HK40009712B - Water metering system - Google Patents

Description

Water metering system

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 62/363,754, filed on July 18, 2016, which is incorporated by reference.

Technical Field

This specification generally relates to measuring water flow.

Background Art

Water metering is the process of measuring water usage. Water meters can be used to measure the volume of water used by residential and commercial buildings supplied by a public water system. Water meters can also be used at a water source, well, or entire water system to determine the flow rate through a specific part of the system.

Summary of the Invention

According to innovative aspects of the subject matter described in this application, a method for metering water includes receiving, from a first meter connected to a first pipe, first audio data collected during a time period and first temperature data collected during the time period; receiving, from a second meter connected to a second pipe, second audio data collected during the time period and second temperature data collected during the time period; and determining, based on the first audio data, the first temperature data, the second audio data, and the second temperature data, a first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period.

These and other implementations can each optionally include one or more of the following features. The act of determining a first amount of material that has flowed through the first conduit relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second conduit during the time period comprises the acts of determining that a first temperature of the first conduit has changed by at least a threshold temperature change amount during the specified amount of time; determining that a second temperature of the second conduit has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specified amount of time; determining a first elapsed time at which the first temperature of the first conduit has changed after determining that the first temperature of the first conduit has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specified amount of time; determining a second elapsed time at which the second temperature of the second conduit has changed after determining that the second temperature of the second conduit has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specified amount of time; and determining, based on the first elapsed time and the second elapsed time, the first amount of material that has flowed through the first conduit during the specified amount of time relative to the second amount of material that has flowed through the second conduit during the specified amount of time.

The act of determining a first amount of material that has flowed through the first conduit relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second conduit during the time period includes the acts of determining a first level of first audio energy corresponding to the first audio data based on the first audio data; determining a second level of second audio energy corresponding to the second audio data based on the second audio data; determining that the first level of the first audio energy has changed by at least a threshold energy change amount during the specific amount of time; determining that the second level of the audio energy has changed by at least the threshold energy change amount during the specific amount of time; after determining that the first level of the first audio energy has changed by at least the threshold energy change amount during the specific amount of time, determining a first elapsed time after the first level of the first audio energy has changed by at least the threshold energy change amount; after determining that the second level of the second audio energy has changed by at least the threshold energy change amount during the specific amount of time, determining a second elapsed time after the second level of the second audio energy has changed by at least the threshold energy change amount; and determining, based on the first elapsed time and the second elapsed time, the first amount of material that has flowed through the first conduit during the specific amount of time relative to the second amount of material that has flowed through the second conduit during the specific amount of time.

The first and second pipes are water pipes, and the material is water. The first and second pipes are gas pipes, and the material is natural gas or propane. The actions also include transmitting a request for meter data. In response to the request for meter data, first and second audio data and first and second temperature data are received. The actions also include receiving data from the first meter indicating that the first meter moved during the time period; and in response to receiving the data indicating that the first meter moved during the time period, providing data indicating the movement of the first meter for display. The actions also include receiving flow data collected during the time period from a third meter connected to a third pipe that supplies the first and second pipes; and determining a first absolute amount of material that flowed through the first pipe during the time period and a second absolute amount of material that flowed through the second pipe during the time period based on a first amount of material that flowed through the first pipe relative to a second amount of material that flowed through the second pipe during the time period and based on the flow data from the third meter.

Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on computer storage devices, each configured to perform the operations of the method.

Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented to achieve one or more of the following advantages: A user may be able to calculate water consumption for individual units of a multi-unit building without installing individual flow meters for each unit.

The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 illustrates an example system for collecting meter data from multiple meters connected to different pipelines;

FIG2 illustrates an example system for processing meter data and an example apparatus for collecting meter data from a pipeline;

FIG3 illustrates an example method for processing meter data to determine relative usage;

FIG4 illustrates an example method for measuring flow rate through a pipe using a thermometer;

FIG5 illustrates an example method for measuring flow rate through a pipe using a microphone;

FIG6 illustrates an example of a computing device and a mobile computing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG1 illustrates an example system 100 for collecting meter data from multiple meters connected to different pipes. Briefly, as described in greater detail below, system 100 includes a computing device 105 that collects data from surface meters 110, 115, and 120. Surface meters 110, 115, and 120 collect audio and temperature data from different pipes located in a multi-unit building 125. Computing device 105 also collects flow data from flow meter 130. Computing device 105 processes the audio, temperature, and flow data to calculate usage corresponding to each of surface meters 110, 115, and 120.

As illustrated in FIG1 , multi-unit building 125 includes two apartment units, Apartment A and Apartment B. Apartment A has bedroom A, bathroom A, kitchen A, and living room A. Apartment B has bedroom B, bathroom B, kitchen B, and living room B. Neither Apartment A nor Apartment B has a dedicated water meter. Water pipe 140 provides water to Apartment A, and branch pipe 135 serves Apartment B. Flow meter 130 measures water consumption for both Apartment A and Apartment B, without distinguishing between usage by Apartment A and usage by Apartment B.

While multi-unit building 125 in this example only includes two apartment units, multi-unit building 125 can include multiple units and can be residential, commercial, or industrial space. Multi-unit building 125 can have a single flow meter 130, or it can have multiple flow meters. For example, multi-unit building 125 can have a flow meter per floor or per tier. Furthermore, pipelines can transport any type of material. For example, a pipeline can provide natural gas to Apartment A and Apartment B.

To measure the individual water consumption of Apartment A and Apartment B, a plumber can install a flow meter in pipe 140. In different scenarios, the piping of multi-unit building 125 may have to be reconfigured to allow for locations where the plumber can install flow meters for each apartment. To avoid the complexity of reconfiguring the piping or cutting the pipes and installing flow meters, apartment manager 155 can attach surface meters 110, 115, and 120 to exposed pipes in each apartment.

Surface meter 110, 115, or 120 can be configured to attach to a pipe using tape, clips, or similar fasteners. Cutting the pipe to install surface meter 110, 115, or 120 is unnecessary. Surface meter 110, 115, or 120 can include a microphone, a thermometer, a memory, and a transceiver. The microphone can detect and record audio data from the surrounding environment. When surface meter 110, 115, or 120 is connected to a pipe, the audio data can include the sound of water flowing through the pipe. The thermometer can detect and record the surface temperature of the pipe.

As illustrated in FIG1 , to estimate apartment B's water usage, apartment manager 155 may install surface meter 120 on pipe 140. Since pipe 140 is the only pipe supplying water to apartment B and only apartment B, apartment manager 155 may install one surface meter 120 for apartment B. To estimate apartment A's water usage, apartment manager 155 may install surface meters 110 and 115. Apartment manager 155 may install surface meter 110 on pipe 145 in kitchen B and surface meter 115 on pipe 150 in bathroom B. In some cases, apartment manager 155 may install multiple surface meters in a bathroom. For example, without accessing the pipes supplying all bathroom sinks, toilets, and showers, apartment manager 155 may install a surface meter at each sink, toilet water supply, and showerhead.

Each surface meter 110, 115, or 120 records the audio and temperature of the corresponding pipe at periodic intervals (e.g., every second). Each surface meter 110, 115, or 120 can be battery-powered and can operate for a long time without requiring new batteries. For example, a surface meter 110, 115, or 120 can be capable of operating for a year on a single set of batteries.

Surface meter 110, 115, or 120 can be configured to receive requests for data from computing device 105. To conserve battery power, surface meter 110, 115, or 120 can activate its corresponding transceiver during specific time periods. For example, surface meter 110, 115, or 120 can activate its transceiver for two days per month. During these two days, surface meter 110, 115, or 120 can receive requests for data. In response to the requests, surface meter 110, 115, or 120 can transmit stored temperature data and stored audio data. After transmitting to computing device 105, surface meter 110, 115, or 120 can delete the stored temperature data and stored audio data. Limiting the window during which surface meter 110, 115, or 120 can receive and transmit data can conserve battery power.

When using Bathroom A and Kitchen A, the resident draws water through pipe 140. Surface meter 120 can continuously record the audio data and temperature of pipe 140. The temperature of pipe 140 can change as water flows through it, and the water may generate sound waves as it moves through it. When using Bathroom B, the resident draws water through pipe 150. Similar to surface meter 120, surface meter 115 records the audio data and temperature of pipe 150 to which it is attached. When using Kitchen B, the resident draws water through pipe 145. The water changes the temperature of pipe 145, and the water generates sound waves as it moves through it.

In some implementations, Apartment A and Apartment B may have separate water inlet pipes for both hot and cold water. In this case, Apartment Manager 155 can add a surface meter to each hot water pipe to measure the hot water usage of each apartment's residents. For example, if surface meter 120 is attached to the cold water pipe, Apartment Manager 155 can add a surface meter to the corresponding hot water pipe. In some implementations, the apartments may have separate water heaters. In this case, Apartment Manager 155 can add a surface meter to the hot water inlet or outlet to collect data related to hot water usage.

During the window in which the transceivers of the surface meters 110, 115, and 120 are active, the apartment manager 155 can move around the multi-unit building 125 with the computing device 105. The computing device 105 can include an application that communicates with the surface meters 110, 115, and 120. The application can activate the short-range radio or other similar wireless communication module of the computing device 105. The application can request data from each of the surface meters 110, 115, and 120. The application can request data using a unique identifier for each of the surface meters 110, 115, and 120. During the installation of each of the surface meters 110, 115, and 120, the apartment manager can use the application to store the location of each surface meter. While moving around the multi-unit building 125, the computing device 105 can use a location sensor (such as GPS) to determine its location and ping nearby surface meters.

Computing device 105 collects data from surface meter 110 by transmitting a request for data from surface meter 120. In response, surface meter 120 transmits audio data 160 and temperature data 165. Computing device 105 receives data 160 and 165, stores data 160 and 165, and tags data 160 and 165 with information identifying the data and the current time period for surface meter 120. In some implementations, computing device 105 may display on a user interface that computing device 105 received audio data 160 and temperature data 165. In some implementations, computing device 105 may transmit a signal to surface meter 120 indicating that it successfully received the data. Surface meter 120 may then delete audio data 160 and temperature data 165. Surface meter 120 may also deactivate its transceiver before the next designated time period, even if some time remains during the current time period.

Computing device 105 collects data from surface meter 110 by transmitting a request for data from surface meter 110. In response, surface meter 110 transmits audio data 170 and temperature data 175. Computing device 105 receives data 170 and 175, stores the data, and updates the user interface.

Computing device 105 collects data from surface meter 115 by transmitting a request for data from surface meter 110. Surface meter 115 may transmit temperature data 180. Computing device 105 receives data 180, stores the data, and updates the user interface. Surface meter 115 may not transmit any audio data. The transceiver of surface meter 115 or the transceiver of computing device 105 may have encountered an error. In this case, computing device 105 may indicate that audio data for surface meter 115 is still pending. Computing device 105 may send additional requests for audio data to surface meter 115.

In some implementations, the computing device 105 can be wirelessly connected to the flow meter 130. In this case, the flow meter can transmit flow data 185 to the computing device 105 indicating that 7 CCF has flowed through the flow meter 130.

The computing device 105 or server can process the received audio and temperature data to determine the relative water usage of apartments A and B. In some implementations, the computing device 105 can calculate the ratio of apartment A's water usage to apartment B's water usage. The computing device can use the ratio and flow rate data 185 to calculate the absolute usage for each of apartments A and B. Details related to calculating water usage are also discussed with respect to Figures 4 and 5. In some implementations, usage readings may be inaccurate because surface meters 110, 115, and 120 may not be as accurate as flow meters.

FIG2 illustrates an example system 200 for processing meter data and an example device 250 for collecting meter data from a pipeline. Briefly, as described in greater detail below, system 200 can be configured to request temperature data and audio data from device 250. System 200 can be similar to computing device 105 of FIG1 . Device 250 can be similar to surface meters 110, 115, and 120 of FIG1 .

System 200 includes a transceiver 205. Transceiver 205 may be a short-range radio module capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. Transceiver 205 may receive data from device 250 and transmit and receive data from a server located in the cloud.

System 200 includes an audio analyzer 210 and a temperature analyzer 215. Audio analyzer 210 and temperature analyzer 215 can analyze audio data and temperature data received from device 250 and other similar devices. System 200 can use audio analyzer 210 and temperature analyzer 215 to generate relative water usage data or water usage ratios. Audio analyzer 210 and temperature analyzer 215 can use the processes discussed with respect to Figures 4 and 5. In some implementations, audio analyzer 210 and temperature analyzer 215 can use flow data from an in-line meter to determine absolute water usage data.

System 200 includes an audio and temperature data store 220. Audio and temperature data store 220 can be configured to store audio and temperature data received from device 250 and other similar devices. Audio and temperature data store 220 can include fields for the specific device providing the data and fields for the time period during which device 250 collected the data.

System 200 includes a user interface generator 225. User interface generator 225 can be configured to provide visual indications of device 250 and other similar devices that have provided audio and temperature data to system 200, and flow meters that have provided flow data to system 200, for display on a screen of system 200. User interface generator 225 can be configured to display results of water usage calculations performed by audio analyzer 210 and temperature analyzer 215.

Device 250 includes a transceiver 255. Transceiver 255 may be a short-range radio module capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. Transceiver 255 may be active during designated periods of time. For example, transceiver 255 may be active only during the first two days of a month. During other periods, transceiver 255 may be inactive to conserve battery power.

Device 250 includes a thermometer 260 and a microphone 265. Device 250 can be configured to be attached to a pipe. The portion of device 250 facing the pipe can include thermometer 260 and microphone 265. Device 250 can sample audio data received by microphone 265 at periodic intervals (such as every 500 milliseconds). Device 250 can sample the temperature detected by thermometer 260 at periodic intervals (such as every 3 seconds).

Device 250 may store the sampled temperature and audio data in audio and temperature data storage 270. Device 250 may record timing data in audio and temperature data storage 270 to indicate when the corresponding sample was collected. Device 250 may store the temperature and audio data in audio and temperature data storage 270 until the data is successfully transmitted to system 200.

For security purposes, it may be useful for device 250 to detect when it has been moved. Device 250 may include an accelerometer 275. Accelerometer 275 or other similar motion sensor may provide motion data to motion detector 280. Motion detector 280 may store data indicating when device 250 has been moved. Additionally or alternatively, device 250 may include a speaker and activate an alarm when moved. Any stored motion data may be transmitted to system 200 when transceiver 255 is active and receives a request from device 250.

As a safety example, a resident may move device 250 from one bathroom to another bathroom that the resident rarely uses. The resident may wish to have device 250 measure temperature and audio data at a pipe that does not flow water as frequently as other pipes in the resident's unit. Motion detector 280 may receive motion data from accelerometer 275 and determine that device 250 has moved more than would be expected if device 250 remained in the original pipe. Device 250 may transmit the time of the movement to system 200.

FIG3 illustrates an example method 300 for processing meter data to determine relative usage. Generally, method 300 uses audio data and temperature data recorded at the pipeline to determine the relative flow between two pipelines. Method 300 will be described as being performed by a computer system including one or more computers (e.g., computing device 105 shown in FIG1 or computing system 200 shown in FIG2).

A system receives, from a first meter connected to a first pipe, first audio data collected during a time period and first temperature data collected during the time period (310). In some implementations, the first pipe is a water pipe. In some implementations, the first pipe is a gas pipe. In some implementations, the system transmits a request for the audio and temperature data to the first meter. The first meter transmits the audio and temperature data in response to the request.

The system receives, from a second meter connected to a second pipe, second audio data collected during the time period and second temperature data collected during the time period (320). In some implementations, the second pipe is a water pipe. In some implementations, the second pipe is a gas pipe. In some implementations, the system transmits a request for the audio and temperature data to the second meter. The second meter transmits the audio and temperature data in response to the request.

In some implementations, the system receives data indicating that a first meter or a second meter has moved. The system may display data to a user indicating that one of the meters may have moved. In the event that the system receives location data from the meter that has moved, the system may indicate the location of the meter that has moved. In some implementations, the system may receive only relative movement data. The system may combine the relative movement data with data related to the meter's original location to determine the new location. For example, the system may receive data indicating that the system has moved 10 meters. The system may know that the meter was in Bathroom A, and Kitchen A is approximately 10 meters away from Bathroom A in the same unit. The system may estimate that the meter that has moved is likely in Kitchen A.

Based on the first audio data, the first temperature data, the second audio data, and the second temperature data, the system determines a first amount of material that has flowed through the first conduit relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second conduit during the time period (330).

In some implementations, the system determines that a first temperature of a first conduit has changed by at least a threshold temperature change amount during a specific amount of time. The system determines that a second temperature of a second conduit has changed by at least a threshold temperature change amount during the specific amount of time. After determining that the first temperature of the first conduit has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specific amount of time, the system determines a first elapsed time at which the first temperature of the first conduit has changed. After determining that the second temperature of the second conduit has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specific amount of time, the system determines a second elapsed time at which the second temperature of the second conduit has changed. Based on the first elapsed time and the second elapsed time, the system determines a first amount of material that has flowed through the first conduit during the specific amount of time relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second conduit during the specific amount of time.

In some implementations, based on first audio data, the system determines a first level of first audio energy corresponding to the first audio data. Based on second audio data, the system determines a second level of second audio energy corresponding to the second audio data. The system determines that the first level of the first audio energy has changed by at least a threshold energy change amount during a specific amount of time. The system determines that the second level of the audio energy has changed by at least a threshold energy change amount during the specific amount of time. After determining that the first level of the first audio energy has changed by at least the threshold energy change amount during the specific amount of time, the system determines a first elapsed time at which the first level of the first audio energy has changed by at least the threshold energy change amount. After determining that the second level of the second audio energy has changed by at least the threshold energy change amount during the specific amount of time, the system determines a second elapsed time at which the second level of the second audio energy has changed by at least the threshold energy change amount. Based on the first elapsed time and the second elapsed time, the system determines a first amount of material that has flowed through the first conduit during the specific amount of time relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second conduit during the specific amount of time.

In some implementations, the system receives flow data collected during the time period from a third meter connected to a third pipe that feeds the first pipe and the second pipe. Based on a first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period, and based on the flow data from the third meter, the system determines a first absolute amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe during the time period and a second absolute amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period.

The subject matter described below relates to a method for measuring flow rate in a pipe. The method includes measuring the temperature of the exterior of the pipe using a thermometer. A computing device collects the temperature data and determines the flow rate through the pipe based on changes in the temperature. Another method includes collecting audio data from the exterior of the pipe using a microphone. The computing device collects the audio data and determines the flow rate through the pipe based on changes in the audio data. In some implementations, the computing device may use both the audio data and the temperature to determine the flow rate through the pipe. In some implementations, the computing device may use the temperature to detect when flow begins through the pipe and use the audio data to detect when flow stops, or vice versa.

FIG4 illustrates an example method 100 for measuring flow rate through a pipe using a thermometer. Method 100 can be performed by a computing device located near the pipe, such as a computing device directly connected to the thermometer. Alternatively, method 100 can be performed by a computing device that receives data from the thermometer via a wireless connection.

The computing device receives the temperature of the pipe from the thermometer (405). In some implementations, the pipe is a water pipe or a pipe that provides another liquid. In some implementations, the pipe is a gas pipe that provides any type of gas (such as methane). The thermometer is attached to the outside of the pipe and is configured to measure the temperature of the pipe itself. The thermometer can be covered with an insulating layer to reduce the effect of ambient air on the temperature reading. In some implementations, multiple thermometers are placed on a portion of the pipe. For example, a first thermometer can detect the temperature of the pipe at one foot from the wall. A second thermometer can also detect the temperature of the pipe at one foot from the wall but at a different location on the circumference of the pipe. A third thermometer can detect the temperature of the pipe at two feet from the wall or one foot from the next branch of the pipe.

The computing device determines that the temperature of the pipe has changed by at least a threshold temperature change during a specified amount of time (410). As the computing device monitors the temperature, the computing device determines the difference between the temperature readings at predetermined intervals (e.g., one minute). The computing device determines the threshold temperature change based on a calibration process. In some implementations, the calibration process may be based on the material of the pipe, the outer diameter of the pipe, the inner diameter of the pipe, and the material flowing through the pipe. For example, if the pipe is copper, has an outer diameter of 1 inch and an inner diameter of 0.8 inches, and water is flowing through the pipe, the computing device may monitor for a threshold temperature change of 2 degrees. In some implementations, the calibration process is based on training data, including temperature readings of the pipe and flow data through the pipe. For example, during a setup process for a thermometer, the computing device receives temperature data from the thermometer and flow data from another meter that measures the flow rate through the pipe. Using the temperature and flow rate data, the computing device determines an appropriate threshold temperature change to detect. In some implementations, the threshold temperature change may be different depending on whether the temperature is increasing or decreasing. For example, if the temperature is increasing, the threshold temperature change might be 2 degrees; if the temperature is decreasing, it might be 3 degrees.

After determining that the temperature of the pipe has changed by at least a threshold temperature change amount during a specified amount of time, the computing device determines the elapsed time over which the temperature of the pipe has changed (415). At this stage, the computing device may monitor the temperature of the pipe at shorter intervals (e.g., 3 seconds). If the temperature does not change by at least the threshold value within the shorter interval or another interval, the computing device may determine that the temperature of the pipe is no longer changing. For example, if the computing device measures a temperature of 50.1 degrees at a specified time and 50.2 degrees at the specified time plus two minutes, the computing device may determine that the temperature has stopped changing. If the temperature changes from 50.1 degrees at the specified time to 50.2 degrees at the specified time plus one minute, the computing device may determine that the temperature is still changing.

Based on the elapsed time that the temperature of the pipe is changing, the computing device determines an amount of material that has flowed through the pipe during the elapsed time (420). To calculate the flow rate of the material that has flowed through the pipe during the elapsed time, the computing device uses the material of the pipe, the outer diameter of the pipe, the inner diameter of the pipe, and the material flowing through the pipe. For example, if the pipe is copper, has an outer diameter of 1 inch and an inner diameter of 0.8 inches, water is flowing through the pipe, and the temperature changes from 50.0 degrees to 45.0 degrees in 10 minutes, the computing device determines that 30 gallons flowed through the pipe. In some implementations, the computing device determines the amount of material that has flowed through the pipe during the elapsed time based on training data collected during a calibration process.

In some implementations, a computing device stores data related to flow rate through a pipeline and provides the data to other computing devices in response to a request. For example, a billing device might be generating a bill for a water customer. The billing device sends a request to a computing device that has the flow rate data. The computing device with the flow rate data verifies the request and, if verified, provides the flow rate data to the billing device. The billing device can then generate a bill to provide to the customer.

In some implementations, a computing device can determine flow rate using multiple thermometer configurations by determining when all measurements from the multiple thermometers meet a threshold change, or when a majority of measurements meet a threshold change. For example, if two of three temperatures change by a threshold temperature change, the computing device can begin monitoring the temperatures more frequently or only monitor temperatures from thermometers that meet the threshold. In some implementations, each thermometer has a different threshold temperature change based on characteristics of the pipe at the thermometer, based on training data, or both.

Once the liquid or gas has been flowing through the pipe for a period of time, the pipe's temperature reaches a steady state. During this period, the computing device monitors the pipe's temperature and determines the elapsed time that the pipe has been at a constant temperature. Once the liquid or gas stops flowing, the pipe's temperature returns to its initial temperature. Therefore, if the computing device measures the time between the pipe reaching a constant temperature and the pipe returning to its initial temperature, the computing device can determine the flow rate through the pipe during that elapsed time.

In some implementations, the threshold temperature change detected by the computing device once the temperature of the pipe reaches a steady state is the same as the threshold temperature change detected when the gas or liquid initially begins to flow. In some implementations, the threshold temperature change varies depending on the material of the pipe, the outer diameter of the pipe, the inner diameter of the pipe, and the material flowing through the pipe, or on training data, or both, whichever is greater.

In some implementations, the amount of time that the computing device monitors the threshold temperature change once the temperature of the pipe reaches a steady state is the same as the amount of time that the computing device monitors the threshold temperature change when the gas or liquid begins to flow. In some implementations, these two time periods are different and are based on the material of the pipe, the outer diameter of the pipe, the inner diameter of the pipe, and the material flowing through the pipe, or based on training data, or both.

FIG5 illustrates an example method 500 for measuring flow rate through a pipe using a microphone. Method 500 can be performed by a computing device located near the pipe, such as a computing device directly connected to the microphone. Alternatively, method 500 can be performed by a computing device that receives data from the microphone via a wireless connection.

The computing device receives audio data associated with the pipe from the microphone (505). In some implementations, the pipe is a water pipe or a pipe that provides another liquid. In some implementations, the pipe is a gas pipe that provides any type of gas (such as methane). The microphone is attached to the outside of the pipe and is configured to measure sound waves emitted from the pipe itself. The microphone can be covered with an isolation cover to reduce the impact of ambient noise on the microphone. In some implementations, multiple microphones are placed on parts of the pipe. For example, a first microphone can detect sound waves emitted from the pipe at one foot from the wall. A second microphone can also detect sound waves emitted from the pipe at one foot from the wall but at a different location on the circumference of the pipe. A third microphone can detect sound waves emitted from the pipe at two feet from the wall or one foot from the next branch of the pipe. The computing device can use the audio data from the multiple microphones to cancel out noise.

Based on the audio data, the computing device determines a level of audio energy associated with the audio data (510). When the computing device receives the audio data, the computing device converts the audio data into a level of audio energy. In some implementations, the computing device calculates a root mean square or average amplitude of the audio data to determine the level of audio energy. In some implementations, the computing device determines frequency components of the audio data and uses the frequency components to determine a flow rate of the pipe.

The computing device determines that the level of audio energy has changed by at least a threshold energy change amount over a specified amount of time (515). When the computing device calculates the level of audio energy, the computing device determines the difference between the levels of audio energy at predetermined intervals (e.g., 1 minute). The computing device determines the threshold energy change amount based on a calibration process. In some implementations, the calibration process may be based on the material of the pipe, the outer diameter of the pipe, the inner diameter of the pipe, and the material flowing through the pipe. For example, if the pipe is copper, has an outer diameter of 1 inch and an inner diameter of 0.8 inches, and water is flowing through the pipe, the computing device may monitor for a threshold energy change amount of 2 decibels. In some implementations, the calibration process is based on training data, including audio energy levels of the pipe and flow data through the pipe. For example, during the setup process of the microphone, the computing device receives audio data from the microphone and flow data from another meter that is measuring the flow rate through the pipe. Using the audio data and the flow rate data, the computing device determines an appropriate threshold energy change amount to detect. In some implementations, the threshold energy change amount may be different depending on whether the audio energy level is increasing or decreasing. For example, if the audio energy level is increasing, the threshold energy change amount may be 2 decibels; if the audio energy level is decreasing, the threshold energy change amount may be 3 decibels.

After determining that the level of audio energy has changed by at least the threshold energy change amount during the specified amount of time, the computing device determines the elapsed time over which the level of audio energy associated with the pipe has changed by at least the threshold energy change amount (520). At this stage, the computing device may calculate the audio energy level of the pipe at shorter intervals (e.g., 3 seconds). If the audio energy level fails to meet the threshold within the shorter interval or another interval, the computing device may determine that the level of audio energy of the pipe is no longer outside the threshold energy change amount. For example, if the computing device measures an energy change of 1.7 decibels at the specified time and an energy change of 1.8 decibels at the specified time plus 2 minutes, the computing device may determine that the audio energy level no longer exceeds the 3 decibel threshold. If the energy level change at the specified time is 1.7 decibels and the energy level change at the specified time plus 1 minute is 2.2 decibels, the computing device determines that the audio energy level is still outside the threshold energy range.

Based on the elapsed time during which the level of audio energy associated with the conduit has changed by at least the threshold energy change amount, the computing device determines an amount of material that has flowed through the conduit during the elapsed time (525).

To calculate the flow rate of material that flowed through the pipe during the elapsed time, the computing device uses the material of the pipe, the outer diameter of the pipe, the inner diameter of the pipe, and the amount of material flowing through the pipe. For example, if the pipe is copper, has an outer diameter of 1 inch and an inner diameter of 0.8 inches, and water is flowing through the pipe, and the audio energy level is outside a threshold energy range for 10 minutes, the computing device determines that 30 gallons flowed through the pipe. In some implementations, the computing device determines the amount of material that flowed through the pipe during the elapsed time based on training data collected during a calibration process.

In some implementations, the computing device factors in the level of change in audio energy to determine the flow rate. The computing device can consider the level of change in audio energy, rather than simply whether the audio energy level meets a threshold energy level. For example, a 1 decibel change in audio energy can correspond to eighty percent of the water flowing through the pipe as a 2 decibel change in audio energy. The computing device can consider the material of the pipe, the outer diameter of the pipe, the inner diameter of the pipe, and the material flowing through the pipe, or training data, or both, to determine what flow rate corresponds to what audio energy change.

In some implementations, the computing device may receive audio energy level data and temperature data to determine a flow rate through the pipe. For example, the computing device may determine the flow rate through the pipe by averaging the flow rate determined based on the temperature data and the audio energy level data.

In some implementations, a computing device stores data related to flow rate through a pipeline and provides this data to other computing devices in response to a request. For example, a billing device might be generating a bill for a water customer. The billing device sends a request to a computing device that has flow rate data. The computing device with the flow rate data verifies the request and, if verified, provides the flow rate data to the billing device. The billing device can then generate a bill to provide to the customer.

In some implementations, a computing device can determine flow rate using a multiple-microphone configuration by determining when all, or a majority, of the energy levels calculated based on data from the multiple microphones meet a threshold energy change. For example, if two of three energy levels change by a threshold energy change, the computing device can begin monitoring the microphones more frequently, or only monitor the microphones associated with energy levels that meet the threshold. In some implementations, each microphone has a different threshold energy change based on characteristics of the pipe at the microphone, based on training data, or both.

While the gas or liquid is flowing through the pipe, the energy level determined by the computing device will be relatively constant. Once the gas or liquid stops flowing, the energy level returns to the initial energy level. While the energy level is constant, the computing device monitors the energy level and stores the time that the energy level is above a threshold energy change amount. When the gas or liquid stops flowing, the computing device monitors the energy level and may determine that the energy level has changed by a second threshold energy change amount within a second specific amount of time. In some implementations, the second threshold energy change amount is the same as the threshold energy change amount at the start of flow, while in other implementations it is different. In some implementations, the second specific amount of time is the same as the specific amount of time at the start of flow, while in other implementations it is different. The computing device determines all four values based on the material of the pipe, the outer diameter of the pipe, the inner diameter of the pipe, and the material flowing through the pipe, or based on training data, or both.

In some implementations, the computing device uses a combination of temperature and sound to determine flow through the pipe. For example, the computing device can use temperature to determine when flow begins through the pipe and use audio energy levels to determine when flow stops. As another example, the computing device can use audio energy levels to determine when flow begins and use temperature to determine when flow ends.

The water meters described in this application can be used in various situations where a user wants to measure water flow but does not want to install a water meter by removing, cutting, or adding pipes. For example, in a multi-family residence, a management company may want to measure the water consumption of individual units that do not have individual water meters. The management company can install these meters by attaching the meters to the pipes supplying each unit using glue, tape, cable ties, or any other type of tie or adhesive. Units supplied by more than one pipe can have a meter attached to each pipe. The meters can be linked to a billing system to generate separate bills for units that previously did not have meters. In some implementations, each meter may include an anti-tampering band that indicates an attempted removal. Each meter also generates an alarm when someone attempts to remove the meter.

In some implementations, the meter may be configured with a vibration sensor. The vibration sensor can detect vibrations in the pipe as water or other material flows through it. The meter may include multiple vibration sensors positioned around the perimeter of the pipe. A computing device receiving data from the vibration sensors can determine that water flow rate increases as water flow rate increases. In some implementations, pipe vibrations may occur when the material changes its flow rate. In this case, the computing device can determine the water flow rate based on the rate of change of the vibrations.

In some implementations, the computing device determines flow through a pipe based on a combination of sound, temperature, and vibration. Any combination of these three can be used to detect the start and end of flow. For example, the computing device can use data from temperature and vibration sensors to determine when flow begins, and use only microphone data to determine when flow stops. As another example, the computing device can use sound, temperature, and vibration data to determine when flow begins, and use sound and vibration data to determine when flow stops. In some implementations, the ambient temperature, the temperature of the material flowing, the season, the time of day, the month, the day of the week, and so on can be used to determine what data to use.

In some implementations, the meter devices attached to the pipeline may run on batteries. To conserve battery power, the devices can be configured to communicate only at specific intervals. For example, the devices can be configured to communicate only between noon and 2 p.m. on Mondays. During this time, the receiving computing device can request data from each of the meter devices. The rest of the week, the meter devices can only collect data from the pipeline.

In some implementations, the meter can be configured to generate an audible alarm or an alarm delivered to a computing device when the flow rate exceeds a threshold. For example, the meter can generate an alarm when it detects a flow rate above 3 gallons per minute. As another example, the meter might generate an alarm at different times of day, days of the week, months of the month, and so on. During periods when no one is likely using the water, such as during the middle of the day, the meter can generate an alarm when the flow rate exceeds 0.3 gallons per minute. This functionality can help identify leaks.

In some implementations, meters can be logically connected to each other. For meters measuring pipes supplying the same living unit, these meters can be configured to share data, which can then be fed into a single set of data points to a computing device. Meters can also share data to generate alerts. Meters can combine their data to determine whether a flow rate exceeds a threshold. For example, if the threshold is 0.3 gpm, a meter measuring 0.2 gpm can generate an alert if it is logically connected to another meter measuring 0.2 gpm.

FIG6 illustrates an example of a computing device 600 and a mobile computing device 650 that can be used to implement the techniques described herein. Computing device 600 is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframes, and other suitable computers. Mobile computing device 650 is intended to represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants, cellular phones, smartphones, and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functionality are intended to be examples only and are not intended to be limiting.

Computing device 600 includes a processor 602, a memory 604, a storage device 606, a high-speed interface 608 connected to memory 604 and a plurality of high-speed expansion ports 610, and a low-speed interface 612 connected to a low-speed expansion port 614 and storage device 606. Each of processor 602, memory 604, storage device 606, high-speed interface 608, high-speed expansion port 610, and low-speed interface 612 is interconnected using various buses and can be mounted on a common motherboard or otherwise as applicable. Processor 602 can process instructions for execution within computing device 600, including instructions stored in memory 604 or on storage device 606, to display graphical information for a GUI on an external input/output device (such as a display 616 coupled to high-speed interface 608). In other implementations, multiple processors and/or multiple buses can be used, along with multiple memories and various types of memory, as applicable. In addition, multiple computing devices can be connected, each providing portions of the necessary operations (e.g., as a server bank, a group of blade servers, or a multi-processor system).

The memory 604 stores information in the computing device 600. In some implementations, the memory 604 is a volatile storage unit(s). In some implementations, the memory 604 is a non-volatile storage unit(s). The memory 604 can also be another form of computer-readable medium, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk.

The storage device 606 can provide mass storage for the computing device 600. In some implementations, the storage device 606 can be or include a computer-readable medium, such as a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, or a magnetic tape device, a flash memory or other similar solid-state storage device, or an array of devices, including devices in a storage area network or other configurations. Instructions can be stored in an information carrier. When executed by one or more processing devices (e.g., processor 602), the instructions execute one or more methods, such as those described above. Instructions can also be stored by one or more storage devices such as a computer-readable medium or a machine-readable medium (e.g., a memory 604, a storage device 606, or a memory on a processor 602).

The high-speed interface 608 manages bandwidth-intensive operations of the computing device 600, while the low-speed interface 612 manages less bandwidth-intensive operations. Such functional allocation is merely an example. In some implementations, the high-speed interface 608 is coupled to the memory 604, the display 616 (e.g., via a graphics processor or accelerator), and the high-speed expansion port 610, which can accept various expansion cards. In an implementation, the low-speed interface 612 is coupled to the storage device 606 and the low-speed expansion port 614. The low-speed expansion port 614, which can include various communication ports (e.g., USB, Bluetooth, Ethernet, wireless Ethernet), can be coupled to one or more input/output devices (such as a keyboard, pointing device, scanner) or a network device (such as a switch or router) (e.g., via a network adapter).

Computing device 600 can be implemented in a variety of different forms, as shown. For example, it can be implemented as a standard server 620, or multiple times as a group of such servers. In addition, it can be implemented in a personal computer (such as laptop computer 622). It can also be implemented as part of a rack server system 624. Alternatively, components from computing device 600 can be combined with other components in a mobile device (such as mobile computing device 650). Each of these devices can contain one or more of computing device 600 and mobile computing device 650, and the entire system can be composed of multiple computing devices communicating with each other.

The mobile computing device 650 includes components such as a processor 652, a memory 664, an input/output device (such as a display 654), a communication interface 666, and a transceiver 668. The mobile computing device 650 may also be provided with a storage device (such as a micro drive or other device) to provide additional storage. Each of the processor 652, the memory 664, the display 654, the communication interface 666, and the transceiver 668 is interconnected using a different bus, and several of the components may be mounted on a common motherboard or in other ways as appropriate.

The processor 652 can execute instructions within the mobile computing device 650, including instructions stored in the memory 664. The processor 652 can be implemented as a chipset of chips, including independent or multiple analog and digital processors. For example, the processor 652 can provide coordination for other components of the mobile computing device 650, such as control of a user interface, applications executed by the mobile computing device 650, and wireless communications through the mobile computing device 650.

The processor 652 can communicate with the user via a control interface 658 and a display interface 656 coupled to the display 654. The display 654 can be, for example, a TFT (thin film transistor liquid crystal display) display or an OLED (organic light emitting diode) display, or other suitable display technology. The display interface 656 may include appropriate circuitry for driving the display 654 to present graphics and other information to the user. The control interface 658 can receive commands from the user and convert them for submission to the processor 652. In addition, an external interface 662 can provide communication with the processor 652 to enable near-field communication between the mobile computing device 650 and other devices. For example, the external interface 662 can provide wired communication in some implementations, or wireless communication in other implementations, and multiple interfaces can also be used.

Memory 664 stores information within mobile computing device 650. Memory 664 can be implemented as one or more of computer-readable media, volatile memory unit(s), or non-volatile memory unit(s). Expansion memory 674 may also be provided and connected to mobile computing device 650 via expansion interface 672, which may include, for example, a SIMM (Single In-Line Memory Module) card interface. Expansion memory 674 may provide additional storage space for mobile computing device 650 or may store applications or other information for mobile computing device 650. Specifically, expansion memory 674 may include instructions for executing or supplementing the processes described above, and may also include security information. Thus, for example, expansion memory 674 may be provided as a security module for mobile computing device 650 and may be programmed with instructions that enable secure use of mobile computing device 650. Furthermore, secure applications may be provided via a SIMM card, along with additional information, such as identifying information, placed on the SIMM card in an inaccessible manner.

As discussed below, the memory may include, for example, flash memory and/or NVRAM memory (non-volatile random access memory). In some implementations, the instructions are stored in an information carrier. When executed by one or more processing devices (e.g., processor 652), the instructions perform one or more methods, such as those discussed above. The instructions may also be stored by one or more storage devices (such as one or more computer-readable media or machine-readable media (e.g., memory 664, expansion memory 674, or memory on processor 652)). In some implementations, the instructions may be received, for example, via a transceiver 668 or external interface 662 as a propagated signal.

The mobile computing device 650 can communicate wirelessly via a communication interface 666, which may include digital signal processing circuitry as needed. The communication interface 666 can provide for communication in various modes or protocols, such as GSM voice calls (Global System for Mobile Communications), SMS (Short Message Service), EMS (Enhanced Message Service) or MMS messages (Multimedia Message Service), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), PDC (Personal Digital Cellular), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), CDMA2000, or GPRS (General Packet Radio Service). For example, such communication can occur using radio frequency via a transceiver 668. In addition, short-range communication can occur, such as using Bluetooth, WiFi, or other such transceivers. In addition, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver module 670 can provide additional navigation-related and location-related wireless data to the mobile computing device 650, which can be used by applications running on the mobile computing device 650, as applicable.

Mobile computing device 650 may also communicate audibly using audio codec 660, which may receive spoken information from a user and convert it into usable digital information. Audio codec 660 may also generate audible sounds for the user, such as through a speaker, for example, in a handset of mobile computing device 650. Such sounds may include sounds from voice phone calls, recorded sounds (e.g., voice messages, music files, etc.), and sounds generated by applications operating on mobile computing device 650.

Mobile computing device 650 can be implemented in a variety of different forms, as shown. For example, it can be implemented as a cellular phone 680. It can also be implemented as part of a smart phone 582, a personal digital assistant, or other similar mobile device.

Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry, specially designed ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinations thereof. These various implementations can include implementations in one or more computer programs that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmable system that includes at least one programmable processor, which can be special purpose or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from a storage system and transmit data and instructions to the storage system.

These computer programs (also referred to as programs, software, software applications, or code) include machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in high-level procedural and/or object-oriented programming languages, and/or in assembly/machine language. As used herein, the terms machine-readable medium and computer-readable medium refer to any computer program product, apparatus, and/or device (e.g., a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a memory, a programmable logic device (PLD)) for providing machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term machine-readable signal refers to any signal for providing machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor.

To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on a computer having a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user, as well as a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, the feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and the input from the user can be received in any form, including sound, voice, or tactile input.

The systems and techniques described herein can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component (e.g., as a data server), or includes a middleware component (e.g., an application server), or includes a front-end component (e.g., a client computer with a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the systems and techniques described herein), or any combination of such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and the Internet.

A computing system may include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship between a client and a server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

Although some implementations have been described in detail above, other modifications are possible. For example, while a client application is described as accessing a proxy(s), in other implementations, the proxy(s) may be implemented by other applications implemented by one or more processors, such as applications executing on one or more servers. Furthermore, the logic flows depicted in the figures do not require the particular order or sequential order shown to achieve the desired results. Furthermore, other actions may be provided, or actions may be eliminated, and other components may be added to or removed from the described systems, depending on the described flows. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (17)

1. A computer-implemented water metering method, comprising: Receive first audio data collected during a time period and first temperature data collected during the time period from a first instrument connected to a first conduit; Receive second audio data and second temperature data collected during the time period from a second instrument connected to a second conduit; Based on the first audio data, the first temperature data, the second audio data, and the second temperature data, determine the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe relative to the second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period; Flow data collected during the time period is received from a third instrument connected to a third conduit, which supplies the first and second conduits; and Based on the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe relative to the second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period, and based on the flow data from the third instrument, a first absolute amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe during the time period and a second absolute amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period are determined. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period comprises: Determine that the first temperature of the first pipe has changed by at least a threshold temperature change amount during a specific amount of time; Determine that the second temperature of the second pipe has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specific time period; After determining that the first temperature of the first pipe has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specific amount of time, a first elapsed time during which the first temperature of the first pipe changes is determined. After determining that the second temperature of the second pipe has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specified time period, a second elapsed time is determined in which the second temperature of the second pipe changes; and Based on the first elapsed time and the second elapsed time, determine the second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the specific time period and the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe during the specific time period. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period comprises: Based on the first audio data, determine the first level of the first audio energy corresponding to the first audio data; Based on the second audio data, determine the second level of the second audio energy corresponding to the second audio data; Determine that the first level of the first audio energy has changed by at least the amount of threshold energy change during a specific amount of time; Determine that the second level of audio energy has changed at least by the amount of threshold energy change during the specific time period; After determining that the first level of the first audio energy has changed at least by the threshold energy change amount during the specific amount of time, a first elapsed time is determined for the first level of the first audio energy to have changed at least by the threshold energy change amount. After determining that the second level of the second audio energy has at least changed by the threshold energy change amount during the specific time period, a second elapsed time is determined for the second level of the second audio energy to have at least changed by the threshold energy change amount; and Based on the first elapsed time and the second elapsed time, determine the second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the specific time period and the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe during the specific time period. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pipe and the second pipe are water pipes, and the material is water. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pipe and the second pipe are gas pipes, and the material is natural gas or propane. 6. The method of claim 1, comprising: Transmitting requests for instrument data, The first audio data and the second audio data, as well as the first temperature data and the second temperature data, are received in response to the request for instrument data. 7. The method of claim 1, comprising: Receive data from the first instrument indicating that the first instrument moved during the time period; and In response to receiving the data indicating that the first instrument moved during the time period, data indicating the movement of the first instrument is provided for display. 8. A water metering system, comprising: One or more computers; and One or more storage devices storing instructions, which, when executed by the one or more computers, are operable to cause the one or more computers to perform the following operations: Receive first audio data collected during a time period and first temperature data collected during the time period from a first instrument connected to a first conduit; Receive second audio data and second temperature data collected during the time period from a second instrument connected to a second conduit; Based on the first audio data, the first temperature data, the second audio data, and the second temperature data, determine the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe relative to the second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period; Receives flow data collected during the time period from a third instrument connected to a third conduit, the third conduit supplying the first and second conduits; and Based on the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe relative to the second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period, and based on the flow data from the third instrument, a first absolute amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe during the time period and a second absolute amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period are determined. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein determining the first amount of material that has flowed through the first conduit relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second conduit during the time period comprises: Determine that the first temperature of the first pipe has changed by at least a threshold temperature change amount during a specific amount of time; Determine that the second temperature of the second pipe has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specific time period; After determining that the first temperature of the first pipe has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specific amount of time, a first elapsed time during which the first temperature of the first pipe changes is determined. After determining that the second temperature of the second pipe has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specified time period, a second elapsed time is determined in which the second temperature of the second pipe changes; and Based on the first elapsed time and the second elapsed time, determine the second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the specific time period and the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe during the specific time period. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein determining the first amount of material that has flowed through the first conduit relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second conduit during the time period comprises: Based on the first audio data, determine the first level of the first audio energy corresponding to the first audio data; Based on the second audio data, determine the second level of the second audio energy corresponding to the second audio data; Determine that the first level of the first audio energy has changed by at least the amount of threshold energy change during a specific amount of time; Determine that the second level of audio energy has changed at least by the amount of threshold energy change during the specific time period; After determining that the first level of the first audio energy has changed at least by the threshold energy change amount during the specific amount of time, a first elapsed time is determined for the first level of the first audio energy to have changed at least by the threshold energy change amount. After determining that the second level of the second audio energy has at least changed by the threshold energy change amount during the specific time period, a second elapsed time is determined for the second level of the second audio energy to have at least changed by the threshold energy change amount; and Based on the first elapsed time and the second elapsed time, determine the second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the specific time period and the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe during the specific time period. 11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first pipe and the second pipe are water pipes, and the material is water. 12. The system of claim 8, wherein the first pipe and the second pipe are gas pipes, and the material is natural gas or propane. 13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operation further comprises: Transmitting requests for instrument data, The first audio data and the second audio data, as well as the first temperature data and the second temperature data, are received in response to the request for instrument data. 14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operation further comprises: Receive data from the first instrument indicating that the first instrument moved during the time period; and In response to receiving the data indicating that the first instrument moved during the time period, data indicating the movement of the first instrument is provided for display. 15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software including instructions executable by one or more computers, wherein, based on said execution, the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform the following operations: Receive first audio data collected during a time period and first temperature data collected during the time period from a first instrument connected to a first conduit; Receive second audio data and second temperature data collected during the time period from a second instrument connected to a second conduit; Based on the first audio data, the first temperature data, the second audio data, and the second temperature data, determine the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe relative to the second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period; Receives flow data collected during the time period from a third instrument connected to a third conduit, the third conduit supplying the first and second conduits; and Based on the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe relative to the second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period, and based on the flow data from the third instrument, a first absolute amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe during the time period and a second absolute amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the time period are determined. 16. The medium of claim 15, wherein determining the first amount of material that has flowed through the first conduit relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second conduit during the time period comprises: Determine that the first temperature of the first pipe has changed by at least a threshold temperature change amount during a specific amount of time; Determine that the second temperature of the second pipe has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specific time period; After determining that the first temperature of the first pipe has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specific amount of time, a first elapsed time during which the first temperature of the first pipe changes is determined. After determining that the second temperature of the second pipe has changed by at least the threshold temperature change amount during the specified time period, a second elapsed time is determined in which the second temperature of the second pipe changes; and Based on the first elapsed time and the second elapsed time, determine the second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the specific time period and the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe during the specific time period. 17. The medium of claim 15, wherein determining the first amount of material that has flowed through the first conduit relative to a second amount of material that has flowed through the second conduit during the time period comprises: Based on the first audio data, determine the first level of the first audio energy corresponding to the first audio data; Based on the second audio data, determine the second level of the second audio energy corresponding to the second audio data; Determine that the first level of the first audio energy has changed by at least the amount of threshold energy change during a specific amount of time; Determine that the second level of audio energy has changed at least by the amount of threshold energy change during the specific time period; After determining that the first level of the first audio energy has changed at least by the threshold energy change amount during the specific amount of time, a first elapsed time is determined for the first level of the first audio energy to have changed at least by the threshold energy change amount. After determining that the second level of the second audio energy has changed at least by the threshold energy change amount during the specific time period, a second elapsed time is determined for the second level of the second audio energy to have changed at least by the threshold energy change amount; and Based on the first elapsed time and the second elapsed time, the first amount of material that has flowed through the first pipe during the specific amount of time is determined relative to the second amount of material that has flowed through the second pipe during the specific amount of time.