Water quality monitoring and transmission system and method
First Claim
1. A water quality monitoring and transmission system comprising:
- a detecting unit adapted for use in a household environment to detect contaminants in running water;
a monitoring unit located proximate and electrically connected to said detecting unit for receiving contaminant data therefrom;
a central monitoring station, remotely located from said detecting unit and said monitoring unit, said central monitoring station in communication with said monitoring unit through a communication channel over a distributed computer network.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A water quality sampling system and method in which compact water impurity detector and monitoring units intended for domestic use are installed in a residential environment while detected values are electronically transmitted to a Central Monitoring Station (CMS), where customers can register and pay over the Internet. Using the impurity detector units, a portion of an incoming water stream is passed to an analyzer for detection of chlorine and various contaminants. The detector analyzes related data for determining the condition and extent of impurity in the water elements. This data is transmitted from a compact control box, known as the wall unit, that translates the data for output to the CMS, located in another geographic locale, via a common data acquisition network. This network can be the Internet or a cellular and/or satellite connection. Upon detection of contaminants above a threshold level, the monitoring device will make a sound through a wall unit located in the vicinity, to warn the average household tap water user of such unsatisfactory condition of his/her water elements, as the conditional values are sent using EDI onto the network, and then onward to the CMS website.
107 Citations
42 Claims
-
1. A water quality monitoring and transmission system comprising:
-
a detecting unit adapted for use in a household environment to detect contaminants in running water;
a monitoring unit located proximate and electrically connected to said detecting unit for receiving contaminant data therefrom;
a central monitoring station, remotely located from said detecting unit and said monitoring unit, said central monitoring station in communication with said monitoring unit through a communication channel over a distributed computer network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
15. A water quality monitoring and transmission system comprising:
-
a detecting unit adapted for use in a household environment, said detecting unit sensing a contaminant level in a sample of running water and transmitting a signal when said contaminant level exceeds a predetermined threshold;
a monitoring unit located proximate and electrically connected to said detecting unit, said monitoring unit receiving said signal from said detecting unit and generating a warning signal indicating unsafe water quality which is detectable in said residential environment;
a central monitoring station, remotely located from said detecting unit and said monitoring unit, said central monitoring station in communication with said monitoring unit over a distributed computer network;
said monitoring unit including a transmission circuit for transmitting said contaminant level to said central monitoring station for processing and storage, said central monitoring station presenting a plurality of water quality data received from a plurality of monitoring units on a web site accessible through the distributed computer network.
-
-
30. A method of monitoring water quality in a household setting, comprising the steps of:
-
extracting a water sample from running tap water using a detecting unit installed in a household environment;
determining a contaminant level in said water sample using said detecting unit;
comparing, by said detecting unit, said contaminant level with a predetermined reference value;
transmitting, in response to said contaminant level exceeding said reference value, a digital signal to a monitoring unit installed in said household environment;
generating, by said monitoring unit, a warning indicator detectable within said household environment; and
transmitting, by said monitoring unit, said contaminant level to a remotely located central monitoring station (CMS) over a distributed computer network. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
35. A method of collecting data from a plurality of residential water monitoring systems, said method comprising the steps of:
-
signing up, by a central monitoring station (CMS) a plurality of water monitoring consumers through a web site;
establishing, by said CMS, a data communication line with each of said water monitoring consumers through a distributed computer network, said data communication line receiving automated input from a monitoring unit mounted at a residence of a respective water monitoring consumer;
receiving, by said CMS, water contaminant data from said plurality of water monitoring consumers through said distributed computer network;
processing and storing, by said CMS, said water contaminant data; and
uploading at least some of said water contaminant data to said web site for review by said water monitoring consumers.
-
-
39. The combination of a water quality monitoring and transmission system and residential plumbing in a household, comprising:
-
a kitchen-type sink having an incoming tap water supply stream and a drain area;
a detecting unit mounted adjacent said sink in said household, a water input to said detecting unit connected to said incoming water supply stream, an output of said detecting unit directing water into said drain area;
a diverter valve connected to said water input and having a first position for bypassing said detecting unit and a second position for directing a sample of flowing tap water into said detecting unit;
a user-actuated switch for toggling between said first and second positions, incoming tap water flowing directly into said sink and through said drain area when said diverter valve is in the first position and, when said diverter valve is in said second position, a sample of said tap water flowing into said detecting unit for analysis before passing to said sink and drain area;
a wall-mounted monitoring unit located proximate and electrically connected to said detecting unit, said monitoring unit receiving a signal from said detecting unit indicating a contaminant level and generating a warning signal indicating unsafe water quality which is detectable in said household; and
a central monitoring station, remotely located from said detecting unit and said monitoring unit, said central monitoring station in communication with said monitoring unit over a distributed computer network.
-
Specification