Patents Assigned to Phyn LLC
  • Patent number: 11905688
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining leaks in a water distribution system using water devices within buildings. Pressure readings over time from two or more water devices. Egress readings and possibly other noise are removed from the pressure readings to isolate signals for leaks from outside of the buildings. Using the isolated signals, the location of the leak in the water distribution system can be approximated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Phyn LLC
    Inventors: Ryan Yong Kim, Salil P. Banerjee
  • Patent number: 11709108
    Abstract: A system including a sensing device configured to (i) measure pressure of water in cold and hot water lines proximate to a fixture of a water system of a structure, and (ii) generate pressure measurement data representing the pressure of the water. The system also includes one or more processors. The system additionally includes one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing machine-executable instructions configured, when executed on the one or more processors, to perform detecting a non-cyclical pressure event corresponding to a water leak in the water system of the structure during a first time period based on an analysis of information comprising the pressure measurement data. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: PHYN, LLC
    Inventors: Miroslav Enev, Salil Banerjee, Shwetak N. Patel
  • Patent number: 11635342
    Abstract: A method of identifying a type of plumbing system of a building is provided. The method includes determining a spectral energy ratio as a function of first pressure data acquired during a first time period in which a water flow through a plumbing system of a building is below a threshold. The method also includes determining a multimodal test value as a function of second pressure data acquired during a second time period that includes at least some time during which the water flow through the plumbing system is greater than or equal to the threshold. Further, the method includes identifying a type of the plumbing system of the building as a function of the spectral energy ratio and the multimodal test value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Phyn LLC
    Inventors: Salil P. Banerjee, Babak Abbasi Bastami
  • Patent number: 11561150
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting small leaks in a plumbing system is disclosed. A temperature sensor coupled to the water in the plumbing system is used to determine if there is a leak. During times of inactivity for fixtures in the plumbing systems, a flow sensor might measure usage of water that would indicate a leak. For very small leaks, the flow is below a minimum measurable flow of the flow sensor. Embodiments of the invention measure temperature of water within a pipe coupled to the plumbing system. Temperature will generally decay in a particular predicable way when there is flow as the temperature of water upon entry to the building is lower than the air temperature within the building. Signal processing, machine learning and/or statistical approaches are used to analyze the temperature and optionally flow and/or pressure over time to determine when a leak is likely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Phyn LLC
    Inventors: Salil P. Banerjee, Raul I. Ramos-Garcia, Aanand Esterberg, Shwetak N. Patel
  • Patent number: 11499856
    Abstract: Systems and methods for predicting, detecting, and/or mitigating a pipe freeze are provided. A system for analyzing water in a plumbing system includes a sensor that is configured to measure pressure within a pipe in the plumbing system as a function of time, and a processor that is configured to determine a state of water within the pipe by analyzing the pressure within the pipe as a function of time. The state of the water includes a prediction that the water within the pipe will freeze and/or a determination that the water within the pipe has frozen. The sensor is arranged at a first location within the plumbing system that is remote from a second location within the plumbing system that corresponds to the state of the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Phyn LLC
    Inventors: Salil P. Banerjee, Ryan Yong Kim
  • Patent number: 11156525
    Abstract: A system for determining a location of an egress point in a plumbing system that includes a branched system of pipes within a building is provided. The system includes a first sensor that is configured to measure a first pressure signal as a function of time at a first location within the plumbing system, and a second sensor that is configured to measure a second pressure signal as a function of time at a second location within the plumbing system. The plumbing system includes multiple branch points between the first location and the second location. The system also includes a processor that is configured to determine a temporal difference between a first pressure drop in the first pressure signal and a second pressure drop in the second pressure signal, and use the temporal difference to determine an estimated location of the egress point in the plumbing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Phyn LLC
    Inventors: Salil P. Banerjee, Brady C. Houston, Babak Abbasi Bastami, Ryan Yong Kim, Shwetak N. Patel
  • Publication number: 20210215569
    Abstract: A system including a sensing device configured to (i) measure pressure of water in cold and hot water lines proximate to a fixture of a water system of a structure, and (ii) generate pressure measurement data representing the pressure of the water. The system also includes one or more processors. The system additionally includes one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing machine-executable instructions configured, when executed on the one or more processors, to perform detecting a non-cyclical pressure event corresponding to a water leak in the water system of the structure during a first time period based on an analysis of information comprising the pressure measurement data. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: Phyn LLC
    Inventors: Miroslav Enev, Salil Banerjee, Shwetak N. Patel
  • Patent number: 10962439
    Abstract: A method including measuring pressure of water in a water system of a structure at a single location in the water system using a pressure sensor of a sensing device to generate pressure measurement data representing the pressure of the water as measured by the pressure sensor. The method also can include communicating the pressure measurement data to one or more processors. The method additionally can include detecting a non-cyclical pressure event corresponding to a water leak in the water system of the structure during a first time period based on an analysis of information including the pressure measurement data. The information analyzed in the analysis does not include flow measurement data that represents a total amount of flow of the water in the water system of the structure during the first time period. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: PHYN, LLC
    Inventors: Miroslav Enev, Salil Banerjee, Shwetak N. Patel
  • Patent number: 10935455
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting small leaks in a plumbing system is disclosed. A temperature sensor coupled to the water in the plumbing system is used to determine if there is a leak. During times of inactivity for fixtures in the plumbing systems, a flow sensor might measure usage of water that would indicate a leak. For very small leaks, the flow is below a minimum measurable flow of the flow sensor. Embodiments of the invention measure temperature of water within a pipe coupled to the plumbing system. Temperature will generally decay in a particular predicable way when there is flow as the temperature of water upon entry to the building is lower than the air temperature within the building. Signal processing, machine learning and/or statistical approaches are used to analyze the temperature and optionally flow and/or pressure over time to determine when a leak is likely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Phyn LLC
    Inventors: Salil P. Banerjee, Raul I. Ramos-Garcia, Aanand Esterberg, Shwetak N. Patel
  • Patent number: 10527516
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting small leaks in a plumbing system is disclosed. A temperature sensor coupled to the water in the plumbing system is used to determine if there is a leak. During times of inactivity for fixtures in the plumbing systems, a flow sensor might measure usage of water that would indicate a leak. For very small leaks, the flow is below a minimum measurable flow of the flow sensor. Embodiments of the invention measure temperature of water within a pipe coupled to the plumbing system. Temperature will generally decay in a particular predicable way when there is flow as the temperature of water upon entry to the building is lower than the air temperature within the building. Signal processing, machine learning and/or statistical approaches are used to analyze the temperature and optionally flow and/or pressure over time to determine when a leak is likely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Phyn LLC
    Inventors: Salil P. Banerjee, Raul I. Ramos-Garcia, Aanand Esterberg, Shwetak N. Patel
  • Publication number: 20190331547
    Abstract: A method including measuring pressure of water in a water system of a structure at a single location in the water system using a pressure sensor of a sensing device to generate pressure measurement data representing the pressure of the water as measured by the pressure sensor. The method also can include communicating the pressure measurement data to one or more processors. The method additionally can include detecting a non-cyclical pressure event corresponding to a water leak in the water system of the structure during a first time period based on an analysis of information including the pressure measurement data. The information analyzed in the analysis does not include flow measurement data that represents a total amount of flow of the water in the water system of the structure during the first time period. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: Phyn LLC
    Inventors: Miroslav Enev, Salil Banerjee, Shwetak N. Patel
  • Patent number: 10352814
    Abstract: A system including a sensing device including a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure of water in a water system of a structure. The sensing device can be configured to generate pressure measurement data representing the pressure of the water as measured by the pressure sensor. The system also can include one or more processing units including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage media storing machine executable instructions configured when run on the one or more processors to perform detecting a non-cyclical pressure event corresponding to a water leak in the water system of the structure during a first time period based on an analysis of information including the pressure measurement data. The information analyzed in the analysis does not include any flow measurement data that represents a total amount of flow of the water in the water system of the structure during the first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: PHYN LLC
    Inventors: Miroslav Enev, Salil Banerjee, Shwetak N Patel
  • Publication number: 20190154539
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting small leaks in a plumbing system is disclosed. A temperature sensor coupled to the water in the plumbing system is used to determine if there is a leak. During times of inactivity for fixtures in the plumbing systems, a flow sensor might measure usage of water that would indicate a leak. For very small leaks, the flow is below a minimum measurable flow of the flow sensor. Embodiments of the invention measure temperature of water within a pipe coupled to the plumbing system. Temperature will generally decay in a particular predicable way when there is flow as the temperature of water upon entry to the building is lower than the air temperature within the building. Signal processing, machine learning and/or statistical approaches are used to analyze the temperature and optionally flow and/or pressure over time to determine when a leak is likely.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: Phyn LLC
    Inventors: Salil P. Banerjee, Raul I. Ramos-Garcia, Aanand Esterberg, Shwetak N. Patel
  • Patent number: 10094095
    Abstract: The system including a sensing device including a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure of water in a water system of a structure during a testing interval when a system shutoff valve of the water system is closed. The sensing device can be configured to generate pressure measurement data representing the pressure of the water as measured by the pressure sensor. The system also can include one or more processing units comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage media storing machine-executable instructions configured when run on the one or more processors to perform estimating an orifice size of a leak in the water system based on the pressure measurement data. Other embodiments are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: PHYN, LLC
    Inventors: Miroslav Enev, Salil Banerjee, Shwetak Patel
  • Publication number: 20180127957
    Abstract: The system including a sensing device including a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure of water in a water system of a structure during a testing interval when a system shutoff valve of the water system is closed. The sensing device can be configured to generate pressure measurement data representing the pressure of the water as measured by the pressure sensor. The system also can include one or more processing units comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage media storing machine-executable instructions configured when run on the one or more processors to perform estimating an orifice size of a leak in the water system based on the pressure measurement data. Other embodiments are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Applicant: Phyn LLC
    Inventors: Miroslav Enev, Salil Banerjee, Shwetak Patel