Cloud-based analytics for water heaters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10754331-B2
Application number	US-201816025414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2018
Priority date	Jul 2, 2018
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

A remote water heater monitoring system is configured to communicate with a plurality of client water heaters over a network. The system processes received data related to the operation of the plurality of client water heaters and identifies one or more baseline trends over time related to water heater performance and/or water heater reliability using the received data from one or more of the client water heaters and identifies one or more abnormalities in the operation of a particular one of the client water heaters based on the baseline trends. An alert is generated for one or more of the abnormalities in the operation of the particular one of the client water heaters and is associated with a corresponding client account.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A remote water heater monitoring system comprising:
a communications port configured to operatively communicate with a plurality of client water heaters over a network, and to receive data related to the operation of a plurality of client water heaters, wherein the received data includes an impedance of a hot surface ignitor of a client water heater of the plurality of client water heaters, the hot surface ignitor configured to ignite a flame of the client water heater, wherein each of the client water heaters services a corresponding client building, and wherein each of the client water heaters is associated with a particular client account of a plurality of client accounts;
a memory configured to store the received data related to the operation of the plurality of client water heaters;
a controller operatively coupled to the memory, wherein the controller includes a processor for processing at least some of the received data related to the operation of the plurality of client water heaters and to:
identify one or more baseline trends over time related to at least one of: water heater performance or water heater reliability using the received data from two or more of the client water heaters;
based on the identified one or more baseline trends, identify one or more abnormalities in the operation of at least a particular one of the client water heaters using the received data;
identify a degradation of the impedance of the hot surface ignitor of the client water heater over time;
estimate an end of life of the hot surface ignitor;
generate an alert for one or more of the abnormalities in the operation of at least the particular one of the client water heaters;
associate the alert with the client account that corresponds to at least the particular one of the client water heaters;
provide access to the alert via the client account that corresponds to at least the particular one of the client water heaters; and
communicate one or more commands to at least the particular client water heater via the communications port, wherein the one or more commands include one or more operational commands that raises or lowers a temperature threshold for at least the particular client water heater.

2. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to estimate an end of life for the particular one of the client water heaters based at least in part on the identified one or more baseline trends and the received data from the particular one of the client water heaters.

3. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the alert is a preemptive alert that predicts a future failure of one or more components of the particular one of the client water heaters.

4. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more baseline trends are identified by identifying statistically significant trends over time in the received data from a plurality of different client water heaters.

5. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more baseline trends include:
a first baseline trend that is identified using received data from two or more of the client water heaters located in a first geographical region and is used to identify one or more abnormalities in the operation of a particular one of the client water heaters in the first geographical region; and
a second baseline trend that is identified using received data from two or more of the client water heaters located in a second geographical region and is used to identify one or more abnormalities in the operation of a particular one of the client water heaters in the second geographical region.

6. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more baseline trends include:
a first baseline trend that is identified using received data from two or more of the client water heaters of a first model of water heater and is used to identify one or more abnormalities in the operation of a particular one of the client water heaters of the first model of water heater; and
a second baseline trend that is identified using received data from two or more of the client water heaters of a second model of water heater and is used to identify one or more abnormalities in the operation of a particular one of the client water heaters of the second model or water heater.

7. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more baseline trends include:
a first baseline trend that is identified using received data from two or more of the client water heaters of a first age category and is used to identify one or more abnormalities in the operation of a particular one of the client water heaters of the first age category; and
a second baseline trend that is identified using received data from two or more of the client water heaters of a second age category and is used to identify one or more abnormalities in the operation of a particular one of the client water heaters of the second age category.

8. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more commands include one or more troubleshooting commands.

9. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect a reduction in water heater performance and/or water heater reliability of a particular client water heater, and wherein the one or more commands include the one or more operational commands configured to improve water heater performance and/or water heater reliability communicated in response to detecting a reduction in water heater performance and/or water heater reliability.

10. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 9 , wherein the particular client water heater operates in accordance with a set point dead band defined by a lower temperature threshold and an upper temperature threshold, wherein the particular client water heater activates a burner of the client water heater to heat water in a water tank of the client water heater when the water temperature falls to the lower temperature threshold and deactivates the burner when the water temperature reaches the upper temperature threshold, and wherein the one or more operational commands configured to improve water heater performance and/or water heater reliability comprises an operation command to raise the lower temperature threshold of the set point dead band.

11. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to estimate water usage through the particular one of the client water heaters based at least in part on received data from the particular one of the client water heaters.

12. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to estimate water usage through the particular one of the client water heaters based at least in part on an elapse burner run time of the particular one of the client water heaters.

13. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to estimate water usage through the particular one of the client water heaters based at least in part on an elapse burner run time and an inlet water temperature of the particular one of the client water heaters.

14. The remote water heater monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more abnormalities includes a water leak in a particular one of the client water heaters, wherein the water leak is detected by repeated short burner cycles and/or a higher than expected decay rate in water temperature in a water tank in the particular one of the

Assignees

• Ademco Inc

Inventors

• Anderson Peter
• Strand Rolf L
• Myre Adam
• Smith Timothy J
• Hazzard Frederick
• Mitchell John D
• Foley Adam
• Khosla Tony
• Young Gregory

Classifications

• G05B2223/04

  Detection of intermittent failure · CPC title

• G05B23/0232

  based on qualitative trend analysis, e.g. system evolution · CPC title

• G05D23/1917

  using digital means · CPC title

• G05B2223/06

  Remote monitoring · CPC title

• G05B23/0205 Primary

  by means of a monitoring system capable of detecting and responding to faults · CPC title