment (e.g., cloud-computing environment 300). Specifically, the hardware layer 592 may include physical servers, routers, switches, power and cooling systems and may, according to one embodiment, be implemented using one or more data centers that incorporate many (e.g., hundreds, thousands, etc.) of interconnected servers, CPUs, mainframes, reduced instruction set computer (RISC), architecture based servers, blade servers, storage devices, network computing components, memory, disk, bandwidth, etc. organized through switches, routers, and/or other fabrics.

The IaaS service 590 may also include an infrastructure layer (e.g., a virtualization layer) 594 that includes virtual machine capabilities and storage capabilities using computing resources that may be partitioned using various virtualization technologies (e.g., a hypervisor that runs directly on the system hardware (e.g., Xen), a kernel-based virtual machine (KVM), Hyper-V virtualization, VMware software, etc.). With IaaS service 590, the end-user may be able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications, via the virtual machines. Although the end-user would not be authorized to manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, the end-user would be authorized to control operating systems, storage, deployed applications, and some limited network components (e.g., host firewalls).

Although various embodiments are described above, these are only examples. For example, computing environments of other architectures can be used to incorporate and use one or more embodiments. Many variations are possible.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an example method 600 of for fluid temperature control, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. In the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams disclosed herein, each block in the flowchart/diagrams may represent a module, segment, a specific instruction/function or portion of instructions/functions, and incorporates one or more steps for implementing the specified logical function(s). Additionally, the alternative implementations and processes may also incorporate various blocks of the flowcharts and block diagrams. For instance, in some implementations the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may be executed substantially concurrently, or the functions of the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. At block 605, the method 600 includes receiving, at a controller of an apparatus, an input signal for regulating the temperature of the fluid. At block 610, the method includes transmitting one or more signals to a refrigerant compressor operatively coupled to the controller to increase or decrease pressure of a refrigerant, the one or more signals being transmitted in response to a feedback signal received from a temperature sensor that is configured to monitor temperature of an output of the fluid. At block 615, the method 600 includes cooling the refrigerant via condenser coils of a condenser. At block 620, the method 600 includes expelling, via one or more cooling fans, heat from the refrigerant as the refrigerant passes through the condenser. At block 625, the method 600 includes reducing pressure, via an electronic expansion valve, of the refrigerant to cool the refrigerant. At block 630, the method 600 includes absorbing, via a heat exchanger, heat from the fluid to chill the fluid to a set temperature between 32° F.-50° F.

In some embodiments, the fluid is water, and the plumbing system is a potable water system for use via one or more appliances of a building. In some embodiments, the apparatus is tankless such that the fluid is continually received, during operation of the apparatus, from an external water source.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example method 700 for fluid temperature control, according to an implementation of the present disclosure. Block 705 of the method 700 includes receiving, at a controller of an apparatus, an input signal for regulating the temperature of the fluid. At block 710 the method includes transmitting one or more signals to a burner, the burner being configured to burn a gas, the one or more signals regulating intensity of the burner. At block 715 the method 700 includes heating coils of a heat exchanger in response to heat released from burning the gas, the coils of the heat exchanger facilitating transfer of the heat to the fluid as the fluid passes through the coils.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise” (and any form of comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”), “have” (and any form of have, such as “has” and “having”), “include” (and any form of include, such as “includes” and “including”), and “contain” (and any form contain, such as “contains” and “containing”) are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a method or device that “comprises,” “has,” “includes,” or “contains” one or more steps or elements possesses those one or more steps or elements but is not limited to possessing only those one or more steps or elements. Likewise, a step of a method or an element of a device that “comprises,” “has,” “includes,” or “contains” one or more features possesses those one or more features but is not limited to possessing only those one or more features. Furthermore, a device or structure that is configured in a certain way is configured in at least that way but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below, if any, are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of one or more aspects of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand one or more aspects of the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.