Apparatus and method for monitoring sewer system operation

• US 20020109592A1
• Filed: 10/12/2001
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Environment One Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Environment One Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Murrell, Elwood L. Jr., Capano, David, Henry, Clark A., Salvi, Sharon G., Koegler, John H. Jr., Antalek, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,075,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for monitoring a plurality of grinder pumps, and in particular, remotely over a communications network. Aspects of the invention include an alarm panel having a modular configuration, a modem board which allows use of a single telephone line and use by the homeowner in an emergency, the transmission of data over a high voltage AC line, and recharging of a sensing tube for measuring the level of wastewater in a tank.

Claims

1. A method for remotely monitoring a plurality of grinder pump stations at a plurality of different first locations, the method comprising:

obtaining data regarding operation of the plurality of grinder pump stations at the first locations; and

transferring the data from the first locations via a communications network to a central computing unit at a second location different from the first locations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring comprises accessing the data at the first location using the central computing unit.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferring comprises automatically transmitting the data from the first locations via the communications network to the central computing unit.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications network comprises a telephone line and further comprising allowing a homeowner use a telephone by overriding the transfer of data over the telephone line to the central computing unit.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising at least one of comparing an operating parameter of the grinder pump station to provide a first measurement, measuring an operating parameter of the grinder pump system to provide a second measurement, and comparing the first measurement to the second measurement.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring an operating parameter of the grinder pump station to provided a first measurement, and comparing the first measurement to a predetermined criteria.

7. An alarm panel for a grinder pump station, said alarm panel comprising:

a processor for monitoring the grinder pump; and

a modem board connectable to said processor, at least one of said processor and said modem board comprising an override to allow use of a telephone by a homeowner over user of the telephone line by said modem board during transmission of data from the processor to a central computing unit.

8. The alarm panel of claim 7 further comprising a pressure transducer connectable to a sensing tube of the grinder pump, and wherein said pressure transducer is operable to allow operation of the grinder pump to pump fluid from a tank so that the fluid level goes below the bottom of the sensing tube.

9. The alarm panel of claim 8 wherein the level of the fluid is normally maintained above the bottom of the sensing tube and fluid is periodically pumped from the tank so that a fluid level goes below the bottom of the sensing tube.

10. A modular alarm panel for a grinder pump station, the modular alarm panel comprising:

a processor for monitoring the grinder pump; and

wherein said processor is connectable to a power loss high level alarm module, a modem board, a pressure transducer, and a generator receptacle.

11. The modular alarm panel of claim 10 further comprising a modem board and wherein at least one of said processor and said modem board comprises an override to allow use of a telephone by a homeowner over user of the telephone line during transmission of data to a central computing unit.

12. The modular alarm panel of claim 10 further comprising a pressure transducer connectable to a sensing tube of the grinder pump, and wherein said pressure transducer is operable to allow operation of the grinder pump to pump fluid from a tank so that a fluid level goes below a bottom of the sensing tube.

13. The modular alarm panel of claim 12 wherein the level of the fluid is normally maintained above the bottom of the sensing tube and fluid is periodically pumped from the tank so that the fluid level goes below the bottom of the sensing tube.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the level of the fluid is normally maintained above the bottom of the sensing tube and the permitting comprises periodically allowing the fluid level to go below the bottom of the sensing tube.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the fluid is wastewater and the receptacle is a tank.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the permitting the level of the wastewater to go below the bottom of the sensing tube comprises operating a grinder pump to pump wastewater from the tank so that the wastewater level goes below the bottom of the sensing tube.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the modulating comprises amplitude modulation.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the receiving the data at a first location comprises receiving data regarding operation of a grinder pump, and determining the data at the second location comprises determining the data at an alarm panel.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising transmitting said data at the second location over a communications network to a central computing unit.

14. A method for recharging a sensing tube for use in measuring a level of a fluid in a receptacle, the method comprising:

permitting the level of the fluid in the receptacle to go below the bottom of the sensing tube.

18. A method for transmitting information over a high voltage alternating current line, the method comprising:

receiving data at a first location;

modulating the voltage of an alternating current line at the first location to generate a series of pulses corresponding to the information;

detecting the series of pulses in the high voltage line at a second location different from the first location; and

determining the data at a second location based on the series of pulses.