Fluid Delivery Gateway Retrofit for Cloud Sensor Integration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluid delivery systems lack interoperability with cloud-based services and are unable to integrate data from various sensors, leading to inefficient management and increased waste and costs.
Innovation Solution
A central system that integrates with local fluid delivery systems to collect and analyze data from sensors, enabling real-time monitoring, leak detection, and automated responses, including retrofitted communication with existing systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fluid delivery systems are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but interoperability with cloud-based services and sensor integration capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary component that bridges conventional fluid delivery controllers and cloud-based services. The gateway receives data from legacy controllers via serial or other legacy interfaces, processes and formats the data, then transmits it to cloud platforms through wireless communication. This intermediary approach enables interoperability without requiring modification of the original conventional controllers, thus maintaining simplicity while adding cloud connectivity capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fluid delivery systems are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but sensor integration capability and data availability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device is designed with multi-functional capabilities to integrate multiple sensor types and communication protocols. It can simultaneously interface with various sensors (flow meters, pressure sensors, temperature sensors), legacy controllers, and cloud services using different communication standards. This universal design allows a single device to perform multiple functions: data collection from diverse sources, protocol conversion, data processing, and cloud communication, thereby enabling sensor integration without proportionally increasing system complexity.
3Productivity
If real-time monitoring and cloud integration are implemented, then management efficiency is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated monitoring and management functions where the gateway device autonomously collects data from sensors and controllers, processes the information locally, and automatically transmits relevant data to cloud services. The system can automatically detect anomalies, generate alerts, and provide real-time insights without requiring manual intervention. This self-service capability improves management efficiency by eliminating the need for manual system checks and data collection, while the automated nature keeps operational complexity manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for managing delivery of water or other fluids have been disclosed. A central server provides real-time data and cost analysis to a client. In addition, fluid delivery techniques provide alerts or automatic schedule suspensions to reduce risk of loss. The techniques reduce or eliminate the impact of air or gas captured with water or other fluid of a fluid delivery system. The techniques allow a preexisting fluid delivery system to be retrofitted to communicate with a central system and one or more sensors of a fluid delivery system.