Method for associating a leak detector with an appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12007306-B2
Application number	US-202217829401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2022
Priority date	Jun 1, 2022
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A method for associating a leak detector with an appliance includes receiving data from a leak detector; detecting a sound signature of the appliance based at least in part on the sound signal; identifying the appliance as one of a plurality of appliance types; and associating the leak detector with the one of the plurality of appliance types.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for associating a leak detector with an appliance, comprising:
a leak detector with a microphone configured for monitoring sound generated during operation of an appliance;
a computing device in signal communication with the leak detector, the computing device configured for
receiving, via a wireless network with the leak detector, data corresponding to a sound signal generated by the appliance;
detecting a sound signature of the appliance based at least in part on the sound signal, the sound signature corresponding to one of a plurality of appliance types;
identifying the appliance as the one of the plurality of appliance types; and
associating the leak detector with the one of the plurality of appliance types.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sound signal generated by the appliance corresponds to noise emitted by the appliance during operation of the appliance.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured for transmitting data corresponding to the association of the leak detector with the one of the plurality of appliance types to a remote server.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the leak detector is further configured for transmitting data corresponding to a leak detection alert in response to the microphone receiving a leak sound signal generated by the appliance.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the appliance is deactivatable in response to receiving the data corresponding to the leak detection alert.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured for identifying the appliance as the one of the plurality of appliance types by comparing the sound signature of the appliance to a plurality of reference sound signatures for the plurality of appliance types.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises one of a tablet, a smartphone, and a personal computer.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of appliance types comprises two or more of a dishwasher appliance, a refrigerator appliance, a washing machine appliance, an ice maker appliance, and a water heater appliance.

9. A method for associating a leak detector with an appliance, comprising:
receiving data from a leak detector at a computing system that includes one or more computing devices via a wireless network, the data from the leak detector corresponding to a sound signal generated by an appliance received at a microphone of the leak detector;
detecting, with the computing system, a sound signature of the appliance based at least in part on the sound signal, the sound signature corresponding to one of a plurality of appliance types;
identifying, with the computing system, the appliance as the one of the plurality of appliance types; and
associating, with the computing system, the leak detector with the one of the plurality of appliance types.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sound signal generated by the appliance corresponds to noise emitted by the appliance during operation of the appliance.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving, at the computing system, data corresponding to a leak detection alert from the leak detector via the wireless network.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting, from the computing system, data corresponding to a deactivation command to the appliance via the wireless network in response to the leak detection alert.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein identifying the appliance as the one of the plurality of appliance types comprises comparing the sound signature of the appliance to a plurality of reference sound signatures for the plurality of appliance types.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more computing devices comprises a tablet, a smartphone, or a personal computer.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of appliance types comprises two or more of a dishwasher appliance, a refrigerator appliance, a washing machine appliance, an ice maker appliance, and a water heater appliance.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Hahn Janghwan
• Scheckelhoff Ryan James

Classifications

• H04R3/00

  Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title

• G08B21/18

  Status alarms (G08B21/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R1/08

  Mouthpieces; {Microphones;} Attachments therefor · CPC title

• H04R1/028

  associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles · CPC title