Patents by Inventor Zachary A. Barker

Zachary A. Barker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11280696
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for leak detection in a distribution network having consumption meters. The distribution network is divided into zones having an upstream location and a downstream location. An upstream pressure sensor detects the upstream pressure at the upstream location and the downstream pressure sensor detects the detected downstream pressure at the downstream location. A downstream pressure lookup table is used to determine an expected pressure at each downstream location based on a range of hypothetical upstream pressures at the corresponding upstream location and consumption data from the consumption meters. The expected pressure and the detected downstream pressure at each downstream location are compared to determine if the calculated discrepancy exceeds a discrepancy threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Sensus Spectrum LLC
    Inventors: Zachary A. Barker, Michael Eshan Shafiee, Travis Smith, Amin Rasekh, Bruce Campbell, Grant Muller
  • Patent number: 10663933
    Abstract: A system for managing a distribution network, the system including a network hydraulic model and an automated meter infrastructure (AMI) providing AMI data from consumption meters. The system includes subnetworks within the distribution network, nodes interconnecting the subnetworks, and boundary devices connected to the nodes. Each boundary device includes a flow meter and a pressure sensor that sense a flow and a pressure of the distribution network at the nodes at a given time step. A subnetwork hydraulic model is generated for each subnetwork from the network hydraulic model. A processing module determines a first comparison for the given time interval between the AMI data from the consumption meters within a given subnetwork, the flow and the pressure at the nodes bordering the given subnetwork, and the subnetwork hydraulic model for the given subnetwork. The distribution network is managed based at least in part on the first comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Sensus Spectrum LLC
    Inventors: Amin Rasekh, Zachary A. Barker, Michael Ehsan Shafiee, Travis Smith
  • Publication number: 20180195926
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system for leak detection in a distribution network having consumption meters. The distribution network is divided into zones having an upstream location and a downstream location. An upstream pressure sensor detects the upstream pressure at the upstream location and the downstream pressure sensor detects the detected downstream pressure at the downstream location. A downstream pressure lookup table is used to determine an expected pressure at each downstream location based on a range of hypothetical upstream pressures at the corresponding upstream location and consumption data from the consumption meters. The expected pressure and the detected downstream pressure at each downstream location are compared to determine if the calculated discrepancy exceeds a discrepancy threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: Sensus Spectrum LLC
    Inventors: Zachary A. Barker, Michael Eshan Shafiee, Travis Smith, Amin Rasekh, Bruce Campbell, Grant Muller
  • Publication number: 20180196399
    Abstract: A system for managing a distribution network, the system including a network hydraulic model and an automated meter infrastructure (AMI) providing AMI data from consumption meters. The system includes subnetworks within the distribution network, nodes interconnecting the subnetworks, and boundary devices connected to the nodes. Each boundary device includes a flow meter and a pressure sensor that sense a flow and a pressure of the distribution network at the nodes at a given time step. A subnetwork hydraulic model is generated for each subnetwork from the network hydraulic model. A processing module determines a first comparison for the given time interval between the AMI data from the consumption meters within a given subnetwork, the flow and the pressure at the nodes bordering the given subnetwork, and the subnetwork hydraulic model for the given subnetwork. The distribution network is managed based at least in part on the first comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: Sensus Spectrum LLC
    Inventors: Amin Rasekh, Zachary A. Barker, Michael Ehsan Shafiee, Travis Smith