OR OTHERWISE DISCERNING CHARACTERISTICS OF SWIMMING POOLS AND SPAS

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent

Application Serial No. 62/531,609, filed July 12, 2017, and having the same title as appears above, the entire contents of which application are hereby incorporated herein by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This application relates to systems and methods for ascertaining certain characteristics of swimming pools, spas (including hot tubs), or other similar vessels (sometimes collectively referred to herein as "pools") and more particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, to systems and methods of using images provided by or transmitted via satellites to map at least sizes and shapes of pools. Additionally, if images from different times are available, time-varying information about pools or their contents (including, for example, pool floor coverage of an automatic swimming pool cleaner [APC]) may be determined.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Swimming pools and spas are available commercially in numerous sizes and shapes. They also may be custom-made in non-standard sizes and shapes. Consequently, if information about their characteristics is needed post-installation, determining any needed information may be difficult or labor-intensive.

[0004] Automated systems for discerning at least some information relating to pools have been proposed. Such systems contemplate using an operating, in-pool APC with on- board processor and memory (commonly called a "pool robot") to travel within a pool and gather information about the pool based on its travels. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0267433 of Leonessa, et al, for example, discloses a pool robot having on-board laser range finders or other sensor assemblies to "map[] a swimming pool or spa environment." See Leonessa, p. 2, ^ 0027.

[0005] Also proposed is usage of cameras to capture movement of pool robots operating within pools. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0015959 of Durvasula, et al, discloses a camera system configured to capture movement of a robotic cleaner within a pool. See Durvasula, p. 1 , 0017. Together with an external controller, the camera system identifies areas of the pool not traversed by the robotic cleaner and, in real-time, electronically steers the robot to cover such missed areas. See id., p. 2, 0022- 0023. Uncleaned areas may also be displayed (in unspecified manner) to allow persons to estimate how much more time must elapse before all areas are cleaned. See id., 0027. Although cameras detailed in the Durvasula application may be positioned externally of a pool (i.e. not submerged within the pool ), systems of the Durvasula application do not contemplate mapping, e.g., sizes and shapes of pools. Indeed, to the extent graphical depiction of pool information appears in the displays, the information evidently is preloaded in the controller. See id, p. 4, f 0040-0043.

[0006] Commonly-owned U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No.

62/271,106 of Weening-Nix identifies additional systems and methods for tracking and displaying tracked movement of certain APCs within pools. At least one camera or image- capture device may be employed as part of these systems, with such camera or device preferably being external to a pool. The entire contents of each of the Leonessa, Durvasula, and Weening-Nix applications are incorporated herein by this reference. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Systems and methods of the present invention may be employed to map characteristics of swimming pools and spas. Among characteristics that may be mapped are sizes and shapes of pools, as these characteristics often are discernable externally of the pools. Water color (and what such color indicates), and changes of water color over time or in different areas of a pool, are examples of other characteristics which may be mapped or otherwise discerned consistent with the invention.

[0008] Cameras and other image-capture devices external to a pool may be used for mapping. Preferably, however, satellite-based imagery is utilized. In particular, Google Earth and similar services make publicly available high-resolution images of commercial and residential areas of the earth. Unless pools are obscured (by trees, for example), they often are visible in the publicly-available images—which thus provide "bird's eye" views of the pools. Shapes of the pools, at least at their upper surfaces, can be discerned from viewing the bird's eye images.

[0009] Moreover, if scale information is available, lengths and widths of pools

(against at least at their upper surfaces) visible in the images may be determined. Alternatively or additionally, if the discerned shape matches a known pool shape, size information may be obtained from the known information. Similarly, characteristics including size and shape may be estimated based on the available images.

[0010] The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. As an example of such a modification or adaptation, information from the Global Positioning System (GPS) or equivalent may also or alternatively be used.