# US 2021/0333314 A1 · Home leakage (hl) detection with direction-to-source indication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0333314 A1 - Document ID: US20210333314A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/859,307 - Filed: 2020-04-27 - Published: 2021-10-28 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-27 - Assignees: Viavi Solutions Inc. - Applicants: Viavi Solutions Inc. - Inventors: Marius-Laurentiu PIPER; Bogdan ENCIU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210333314A1 ## CPC - G01R 31/083: {in cables, e.g. underground} - H04N 17/00: Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details - G01C 21/20: Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) - G01R 31/52: Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults - H04B 17/00: Monitoring; Testing (of line transmission systems H04B3/46; arrangements for monitoring or testing transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio waves H04B10/07) - G01C 21/16: by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation - H04N 21/42222: {Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device} - H04N 21/615: {Signal processing at physical level (signal processing in analog two-way television systems H04N7/173)} - H04N 21/6168: {involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem} - H04N 21/6473: {Monitoring network processes errors (for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40)} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract A method, an apparatus and a system that may be configured to determine and provide a direction-to-source indicator on a signal level meter or other test instrument that may be used by a user of the meter (e.g., a technician, maintenance personnel or other personnel) to locate the source of leakage such as home leakage (HL). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method, said method being performed on a test instrument, said method comprising: receiving inertial data from an inertial measurement unit during a leakage test; receiving test signals from a network during the leakage test; analyzing the inertial data and signal levels of the received test signals; determining a direction to a source of leakage based on the analyzed inertial data and signal levels of the received test signals; and outputting a direction-to-source indication on the test instrument. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inertial data indicates at least one of an orientation or an angular velocity of the test instrument during the leakage test. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein analyzing the inertial data and signal levels of the received test signals comprises determining at least one of the orientation or angular velocity of the test instrument based on the inertial data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining the direction to the source of leakage based on the analyzed inertial data and signal levels of the received test signals comprises determining that a linear movement of the test instrument should be maintained when a continuous increase in the signal levels is detected. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining the direction to the source of leakage based on the analyzed inertial data and signal levels of the received test signals comprises determining that a linear movement of the test instrument should be reversed when a continuous decrease in the signal levels is detected. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining the direction to the source of leakage based on the analyzed inertial data and signal levels of the received test signals comprises determining that movement of the test instrument should be rotated orthogonally when a periodic change in the signal levels is detected. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein it is determined that the test instrument should be rotated in a first orthogonal direction when the periodic change in the signal levels is a periodic increase in the signal levels and wherein it is determined that the test instrument should be rotated in a second orthogonal direction when the periodic change in the signal levels is a periodic decrease in the signal levels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the direction-to-source indication on the test instrument comprises outputting a graphical direction-to-source indicator on a display of the test instrument. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the direction-to-source indication on the test instrument comprises: outputting a compass body on a display of the test instrument; and outputting a graphical direction-to-source indicator over the compass body. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the direction-to-source indication on the test instrument comprises one of: outputting a graphical direction-to-source indicator on a display of the test instrument, outputting a textual direction-to-source indicator on a display of the test instrument, outputting an audible direction-to-source indicator on a display of the test instrument, or outputting a haptic direction-to-source indicator on a display of the test instrument. ### Claim 11 An instrument system comprising: a test instrument; and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) coupled to or integrated within the test instrument, said IMU being operable to generate inertial data, the test instrument including a controller operable to: receive inertial data from the IMU during a leakage test, receive test signals from a network during the leakage test, analyze the inertial data and signal levels of the received test signals, determine a direction to a source of leakage based on the analyzed inertial data and signal levels of the received test signals, and output a direction-to-source indication on the test instrument. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The instrument system of claim 11, wherein the inertial data indicates at least one of an orientation or an angular velocity of the test instrument during the leakage test. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The instrument system of claim 12, wherein the controller analyzes the inertial data and signal levels of the received test signals by determining at least one of the orientation or angular velocity of the test instrument based on the inertial data. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The instrument system of claim 12, wherein the controller determines the direction to the source of leakage based on the analyzed inertial data and signal levels of the received test signals by determining that a linear movement of the test instrument should be maintained when a continuous increase in the signal levels is detected. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The instrument system of claim 12, wherein the controller determines the direction to the source of leakage based on the analyzed inertial data and signal levels of the received test signals by determining that a linear movement of the test instrument should be reversed when a continuous decrease in the signal levels is detected. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The instrument system of claim 12, wherein the controller determines the direction to the source of leakage based on the analyzed inertial data and signal levels of the received test signals by determining that movement of the test instrument should be rotated orthogonally when a periodic change in the signal levels is detected. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The controller of claim 16, wherein it is determined that the test instrument should be rotated in a first orthogonal direction when the periodic change in the signal levels is a periodic increase in the signal levels and wherein it is determined that the test instrument should be rotated in a second orthogonal direction when the periodic change in the signal levels is a periodic decrease in the signal levels. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The instrument system of claim 11, wherein the controller outputs the direction-to-source indication on the test instrument by outputting a graphical direction-to-source indicator on a display of the test instrument. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The instrument system of claim 11, wherein the controller outputs the direction-to-source indication on the test instrument by: outputting a compass body on a display of the test instrument; and outputting a graphical direction-to-source indicator over the compass body. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The instrument system of claim 11, wherein the controller outputs the direction-to-source indication on the test instrument by one of: outputting a graphical direction-to-source indicator on a display of the test instrument, outputting a textual direction-to-source indicator on a display of the test instrument, outputting an audible direction-to-source indicator on a display of the test instrument, or outputting a haptic direction-to-source indicator on a display of the test instrument.