Patent Issued for System to monitor and process water-related data (USPTO 12008483): Hartford Fire Insurance Company

2024 JUL 03 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- From Alexandria, Virginia, NewsRx journalists report that a patent by the inventors Alsubai, Saleh Ahmed (West Hartford, CT, US), Kasala, Satish K (Avon, CT, US), Rickard, Susan A. (West Suffield, CT, US), filed on June 13, 2022, was published online on June 11, 2024.

The patent’s assignee for patent number 12008483 is Hartford Fire Insurance Company (Hartford, Connecticut, United States).

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “An enterprise may want to monitor and/or process water-related data. For example, a general contractor might want to receive an alert message when a pipe has broken and is flooding a construction site (e.g., during the weekend or at night when no workers are present to witness the accident). Similarly, an enterprise might want to be informed when a roof begins to leak, flood waters have entered a building site, etc. Manually placing water sensors based on an expert’s knowledge and then interpreting data from those sensors, however, can be an expensive and error-prone process. For example, it might not be immediately obvious that an unexplained drop in temperature in one area of a construction site is being caused by a broken faucet. In some cases, water flow rates and/or rates-of-change associated with water flow might be utilized to detect potential problems and/or to formulate a course of action to limit damage. Note, however, that normal water usage patterns may vary considerably (e.g., substantially more water might normally be used during the day as compared to an overnight period), making it difficult to set or program appropriate “thresholds” to trigger an alert message. As a result, improved ways to facilitate a monitoring and/or processing of water-related data may be desired.”

As a supplement to the background information on this patent, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “According to some embodiments, systems, methods, apparatus, computer program code and means may facilitate a monitoring and/or processing of water-related data. In some embodiments, a plurality of water-related sensors may each include an environmental characteristic detection element, a power source, and a communication device to transmit data associated with water at a site. A water impact data store may contain electronic records associated with prior water-related events at other sites along with water-related sensor location data for those sites, and a third-party information interface may receive third-party information. An enterprise analytics platform may automatically analyze the electronic records in the water impact data store to create a predictive analytics algorithm. The data associated with water at the site and the third-party information may then be automatically analyzed, in substantially real-time, using the predictive analytics algorithm, and a result of the analysis may then be transmitted (e.g., to a party associated with the site or an on-site water shut-off valve).

“Some embodiments provide: means for collecting, from a plurality of water-related sensors, data associated with water at the site via a communication network, wherein each water-related sensor includes: (i) an environmental characteristic detection element to sense an environmental characteristic, (ii) a power source, and (iii) a communication device, coupled to the environmental characteristic detection element and the power source, to transmit the data associated with water; means for storing, in a water impact data store, electronic records associated with prior water-related events at other sites along with water-related sensor location data for those sites; means for receiving, via a third-party information interface, third-party information; means for automatically analyzing, by a computer processor of an enterprise analytics platform, the electronic records in the water impact data store to create a predictive analytics algorithm; means for automatically analyzing, by the computer processor of the enterprise analytics platform in substantially real-time, the data associated with water at the site and the third-party information using the predictive analytics algorithm; and means for transmitting, from the enterprise analytics platform, an indication of a result of the analysis.

“A technical effect of some embodiments of the invention is an improved, secure, and computerized method to facilitate a monitoring and/or processing of water-related data. With these and other advantages and features that will become hereinafter apparent, a more complete understanding of the nature of the invention can be obtained by referring to the following detailed description and to the drawings appended hereto.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A system associated with a site, comprising: a plurality of water-related sensors, each water-related sensor including: an environmental characteristic sensor that senses an environmental characteristic, a power source, and a transmitter, coupled to the environmental characteristic sensor and the power source, that transmits data associated with water at the site via a first communication network; a water impact data store containing electronic records associated with prior water-related events at other sites along with water-related sensor location data for those sites; a third-party information interface that receives third-party information; and a computer processor that: (i) automatically analyzes the electronic records in the water impact data store to create a predictive analytics model trained via cognitive learning and pattern recognition to output one or more potential water damage patterns, (ii) receives the data associated with water at the site and the third-party information, (iii) automatically analyzes, in real-time, the data associated with water at the site and the third-party information using the predictive analytics model, and (iv) transmits an indication of a result of the analysis, wherein the result is a water event cause including a predicted origination location of water and a water damage risk, wherein the indication is an alert signal that is transmitted, the alert signal including: 1. sensor statistics including a sensor operational status displayed on a user interface and a sensor battery life, and the displayed sensor operational status is one of an “operational” text, a “failed” text and a “mobile” text, and 2. at least one water damage pattern of the one or more potential water damage patterns, the at least one water damage pattern based on execution of the trained predictive analytics model, the at least one water damage pattern including a water damage amount; wherein the indication of the result of the analysis is used to pre-populate at least one data element in a template associated with a water event at the site, wherein the template is partially filled out by the pre-populated data element.

“2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert signal is transmitted based on one of: a water damage risk exceeding a threshold level, an unusual level of moisture, and at least one condition outside a normal range for the respective condition.

“3. The system of claim 1, wherein an output of the predictive analytics model is to move on-site equipment.

“4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted alert signal includes a recommendation to shut-down a water source.

“5. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert signal is transmitted to an on-site water shut-down valve.

“6. The system of claim 5, wherein the alert signal is transmitted to the on-site water shut-down valve remotely via a mobile application in response to the transmitted alert.

“7. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication transmitted by the computer processor facilitates rendering of an interactive graphical operator interface, the interactive graphical operator interface displaying a map-based presentation of water-related information.

“8. The system of claim 7, wherein selection of a location at the site via the interactive graphical operator interface results in a display of detailed water-related information about that location.

“9. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert signal is associated with at least one of: (i) an automated telephone call, (ii) an email message, and (iii) a text message.

“10. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert signal includes a potential cause of a water event and a recommended remedial action.

“11. A computerized method associated with a site, comprising: collecting, from a plurality of water-related sensors, data associated with water at the site via a communication network, wherein each water-related sensor includes: (i) an environmental characteristic sensor to sense an environmental characteristic, (ii) a power source, and (iii) a transmitter, coupled to the environmental characteristic sensor and the power source, to transmit the data associated with water; storing, in a water impact data store, electronic records associated with prior water-related events at other sites along with water-related sensor location data for those sites; receiving, via a third-party information interface, third-party information; automatically analyzing, by a computer processor, the electronic records in the water impact data store to create a predictive analytics model trained via cognitive learning and pattern recognition to output one or more potential water damage patterns; automatically analyzing, by the computer processor in real-time, the data associated with water at the site and the third-party information using the predictive analytics model; and transmitting an indication of a result of the analysis, wherein the result is a water event cause including a predicted origination location of water and a water damage risk, wherein the indication is an alert signal that is transmitted, the alert signal including: 1. sensor statistics including a sensor operational status displayed on a user interface and a sensor battery life, and the displayed sensor operational status is one of an “operational” text, a “failed” text, and a “mobile” text, and 2. at least one water damage pattern of the one or more potential water damage patterns, the at least one water damage pattern based on execution of the trained predictive analytics model, the at least one water damage pattern including a water damage amount; wherein the indication of the result of the analysis is used to pre-populate at least one data element in a template associated with a water event at the site, wherein the template is partially filled out by the pre-populated data element.

“12. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert signal is transmitted based on one of: a water damage risk exceeding a threshold level, an unusual level of moisture, and at least one condition outside a normal range for the respective condition.

“13. The method of claim 11, wherein an output of the predictive analytics model is to move on-site equipment.

“14. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmitted alert signal includes a recommendation to shut-down a water source.

“15. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert signal is transmitted to an on-site water shut-down valve.

“16. The method of claim 15, wherein the alert signal is transmitted to the on-site water shut-down valve remotely via a mobile application in response to the transmitted alert.

“17. A system associated with a construction site, comprising: a plurality of water-related sensors, each water-related sensor including: an environmental characteristic sensor that senses an environmental characteristic, a power source, and a transmitter, coupled to the environmental characteristic sensor and the power source, that transmits data associated with water at the construction site via a wireless communication network; a computer processor that: (i) receives data from the plurality of water-related sensors via the wireless communication network, and (ii) transmits indications associated with the received data via the Internet; a water impact data store containing electronic records associated with prior water-related events at other sites along with water-related sensor location data for those sites; a third-party information interface that receives third-party information; and a computer processor that: (i) automatically analyzes the electronic records in the water impact data store to create a predictive analytics model trained via cognitive learning and pattern recognition to output one or more potential water damage patterns, (ii) receives the data associated with water at the site and the third-party information, (iii) automatically analyzes, in real-time, the data associated with water at the construction site and the third-party information using the predictive analytics model, and (iv) transmits an electronic alert signal as a result of the analysis, wherein the result is a water event cause including a predicted origination location of water and a water damage risk, wherein the electronic alert signal is transmitted, the alert signal including sensor statistics including a sensor operational status displayed on a user interface and a sensor battery life, and the displayed sensor operational status is one of an “operational” text, a “failed” text, and a “mobile” text, and 2. at least one water damage pattern of the one or more potential water damage patterns, the at least one water damage pattern based on execution of the trained predictive analytics model, the at least one water damage pattern including a water damage amount; wherein the result of the analysis is used to pre-populate at least one data element in a template associated with a water event at the site, wherein the template is partially filled out by the pre-populated data element; and an on-site water shut-down valve that receives the electronic alert signal and automatically prevents a flow of water.

“18. The system of claim 17, wherein the electronic alert signal is transmitted based on one of: a water damage risk exceeding a threshold level, an unusual level of moisture, and at least one condition outside a normal range for the respective condition.

“19. The system of claim 17, wherein an output of the predictive analytics model is to move on-site equipment.”

For additional information on this patent, see: Alsubai, Saleh Ahmed. System to monitor and process water-related data. U.S. Patent Number 12008483, filed June 13, 2022, and published online on June 11, 2024. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(12008483)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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