State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

Jonathan Christopher Hull

Nathan Lee Tofte

John Donovan

Richard Jan Tjaden

A sump pump system may implement adaptive learning and machine learning techniques to facilitate improved control of sump pumps. A sump pump system may implement the described techniques to generate, train, and/or implement a machine learning model that is capable of predicting or estimating one or more conditions of the sump pump system (e.g., water level in the basin, motor malfunction, stuck impeller, geyser effect, blocked outlet pipe, faulty level sensor/switch, faulty bearing, failure to engage pump at high-water mark, etc.) based on one or more detected input variables (e.g., acceleration or vibration patterns detected in water, on a pump, or on a pipe; capacitance values of water; audio signatures; electrical signatures, such as power or current draw; pump motor rotation speed; water pressure signatures or values, such as those detected at the bottom of a sump basin; etc.).

Adaptive learning system for improving sump pump control

A sump pump system enables automatic determination and utilization of frequencies for mechanical shakers for sump pumps. These techniques may be implemented to detect a fault (e.g., a stuck impeller) with a sump pump and to identify a desirable frequency at which a mechanical shaker for the sump pump should vibrate to correct the fault.

Determining and utilizing a desired frequency for a mechanical shaker for a sump pump system

A sump pump system detects backflow from an outlet pipe in a sump pump system and implements control of the sump pump in light of the detected backflow (or lack thereof). The sump pump system may detect the backflow (or lack thereof) by detecting and comparing water rise rates in a sump basin before activation or engagement of the sump pump (e.g., immediately before the pump starts pumping) and after the pump has disengaged or deactivated (e.g., immediately after the pump stops pumping). The rises rates may be detected via sensors configured to detect motion or acceleration (e.g., accelerometers, inertial measurement units, or force acceleration sensors) placed in the sump basin such that detect motion of water in the basin corresponding to changing water levels.

Detecting and utilizing a rise rate for sump pump system control

A sump pump system may detect and utilize motion or acceleration of water in sump basins when implementing control of sump pumps. To detect the motion or acceleration, the sump pump system may utilize a sensor that is configured to detect motion or acceleration, such as an accelerometer or gyroscope. The sump pump system may identify a water level in a sump basin based on the detected motion or acceleration, which may be compared to a reading or expected signal from the sump pump system's 'typical' sensor (e.g., float switch) that is used to detect one or more water levels. In this manner, the sump pump system may detect a malfunctioning level sensor that is used by the pump to detect high-water and low-water marks at which the sump pump activates and deactivates, respectively.

Detecting and utilizing water vibrations in sump pump system control

Example systems and methods for manipulating control of sump pumps in order to extend lifespans of the sump pumps are disclosed. An example method includes activating a sump pump a first time; deactivating the sump pump when a first current water level in a sump basin in which the sump pump is disposed reaches a first low-water mark; and determining, by one or more processors, a time since a last activation of the sump pump wherein the last activation occurred when the sump pump activated the first time. When the time satisfies a threshold, the method activates the sump pump at second time, determines, by one or more processors, a second current water level in the sump basin, and in response to determining that the second current water level in the sump basin is below a second low-water mark corresponding to a bottom of an impeller of the sump pump, deactivates the sump pump.

Systems and methods for manipulating control of sump pumps to extend lifespans of sump pumps

Described methods and systems user to manually activate or engage the pump from a remote location and/or to monitor the state of the sump pump (e.g., the water level, the pump condition, pipe conditions, etc.) when located at a remote location relative to the sump pump. A sump pump system may implement sensors configured to detect motion or acceleration of a sensor disposed in water in the sump basin or disposed on a sump pump or pipe. The sump pump system may analyze data from these sensors to identify diagnostic metrics or values that are transmitted to a user's user interface device, thereby notifying a user of conditions such as a stuck impeller, a blocked pipe, a dry pumping pump, etc.

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Bloomington, IL, United States of America

Jonathan Christopher Hull