Flow characteristic detection and automatic flow shutoff

• US 9,928,724 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2016
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rachio, Inc
• Original Assignee: Rachio, Inc
• Inventors: Alcorn, Bradley Wilson, Garsombke, Franz David, Miles, Eric Lester, Klein, Christopher Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US15/153,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20160335875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/47 Responding to irregular working conditions, e.g. malfunctioning of pumps safety arrangements D06F37/42
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/081 Safety arrangements for preventing water damage
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/071 Arrangement of safety devices in domestic pipe systems, e.g. devices for automatic shut-off
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/34 by measuring pressure or differential pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/66 by measuring frequency, phase shift or propagation time of electromagnetic or other waves, e.g. using ultrasonic flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/662 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/68 by using thermal effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/005 Valves valves in general F16K
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/06 Indicating or recording devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/0755 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/10 of flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/28 for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves ; for welds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/15 Leakage reduction or detection in water storage or distribution

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to a flow detection system. The system may include a flow detection hub fluidly connected to a fluid supply pipe including a flow sensor that detects a flow rate of fluid flowing through the fluid supply pipe and a processing element in communication with the flow sensor and a user device. The processing element performs the following operations: determining a first delta based on a first flow rate data from the flow sensor; determining a second delta based on a second flow rate data from the flow sensor; correlating the first delta and the second delta to a first event; and transmitting a message to a user device corresponding to the first event.

Claims

1. A method for detecting flow events in a fluid supply system including multiple fluid consumption devices, comprising:

detecting by a flow detection hub a first change in flow rate through a fluid supply pipe, wherein the first change is an increase from a baseline flow rate to a first elevated flow rate;

detecting by a flow detection hub a second change in flow rate through the fluid supply pipe, wherein the second change is a decrease from the first elevated flow rate back to the baseline flow rate;

using one or more flow characteristics of the elevated flow rate through the fluid supply pipe to determine by a processing element that the first change and the second change correspond to a first event;

correlating by the processing element the first event with a first fluid consumption device in fluid communication with the fluid supply pipe to assign a flow signature for the fluid consumption device, wherein the flow signature allows the fluid consumption device to be identified by fluid flow through the first fluid supply pipe; and

utilizing by the processing element the flow signature of the fluid consumption device to determine fluid usage of the first fluid consumption device during operation and transmit one or more messages to a user device regarding the fluid usage of the first fluid consumption device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein correlating by the processing element further comprises evaluating environmental data corresponding to the fluid supply system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the environmental data comprises at least one of the following:

a home status of the user, a time of day that the first change and the second change occurred, or a time of year that the first change and the second change occurred.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the flow detection hub comprises:

at least one flow sensor for detecting a flow rate of fluid in the fluid supply pipe; and

a valve assembly fluidly connected to the fluid supply pipe and configured to prevent upstream flow of the fluid supply pipe.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the flow detection hub further comprises a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting by the flow detection hub a third change in flow rate, wherein the third change is an increase from the first elevated flow rate to a second elevated flow rate of fluid flow through the fluid supply pipe;

detecting by the flow detecting hub a fourth change in flow rate, wherein the fourth change is a decrease from the second elevated flow rate to the first elevated flow rate;

determining by the processing element that a rate of change of the third change in flow rate is the same as the fourth change in flow rate;

utilizing by the processing element a time period between the third change and the fourth change to determine a second event time for a second event, wherein the third change indicates a start of the second event and the fourth change indicates an end of the second event; and

correlating by the processing element the second event with a second fluid consumption device in fluid communication with the fluid supply pipe.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining by the processing element that the first change and the second change correspond to the first event comprises determining by the processing element that the first change and the second change are approximately the same rate of change of flow rate.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein correlating by the processing element the first event to the fluid consumption device comprises:

determining that the first change and the second change of the flow rate during the event matches a typical flow usage rate for the first fluid consumption device; and

determining that a time period between the first change and the second change corresponds to a typical usage time for the fluid consumption device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein correlating by the processing element the first change and the second change correspond to the first event further comprises determining a first pressure data matches a second pressure data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second pressure data comprise at least one of a frequency of a pressure signal and/or a slope of a pressure signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining by the processing element that the first change and the second change correspond to the first event comprises determining by the processing element that the first change and the second change have approximately the same magnitude of flow rate change relative to the baseline flow.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein correlating the processing element the first event with a fluid consumption device comprises:

comparing a time span between the first change and the second change and a flow rate change in both the first change and the second change to a known time span and a known flow rate change of one or more known flow events stored on a memory component in electrical communication with the processing element; and

determining that the time span and the flow rate change is with a predetermined threshold corresponding to a known flow event.

13. A method for detecting water flow events in a water supply system comprising:

detecting by a flow sensor a first flow delta from a baseline flow rate of water flow within a water pipe;

detecting by the flow sensor a second flow delta from the baseline flow rate of water flow within the water pipe;

linking by a processing element the first flow delta and the second flow delta based on;

the first flow delta and the second flow delta having a similar rate of change relative to the baseline flow rate; and

that the second flow delta occurred within a period of time after the first flow delta occurred;

determining by the processing element whether the linked first flow delta and the second flow data correspond to a predetermined water usage pattern of the first water using device;

when the linked first flow delta and second flow delta do not correspond to the predetermined water usage pattern, storing in a memory device the predetermined water usage pattern for the first water using device; and

when the linked first flow delta and second flow delta do not correspond to the predetermined water usage pattern;

generating by the processing element a new water usage pattern for a second water using device corresponding to the first flow delta and the second flow delta, the new water usage pattern comprising flow rate data and an event time corresponding to the period of time between the first flow delta and the second flow delta; and

storing in the memory device the new water usage pattern for the second water using device; and

utilizing by the processing element the predetermined water usage pattern and the new water usage pattern to transmit alerts to a user device regarding fluid consumption of one or more of the first water using device and the second water using device during operation of the first water using device and the second water using device, respectively.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting by the flow sensor a third delta over the baseline flow, wherein the third delta occurs at a time period between the first delta and the second delta;

detecting by the flow sensor a fourth delta over the baseline flow, wherein the fourth delta occurs at a time period after the third delta and before the second delta; and

linking by the processing element the third flow delta and the fourth flow delta when a rate of change of the third delta is the same as a rate of change of the fourth delta;

determining by the processing element whether the linked third flow delta and fourth flow delta correspond to a predetermined water usage pattern of a third water using device;

when the linked third flow delta and fourth flow delta correspond to the predetermined water usage pattern, storing in a memory device the predetermined water usage pattern; and

when the linked third flow delta and fourth flow delta do not correspond to the predetermined water usage pattern;

generating by the processing element a new water usage pattern for a fourth water using device corresponding to the third flow delta and fourth flow delta, the new water usage pattern comprising flow rate data and an event time corresponding to the period of time between the third flow delta and the fourth flow delta; and

utilizing by the processing element the predetermined water usage pattern for the first water using device, the predetermined for the third water using device, the new water usage pattern for the second water using device, and the new water usage pattern for the fourth water using device to transmit alerts to a user device regarding fluid consumption of one or more of the first water using device, the second water using device, the third water using device, and the fourth water using device during operation of the first water using device, the second water using device, the third water using device, or the fourth water using device, respectively.

15. A method for detecting water flow in a water supply system for a building including multiple water using devices, the method comprising:

calibrating a flow detection hub to generate a flow signature for at least one of the multiple water using devices by;

detecting by a flow sensor in the flow detection hub a first delta and a second delta relative to a fluid flow through the flow detection hub;

evaluating by a processing element in electrical communication with the flow sensor, the first delta and second delta to determine that the first delta and second delta correspond to a first event, wherein the evaluation comprises;

determining that the first delta is an increase in flow rate and the second delta is a decrease in flow rate; and

a change rate of the first delta is the same as a change rate of the second delta; and

generating by the processing element a first flow signature for a first water using device, the first flow signature comprising;

an event length based on a time length between the first delta and the second delta; and

a flow change rate corresponding to the change rate of the first delta and the second delta;

storing the first flow signature in a memory component in electrical communication with the processing element;

after calibration of the flow detection hub, detecting by the flow detection hub a flow event based on one or more changes in a fluid flow rate through the flow detection hub;

determining by the processing element whether the flow event is an expected flow event by comparing characteristics of the flow event with the first event stored in the memory component to determine if the flow event substantially matches the first event; and

when the flow event is not an expected flow event, transmitting by the processing element an alert to a user device; and

when the flow event is an expected flow event, optionally storing data corresponding to the flow event in the memory device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining by the processing element whether the flow event is an expected flow event, further comprises comparing an event flow rate with a threshold flow rate and if the event flow rate is higher than the threshold flow rate, determining that the flow event is not expected.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein when the flow event is not an expected flow event, further determining by the processing element whether a user is in the building by analyzing a home status of the user device and/or an assessment of water flow through the flow detection hub.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein when the user is not in the building, closing a water valve within the fluid detection hub to stop water flow to the multiple water using devices.