Outdoor Leak Detection Using Infrared Imagery and Meter Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems struggle to accurately and efficiently identify outdoor leaks in water supply networks due to limited monitoring capabilities, which leads to significant water loss and property damage.
Innovation Solution
A system and method combining environmental imagery, particularly infrared imagery, with utility supply network data and property lot polygons, utilizing machine learning to pinpoint leak locations and generate leak notifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional utility monitoring is used to detect leaks, then water loss can be detected, but the location of the leak cannot be precisely identified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional utility monitoring that only measures flow amounts to a multi-dimensional approach by integrating environmental imagery (aerial/satellite photos) with utility network data. This adds spatial and visual dimensions to the detection process, enabling precise leak location identification while maintaining water loss detection capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges environmental imagery data with utility supply network information to create a comprehensive leak detection approach. By combining these previously separate data sources, the system achieves both water loss detection and precise spatial localization of leaks.
2Measurement precision
If environmental imagery is used to identify leak locations, then spatial information is obtained, but the amount of water loss cannot be quantified
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines environmental imagery (which provides spatial information about leak locations) with utility monitoring data (which provides flow amount information). This merging allows the system to simultaneously identify where leaks occur and quantify how much water is being lost, resolving the limitation of using either method alone.
3Measurement precision
If manual inspection methods are used to locate outdoor leaks, then accurate identification is possible, but the process is costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual inspection methods with an automated computer-implemented system that processes environmental imagery and utility data. This substitution eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming field inspections while maintaining high accuracy in leak location identification through algorithmic analysis of aerial/satellite imagery and network data.
4Reliability
If comprehensive monitoring of the entire utility network is implemented, then all leaks can be detected, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the density of physical sensors in the ground, the system uses aerial/satellite imagery from above to monitor the entire utility network. This dimensional shift allows comprehensive leak detection coverage without the complexity and cost of deploying extensive underground sensor networks, as the imagery can capture moisture indicators across large areas simultaneously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the identification of outdoor leaks by correlating moisture anomalies in environmental imagery with utility network data, providing precise leak location probabilities and enabling automatic shutoff mechanisms to minimize water loss.
Implementation Method 1
infrared environmental imagery detects heat energy which can indicate wet areas on land surfaces
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer implemented method implemented on a computer system including non-transient memory storing instructions for identifying leak locations based on environmental includes tracking a utility supply usage environment in environmental imagery captured over a period of time, identifying changes in the environmental imagery indicative of a leak location, applying a property profile to the utility supply usage environment to generate leak location property data, identifying one or more flow measurement devices based on the leak location and leak location property data, and generating a leak notification based on the leak location in the environmental imagery, the property profile data and meter data from the identified one or more flow measurement devices