Water outlet control system using sound variation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9249937-B2
Application number	US-201213652511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2012
Priority date	Oct 16, 2012
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

The flow of a fluid such as water is controlled through an outlet by detecting sound within an environment at a first time and generating a first profile based upon the content of the sound detected at the first time. The flow of the fluid is further controlled by detecting sound within the environment at a second time and generating a second profile based upon the content of the sound detected at the second time. The flow of the fluid is still further controlled by comparing the second profile with the first profile and controlling a control valve to shut off a supply of the fluid exiting a tap based upon the results of the comparison.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a flow of a fluid through an outlet comprising:
detecting a first sound within an environment of a flowing fluid at a first time, wherein the environment is outside a pipe carrying the flowing fluid;
generating a first profile based upon content of the first detected sound at the first time, wherein the first profile is a first frequency profile;
detecting a second sound within the same environment at a second time in succession with the first time;
generating a second profile based upon content of the second detected sound at the second time, wherein the second profile is a second frequency profile;
comparing the second profile with the first profile to determine if there is a change in the frequency of the first profile and the second profile over time; and
controlling a control valve to shut off a supply of the fluid exiting a tap if the comparison indicates that the change in frequency between the first profile and the second profile over time is below a predetermined threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein:
generating a first profile comprises generating the first profile to have frequency information of the first sound of the fluid in its environment from a source outside the tap and pipe carrying the fluid, which is detected at the first time;
generating a second profile comprises generating the second profile to have frequency information of the second sound of the fluid in its environment at the same location and from the same source outside the tap and pipe carrying the fluid, where the second profile is detected at the second time.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
designating the second profile as a current profile;
generating a plurality of past profiles by:
designating the first profile as a past profile;
detecting an additional sound within the environment during at least one additional time before the second time; and
generating an additional past profile based upon content of the detected additional sound at each additional time;

wherein:
comparing the second profile with the first profile further comprises comparing the current profile to the plurality of past profiles.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein:
comparing the current profile to the plurality of past profiles comprises:
comparing the current profile to each past profile individually, where each comparison is designated as an observation;
considering a given observation to be constant if the difference between the current profile and a past profile of the plurality of past profiles that corresponds to the given observation is less than a first threshold; and
determining whether the current profile has remained constant for above a second threshold number of observations.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
designating the first profile as a past profile; and
repeatedly performing a flow control operation by:
detecting a current sound within the environment at a current time;
generating a current profile based upon content of the current detected sound at the current time;
comparing the current profile with the past profile;
controlling the control valve to shut off a supply of the fluid exiting the tap based upon results of the comparison; and
designating the current profile as the past profile after comparing the current profile with the past profile.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein:
identifying the difference between the first profile and the second profile comprises adapting for predetermined conditions by changing matching criteria used to identify differences.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein:
changing the matching criteria comprises changing at least one parameter affecting a frequency determination used to identify differences.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
adapting for predetermined conditions by varying at least one time-based parameter when detecting sound.

9. A system that controls flow of a fluid through an outlet comprising:
a processor coupled to memory, the memory including instructions that cause the processor to:
receive a first detected sound within an environment of a flowing fluid at a first time, wherein the environment is outside a pipe carrying the flowing fluid;
generate a first profile based upon content of the first detected sound at the first time, wherein the first profile is a first frequency profile;
receive a second detected sound within the environment at a second time, wherein the second sound is detected in succession with the first time;
generate a second profile based upon the content of the second detected sound at the second time, wherein the first profile is a first frequency profile;
compare the second profile with the first profile to determine if there is a change in the frequency of the first profile and the second profile over time; and
control a control valve to shut off a supply of the fluid exiting a tap if the comparison indicates that the change in frequency between the first profile and the second profile over time is below a predetermined threshold.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein:
the processor is programmed to generate the first profile by generating the first profile to have frequency information of the first sound of the fluid in its environment from a source outside the tap and pipe carrying the fluid, which is detected at the first time;
the processor is programmed to generate the second profile by generating the second profile to have frequency information of the second sound of the fluid in its environment at the same location and from the same source outside the tap and pipe carrying the fluid, where the second profile is detected at the second time.

11. The system according to claim 9 wherein the processor is further programmed to:
designate the second profile as a current profile;
generate a plurality of past profiles by:
designating the first profile as a past profile;
detecting an additional sound within the environment during at least one additional time before the second time; and
generating an additional past profile based upon content of the detected additional sound at each additional time;

wherein:
the processor compares the second profile with the first profile further comprises comparing the current profile to the plurality of past profiles.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein:
the processor is programmed to compare the current profile to the plurality of past profiles by:
comparing the current profile to each past profile individually, where each comparison is designated as an observation;
considering a given observation to be constant if the difference between the current profile and a past profile of the plurality of past profiles that corresponds to the given observation is less than a first threshold; and
determining whether the current profile has remained constant for above a second threshold number of observations.

13. The system according to claim 9 wherein the processor is further programmed to:
designate the first profile as a past profile; and
repeatedly perform a flow control operation by:
detecting a current sound within the environment at a current time;
generating a current profile based upon content of the detected current sound at the current time;
comparing the current profile with the past profile;
controlling the control valve to shut off a supply of the fluid exiting the tap based upon results of the comparison; and
designating the current profile as the past profile after comparing the current profile with

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Mittal Vani
• Ponniah Anbumunee

Classifications

• F17D3/00 Primary

  Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations · CPC title

• Y10T137/8158

  With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means · CPC title

• Y10T137/0324

  With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid · CPC title

• G01M3/24

  using infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic vibrations · CPC title

• E03B7/071 Primary

  Arrangement of safety devices in domestic pipe systems, e.g. devices for automatic shut-off · CPC title