IP Library Granted Patent US 12697867
Granted Patent B2
US 12697867 · App. 18/412,027 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Liquid reservoir leak detection system

Inventor: Joseph R. Fox-Rabinovitz (Blacksburg, VA)
Assignee: TORC ROBOTICS, INC.
B60K15/03G01M3/007B60K2015/03223
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12697867
App. No.
18/412,027
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one aspect, a vehicle and associated method includes a liquid reservoir, a first sensor mounted in front of the liquid reservoir, a second sensor mounted behind the liquid reservoir, a memory storing instructions, at least one processor configured to access the memory and receive a plurality of inputs from the first and second sensors, the at least one processor being configured to compare a first sensor output from the first sensor to a second sensor output from the second sensor, and based on a determined difference between the first and second sensor outputs, initiate a notification of a detected leak in the liquid reservoir.

Claims (38)

1 . A vehicle comprising:

a liquid reservoir;

a first sensor mounted in front of the liquid reservoir toward a front of the vehicle;

a second sensor mounted behind the liquid reservoir toward a rear of the vehicle;

a memory storing instructions;

at least one processor configured to access the memory and receive a plurality of inputs from the first and second sensors, the at least one processor being configured to:

compare a first sensor output from the first sensor to a second sensor output from the second sensor; and

based on a determined difference between the first and second sensor outputs, initiate a notification of a detected leak in the liquid reservoir,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to buffer the first sensor output based at least in part on a distance between the first sensor and the second sensor.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the buffering is based at least in part on a speed of the vehicle at a time the first and second outputs are received.

3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sensors are selected from a group that includes: a moisture sensor, a camera, a laser, an infrared camera, an ultrasound sensor, a temperature sensor, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor, and a chemical sensor.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sensor outputs include one of: a temperature, a digital image, a moisture reading, a reflective property, a Doppler reading, a chemical concentration.

5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to calibrate the first and second sensor outputs to a common scale.

6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to calibrate the first and second sensor outputs using at least one of: a relative placement of first and second sensor mounts, an orientation of at least one of the first and second sensors, an environmental exposure, an environmental condition, and a trained computational model.

7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein initiating the notification further includes transmitting the notification to a remote mission control center.

8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine an uncertainty factor that is used to analyze to determine a relative significance of the determined difference.

9 . The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the uncertainty factor is based on at least one of an environmental condition or a vehicle condition affecting at least one of the first and second sensor outputs.

10 . A method of detecting a leak in liquid reservoir of a moving vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a first sensor output from a first sensor positioned in front of a liquid reservoir toward a front of the vehicle;

receiving a second sensor output from a second sensor positioned behind the liquid reservoir toward a rear of the vehicle;

comparing the first sensor output to the second sensor output; and

based on a determined difference between the first and second sensor outputs, initiating a notification of a detected leak in the liquid reservoir,

wherein the method further comprises buffering the first sensor output based at least in part on a distance between the first sensor and the second sensor.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising buffering the first sensor output based on a speed of the vehicle.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising calibrating the first and second sensor outputs to a common computational scale.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising calibrating the first and second sensor outputs using at least one of: a relative placement of first and second sensor mounts, an orientation of at least one of the first and second sensors, an environmental exposure, an environmental condition, and a trained computational model.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein initiating the notification further includes transmitting the notification to a remote mission control center.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining an uncertainty factor that is used to analyze to determine a relative significance of the determined difference.

16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining an environmental condition or a vehicle condition affecting at least one of the first and second sensor outputs.

17 . At least one computer-readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive a first sensor output from a first sensor positioned in front of a liquid reservoir toward a front of a vehicle;

receive a second sensor output from a second sensor positioned behind the liquid reservoir toward a rear of the vehicle;

compare the first sensor output to the second sensor output; and

based on a determined difference between the first and second sensor outputs, initiate a notification of a detected leak in the liquid reservoir,

wherein at least one computer-readable storage medium further causes the at least one processor to buffer the first sensor output based at least in part on a distance between the first sensor and the second sensor.

18 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the buffering is based at least in part on a speed of the vehicle at a time the first and second outputs are received.

19 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the first and second sensors are selected from a group that includes: a moisture sensor, a camera, a laser, an infrared camera, an ultrasound sensor, a temperature sensor, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor, and a chemical sensor.

20 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the at least one computer-readable storage medium further causes the at least one processor to calibrate the first and second sensor outputs to a common scale.