Patent · US Expired

Method for detecting water meter malfunction, calculating the duration thereof, and device for implementing same

US6082169A · kind A · utility

2Cited by
1References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 17, 1998
Grant dateJul 4, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 17, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01F25/10
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for detecting water meter malfunction and calculating the duration thereof, includes measuring the average flow rate for each volume unit detected after the preceding volume unit, comparing this average flow rate with two limit flow rates which are a first flow rate corresponding to the minimal flow rate when the meter is operating normally and a second flow rate corresponding to the minimal flow rate when the meter is operating defectively, calculating, when an average flow rate is found to be higher than the first flow rate, the relation between the sum of recorded volume units between the two flow rates and the sum to which is added the sum of volume units recorded at flow rates higher than the second flow rate, starting a clock when this relation is lower than a defectiveness threshold and stopping it when the relation is once more higher than the said threshold.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.