Smart water management system

• US 10,060,775 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Driblet Labs, LLC
• Original Assignee: Driblet Labs, LLC
• Inventors: Ruiz Cortez, Rodolfo Pablo
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, R. A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Royston, John M
• Application Number:
  US14/643,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 7386171-86194
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/075 with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/024 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines

Abstract

A smart water management system fixture device is positioned on a water line. The device includes a measuring unit, an electronics unit, and an energy unit associated with a housing. The measurement unit includes an impeller of a turbine disposed in a water chamber and rotatable therein. The water chamber is positioned between an inlet and an outlet to define a fluid flow path. The measurement unit is in communication with the electronics unit. The electronics unit received information from one or more sensors and harvests electricity using the motion of the turbine and is in communication with an energy unit for story electricity.

Claims

1. A smart water management system comprising:

a housing associated with a turbine system and an electronics unit, the housing further comprising a housing inlet and a housing outlet configured to engage with a water line and a coil disposed between the housing inlet and the housing outlet;

a water chamber disposed in the housing between the housing inlet and the housing outlet, the housing inlet, water chamber, an axle, and the housing outlet defining a linear water passageway, the axle extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the linear water passageway and the coil exterior to the linear water passageway;

the turbine system comprising an impeller disposed entirely within the water chamber, the impeller rotatable within the water chamber about the axle;

a magnet substantially surrounding an end of the axle adjacent to the coil; and

an electronics module in communication with the turbine system and including a wireless communication unit disposed in the housing, the wireless communication unit in communication with one or more sensors;

wherein the impeller is rotatable about an impeller rotation axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the water passageway.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an energy chamber housing an alternator in electrical communication with the turbine system and an energy storage device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the water passageway is substantially linear.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a removable cap.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the removable cap has one or more sensors attached thereto and disposable within the water chamber when the removable cap is affixed to the housing.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the coil is disposed on a removable cap.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an alert module associated with the housing and in communication with the electronics unit.

8. A computer-implemented system for managing water consumption comprising:

a smart water management system fixture device comprising;

a housing associated with a turbine system and an electronics unit, the housing further comprising a housing inlet and a housing outlet configured to engage with a water line and a coil disposed between the housing inlet and the housing outlet;

a water chamber disposed in the housing between the housing inlet and the housing outlet, the housing inlet, water chamber, an axle, and the housing outlet defining a linear water passageway the axle extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the linear water passageway and the coil exterior to the linear water passageway;

the turbine system comprising an impeller disposed on the axle within the water chamber, the impeller rotatable within the water chamber about the axle;

a magnet substantially surrounding an end of the axle adjacent to the coil;

an electronics module in communication with the turbine system and including a wireless communication unit disposed in the housing, the wireless communication unit in communication with the one or more sensors and in communication with a remote device; and

the remote device having a processor and a tangible computer-readable medium operatively connected to the processor and including computer code configured to;

determine a rate of flow through the turbine of the smart water management system fixture device; and

calculate the volume of water passing through the smart water management system fixture device based upon the rate of flow and an elapsed time;

display information on a graphical user interface regarding water consumption based upon the calculated volume;

wherein the impeller is rotatable about an impeller rotation axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the water passageway.

9. The computer-implemented system of claim 8, wherein the smart water management system fixture device further comprises a temperature sensor and the computer code is further configured to display water temperature.

10. The computer-implemented system of claim 8, wherein the smart water management system fixture device further comprises a water quality sensor and the computer code is further configured to display water quality information.

11. The computer-implemented system of claim 8, wherein the computer code is further configured to display a report regarding the flow of water.

12. A smart water management system comprising:

a housing associated with a turbine system and an electronics unit, the housing further comprising a housing inlet and a housing outlet configured to engage with a water line and a coil disposed between the housing inlet and the housing outlet;

a water chamber disposed in the housing between the housing inlet and the housing outlet, the housing inlet, water chamber, an axle and the housing outlet defining a water passageway, the axle extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the water passageway and the coil exterior to the linear water passageway;

an energy chamber housing an alternator in electrical communication with the turbine system and an energy storage device;

the turbine system comprising an impeller disposed on the axle within the water chamber, the impeller rotatable within the water chamber about the axle;

a magnet substantially surrounding an end of the axle adjacent to the coil; and

an electronics module, external to the water passageway, in communication with the turbine system including an energy unit and including a wireless communication unit disposed in the housing, the wireless communication unit in communication with one or more sensors.