Remotely controllable water meter and related monitoring system and controlling method

A system of monitoring water supply at a plurality of customer sites, including a remote water provider centre and a plurality of water meters, each located and configured to supply water at a respective customer site, wherein each water meter includes:

• a water flow regulating valve configured to assume at least three predetermined positions including a fully open position configured to let a maximum water flow to be supplied at said customer site, a closed position configured to prevent water flow to be supplied at said customer site, and at least one intermediate position configured to let at least one respective intermediate water flow, lower than the maximum water flow, to be supplied at said customer site;
• an actuator operatively coupled to the water flow regulating valve and configured to automatically set a current position of the water flow regulating valve selected out of said at least three predetermined positions;
• a pressure sensor configured to detect water pressure upstream of the water flow regulating valve;
• a processing and communicating unit, operatively connected to the actuator, that is configured to communicate with a remote water provider centre to receive water flow regulating valve setting data, wherein said processing and communicating unit is further operatively connected to said pressure sensor to receive water pressure data sensed by said pressure sensor;
• wherein said processing and communicating unit is configured to control the actuator to cause the water flow regulating valve to assume said current position corresponding to valve position setting data that are correlated to said water flow regulating valve setting data and to said water pressure upstream of said water flow regulating valve detected by said pressure sensor, wherein said water flow regulating valve setting data are in turn correlated to a customer profile, thereby the processing and communicating unit of each water meter is configured to communicate with the remote water provider centre, wherein the remote water provider centre comprises a processing device configured to determine said water flow regulating valve setting data correlated to the customer profile.

A computer-implemented method of dynamically controlling a water supply at a customer site, including the following steps:

• A. having a customer profile;
• B. detecting water pressure upstream of a water flow regulating valve at said customer site to provide water pressure data;
• C. determining water flow regulating valve setting data correlated to a customer profile;
• and
• D. automatically setting a current position of said water flow regulating valve that correspond to valve position setting data that are correlated to said water flow regulating valve setting data and to said water pressure detected upstream of said water flow regulating valve, wherein said current position is selected out of at least three predetermined positions that the water flow regulating valve is configured to assume and that include a fully open position configured to let a maximum water flow to be supplied at said customer site, a closed position configured to prevent water flow to be supplied at said customer site, and at least one intermediate position configured to let at least one respective intermediate water flow, lower than the maximum water flow, to be supplied at said customer site.

A set of one or more computer programs comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing and communicating unit of a water meter and a processing device of a remote water provider centre, cause said processing and communicating unit and said processing device to carry out the computer-implemented method of dynamically controlling a water supply at a customer site including the following steps:

• A. having a customer profile;
• B. detecting water pressure upstream of a water flow regulating valve at said customer site to provide water pressure data;
• C. determining water flow regulating valve setting data correlated to a customer profile;
• and
• D. automatically setting a current position of said water flow regulating valve that correspond to valve position setting data that are correlated to said water flow regulating valve setting data and to said water pressure detected upstream of said water flow regulating valve, wherein said current position is selected out of at least three predetermined positions that the water flow regulating valve is configured to assume and that include a fully open position configured to let a maximum water flow to be supplied at said customer site, a closed position configured to prevent water flow to be supplied at said customer site, and at least one intermediate position configured to let at least one respective intermediate water flow, lower than the maximum water flow, to be supplied at said customer site.

A set of one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon the set of one or more computer programs comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing and communicating unit of a water meter and a processing device of a remote water provider centre, cause said processing and communicating unit and said processing device to carry out a computer-implemented method of dynamically controlling a water supply at a customer site including the following steps:

• A. having a customer profile;
• B. detecting water pressure upstream of a water flow regulating valve at said customer site to provide water pressure data;
• C. determining water flow regulating valve setting data correlated to a customer profile;
• and
• D. automatically setting a current position of said water flow regulating valve that correspond to valve position setting data that are correlated to said water flow regulating valve setting data and to said water pressure detected upstream of said water flow regulating valve, wherein said current position is selected out of at least three predetermined positions that the water flow regulating valve is configured to assume and that include a fully open position configured to let a maximum water flow to be supplied at said customer site, a closed position configured to prevent water flow to be supplied at said customer site, and at least one intermediate position configured to let at least one respective intermediate water flow, lower than the maximum water flow, to be supplied at said customer site.