This invention is a compact water monitoring system for multi-unit buildings, such as condominiums, that measures the water flow of individual apartments without invasive installation of separate meters. It uses small sensors mounted on a building’s common vertical riser: one type uses thermal pulses between embedded thermometers to gauge flow speed, and another uses a magnetic rotor driven by flow. Data from all sensors is transmitted via a single cable to a central computer for real-time analysis. The main benefits include precise, continuous monitoring of each unit’s usage, lower installation and maintenance costs, and greater durability (no exposed moving parts) than traditional meters. It can detect even slight flow changes (from drips to multiple fixtures using water). The system enables fair billing for tenants, encourages conservation by providing exact usage data, and supports sustainability goals. Its scalable design and easy integration make water tracking easy, accurate, and cost-effective for building owners, managers, or utility providers.
Problem
The patent addresses the problem of accurately measuring water consumption per individual unit in a multi-apartment building. Traditional methods require installing separate meters in each apartment, which is costly and invasive. This makes fair billing and monitoring difficult. In many condominiums, lack of precise per-unit measurement leads to billing challenges and potential waste, indicating a clear need for non-invasive, accurate flow monitoring.
Target Customers
Likely customers include residential property owners and managers (e.g. condominium associations), real estate developers, and water utility companies who need to allocate costs to individual units. The system may also appeal to building maintenance services and home automation integrators. The description focuses on condominiums, so primarily multi-unit residential buildings; other industries are not explicitly specified.
Existing Solutions
The description notes that traditional solutions involve invasive individual water meters for each unit, which are expensive and complex to install. Existing meters can suffer from wear and interference (e.g., pipe debris) and inaccuracies under varying conditions like temperature and pressure. Beyond that, the patent text does not detail other prior methods. In general, current practices likely include either manual measurements or central building meters with estimated allocation, which the invention aims to improve upon.
Market Context
This system is intended for multi-tenant residential buildings and could also apply to similar structures (e.g. apartment complexes, student housing, or office buildings). The context suggests a broad potential market in residential construction and property management, especially in regions focusing on utility efficiency. It is not limited to a niche use-case, but adoption will depend on factors like building infrastructure and cost-benefit considerations. The invention aligns with smart building and IoT trends, though specific market scale is not provided.
Regulatory Context
This relates to building utilities and water distribution. There would be standard plumbing and utility regulations to consider (e.g. certification of water meter accuracy), but it is not in a heavily regulated industry like medical devices. Liability and regulation are likely limited to ensuring safe potable water installation and meeting any local rules on water metering. No unusual regulatory burdens are obvious from the description.
Trends Impact
This invention aligns with sustainability and smart infrastructure trends. It supports water conservation and efficiency by providing precise consumption data (addressing environmental and cost-saving goals). It fits within the broader move toward digital monitoring and IoT in buildings. The emphasis on cost-effective, scalable monitoring reflects trends in affordable smart home/building technologies. Overall, it matches current interest in resource management and sustainability.
Limitations Unknowns
Key uncertainties include the practical performance and durability of the sensors in real-world conditions; the description does not provide installation case studies or cost figures. It is unclear how the system handles diverse plumbing materials or layouts, or how it is calibrated. Market acceptance factors (e.g. willingness of building owners to retrofit sensors) and competition are also not detailed. No regulatory compliance details or long-term validation are given, so these aspects remain unknown.
Rating
The invention addresses a genuine need (per-unit water billing) and offers clear practical benefits in cost and durability, which raises its scores for problem significance and advantage. It applies relatively mature sensing technology in a clever way, so novelty and IP scores are moderate rather than high. The target market (multi-unit buildings) is substantial, boosting the market potential score, but actual adoption depends on cost and seamless integration. Feasibility and regulatory friction are rated favorably given the straightforward application. In sum, the rating reflects solid utility and alignment with sustainability trends, tempered by moderate novelty and uncertainty about real-world performance and patent breadth.
Problem Significance ( 7/10)
Accurately billing water use per apartment is a well-known challenge in multi-unit buildings, as the text notes. This has clear financial and sustainability implications, indicating a meaningful problem. It is important (fair billing and conservation), but not an emergency safety issue, so a moderately high score is given.
Novelty & Inventive Step ( 5/10)
The system combines known sensing methods (thermal pulse timing and magnetic flow rotors) in a new way for apartment water monitoring. This is a practical improvement, but the core techniques appear to be existing technologies. Given the lack of detailed prior-art discussion, the approach seems moderately inventive but not a radical breakthrough.
IP Strength & Breadth ( 4/10)
Without seeing specific claims, the patent appears fairly focused on particular sensor types and placement. This may protect the specific design, but competitors could use other sensor technologies or configurations. Thus the patent might offer limited broad protection and could be worked around.
Advantage vs Existing Solutions ( 7/10)
The invention claims clear benefits over current meters: lower installation cost, higher precision (even detecting drips), and better durability. These are tangible improvements. While not quantified, the advantages seem significant enough to justify switching from older methods in many cases.
Market Size & Adoption Potential ( 6/10)
Multi-unit housing is a large global market, suggesting good potential reach. The solution aligns with efficiency trends, increasing potential adoption. However, retrofit challenges and investment costs could limit uptake. No data on market projections is provided, so the score remains moderate.
Implementation Feasibility & Cost ( 8/10)
The technology uses known components (thermometers and flow rotors) and claims minimal installation changes. This suggests a realistic, affordable implementation path. Feasibility appears high, though actual costs and engineering details are not given.
Regulatory & Liability Friction ( 9/10)
Water metering in buildings is generally low-risk from a regulatory standpoint. Aside from meeting standard plumbing and measurement accuracy codes, there are no high-hazard concerns. Thus, regulatory hurdles appear minimal.
Competitive Defensibility (Real-World) ( 5/10)
The approach uses accessible technologies, so competitors could potentially replicate similar monitoring systems. Unless integrated with strong software or IP enforcement, the advantage might last only a few years. The concept isn’t extremely complex, so long-term exclusivity is uncertain.
Versatility & Licensing Potential ( 6/10)
The core idea applies broadly to any multi-tenant water system, so numerous property-management firms and utilities could license it. However, it remains focused on water metering, limiting cross-industry applications. Still, various building types and countries could use it, giving a moderately broad potential license base.
Strategic & Impact Alignment ( 8/10)
This system is well-aligned with sustainability and efficiency goals by promoting water conservation and fair usage billing. It matches strategic trends in smart city infrastructure and environmental responsibility. The impact is positive (resource saving) and directly addresses those themes, though it’s not solving a critical public health or safety crisis.