Leak detector
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A leak detector comprising:
- a sensor assembly including at least one sensor configured to sense acoustic signals; and
at least one printed circuit board coupled to the sensor assembly and configured to support a processing device, the processing device comprising at least a processor, a storage module, the processor comprising at least a microcontroller unit (MCU) and a digital signal processor (DSP), the storage module comprising a database configured to store the acoustic signals from the sensor assembly;
wherein the MCU is configured tocontinually receive the acoustic signals from the sensor assembly,wake the DSP at predetermined times based on a sensing schedule, andwake the DSP during a detected event, the detected event comprising at least one selected from the group of a large leak and a burst in a pipe;
wherein the DSP is configured to remain in a sleep mode except when the MCU wakes the DSP from the sleep mode;
wherein the processing device is configured to derive a probability that an event exists by comparing new acoustic signals to stored acoustic signals, the event comprising at least one selected from the group of a large leak and a burst in a pipe, wherein the stored acoustic signals comprise live data collected on a pipe network; and
wherein the processing device is further configured to provide a probability indication, the probability indication expressed as a percentage of a likelihood that the event exists.
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Abstract
A leak detector includes a sensor assembly including at least one sensor configured to sense acoustic signals; and at least one printed circuit board coupled to the sensor assembly and configured to support a processing device, the processing device comprising at least a microcontroller unit (MCU) and a digital signal processor (DSP), wherein the MCU is configured to continually receive acoustic signals from the sensor assembly, and wherein the DSP is configured to remain in a sleep mode except when the MCU wakes the DSP from the sleep mode at predetermined times.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A leak detector comprising:
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a sensor assembly including at least one sensor configured to sense acoustic signals; and at least one printed circuit board coupled to the sensor assembly and configured to support a processing device, the processing device comprising at least a processor, a storage module, the processor comprising at least a microcontroller unit (MCU) and a digital signal processor (DSP), the storage module comprising a database configured to store the acoustic signals from the sensor assembly; wherein the MCU is configured to continually receive the acoustic signals from the sensor assembly, wake the DSP at predetermined times based on a sensing schedule, and wake the DSP during a detected event, the detected event comprising at least one selected from the group of a large leak and a burst in a pipe; wherein the DSP is configured to remain in a sleep mode except when the MCU wakes the DSP from the sleep mode; wherein the processing device is configured to derive a probability that an event exists by comparing new acoustic signals to stored acoustic signals, the event comprising at least one selected from the group of a large leak and a burst in a pipe, wherein the stored acoustic signals comprise live data collected on a pipe network; and wherein the processing device is further configured to provide a probability indication, the probability indication expressed as a percentage of a likelihood that the event exists. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method comprising:
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placing a digital signal processor (DSP) in a sleep mode, the DSP being incorporated in a leak detector; determining whether a host-initiated request is received from a host and awakening the DSP when the host-initiated request is received; determining whether a sensing schedule has been received; awakening the DSP for a predetermined sensing period when a predetermined time has occurred based on the sensing schedule; determining whether an indication of an urgent event related to a leak in a water main has been received by a microcontroller unit (MCU) and awakening the DSP when the MCU receives the indication of the urgent event; enabling the DSP to receive newly-acquired acoustic signal data upon awakening; enabling the DSP to analyze acoustic signal data when awakened, the acoustic signal data comprising previously-stored acoustic signal data and the newly-acquired acoustic signal data, wherein the previously-stored acoustic signal data comprises live data collected on a pipe network; determining a probability of existence of an urgent event based on the acoustic signal data, the probability expressed as a percentage of a likelihood that the urgent event exists; and returning the DSP to the sleep mode when it is determined that the host-initiated request is not received, when it is determined that the predetermined sensing period has concluded, and when it is determined that no urgent event related to a leak in a water main has been detected by the MCU. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification