Wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system, and method

• US 20060137090A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Water Cents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Water Cents, LLC
• Inventors: Parsons, Darren Craig, Parsons, David Wilson, Jeffries, William Worthington
• Granted Patent: US 7,360,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 4/664
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2807 for pipes G01M3/2892, G01M3/30 take precedence

Abstract

A wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system and method are provided. The system includes a base station, a memory, and a central processing unit configured to control the operation of the system and to analyze stored data. A plurality of highly-sensitive wireless flow sensor nodes are each installed individually on a supply line of a water fixture in a facility having a plurality of water fixtures. The wireless flow sensor nodes can periodically read and store a data point corresponding to either a flow condition or a no flow condition occurring at the water fixture. A plurality of coordinator nodes are configured to wirelessly relay data between the plurality of wireless flow sensor nodes and the base station. The base station is configured to determine based on an analysis of the stream of data points whether a leak exists in any of the water fixtures, and if a leak is determined to exist, a maintenance alert is generated.

Claims

1. A wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system comprising:

a base station including a wireless receiver and transmitter, a memory to store data, and a central processing unit configured to control the operation of the system and to analyze stored data;

a plurality of wireless flow sensor nodes each being installed on a supply line of a water fixture, at least one of the wireless flow sensor nodes being configured to periodically read and store a data point corresponding to either a flow condition or a no flow condition through the supply line of the water fixture; and

a plurality of coordinator nodes each being spaced from the supply lines of the water fixtures and configured to wirelessly relay data between the plurality of wireless flow sensor nodes and the base station;

wherein the base station is configured to periodically receive a stream of stored data points from the at least one wireless flow sensor node by way of at least one coordinator node and to determine based on an analysis of the stream of data points whether a leak exists in at least one of the water fixtures.

2. The wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless flow sensor nodes and the plurality of coordinator nodes are configured in a network arrangement in a multi-unit building whereby at least one of the plurality of coordinator nodes is arranged in a readily user-accessible location and in radio contact with at least one flow sensor node.

3. The wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless flow sensor node is configured to store a data point corresponding to a flow condition when the flow through the supply line of the respective water fixture is about ¼

cup a minute and larger.

4. The wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless flow sensor node includes a piston arranged to reciprocate in a cylinder in response to water flow through the supply line of the water fixture.

5. The wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system of claim 4, wherein the at least one wireless flow sensor node includes a sensor that outputs an electronic signal when the piston moves within a set distance from the sensor.

6. The wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system of claim 5, wherein the at least one wireless flow sensor node includes a programmable processor/radio unit that is configured to sample and store electronic signals from the sensor as data points.

7. The wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless flow sensor node includes a programmable processor/radio unit configured to store and transmit the data points back to the base station.

8. The wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system of claim 7, wherein the programmable processor/radio unit of the at least one wireless flow sensor node is programmable from the base station to control at least one of the interval of time between data point readings and the interval of time between transmissions back to the base station.

9. The wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system of claim 7, wherein the programmable processor/radio unit is capable of being programmed to be powered off between data point readings.

10. The wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system of claim 7, wherein the programmable processor/radio unit is capable of being programmed to be powered off between data point transmissions.

11. A leak detection system comprising:

a base station including a wireless receiver and transmitter, a memory to store data, and a central processing unit;

a plurality of wireless flow sensor nodes each capable of being installed on a supply line of a water fixture, at least one of the wireless flow sensor nodes being programmable to periodically read and store a data point corresponding to either a flow condition or a no flow condition through the supply line of the water fixture; and

a plurality of coordinator nodes each being capable of wirelessly relaying data between the plurality of wireless flow sensor nodes and the base station;

wherein the base station computer is capable of periodically receiving a stream of stored data points from the plurality of wireless flow sensor nodes by way of at least one coordinator node and determining whether a leak exists in any of the water fixtures based on an analysis of the stream of data points.

12. The wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system of claim 11, wherein the at least one wireless flow sensor node includes a piston arranged to reciprocate in a cylinder.

13. The wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system of claim 12, wherein the at least one wireless flow sensor node includes a sensor that outputs an electronic signal when the piston moves within a set distance from the sensor.

14. The wireless water flow monitoring and leak detection system of claim 13, wherein the piston is arranged to move within the set distance from the sensor when a flow of water through the flow sensor node is as low as about ¼

cup a minute.

15. A method of monitoring water flow and determining leaks comprising:

intermittently taking a reading from a flow sensor node and storing a data point corresponding to either a flow condition or a no flow condition at a supply line of a water fixture to form a data packet;

wirelessly transmitting the data packet to a base station via at least one coordinator node at predetermined time intervals; and

analyzing the data packet to determine whether a leak exists in the water fixture.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein intermittently taking a reading and storing a data point corresponding to either a flow condition or a no flow condition includes sensing whether a piston has moved within a distance from a sensor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein intermittently taking a reading and storing a data point corresponding to a flow condition includes sensing a flow through the supply line of the water fixture of about ¼

cup per minute and larger.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising switching off electrical power to a portion of the flow sensor node in between intermittently taking a reading and storing a data point corresponding to either a flow condition or a no flow condition.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising wirelessly transmitting commands from the base station to the flow sensor node to control the interval of time between data point readings.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein intermittently taking a reading and storing a corresponding data point occurs at the supply lines of a plurality of water fixtures and forms a plurality of data streams.