Water Meter Analytics Unit for Appliance Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional property monitoring systems lack the ability to accurately identify and track water consumption by individual appliances within a property, leading to inefficiencies and potential waste, as they cannot differentiate between various water-using devices based on their consumption patterns.
Innovation Solution
A connected-home monitoring system that uses a water meter analytics unit to obtain and analyze water consumption data and appliance signatures, allowing it to identify specific water dispensing appliances by comparing consumption patterns and generating output data to alert users about current water usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional property monitoring systems are used to monitor water consumption, then the system can detect overall water usage at the property, but it cannot identify which specific appliances are using water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the aggregate water consumption signal into individual appliance usage patterns by analyzing temporal characteristics, flow rates, and consumption profiles. The water meter analytics unit divides the overall water usage data into discrete appliance-level measurements, enabling identification of specific water dispensing appliances without adding physical sensors to each appliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the need for physical mechanical sensors at each appliance with a computational analysis system. Instead of installing additional hardware sensors throughout the property, the system uses signal processing and pattern recognition algorithms to substitute for direct appliance-level measurement, reducing device complexity while improving measurement precision.
2Loss of substance
If aggregate water consumption data is monitored without disaggregation, then the monitoring system remains simple, but water waste cannot be identified or addressed
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring water consumption patterns, comparing them against known appliance profiles, and providing real-time identification of which appliances are currently using water. This feedback loop enables users to take immediate action to address water waste by identifying the specific source of excessive consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-establishing appliance consumption profiles and patterns during normal operation. These pre-analyzed profiles are stored and used as reference data for rapid appliance identification when water usage events occur, enabling quick response to water waste without requiring complex real-time analysis from scratch.
3Loss of information
If appliance-specific water usage tracking is implemented, then users gain detailed insights into consumption patterns, but the system complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The water meter analytics unit serves multiple functions: it monitors aggregate water consumption, disaggregates the signal into appliance-level data, identifies specific appliances in use, tracks consumption patterns over time, and provides user notifications. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate systems into a single universal analytics platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically analyzing and interpreting water consumption data without requiring manual intervention. The analytics unit autonomously compares consumption patterns against appliance profiles, identifies water-using appliances, and generates insights, eliminating the need for manual meter reading or manual appliance tracking by users.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage device, for identifying one or more water dispensing appliances that are currently using water. In one aspect, the method includes actions of obtaining a dispensing appliance signature, obtaining water consumption data that is based on first sensor data from a first sensor that is installed at the property, identifying a particular water dispensing appliance from among multiple different water dispensing appliances located at the property based on an analysis of (i) the water dispensing appliance signature and (ii) the water consumption data, and responsive to identifying the particular water dispensing appliance located at the property based on an analysis of (i) the water dispensing appliance signature and (ii) the water consumption data, generating output data based on the one or more particular water dispensing appliances that were identified.