Resource consumption measurement system and method
A system is disclosed to obtain irrigation water consumption data for a water-monitored property. The system may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium and computer code encoded on the non-transitory computer-readable medium, for, among other things, opening and closing each of one or more irrigation valves in accordance with calibration schedule data during a first period of time within one or more daily, weekly, or monthly future time periods when water consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal; and calculating a first computed flow rate for each of the one or more irrigation valves based on, among other things, the calibration valve open time and the calibration valve close time. A method and computer program product related to the foregoing system are also disclosed.
1. A system configured to obtain irrigation water consumption data pertinent to a water-monitored property, the system comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium; and
computer program code, encoded on the non-transitory computer readable medium, configured to cause at least one processor of one or more processors to perform the steps of:
identifying, based on first actual water usage data, one or more daily, weekly, or monthly future time periods when water consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the water-monitored property;
opening and closing each of one or more irrigation valves in accordance with calibration schedule data during a first period of time within the one or more daily, weekly, or monthly future time periods when water consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the water-monitored property, wherein each of the one or more irrigation valves is associated with a watering zone of the water-monitored property;
identifying a calibration valve open time and a calibration valve close time for each of the one or more irrigation valves in accordance with the calibration schedule data during the first period of time;
receiving second actual water usage data for usage that occurred between the calibration valve open time and the calibration valve close time for each of the one or more irrigation valves during the first period of time; and
calculating a first computed flow rate for each of the one or more irrigation valves based on the calibration valve open time, the calibration valve close time, and the second actual water usage data for the usage that occurred between the calibration valve open time and the calibration valve close time during the first period of time.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises at least a server and an irrigation controller.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein a first portion of the computer program code is stored on the server, and a second portion of the computer program code is stored on the irrigation controller.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein identifying, based on the first actual water usage data, the one or more daily, weekly, or monthly future time periods when water consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the water-monitored property is performed on the server.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer program code is further configured to cause at least one processor of the one or more processors to perform the step of:
estimating irrigation water consumption by providing estimated water usage data for at least one zone of the water-monitored property based on the first computed flow rate for each of the one or more irrigation valves associated with watering the at least one zone and a total operational time for each of the one or more irrigation valves associated with watering the at least one zone over a selected time period of interest.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the computer program code is further configured to cause at least one processor of the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
detecting at least one water consumption anomaly based on a comparison between the estimated water usage data and third actual water usage data over the selected time period of interest; and
generating a notification based on a specified threshold discrepancy between the estimated water usage data and the third actual water usage data over the selected time period of interest.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer program code is further configured to cause at least one processor of the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
opening and closing each of the one or more irrigation valves in accordance with the calibration schedule data during a second period of time within the one or more daily, weekly, or monthly future time periods when water consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the water-monitored property;
identifying a calibration valve open time and a calibration valve close time for each of the one or more irrigation valves in accordance with the calibration schedule data during the second period of time;
receiving fourth actual water usage data for usage that occurred between the calibration valve open time and the calibration valve close time for each of the one or more irrigation valves during the second period of time;
calculating a second computed flow rate for each of the one or more irrigation valves based on the calibration valve open time, the calibration valve close time, and the fourth actual water usage data for the usage that occurred between the calibration valve open time and the calibration valve close time during the second period of time; and
comparing the first computed flow rate to the second computed flow rate and averaging the first computed flow rate with the second computed flow rate if the second computed flow rate is within a first percentage difference of the first computed flow rate and conducting further calibration if the second computed flow rate is within a second percentage difference of the first computed flow rate.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second actual water usage data is received from a water utility entity.
9. A method for obtaining irrigation water consumption data pertinent to a water-monitored property, the method comprising:
utilizing at least one processor of one or more processors of a system, identifying, based on first actual water usage data, one or more daily, weekly, or monthly future time periods when water consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the water-monitored property;
opening and closing each of one or more irrigation valves in accordance with calibration schedule data during a first period of time within the one or more daily, weekly, or monthly future time periods when water consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the water-monitored property;
utilizing at least one processor of the one or more processors of the system, identifying a calibration valve open time and a calibration valve close time for each of the one or more irrigation valves in accordance with the calibration schedule data during the first period of time;
utilizing at least one processor of the one or more processors of the system, receiving second actual water usage data for usage that occurred between the calibration valve open time and the calibration valve close time for each of the one or more irrigation valves during the first period of time; and
utilizing at least one processor of the one or more processors of the system, calculating a first computed flow rate for each of the one or more irrigation valves based on the calibration valve open time, the calibration valve close time, and the second actual water usage data for the usage that occurred between the calibration valve open time and the calibration valve close time during the first period of time.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the system comprises at least a server and an irrigation controller.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein identifying, based on the first actual water usage data, the one or more daily, weekly, or monthly future time periods when water consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the water-monitored property is performed on the server.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
utilizing at least one processor of the one or more processors of the system, estimating irrigation water consumption by providing estimated water usage data for at least one zone of the water-monitored property based on the first computed flow rate for each of the one or more irrigation valves associated with watering the at least one zone and a total operational time for each of the one or more irrigation valves associated with watering the at least one zone over a selected time period of interest.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
utilizing at least one processor of the one or more processors of the system, detecting at least one water consumption anomaly based on a comparison between the estimated water usage data and a third actual water usage data over the selected time period of interest; and
utilizing at least one processor of the one or more processors of the system, initiating generation of a notification based on a specified threshold discrepancy between the estimated water usage data and the third actual water usage data over the selected time period of interest.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the system comprises a display screen, the method further comprising:
at the display screen, displaying at least one of the estimated water usage data in real time, a second estimated water usage data over a second selected time period of interest, and a comparison between a third estimated water usage data over a third selected time period of interest and a fourth estimated water usage data over a fourth selected time period of interest.
15. A computer program product for obtaining irrigation water consumption data pertinent to a water-monitored property, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium; and
computer program code, encoded on the non-transitory computer readable medium, configured to cause at least one processor of one or more processors to perform the steps of:
identifying, based on first actual water usage data, one or more daily, weekly, or monthly future time periods when water consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the water-monitored property;
opening and closing each of one or more irrigation valves in accordance with calibration schedule data during a first period of time within the one or more daily, weekly, or monthly future time periods when water consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the water-monitored property, wherein each of the one or more irrigation valves is associated with a watering zone of the water-monitored property;
identifying a calibration valve open time and a calibration valve close time for each of the one or more irrigation valves in accordance with the calibration schedule data during the first period of time;
receiving second actual water usage data for usage that occurred between the calibration valve open time and the calibration valve close time for each of the one or more irrigation valves during the first period of time; and
calculating a first computed flow rate for each of the one or more irrigation valves based on the calibration valve open time, the calibration valve close time, and the second actual water usage data for the usage that occurred between the calibration valve open time and the calibration valve close time during the first period of time.
16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer program code comprises a portion of a system, and wherein the system comprises at least a server and an irrigation controller, a first portion of the computer program code being stored on the server and a second portion of the computer program code being stored on the irrigation controller.
17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein identifying, based on the first actual water usage data, the one or more daily, weekly, or monthly future time periods when water consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal within the water-monitored property is performed on the server.
18. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer program code is further configured to cause at least one processor of the one or more processors to perform the step of:
estimating irrigation water consumption by providing estimated water usage data for at least one zone of the water-monitored property based on the first computed flow rate for each of the one or more irrigation valves associated with watering the at least one zone and a total operational time for each of the one or more irrigation valves associated with watering the at least one zone over a selected time period of interest.
19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the computer program code is further configured to cause at least one processor of the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
detecting at least one water consumption anomaly based on a comparison between the estimated water usage data and third actual water usage data over the selected time period of interest; and
generating a notification based on a specified threshold discrepancy between the estimated water usage data and the third actual water usage data over the selected time period of interest.
20. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the system comprises a display screen, wherein the computer program code is further configured to cause at least one processor of the one or more processors to cause the display screen to display at least one of estimated water usage data in real time, a second estimated water usage data over a second selected time period of interest, and a comparison between a third estimated water usage data over a third selected time period of interest and a fourth estimated water usage data over a fourth selected time period of interest.