ENERGY MANAGER-WATER LEAK DETECTION

• US 20120026004A1
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Broniak, Jay Andrew, Beyerle, Michael Thomas, Brian, Joseph Mark, Bingham, David C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,019,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/075 Arrangement of devices for control of pressure or flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/07 Integration to give total flow, e.g. using mechanically-operated integrating mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2807 for pipes G01M3/2892, G01M3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/00 Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for monitoring water leaks within a home. A home network with various devices monitors these devices with a controller. Information is received from a water flow meter via a transceiver for tracking a total water flow amount through pipelines in the home. By comparing information collected to a predetermined threshold, a leak is determined as present or not within each pipeline. Upon the detection of a leak in the home, a home owner is notified of the condition so that action is taken expeditiously. A shut off valve can be triggered remotely when a request is received from the user, which closes the water pipeline to prevent water damage.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a home for a leak within a home network that includes at least one water meter for measuring water consumed by water consuming devices within the network and a central controller communicatively linked to the at least one water meter, the central controller including at least one memory for storing executable instructions, the method comprising:

receiving communication data at the central controller from the at least one water meter that is operatively coupled to a water pipeline;

tracking a total water flow amount of the water pipeline from the communication data received during a period of time from the water meter; and

determining whether a leak exists by analyzing the total water flow amount.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon determining the leak as existing by analyzing the total water flow amount, providing a warning from the central controller to a user to inform the user about the leak, wherein analyzing includes comparing the total water flow amount to a predetermined threshold to determine if the total water flow amount exceeds the predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the water pipeline is a main pipeline having branch pipelines coupled thereto that provide water to different water consuming devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein water consuming devices include at least one of a toilet, a sink, a shower, an outdoor faucet, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a water storage device and home device having a secondary pipeline connected to the water pipeline.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold is a predetermined maximum amount of water for the period of time that is compared to the total water flow amount for determining if a leak exists at the home, the period of time including less than about sixty minutes of increments for multiple comparisons.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the water pipeline is a main water pipeline of the home in which the total water flow amount comprises a total home water consumption amount for all water consuming devices in the home coupled to the network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon determining the leak as existing, determining the water consuming device or water pipeline in which the leak is located.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

upon deter mining where the leak is located, sending a communication message to a user of the home that tells which water consuming device or water pipeline has the leak, wherein the predetermined threshold is based on the average water flow amount for the water pipeline calculated over a period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

providing the total water consumption amount to a user of the home and providing a warning from the central device to the user upon detecting the leak via at least one of a text message, an email, a phone message, and a user interface display operatively coupled to the controller.

10. A method for monitoring a home for a leak within a home network that includes a plurality of water flow meters for measuring water being consumed by water consuming devices within the network and a central controller communicatively linked to the water meters and the water consuming devices, the controller including at least one memory for storing executable instructions, comprising:

tracking a total water flow amount for each water pipeline of a plurality of water pipelines respectively coupled to at least one water consuming device within the home network over a predetermined period of time; and

determining whether a leak exists at the home by comparing the total water flow amount of each water pipeline to a predetermined threshold set for each water consuming device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

upon determining whether a leak exists at the home, determining the particular water consuming device and/or water pipeline coupled thereto, in which the leak exists, wherein water pipelines of the plurality of water pipelines respectively have a different predetermined threshold for determining whether the leak exists.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing a warning from the central device to a user of the home to indicate that the leak exists and from which water consuming device the leak originates.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each water pipeline is operatively coupled to at least one of the flow meters that measure the total water flow amount incoming to the home and to each water consuming device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving communications at the central controller from the flow meters via a wireless transmitter indicating the total water flow amount for each water pipeline and/or the total water flow amount for the home via a main water pipeline.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving an input from the user indicating whether to turn the water pipeline with the leak off; and

upon receiving the input for turning the water pipeline off, sending a communication command to trigger a shut off valve to stop water flow in the water pipeline.

16. An energy management system for a home network comprising water consuming devices coupled to water inlets at a home, comprising:

a central controller in communication with at least one water flow meter coupled to at least one water pipeline, wherein the at least one water flow meter is configured to measure a total water flow amount in the at least one water pipeline;

a communication device coupled to the at least one flow meter configured to communicate the total water flow amount to the central controller;

a user device display operatively connected to the central controller that provides the total water flow amount to a user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the central controller is configured to provide a warning to the user that a leak exists in the at least one water pipeline based on the total water flow amount exceeding a predetermined threshold or a maximum water flow amount over a predetermined period of time.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a shut off valve located at the at least one water pipeline to shut off water flow therein upon the controller receiving an input from the user to shut off the at least one water pipeline.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one water pipeline is a main water pipeline that provides water to the home and the water consuming devices or is a secondary water pipeline connected to a main water pipeline and to at least one water consuming device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the water consuming device includes at least one of a toilet, a sink, a shower, an outdoor faucet, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a water storage device and home device having the secondary pipeline connected to the main water pipeline, and wherein the central controller is configured to detelinine whether a water leak exists in the at least one water pipeline based on the total water flow amount over a period of time.