SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UTILITY METERING AND LEAK DETECTION
First Claim
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1. A sensor system, comprising:
- a monitoring unit comprising at least one sensor configured to sense a utility meter reading, said monitoring unit configured to monitor said utility meter at desired intervals, to record a minimum utility usage and to identify an absence of a utility leak by searching for one or more time periods when no water flow is recorded, said monitoring unit configured to report data measured by said at least one sensor in response to a read request.
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Abstract
The system and method for detecting water and/or gas leaks by monitoring usage patterns is described. In one embodiment, the existence of a leak is detected by looking for usage patterns wherein water or gas is always being used, at least at a low rate. A leak is indicated if usage does not drop to zero, at least for a period of time, during a given time interval (e.g., during a 24-hour period). The severity of the leak is indicated by the minimum amount of usage during the given time period. In one embodiment, the leak detection system is provided in connection with an Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A sensor system, comprising:
a monitoring unit comprising at least one sensor configured to sense a utility meter reading, said monitoring unit configured to monitor said utility meter at desired intervals, to record a minimum utility usage and to identify an absence of a utility leak by searching for one or more time periods when no water flow is recorded, said monitoring unit configured to report data measured by said at least one sensor in response to a read request. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
Specification