Network-connected decentralized water treatment monitoring system and operation and maintenance tracker

Abstract

A network-connected decentralized water treatment monitoring system and operations and maintenance tracker including at least one internet-connected sensor and an integrated software platform that can be used by large facilities and / or organizations with multiple facilities that manage and maintain decentralized drinking water treatment systems (e.g., point-of-use filters) or processes (e.g., faucet flushing) at one or numerous locations. At least one sensor is installed upstream or downstream of a decentralized water treatment consumable or process and measures water data, including but not limited to the volume of water treated over time, and alerts the user when maintenance actions are required to maintain water quality. The water data is wirelessly transmitted to a cloud environment for real-time remote monitoring of water use, water quality, and treatment status.

Description

NETWORK-CONNECTED DECENTRALIZED WATER TREATMENT MONITORINGSYSTEM AND OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE TRACKERCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[1] This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional patent application no. 63 / 387,191 titled “NETWORK-CONNECTED DECENTRALIZED WATER TREATMENT MONITORING SYSTEM AND OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE TRACKER” filed December 13, 2022, which is incorporated herein by its entirety by this reference.BACKGROUNDFIELD OF THE INVENTION[2] The present invention is related to decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance, such as point-of-use (POU) or point-of-entry (POE) water filter systems.DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART[3] Currently, there are no devices, tools, or applications that exist for centralized, remote monitoring of multiple decentralized (e.g., POU or POE) water treatment consumables or processes throughout a building or geographic area. Notably, current POU water treatment systems (e.g., fdters) either do not have a status indicator at all or only have local status indicators that warn the user via colored lights, lower flow rates, or audible alarms. These indicators can either be undesirable (e.g., an alarm could disrupt a classroom or office) or easily go unnoticed or ignored, resulting in untreated or inadequately treated water. Furthermore, existing POU filter status indicators often do not warn the user or central operator (e.g., facility maintenance staff or other responsible entity such as a water utility, health department, school district, etc., hereby referred to as “operators”) ahead of time that a filter cartridge or other POU water treatment device consumable will need to be replaced soon and require manual, in-person inspection of each filter. Manual inspection of each filter can be time-consuming for operators when having to manage many different water outlets (e.g., drinking water fountains, faucets, etc.) across multiple sites (e.g., all the schools in a district, all the childcare centers across a county, many households across a water system service area, or multiple buildings on a large campus). This is a burden on operators when considering hundreds or thousands of filters across many buildings and large geographic areas.[4] Failure to regularly inspect each decentralized drinking water treatment point (e.g., tap) may lead to filters or other water treatment consumables not being replaced according to manufacturer recommendations. In practice, many filters are ignored, never replaced, or discarded. If not replaced regularly, filters and other water treatment consumables cease to remove contaminants adequately and can themselves become a source of contamination by releasing any previously removed contaminants back into the water. The effectiveness of POU filters and other decentralized water treatment devices is only as good as the maintenance routine. Without an effective, accountable, and sustainable maintenance routine, users may still be exposed to chemical contaminants (e.g., lead) that POU water treatment devices are intended to remove. If filters are not replaced regularly and are allowed to stagnate for long periods of time (e.g., during a school’s summer break), then the filters can also develop excessive microbial growth which can cause clogging, potential avoidance of filtered taps due to low flow rates, and additional health risks. Without effective and transparent systems for monitoring and maintenance of installed filters and other decentralized water treatment devices or processes over time, point-of-use or point-of-entry water quality programs in large institutions or otherwise managed by central operators across dispersed settings may be unsuccessful.BRIEF SUMMARY[5] The decentralized water treatment smart monitoring and maintenance tracking system described herein addresses problems with current decentralized (e.g., POU) water treatment systems by providing a real-time, centralized monitoring service and operation and maintenance log for all installed decentralized water treatment consumables or processes in a building or across multiple buildings. For example, school buildings have recently been found to have high lead levels. Advantageously, the present invention is operable to ensure safe drinking water through POU filters or other POU water treatment processes such as routine flushing at a building, district, or even state level for school systems. The decentralized water treatment, monitoring, and maintenance system also supports other large institutions in addition to schools that employ multiple decentralized water treatment devices including, but not limited to, childcare centers, hospitals, universities, airports, military bases, large office buildings, and community water systems.[6] The present invention includes at least one internet-connected sensor and integrated software platform that can be used by large facilities and / or organizations with multiple facilities that manage and maintain decentralized drinking water treatment devices or processesat one or more locations. At least one sensor is installed upstream or downstream of a filter or other decentralized water treatment process and accurately measures the volume of water treated over time. Data is wirelessly transmitted and stored in the cloud for real-time remote monitoring of water use. The software platform analyzes the water use from each location. For filters and other water treatment consumables, the software platform forecasts how much time is left before the filter cartridge or consumable needs to be replaced according to patterns of water use and the manufacturer’s specifications. For other decentralized water treatment processes such as faucet flushing, the software platform can trigger alerts that flushing is required and keep track of when flushing occurs according to the building’s flushing plan. Advantageously, these features help operators save time by reducing the need for manual inspections and planning when maintenance visits are required. The software platform further records maintenance actions to help determine when future maintenance visits are required. Further, this system helps ensure water is treated as intended at each treatment point (e.g., drinking water outlet). When maintenance is coming soon, due, or past due, the software platform can send customized notifications to remote devices corresponding to relevant operators and log when maintenance tasks have been completed. The software platform is further designed to publicly share the real-time filter status and maintenance logs to reassure users, building occupants, and other stakeholders of the drinking water quality supplied at each individual water outlet or throughout a whole facility.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS[7] The embodiments illustrated, described, and discussed herein are illustrative of the present invention. As these embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to illustrations, various modifications, or adaptations of the methods and or specific structures described may become apparent to those skilled in the art. It will be appreciated that modifications and variations are covered by the above teachings and within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope thereof. All such modifications, adaptations, or variations that rely upon the teachings of the present invention, and through which these teachings have advanced the art, are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Hence, these descriptions and drawings should not be considered in a limiting sense, as it is understood that the present invention is in no way limited to only the embodiments illustrated.[8] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.[9] FIG. 2 illustrates a dashboard of a software platform for a decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates a dashboard of a software platform for a decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] FIG. 4 illustrates a dashboard of a software platform for a decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 5 illustrates a dashboard of a software platform for a decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic diagram of a decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic diagram of a server of a decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic diagram of a computer of a decentralized water treatment, monitoring, operation, and maintenance system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic diagram of a mobile device of a decentralized water treatment, monitoring, operation, and maintenance system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 10 illustrates a schematic diagram of an loT device for a decentralized water treatment, monitoring, operation, and maintenance system according to one embodiment of the present invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the present disclosure, reference will be made to preferred embodiments and specific language will be used to describe the same.It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended, such alteration and further modifications of the disclosure as illustrated herein, being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates.

[0019] Articles “a” and “an” are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e., at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. By way of example, “a composite” means at least one composite and can include more than one composite.

[0020] Throughout the specification, the terms “about” and / or “approximately” may be used in conjunction with numerical values and / or ranges. The term “about” is understood to mean those values near to a recited value. For example, “about 40 [units]”may mean within + / - 25% of 40 (e.g., from 30 to 50), within + / - 20%, + / - 15%, + / - 10%, + / - 9%, + / -8 %, + / - 7%, + / - 6%, + / - 5%, + / - 4%, + / - 3%, + / -2 %, + / - 1%, less than + / - 1%, or any other value or range of values therein or there below. Furthermore, the phrases “less than about [a value]” or “greater than about [a value]” should be understood in view of the definition of the term "about" provided herein. The terms "about" and "approximately" may be used interchangeably.

[0021] As used herein, the verb “comprise” as is used in this description and in the claims and its conjugations are used in its non- limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded.

[0022] Throughout the specification the word “comprising,” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising,” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers, or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers, or steps. The present disclosure may suitably “comprise”, “consist of’, or “consist essentially of’, the steps, elements, and / or reagents described in the claims.

[0023] It is further noted that the claims may be drafted to exclude any optional element. As such, this statement is intended to serve as antecedent basis for use of such exclusive terminology as “solely”, “only”, and the like in connection with the recitation of claim elements, or the use of a “negative” limitation.

[0024] The term “filter” is defined as a device that removes contaminants from a fluid passing through the device via physical, chemical, and / or biological processes including but not limited to size exclusion, adsorption, ion exchange, and / or disinfection. Filter consumables can be made from a variety of materials including but not limited to activated carbon, resins, ceramic, and fabrics or membranes wound or spun from polyester, nylon, polypropylene, orother polymers.

[0025] A water treatment “process” is defined as a routine or procedure used to improve the functioning of a filter and / or remove or reduce contaminants in water independent of the presence of a filter, including but not limited to pipe and faucet flushing.

[0026] The term “treated” water refers to water that has been treated properly according to the manufacturer specifications or other recommended operating conditions of the particular filter or water treatment process such as but not limited to cumulative run time or cumulative volume certification thresholds. “Untreated” water thus refers to water that has not been subjected to the water treatment process at all or did not comply with the manufacturer specifications or other recommended operating conditions.

[0027] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Preferred methods, devices, and materials are described, although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure. All references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0028] The present invention is a decentralized (e.g., point-of-use (POU)) water treatment monitoring and maintenance system that includes at least one internet-connected sensor and an integrated software platform. The system allows operators to remotely monitor water use and capacity of decentralized water treatment consumables in real-time at one or multiple drinking water treatment points across large buildings and / or multiple buildings over a dispersed area. The decentralized water treatment monitoring system includes a software platform with an operations and maintenance notification feature. The operations and maintenance notification feature is designed to assign and alert operators that a decentralized water treatment device or process is due for maintenance. The software platform further includes a maintenance log to easily keep track of and document operations and maintenance activities (e.g., filter / consumable replacement or flushing events) at one or multiple locations over time. Further, the integrated software platform can be configured to share operations and maintenance logs publicly online to reassure building occupants and other interested parties of the efforts employed to ensure water quality. Besides tracking the volume of water treated to ensure decentralized water treatment consumables are replaced adequately, the system also monitors battery life and elapsed time between operations and maintenance events to ensureeach decentralized water treatment unit is working within manufacturer- specified operating conditions.

[0029] Advantageously, the decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system is “filter agnostic.” This means that this decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system can be used with any brand or type of decentralized water filter or other water treatment device consumable. The software platform automatically populates the manufacturer recommended capacity and lifetime of a brand and model being used with the decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system. Thereby, the water treatment monitoring and maintenance system is applicable for a wide range of drinking water outlets and decentralized water treatment systems, such as, but not limited to, water fountains, water bottle filling stations, under-sink filters, countertop filters, refrigerator water filters, faucet-mounted water filtration systems, ice machine water filters, and / or a faucet fixtures.

[0030] Yet another advantage of the present invention is easing the burden of manual inspections on facilities and maintenance operators or other operators, ensuring better decentralized water treatment system maintenance to prevent harmful drinking water exposures, and improving transparency and accountability around drinking water management routines. Schools, school districts, childcare centers, and any other potential operators responsible for ensuring high-quality drinking water using decentralized water treatment devices are able to save time and resources by only deploying facilities and maintenance operators when there is a need to perform necessary maintenance tasks (e.g., replacing a filter). This invention also allows operators to know ahead of time when a decentralized water treatment device consumable is near exhaustion and thus purchase needed replacement materials ahead of time.

[0031] Another advantage includes improving routine decentralized water treatment operations and maintenance tasks. For example, the potential for human error in forgetting or neglecting to replace POU filters or other decentralized water treatment consumables is high, especially as the number of devices needing to be maintained increases. Similarly, faucet flushing routines are difficult to standardize and measure for quality assurance. The present invention improves decentralized water treatment system management by reducing the human error associated with filter / consumable and / or faucet flushing monitoring and maintenance. This is accomplished through calculated projections for when consumables will need to be replaced to allow advance time for planning and ordering replacement consumables, automated alerts and notifications to multiple critical operators when needed changes and operations aredue, and an integrated water treatment operations and maintenance log for each location to keep operators accountable to performing manufacturer- or user-specified maintenance tasks.

[0032] Yet another advantage of the present invention includes improving transparency and accountability around drinking water management routines. For example, lead in drinking water in schools is an important public issue. Many parents and community groups are concerned about whether the water at their children’s schools is safe. Some organizations even encourage parents to call their child’s school to ask for lead testing results and to request that filters be installed at drinking water taps. Also, water filter monitoring and maintenance is not transparent in other public places such as airports, universities, office buildings, and others, thereby leaving doubts about the quality of water supplied at filtered drinking water outlets. Currently, however, schools and other institutions have limited ability to demonstrate that decentralized water treatment devices or processes are functioning properly and maintained according to recommended schedules. Filter status indicator lights are not always operational and can be manually reset without installing a new cartridge. Status indicator lights also only give information about a single water outlet and cannot provide information about safe, responsible filter management throughout a facility.

[0033] In some embodiments, the present invention includes a decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system. The decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system includes at least one sensor, at least one remote server including a software platform, and at least one decentralized water treatment device or process. The at least one decentralized water treatment device or process includes at least one consumable. The at least one sensor, the at least one remote server, and the at least one remote device are in network communication. The at least one sensor is positioned upstream of an inlet or downstream of an outlet of the at least one decentralized water treatment device or process. The at least one sensor is designed to capture water data that includes an amount of water passing through the at least one decentralized water treatment consumable. The at least one sensor is operable to transmit the water data to the at least one remote server. The at least one remote server is operable to analyze the water data to determine a real-time status of the decentralized water treatment device consumable. The at least one remote server is operable to display a status of real-time decentralized water treatment device consumable via a user interface of the at least one remote device.

[0034] In some embodiments, the water data further includes an amount of treated water and / or an amount of untreated water. In some embodiments, the at least one remote serverincludes decentralized water treatment data. The decentralized water treatment data includes a life expectancy of the at least one decentralized water treatment device consumable. The software platform is designed to determine a remaining life expectancy of at least one decentralized water treatment device consumable based on the water data. In some embodiments, the at least one remote server further includes at least one algorithm to determine when the at least one decentralized water treatment device consumable needs to be replaced and / or the status of the water treatment process based on the data. In some embodiments, the at least one remote server is further operable to transmit an alert to the at least one remote device when the at least one decentralized water treatment device consumable needs to be replaced or other maintenance action taken.

[0035] In some embodiments, the decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system further includes a plurality of sensors. The plurality of sensors include at least one sensor positioned upstream of an inlet of the decentralized water treatment device or process and at least one sensor downstream of an outlet of the decentralized water treatment device or process. In some embodiments, the decentralized water treatment device or process includes a water fountain, a water bottle filling station, an under sink, a countertop or faucet mounted water filtration system, a refrigerator water filter, an ice machine water filter, and / or a faucet fixture. In some embodiments, the software platform is designed to determine a life expectancy of the at least one decentralized water treatment consumable, a water capacity of the at least one decentralized water treatment consumable, an amount of treated water, and / or an amount of untreated water based on the water data. In some embodiments, the at least one sensor is further operable to detect a presence of contaminants, water temperature, water pressure, water pH, electrical conductivity, and / or a chlorine level. In some embodiments, the at least one sensor includes a water flow sensor.

[0036] In some embodiments, the decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system includes a plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes. The at least one remote server is operable to receive data corresponding to each decentralized water treatment device or process of the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices and processes. The at least one remote server is further operable to track and monitor a real-time status of each decentralized water treatment device or process of the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes. In some embodiments, the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes includes a water fountain, a water bottle filling station, an under sink, a countertop or faucet mounted water filtration system, a refrigerator water filter,an ice machine water filter, and / or a faucet fixture. In some embodiments, the software platform is operable to display a cumulative amount of water data for the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes. The cumulative amount of water data includes an amount of water that has passed through the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes. In some embodiments, the cumulative amount of water data further includes an amount of treated water and an amount of untreated water. In some embodiments, the software platform includes a plurality of dashboards that include at least one decentralized water treatment device or process dashboard. The at least one decentralized water treatment device or process dashboard includes data for each device or process of the plurality of decentralized treatment devices or processes. In some embodiments, the decentralized water treatment device or process data includes a remaining life expectancy and a consumable type for each device or process of the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes. In some embodiments, the at least one sensor includes a water flow sensor. In some embodiments, the at least one sensor includes a plurality of sensors. Each decentralized water treatment device or process of the plurality of devices or processes includes at least one sensor upstream of an inlet of the decentralized water treatment device and / or process and / or at least one sensor downstream of an outlet of the decentralized water treatment device / process. In some embodiments the water data includes treated water data and untreated water data. The software platform is operable to determine when at least one decentralized water treatment consumable needs to be replaced based on the treated water data.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The water treatment monitoring and maintenance system is designed to provide real-time alerts of a water treatment device or process using at least one sensor. For example, and not limitation, a water treatment device (e.g., point-of-use, point-of-entry, and / or decentralized device) and / or a water treatment process (e.g., faucet flushing) includes at least one sensor installed at the inlet and / or outlet of the water treatment device or process to ensure water quality and to document efforts towards that goal. Advantageously, the present invention is operable to support at least one sensor positioned at the inlet and / or a sensor positioned at the outlet to determine whether a water treatment device or process is properly treating the water. The at least one sensor may be configured to measure and transmit multiple types of data for monitoring water treatment including but not limited to water use, water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, chlorine, or other disinfectant residuals, and / or other water quality parameters or specific contaminants.

[0038] As further example, and not limitation, the at least one sensor includes a water flow sensor positioned near the water treatment device and / or process that is designed to capture water data corresponding to the water treatment device and / or process. For example, and not limitation, the water monitoring data includes the volume of water flowing through the water treatment device and / or process and the volume capacity and / or extent of a water treatment device and / or process, respectively. Advantageously, this enables the present invention to determine the quantity of water that has been treated at a facility or multiple facilities; the quantity of water used and time passed during operational events (e.g., flushing); the time inservice and volume of water treated for each decentralized water treatment device and consumable(s); the manufacturer-specified time and water volume capacity remaining for each decentralized water treatment device; the manufacturer- and / or user- specified time and water volume capacity remaining until required operations (e.g., flushing); a time estimate for decentralized water treatment device consumable(s) replacement, needed operations, or other maintenance activities (e.g., changing batteries); timely alerts to assigned operators of upcoming needed maintenance and operations for each decentralized water treatment device; notification of a potential clogged decentralized water treatment device; and a time and treated water volume- stamped log of maintenance and operations activities for each decentralized water treatment device that includes the responsible parties.

[0039] The decentralized water treatment, monitoring, and maintenance system includes a remote server (e.g., a cloud environment) in network communication with at least one sensor. The remote server is designed to store the water data captured by the sensor. The remote server is further operable to transmit the water data to a remote device and display the water data via at least one dashboard. The remote server is operable to maintain an operations and maintenance log and generate automatic alerts (e.g., filter change) based on the water data. These alerts can be customized by the user and may be sent through various communication methods including but not limited to emails, SMS texts, mobile application notifications, and API integrations with other third-party facility maintenance software platforms to automatically generate tickets or work orders. Additionally, the present invention is further operable to ensure water quality based on the captured water data.

[0040] Yet another advantage of the present invention is the ability to monitor the performance of a decentralized water treatment device consumable (e.g., filter) and generate an alert when the water treatment device consumable needs to be replaced, and when the water treatment device consumable does not meet the manufacturer’s specifications. The presentinvention is further operable to suggest a different consumable based on the water treatment device consumable’s performance to, for example and not limitation, reduce water treatment costs for the user. The decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system can monitor the water flow data over time and generate trends corresponding to water usage, water treatment capacity, and water quality. For example, and not limitation, the decentralized water treatment monitoring, and maintenance system is used for a school system. The decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system is operable to determine that the water fountains have the greatest usage when school is in session (e.g., August to June). Advantageously, the decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system can generate an alert to replace or flush water filters in July in preparation for the start of the school year. Further, and not limitation, during a school session, the decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system can generate alerts for filter replacements and periodic pipe and faucet flushing to maintain drinking and cooking water quality.

[0041] The software platform is further operable to analyze the water usage from each location of the decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system and forecast how much time is left before the consumable(s) needs to be changed according to the specific decentralized water treatment device consumable / filter specifications. This feature helps facilities and maintenance operators save time by reducing the need for manual inspections and planning when maintenance visits are required. Further, this system helps ensure water continues to be treated, as intended, at each drinking water treatment point. When maintenance is coming soon, due, or past due, the software platform can send customized notifications to remote devices of relevant operators and log when maintenance and operations tasks have been completed. These logs can also be shared publicly to reassure building occupants and other stakeholders of the drinking water quality supplied at each drinking water outlet in the facility.

[0042] The decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system employs advanced algorithms to accurately predict the expiration of water filters and consumables. Utilizing data collected from the flow sensors at regular intervals the algorithms incorporate a look-back period of up to 28 days to calculate a running average daily usage. This calculated usage average serves as a foundation for forecasting the remaining lifespan of the filter or consumable in adherence to manufacturer specifications. Additionally, the decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system integrates long-term trend analysis by considering historical data, wherein flow data from calendar months are aggregated to establish average monthly usage. This long-term trend analysis, combined with real-time flow data,enables the system to identify and adapt to fluctuations in water usage patterns, such as those influenced by weather conditions, seasonal variations, or changes in occupancy. The algorithms employed herein not only enhance the precision of filter expiration forecasts but also facilitate proactive maintenance planning by triggering automated alerts and recording maintenance actions. This sophisticated approach to monitoring ensures the reliable and efficient operation of decentralized water treatment processes, providing a robust solution for maintaining safe and high-quality drinking water across diverse settings.

[0043] The decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system leverages a comprehensive database encompassing detailed information on various filters, including their life expectancies, compatible devices, performance certifications, and associated costs. This database serves as the foundation for intelligent suggestions for filter replacements, optimizing both cost savings and maintenance efficiency. The system analyzes real-time water usage data and, through intricate algorithms, matches the usage patterns with the life expectancies and associated costs of available compatible filters. By identifying and aligning compatible filters with lower prices and associated capacities with the specific usage at each appliance, the system strategically recommends replacements that not only contribute to monetary savings but also reduce the frequency of maintenance trips. This dynamic approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also underscores the system's ability to provide economic and resourceful solutions for maintaining optimal water treatment processes in diverse settings, ranging from individual appliances to entire institutional infrastructures.

[0044] FIG. 2 illustrates a dashboard of a water treatment monitoring and maintenance system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the software platform is designed to display a plurality of decentralized water treatment points (e.g., filters) corresponding to a decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system. The software platform further indicates when at least one decentralized water treatment device consumable / filter needs to be replaced. The software platform can display the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices / filters based on a sorting selection. For example, and not limitation, the software platform is operable to sort the decentralized water treatment devices / filters based on application. FIG. 3 illustrates another dashboard of the software platform of the present invention. Advantageously, the software platform is designed to display a plurality of decentralized water treatment points of a decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system in a tile format, a list format, a content format, or details format. Further, the software platform is operable to switch and display a plurality ofdecentralized water treatment points of a decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system of different facilities and / or users. The software platform is further operable to generate a corresponding image based on the type of filter, appliance, and / or other water maintenance and treatment device. For example, and not limitation, the software platform is designed to generate an image of a water bottle or another liquid container for a water bottle filling station and a sink image for an under sink treatment system along with a user-specified description label. Advantageously, this makes it easier to determine the type of application, treatment device or process, and location. Additionally, the software platform is operable to record a location (e.g., geographical coordinates) of each installed sensor and water treatment device or process and to display the location of each sensor, decentralized water treatment device or process that is monitored on an interactive map.

[0045] FIG. 4 illustrates a dashboard of a software platform according to one embodiment of the present invention. For example, and not limitation, the dashboard includes water usage data, notifications, a water usage log, an operations and maintenance log, filter description for at least one filter, remaining life expectancy for at least one filter, a capacity of at least one filter, an amount of filtered water, an amount of unfiltered water, a filter replacement recording function, and remaining battery life. The present invention is further designed to display the water usage data via a graph. For example, and not limitation, the usage data is displayed using a line graph over a period of time. The period of time includes days, weeks, months, and years. FIG. 5 illustrates a line graph for filter water usage according to one example of the present invention.

[0046] In one embodiment, the present invention is operable to adapt to preexisting plumbing configurations and other water treatment and maintenance systems as the sensor can be installed on various sizes of tubing or pipe width and is designed to fit within small spaces. The present invention is further operable for various modes of wireless and wired communications for areas with poor wireless connectivity. Further, the flow meter and other sensors can be customized to the desired flow range and applicable monitoring parameters and / or environmental / operational conditions. The integrated software platform can also communicate with other third-party facility maintenance software programs that log and organize work orders for various facility needs, but do not have decentralized water treatment monitoring capabilities. The present invention is, thus, operable to automatically generate tickets or work orders for facility and maintenance operators through other third-party software systems via API integration based on the water data collected.

[0047] The water treatment monitoring and maintenance system further includes a power supply. For example, and not limitation, the power supply includes at least one battery. The at least one battery includes a rechargeable battery and / or at least one non-rechargeable battery. In yet another embodiment, the power supply is designed with the ability to connect to an external power supply (e.g., a power outlet).

[0048] In one embodiment, the present invention is designed to monitor faucet-mounted filters. Faucet-mounted filters are generally screwed onto the faucet itself where a faucet aerator is typically installed and have a flow-diverter switch that allows a user to choose between filtered or unfiltered water. Faucet-mounted filters do not have a dedicated water line to monitor filtered water only, therefore, flow meters are typically installed on the main water line and measure both filtered and unfiltered water use at the tap. This results in an overestimation of the use of the filter. To address this problem, in one embodiment, the present invention includes a limit switch and / or a wireless tilt sensor switch designed to detect when the faucetmounted filter is engaged to notify the software when the filter is being used and accurately track only filtered water use.

[0049] FIG. 6 depicts a system diagram 600 illustrating a client / server architecture in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The server application 602 is configured to provide a video application and mobile application for a decentralized water treatment monitoring and maintenance system. A server application 602 is hosted on a remote server 604 within a cloud computing environment 606. The server application 602 is provided on a non-transitory computer-readable medium including a plurality of machine-readable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of the server 604, are adapted to cause the server 604 to generate the video platform and mobile application.

[0050] The server application 602 is configured to communicate over a network 608. In a preferred embodiment, the network 608 is the Internet. In other embodiments, the network 608 may be restricted to a private local area network (LAN) and / or private wide area network (WAN). The network 608 provides connectivity with a plurality of client devices including a personal computer 610 hosting a client application 612, and a mobile device 614 hosting a mobile app 616. The network 608 also provides connectivity for an Intemet-Of- Things (loT) device 618 hosting an loT application 620 and to back-end services 622. For example, and not limitation, the present invention can transmit a real-time status update via a broadcast to a mobile device (e.g., a public-internet connected device). Advantageously, the back-end services are operable to communicate with third-party application programming interfaces(APIs) to either provide or receive data that can be used by the system to provide recommendations. Third-party applications provide algorithms for analysis of data. The back- end services may provide data gathered within the decentralized water treatment maintenance and monitoring system through the third-party APIs and receive results from the algorithms provided back to the back-end services to provide further recommendations or take further actions within the decentralized water treatment maintenance and monitoring system.

[0051] FIG. 7 depicts a block diagram 700 of the server 604 of FIG. 6 for hosting at least a portion of the server application 602 of FIG. 6 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The server 604 may be any of the hardware servers referenced in this disclosure. The server 604 may include at least one of a processor 702, a main memory 704, a database 706, a datacenter network interface 708, and an administration user interface (UI) 710. The server 604 may be configured to host one or more virtualized servers. For example, the virtual server may be an Ubuntu® server or the like. The server 604 may also be configured to host a virtual container. For example, the virtual server may be the DOCKER® virtual server or the like. In some embodiments, the virtual server and or virtual container may be distributed over a plurality of hardware servers using hypervisor technology.

[0052] The processor 702 may be a multi-core server class processor suitable for hardware virtualization. The processor 702 may support at least a 64-bit architecture and a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) instruction set. The memory 704 may include a combination of volatile memory (e.g., random access memory) and non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory). The database 706 may include one or more hard drives.

[0053] The datacenter network interface 708 may provide one or more high-speed communication ports to the data center switches, routers, and / or network storage appliances. The datacenter network interface may include, but is not limited to, high-speed optical Ethernet, InfiniBand (IB), Internet Small Computer System Interface iSCSI, and / or Fibre Channel interfaces. The administration UI may support local and / or remote configuration of the server by a data center administrator.

[0054] FIG. 8 depicts a block diagram 800 of the personal computer 610 of FIG. 6 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The personal computer 610 may be any of the devices referenced in this disclosure. The personal computer 610 may include at least a processor 802, a memory 804, a display 806, a user interface (UI) 808, and a network interface 810. The personal computer 610 may include an operating system to run a web browser and / or the client application 612 shown in FIG. 6. The operating system (OS) may be a Windows® OS, a Macintosh® OS, or a Linux® OS. The memory 804 may include acombination of volatile memory (e.g., random access memory) and non-volatile memory (e.g., solid state drive and / or hard drives).

[0055] The network interface 810 may be a wired Ethernet interface or a Wi-Fi interface. The personal computer 610 may be configured to access remote memory (e.g., network storage and / or cloud storage) via the network interface 810. The UI 808 may include a keyboard, and a pointing device (e.g., mouse). The display 806 may be an external display (e.g., computer monitor) or internal display (e.g., laptop). In some embodiments, the personal computer 610 may be a smart TV. In other embodiments, the display 806 may include a holographic projector.

[0056] FIG. 9 depicts a block diagram 900 of the mobile device 614 of FIG. 6 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The mobile device 614 may be any of the remote devices referenced in this disclosure. The mobile device 614 may include an operating system to run a web browser and / or the mobile app 616 shown in FIG. 6. The mobile device 614 may include at least a processor 902, a memory 904, a UI 906, a display 908, WAN radios 910, LAN radios 912, and personal area network (PAN) radios 914. In some embodiments the mobile device 614 may be an iPhone® or an iPad®, using iOS® as an OS. In other embodiments, the mobile device 614 may be a mobile terminal including Android® OS, BlackBerry® OS, Chrome® OS, Windows Phone® OS, or the like.

[0057] In some embodiments, the processor 902 may be a mobile processor such as the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ mobile processor. The memory 904 may include a combination of volatile memory (e.g., random access memory) and non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory). The memory 904 may be partially integrated with the processor 902. The UI 906 and display 908 may be integrated such as a touchpad display. The WAN radios 910 may include 2G, 3G, 4G, and / or 5G technologies. The LAN radios 912 may include Wi-Fi technologies such as 802.11a, 802.1 Ib / g / n, and / or 802.1 lac circuitry. The PAN radios 914 may include Bluetooth® technologies.

[0058] FIG. 10 depicts ablock diagram 1000 of the loT device 618 of FIG. 6 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The loT device 618 may be any of the remote devices referenced in this disclosure. The loT device 618 includes a processor 1002, a memory 1004, sensors 1006, servos 1008, WAN radios 1010, LAN radios 1012, and PAN radios 1014. The processor 1002, a memory 1004, WAN radios 1010, LAN radios 1012, and PAN radios 1014 may be of similar design to the processor 902, a memory 904, WAN radios 910, LAN radios 912, and PAN radios 914 of the mobile device 614 of FIG. 9. The sensors 1006 andservos 1008 may include any applicable components related to loT devices such as a water monitoring device, a smart filter, a smart appliance, or the like.

[0059] Any combination of one or more computer-readable medium(s) may be utilized. The computer-readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer- readable storage medium (including, but not limited to, non-transitory computer-readable storage media). A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non- exhaustive list) of the computer-readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable readonly memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0060] A computer-readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer-readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium may be any computer-readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0061] In one embodiment, the present invention includes a cloud-based network for distributed communication via a wireless communication antenna and processing by at least one mobile communication computing device. In another embodiment of the invention, the system is a virtualized computing system capable of executing any or all aspects of software and / or application components presented herein on computing devices. In certain aspects, the computer system may be implemented using hardware or a combination of software and hardware, either in a dedicated computing device, or integrated into another entity, or distributed across multiple entities or computing devices.

[0062] By way of example, and not limitation, the computing devices are intended torepresent various forms of digital computers and mobile devices, such as a server, blade server, mainframe, mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, desktop computer, netbook computer, tablet computer, workstation, laptop, and other similar computing devices. The components shown here, their connections and relationships, and their functions, are meant to be exemplary only, and are not meant to limit implementations of the invention described and / or claimed in this document.

[0063] In one embodiment, the computing device includes components such as a processor, a system memory having a random-access memory (RAM) and a read-only memory (ROM), an I2C sensor, and a system bus that couples the memory to the processor. In another embodiment, the computing device may additionally include components such as a storage device for storing the operating system and one or more application programs, a network interface unit, and / or an input / output controller. Each of the components may be coupled to each other through at least one bus. The input / output controller may receive and process input from, or provide output to, a number of other devices, including, but not limited to, alphanumeric input devices, mice, electronic styluses, display units, touch screens, signal generation devices (e.g., speakers), or printers.

[0064] By way of example, and not limitation, the processor may be a general-purpose microprocessor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microcontroller, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), a controller, a state machine, gated or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any other suitable entity or combinations thereof that can perform calculations, process instructions for execution, and / or other manipulations of information.

[0065] In another embodiment, multiple processors and / or multiple buses may be used, as appropriate, along with multiple memories of multiple types (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core).

[0066] Also, multiple computing devices may be connected, with each device providing portions of the necessary operations (e.g., a server bank, a group of blade servers, or a multiprocessor system). Alternatively, some steps or methods may be performed by circuitry that is specific to a given function. According to various embodiments, the computer system may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to local and / or remotecomputing devices through a network. A computing device may connect to a network through a network interface unit connected to a bus. Computing devices may communicate communication media through wired networks, direct-wired connections or wirelessly, such as acoustic, RF, or infrared, through an antenna in communication with the network antenna and the network interface unit, which may include digital signal processing circuitry when necessary. The network interface unit may provide for communications under various modes or protocols.

[0067] In one or more exemplary aspects, the instructions may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combinations thereof. A computer readable medium may provide volatile or non-volatile storage for one or more sets of instructions, such as operating systems, data structures, program modules, applications, or other data embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The computer readable medium may include the memory, the processor, and / or the storage media and may be a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed computer system) that store the one or more sets of instructions. Non-transitory computer readable media includes all computer readable media, with the sole exception being a transitory, propagating signal per se. The instructions may further be transmitted or received over the network via the network interface unit as communication media, which may include a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics changed or set in a manner as to encode information in the signal.

[0068] Storage devices and memory include, but are not limited to, volatile and nonvolatile media such as cache, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, FLASH memory, or other solid state memory technology; discs (e.g., digital versatile discs (DVD), HD-DVD, BLU- RAY, compact disc (CD), or CD-ROM) or other optical storage; magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, floppy disks, or other magnetic storage devices; or any other medium that can be used to store the computer readable instructions and which can be accessed by the computer system.

[0069] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a“circuit,” “module”, “platform” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

[0070] Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0071] Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object-oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user’s computer, partly on the user’s computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user’s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter situation scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user’ s computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

[0072] Aspects of the present invention are described above with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0073] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0074] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0075] The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0076] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

[0077] The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system comprising: at least one sensor; at least one remote server including a software platform; at least one remote device; and at least one decentralized water treatment device or process, wherein the at least one decentralized water treatment device or process includes at least one consumable; wherein the at least one sensor, the at least one remote server, and the at least one remote device are in network communication; wherein the at least one sensor is positioned upstream of an inlet or downstream of an outlet of the at least one decentralized water treatment device or process; wherein the at least one sensor is designed to capture water data, wherein the water data includes an amount of water passing through the at least one decentralized water treatment consumable; wherein the at least one sensor is operable to transmit the water data to the at least one remote server; wherein the at least one remote server is operable to analyze the water data to determine a real-time status of the decentralized water treatment device consumable; andwherein the at least one remote server is operable to display a status of the real-time decentralized water treatment device consumable via a user interface of the at least one remote device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the water data further includes an amount of treated water and / or an amount of untreated water.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote server includes decentralized water treatment data, wherein the decentralized water treatment data includes a life expectancy of the at least one decentralized water treatment device consumable, wherein the software platform is designed to determine a remaining life expectancy of the at least one decentralized water treatment device consumable based on the water data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one remote server includes at least one algorithm operable to determine when the at least one decentralized water treatment device consumable needs to be replaced and / or the status of the water treatment process based on the water data.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one remote server is operable to transmit an alert to the at least one remote device when the at least one decentralized water treatment device consumable needs to be replaced or other maintenance action taken.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one sensor positioned upstream of an inlet of the decentralized water treatment device or process and at least one sensor downstream of an outlet of the decentralized water treatment device or process.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the decentralized water treatment device or process includes a water fountain, a water bottle filling station, an under sink, countertop, or faucetmounted water filtration system, a refrigerator water filter, an ice machine water filter, and / or a faucet fixture.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the software platform is designed to determine a life expectancy of the at least one decentralized water treatment consumable, a water capacity of the at least one decentralized water treatment consumable, an amount of treated water, and / or an amount of untreated water based on the water data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is further operable to detect a presence of contaminants, water temperature, water pressure, water pH, electrical conductivity, and / or a chlorine level.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a water flow sensor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one decentralized water treatment monitoring, operation, and maintenance system includes a plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes, wherein the at least one remote server is operable to receive data corresponding to each decentralized water treatment device or process of the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices and processes, wherein the at least one remote server is further operable to track and monitor a real-time status of each decentralized water treatment device or process of the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the software platform includes a plurality of dashboards, wherein at least one dashboard is a decentralized water treatment device or process dashboard, wherein the decentralized water treatment device or process dashboard displays decentralized water treatment consumable and / or status data corresponding to each device or process corresponding to the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes.

13. The system of claim 11, where the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes includes a water fountain, a water bottle filling station, an under sink, countertop, or faucet-mounted water filtration system, a refrigerator water filter, an ice machine water filter, and / or a faucet fixture.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the software platform is operable to display a cumulative amount of water data for the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes, wherein the cumulative amount of water data includes an amount of water that has passed through the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the cumulative amount of water data further includes an amount of treated water and an amount of untreated water.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the software platform includes at least one decentralized water treatment device or process dashboard, wherein the decentralized water treatment device or process dashboard includes data for each device or process of the plurality of decentralized treatment devices or processes.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the decentralized water treatment device or process data includes a remaining life expectancy and a consumable type for each device or process of the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor includes a water flow sensor.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor includes a plurality of sensors, wherein each decentralized water treatment device or process of the plurality of decentralized water treatment devices or processes includes at least one sensor upstream of an inlet of the decentralized water treatment device or process and / or at least one sensor downstream of an outlet of the decentralized water treatment device or process.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the water data includes treated water data and untreated water data, wherein the software platform is operable to determine when at least one decentralized water treatment consumable needs to be replaced based on the treated water data.

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