Water usage monitoring system

• US 8,907,810 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation
• Inventors: Belz, Jeff, Selover, Craig W.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US12/958,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20120139749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 34087002-87003, 702 45- 46
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/82 where the sensing device takes the initiative of sending data
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

An example water usage monitoring system includes at least one sensor communicating at least one parameter relating to water usage. At least one microcontroller represents a location with each microcontroller in communication with at least one of the sensors and having at least one input for selectively receiving said parameters, a counter, an accumulator that utilizes said counter and said parameters received from the at least one input for a discrete count to create a data packet in response to a change in at least one of said parameters, and a transmitter for wirelessly sending said data packet. The system also includes a data collection device configured to receive and combine at least one data packet from the at least one microcontroller into an information set. The data collection device is configured to transmit the information set. A storage device is configured receive the information set from the data collection device.

Claims

1. A water usage monitoring system comprising:

at least one sensor communicating at least one parameter relating to water usage;

at least one microcontroller representing a location, each microcontroller in communication with at least one of said sensors and having

at least one input for selectively receiving said at least one parameters, wherein the at least one input includes an active skate and a static state, wherein the at least one input is configured to selectively receive the at least one parameter at a first time interval in the active state and a second time interval in the static state, wherein the first time interval differs from the second time interval

a counter,

an accumulator that utilizes said counter and said parameters received from the at

least one input for a discrete count to create a data packet in response to a change in at least one of said parameters, and

a transmitter for wirelessly sending said data packet;

a data collection device configured to receive and combine at least one data packet from the at least one microcontroller into an information set, wherein the data collection device is configured to transmit the information set; and

a storage device configured receive the information set from the data collection device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameter is water flow rate.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising at least one additional sensor, wherein the parameter for the additional sensor is water temperature.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising at least one additional sensor, wherein the parameter for the additional sensor is water pressure.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data packet includes a plurality of available parameters relating to water usage, a time stamp, a battery strength reading, and an identifier, wherein the microcontroller includes a node address generator configured to create said identifier.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a Bluetooth radio.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each input has a first channel to receive parameters from a cold water source and a second channel to receive parameters from a hot water source.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said system monitors all water usage within a home.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said data collection device receives data packets from at least one microcontroller at a plurality of independent locations.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the data collection device receives data packets at different frequencies from the at least one microcontroller.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said information set maintains each data packet separately, such that each data packet may be independently accessed by the storage device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to create and transmit said data packet after 24 hours if no change in any parameter is communicated by said sensors.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said change in at least one parameter is one of a 10% change in water temperature or a ¼

gallon change in flow rate.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is powered by a battery.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to instruct the at least one input to receive data at the first time interval in the static state when no change in water flow is detected and is configured to instruct the input to receive data at the second time interval in the active state when a change in water flow is detected.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first time interval is smaller than the second time interval.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first time interval is about every two seconds and the second time interval is about four times per second.

15. A method of monitoring water usage comprising:

providing at least one microcontroller representing a location, each microcontroller in communication with at least one sensor and having a counter, at least one input, and a transmitter;

communicating parameters from a at least one sensor to the at least one input in response to a change in water usage parameters, wherein the at least one input includes an active state and a static state, wherein the at least one input is configured to selectively receive parameters at a first time interval in the active state and a second time interval in the static state, wherein the first time interval differs from the second time interval;

creating a data packet utilizing said counter and parameters in response to a change in at least one of said parameters;

transmitting the data packet to a data collection device wirelessly via a transmitter;

receiving each data packet from each of the at least one microcontrollers;

creating an information set including each received data packet; and

sending the information set to a storage device via the internet.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the water usage parameters are at least one of water flow rate, water temperature, and water pressure.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of adjusting water usage in response to an information set.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of creating a heartbeat such that each of the at least one microcontrollers sends at least one data packet every 24 hours.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data packet includes a time stamp and a battery strength indicator.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of transmitting the data packet to a data collection device via a transmitter is done in response to a condition of no change in any water usage parameters for a predetermined amount of time.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the data packet includes water usage parameters, a time stamp, a node address, a node identifier, and a battery strength identifier.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitter is a Bluetooth radio.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the input receives data at the first time interval in the static state when no change in water flow is detected and receives data at the second time interval in the active state when a change in water flow is detected.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first time interval is about two times per second and the second time interval is about four times per second.