Energy manager—water leak detection
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJay Andrew Broniak, Michael Thomas Beyerle, Joseph Mark Brian, David C. Bingham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are disclosed for monitoring water leaks within a home. A home network with various devices monitors these devices with a controller. Information is received from a water flow meter via a transceiver for tracking a total water flow amount through pipelines in the home. By comparing information collected to a predetermined threshold, a leak is determined as present or not within each pipeline. Upon the detection of a leak in the home, a home owner is notified of the condition so that action is taken expeditiously. A shut off valve can be triggered remotely when a request is received from the user, which closes the water pipeline to prevent water damage.
Claims18
A method for monitoring a home for a leak within a home network that includes a water meter for measuring water consumption within the home network and a central controller communicatively linked to the water meter, the central controller including at least one memory for storing executable instructions, the method comprising:
- tracking a total water flow to a water consuming device for a period of time;
- identifying a maximum amount of the total water flow to the water consuming device that occurs during a subinterval length of time in the period of time;
- assigning the maximum amount to a threshold value;
- receiving communication data at the central controller, the communication data reflecting a total water flow amount from a water pipeline that is operatively coupled to the water meter;
- tracking the total water flow amount of the water pipeline over the subinterval length of time from the water meter;
- analyzing the total water flow amount by comparing the total water flow amount to the threshold value;
- and
- generating an output to an end user that alerts the end user of a leak when the total water flow amount exceeds the threshold value for the subinterval length of time.
A method for monitoring a home for a leak within a home network that includes a plurality of water flow meters for measuring water being consumed by water consuming devices within the network and a central controller communicatively linked to the water meters and the water consuming devices, the controller including at least one memory for storing executable instructions, said method comprising:
- tracking a total water flow amount for each water pipeline of a plurality of water pipelines respectively coupled to a plurality of water consuming devices within the home network over a period of time;
- identifying a maximum amount of the total water flow to the water consuming device that occurs during a subinterval length of time in the period of time;
- assigning the maximum amount to a threshold value;
- and
- determining whether a leak exists at the home by comparing the total water flow amount of each water pipeline to the threshold value set for each of the water consuming devices.
An energy management system for a home network comprising water consuming devices coupled to water inlets at a home, said energy management system comprising:
- a central controller comprising a processor and memory for storing executable instructions;
- a water flow meter coupled to a water pipeline for each of the water consuming devices, wherein the water flow meter is configured to measure a total water flow amount in the water pipeline;
- a communication device coupled to the flow meter, the communication device configured to communicate the total water flow amount to the central controller;
- and
- a user device display operatively connected to the central controller that provides the total water flow amount to an end user,
- wherein the executable instructions include instructions for:
- tracking the total water flow amount to the water consuming device over a period of time;
- identifying a maximum amount of the total water flow to the water consuming device that occurs during a subinterval length of time in the period of time;
- assigning the maximum amount to a threshold value;
- and
- determining whether a leak exists at the home by comparing the total water flow amount of each water pipeline to the threshold value set for each of the water consuming device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.