Method of detecting fluid flow through a domestic fluid source
OwnerMatt White, Cary Friedeninventors
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Abstract
The disclosed invention relates to a method of detecting a flow condition in a fluid supply system. The invention is particularly useful for detecting flow in a toilet system. The flow detection method uses a device comprising a processor associated with a flow sensor. Predefined flow criteria are stored in a memory associated with said processor. When the processor detects flow through the fluid supply system, the processor uses the flow criteria to characterize the detected flow. If such flow complies with predefined flow conditions, a flow event is noted and an alert is issue. Such alert is configured according to predefined alert-criteria stored in a memory.
Claims20
A method of detecting flow in a fluid source, said method comprising the steps of:
- disposing a processor in a housing configured for being associated with a fluid source;
- electrically associating a memory with said processor and configuring said memory to store alert-criteria and flow-criteria;
- electrically associating a flow sensor with said processor and configuring said flow sensor to detect fluid flow through said fluid source;
- electrically associating an environment sensor with said processor and configuring said environment sensor to generate environment sensor signals related to an environmental parameter;
- electrically associating a sound generator with said processor and configuring said sound generator to generate a sound based alert;
- electrically associating a visual signal generator with said processor and configuring said visual signal generator to generate a visual based alert;
- configuring said processor to use said flow sensor and said flow-criteria to detect a predefined flow condition;
- and
- configuring said processor to activate at least one of said sound generator and said visual signal generator according to said alert-criteria for the detected flow condition.
A method of detecting water flow through a domestic fluid source, said method comprising the steps of:
- disposing a processor in a housing, said housing configured for being associated with a domestic fluid source and wherein said processor is associated with a memory wherein said memory is one of:
- (a) electrically associated with said processor;
- and (b) integral to said processor;
- storing at least one of alert-criteria and flow-criteria in said memory;
- mechanically associating a flow sensor with said housing so that said flow sensor can detect fluid flow through said fluid source and electrically associating said flow sensor with said processor;
- electrically associating an alert generator with said processor wherein said alert generator is at least one of:
- (a) a sound generator configured for generating a sound based alert;
- and (b) a visual signal generator configured for generating a visual based alert;
- electrically associating a transmitter with said processor and configuring said processor to use said transmitter to transmit a data-signal to a remote device;
- configuring said processor to use said flow sensor and said flow-criteria to detect a predefined flow condition;
- and
- configuring said processor to activate said alert generator according to said alert-criteria for the detected flow condition.
A method of detecting water flow through a water supply line associated with a toilet, said method comprising the steps of:
- disposing a processor in a housing and mechanically associated said housing with said water supply line with an attachment device and wherein said processor is one of electrically associated with a memory, comprises a memory;
- storing at least one of alert-criteria, flow-criteria, and reset-criteria in said memory;
- mechanically associating a microphone with said housing so that said microphone can detect water flow through said water supply line and electrically associating said microphone with said processor;
- electrically associating a light sensor with said processor and configuring said light sensor to generate light-sensor-signals related to the amount of light around said light sensor;
- electrically associating a sound generator with said processor and configuring said sound generator to generate a sound based alert;
- electrically associating a light generator with said processor and configuring said light generator to generate a light based alert;
- electrically associating a power source with said processor, memory, microphone, sound generator, light sensor, and light generator;
- configuring said processor to generate flow-data using said microphone to listen for water flow though said water;
- configuring said processor to use said flow-data and said flow-criteria to detect a predefined flow condition;
- and
- configuring said processor to at least one of (a) said flow-data, and (b) the detected predefined flow condition, to activated at least one of (a) said sound generator and (b) said light generator, according to said alert-criteria for the detected flow condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.