Connected Water Device Monitoring for Leak Detection and Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water systems lack the ability to monitor and control individual water usage, detect leaks, and provide remote alerts for maintenance issues, leading to financial and environmental waste, especially in homes with water filtration systems and water softeners.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a water device, gateway device, and server that communicates through an electronic network to monitor and control water systems, using identifiers, machine learning models, and predictive analytics to optimize device configurations and detect maintenance issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional meters are used to monitor water usage, then the total amount of water used can be determined, but information about water usage at individual taps and appliances, leaks, and remote accessibility is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the water monitoring system into multiple components: individual water meters for each tap and appliance, a central control unit, and remote communication modules. This segmentation allows detailed tracking of water usage at each location while distributing system functions to reduce complexity at any single point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional monitoring system that simultaneously provides: local water usage measurement, leak detection, remote accessibility, and predictive maintenance capabilities. The central control unit serves multiple purposes by aggregating data from various sensors and communicating with both local and remote users.
2Reliability
If water filtration systems and water softeners are installed, then water quality is improved, but the cost of wasted filtered or softened water is higher
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the monitoring system continuously tracks water usage patterns and provides real-time information to users about consumption at each tap and appliance. This feedback enables users to adjust behavior and reduce waste of expensive filtered or softened water while maintaining necessary water quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of potential leaks and abnormal usage patterns before actual water waste occurs. By identifying issues early through continuous monitoring and predictive analytics, the system prevents waste of treated water while ensuring water quality standards are maintained.
3Extent of automation
If connected water devices with controllers are used, then automatic control functions are enabled, but the devices are not responsive to maintenance issues until problems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements predictive maintenance functionality that performs preliminary detection of potential device failures and maintenance needs before actual problems occur. The system analyzes usage patterns, sensor data, and device performance metrics to predict when maintenance is needed, enabling proactive scheduling of service before reliability deteriorates.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system continuously provides feedback on device performance and health status to both local controllers and remote users. This feedback loop enables the system to detect anomalies and potential maintenance issues in real-time, triggering alerts and enabling responsive maintenance actions rather than waiting for failures.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided, which relate to identification, troubleshooting, and maintenance/repair of water systems and water devices within such systems. A given water device may include an identifier which may be captured by an installation device when attempting to install the water device and sent to a remote server. The remote server may identify the water device and provide installation support, registration, and/or configuration of the water device. Configuration of the water device may be performed based on configurations of other highly-performing water devices that are similar to the water device, as identified by the server. Problem signatures associated with known possible problems that may arise within a water device may be generated and stored in memory, then may be referenced against real-time device operation data and/or configuration data of the water device in order to diagnose and recommend remediation of problems with the water device.