Water consumption monitor
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsIan Abbott Donnelly, Youssef Drissi, Tyrone W. Grandison, Colin G. Harrison, Kaan K. Katircioglu, Jurij R. Paraszczak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for monitoring utilization and waste of a natural resource, such as water. Data is received indicating natural resource consumption by a facility. An indication of at least one period of natural resource usage by the facility is received. Natural resource usage corresponding to utilization of the natural resource for a useful purpose. Quantities of the natural resource consumed by the facility during the at least one period of water usage is recorded as a utilized quantity.
Claims17
A method for monitoring natural resource utilization, the method comprising:
- performing the following with a processor:
- receiving, from a water meter, data indicating water consumption by a facility, wherein the facility comprises a faucet and an associated basin, wherein:
- the associated basin comprises an opening into which objects enter the basin, and
- the faucet comprises a discharge port from which a water flow is directed into the associated basin through the opening;
- measuring quantities of water consumed by the facility;
- detecting at least one period of time during which an object is anywhere within a boundary formed by a discharge port of the faucet and the opening of the basin;
- recording, as a utilized quantity, quantities of water measured during the at least one period of time during which the object is anywhere within the boundary;
- and
- recording, as an unutilized quantity, quantities of water that are measured at all times outside of the at least one period during which an object is anywhere within the boundary.
A system for monitoring natural resource utilization, the system comprising:
- a memory;
- a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor comprises:
- an instruction processor configured to:
- receive, from a water meter, data indicating water consumption by a facility, the facility comprises a faucet and an associated basin;
- wherein
- the faucet comprises a discharge port from which a water flow is directed into the basin through an opening, and
- the associated basin comprises the opening into which objects enter the basin;
- determine measured quantities of water consumed by the facility;
- detect at least one period of time during which an object is anywhere within a boundary formed by a discharge port of the faucet and the opening of the associated basin;
- record, as a utilized quantity, quantities of water measured during the at least one period of time during which the object is anywhere within the boundary;
- and
- record, as an unutilized quantity, measured quantities of water that are measured at all times outside of the at least one period during which an object is anywhere within the boundary.
A computer program product for monitoring natural resource, the computer program product comprising:
- a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:
- receiving, from a water meter, data indicating water consumption by a facility, wherein the facility comprises a faucet and an associated basin, wherein:
- the associated basin comprises an opening into which objects enter the basin, and
- the faucet comprises a discharge port from which a water flow is directed into the associated basin through the opening;
- measuring quantities of water consumed by the facility;
- detecting at least one period of time during which an object is anywhere within a boundary formed by a discharge port of the faucet and the opening of the basin;
- recording, as a utilized quantity, quantities of water measured during the at least one period of time during which the object is anywhere within the boundary;
- and
- recording, as an unutilized quantity, quantities of water that are measured at all times outside of the at least one period during which an object is anywhere within the boundary.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.