Smart Floor Covering with Integrated Sensor for Leak Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies fail to effectively detect and mitigate liquid leaks and spills on floor coverings, leading to potential damage to underlying structures and health risks from moisture and mold growth, especially in residential and industrial settings where timely detection is crucial for minimizing financial losses.
Innovation Solution
A floor covering system integrated with a sensor assembly, processing element, and transmitter that detects liquid presence, calculates the affected area, and communicates with a software application on an electronic device to alert responsible parties and insurance companies, facilitating prompt action and insurance claims.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional floor coverings are used without integrated sensors, then the device complexity remains low, but the ability to detect liquid leaks and spills in a timely manner is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the floor covering with integrated sensor assemblies, processing elements, and transmitters into a single unified system. The sensor assembly is embedded within the floor covering structure, allowing liquid detection functionality to be merged with the existing floor covering rather than being a separate additive system.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor covering system performs multiple functions: it serves as a structural floor covering while simultaneously acting as a liquid detection device, processing unit, and communication system. The same floor covering structure houses sensors that detect liquid, processors that analyze data, and transmitters that send alerts, making the system multi-functional.
2Loss of time
If rapid liquid detection is implemented, then the time to mitigate damage is reduced, but the cost and complexity of the system increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor assembly is pre-installed and continuously monitoring within the floor covering, ready to detect liquid immediately upon contact. The system performs preliminary detection before significant damage occurs, with the processing element and transmitter already in place to rapidly communicate alerts, eliminating detection delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where sensors continuously monitor for liquid, the processing element immediately analyzes sensor data upon liquid detection, and the transmitter rapidly sends notifications to appropriate parties. This continuous feedback mechanism ensures minimal detection and response time.
3Reliability
If comprehensive liquid detection and insurance integration is implemented, then loss mitigation capability is improved, but the ease of operation and installation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The processing element automatically analyzes sensor data and determines when liquid is present without requiring manual intervention. The system self-manages the detection process, data analysis, and trigger conditions for alerts, reducing the operational complexity for users while maintaining comprehensive loss mitigation capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for detecting a leak or spill and mitigating losses resulting therefrom comprises a floor covering and a software application. The floor covering includes a sensor assembly, a processing element, and a transmitter. The sensor assembly generates information when exposed to liquid. The processing element determines a location of the liquid based upon the information from the sensor assembly. The transmitter transmits data regarding the liquid. The software application executes on an electronic device and is operable to receive data from the floor covering regarding the liquid; display a message that liquid has been detected on the floor covering; calculate an area of the liquid; determine whether a leak is still occurring and if so, shut an electronically controllable valve; transmit data regarding the liquid to an insurance provider; and/or receive insurance-related information from the insurance provider, such as information related to a proposed insurance claim or estimated damage.