# US 11,079,775 B1 · Flow monitoring device and system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,775 B1 - Document ID: US11079775B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/775,076 - Filed: 2020-01-28 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-17 - Assignees: United Services Automobile Association (USAA) - Applicants: United Services Automobile Association (USAA) - Inventors: Carlos J P Chavez; Eric Schroeder; Manfred Amann - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079775B1 ## CPC - G05D 7/0676: {by action on flow sources (G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence)} - G01F 1/06: using rotating vanes with tangential admission - G01F 15/003: {using electromagnetic, electric or electronic means (G01F15/002, G01F15/02 take precedence)} - G01F 15/06: Indicating or recording devices - G01F 15/066: {involving magnetic transmission devices} - G01F 15/0755: {involving digital counting} - G01M 3/2807: {for pipes (G01M3/2892, G01M3/30 take precedence)} - G05B 15/02: electric - G05F 1/66: Regulating electric power - E03B 7/003: {Arrangement for testing of watertightness of water supply conduits} - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES - E03B: INSTALLATIONS OR METHODS FOR OBTAINING, COLLECTING, OR DISTRIBUTING WATER (drilling wells, obtaining fluids in general from wells E21B; pipe-line systems in general F17D) ## Abstract A device that detects fluid flow may include a housing member that couples to a conduit and an apparatus that outputs the fluid. The device may also include a flow mechanism that detects the fluid flow through the conduit and the apparatus and a transmitter that transmits a signal indicative of the fluid flow to a computing device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a plurality of conduits configured to couple to a plurality of devices, wherein each of the plurality of conduits is configured to couple to a conduit, and wherein the conduit is configured to provide a fluid to the plurality of conduits; a plurality of detection devices, wherein each detection device of the plurality of detection devices is configured to detect a respective amount of fluid flow of a respective portion of the fluid in a respective conduit of the plurality of conduits; a plurality of communication components, wherein each communication component of the plurality of communication components is associated with a respective detection device of the plurality of detection devices, wherein each communication component of the plurality of communication components is configured to receive a dataset is indicative of the respective portion of the fluid in the respective conduit of the plurality of conduits; and a computing system configured to: receive a plurality of datasets from the plurality of communication components, wherein the plurality of datasets comprises each dataset received from each of the plurality of communication components; and determine a type of device coupled to each of the plurality of conduits based on the plurality of datasets. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computing system is configured to determine the type of device based on a database comprising a list indicative of an association between the plurality of devices and the plurality of conduits. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each detection device of the plurality of detection devices comprises one or more turbine elements configured to detect the respective amount of fluid flow in the respective conduit of the plurality of conduits. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the respective amount of fluid flow is detected based on a rotation of the one or more turbine elements. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein each detection device of the plurality of detection devices comprise an electric generation device configured to provide a charge to a respective communication component of the plurality of communication components. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the respective communication component is configured to transmit the respective dataset of the plurality of datasets only when the electric generation device provides the charge to the respective communication component. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computing system is configured to receive operational data from the plurality of devices. ### Claim 8 A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform operations comprising: receiving a plurality of datasets from a plurality of communication components associated with a plurality of conduits configured to couple to a plurality of devices, wherein each of the plurality of conduits is configured to couple to a conduit, and wherein the conduit is configured to provide a fluid to the plurality of conduits; determining a type of device coupled to each of the plurality of conduits based on the plurality of datasets; determining an operational state of a first destination device coupled to first conduit of the plurality of conduits; determining whether fluid flow is present through the first destination device while the operational state of the first destination device corresponds to being off; and sending a notification indicative of an anomaly in response to determining that the fluid flow through the first destination device is present and the operational state of the first destination device corresponds to being off. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of datasets is received via a wireless protocol. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the wireless protocol comprises Bluetooth, WLAN, LAN, Wi-Fi, or RF. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the type of device comprises a faucet, a shower, a toilet, or a washing machine. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the notification comprises a display warning or audio warning presented via a user computing device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the user computing device comprises a smart phone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the operational state of the first destination device is determined based on a signal received from the first destination device. ### Claim 15 A method, comprising: receiving, via a processor, a plurality of datasets from a plurality of communication components associated with a plurality of conduits that are configured to couple to a plurality of detection devices, wherein each of the plurality of detection devices is configured to detect an amount of fluid flow of a respective portion of fluid present in a respective conduit of the plurality of conduits, wherein each of the plurality of conduits is configured to couple to a first conduit, wherein the first conduit is configured to provide the fluid to the plurality of conduits, and wherein each of the plurality of datasets is indicative of the respective portion of the fluid in a respective conduit of the plurality of conduits; querying, via the processor, a database comprising information associated with the plurality of conduits and the plurality of detection devices; and determining, via the processor, a type of device coupled to each of the plurality of conduits based on the information and the plurality of datasets. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein a first dataset of the plurality of datasets is indicative of the amount of fluid flow in a first the respective conduit of the plurality of conduits. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the fluid flow through the respective conduit is determined based on a movement of a turbine element within a first detection device of the plurality of detection devices coupled to the first conduit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, comprising transmitting, via the processor, a signal indicative of the first dataset to a computing device while the turbine element is moving. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, detecting an anomaly in the fluid flow based on the plurality of datasets.