A method includes actuating a pump at a constant nominal flow-rate to induce liquid flow out of a vessel through an outlet duct. The outlet duct communicates with the vessel with an upper aperture at an intermediate level height, and a lower aperture at a reduced level height. Flow of liquid is detected in the outlet duct. A digital signal assumes an alternate sequence of states when the liquid level is between the intermediate and reduced levels. Each state is an air-indicating state or liquid-indicating state. The presence or absence of air bubbles is detected in the flow of liquid. The digital signal is compared with a reference signal having a predetermined sequence of air-indicating states and liquid-indicating states. Pump actuation duration is modified as a function of a difference between the digital and reference signals. An apparatus is controls the supply of a liquid level in a vessel.

A detection system is provided for a distributed water infrastructure to determine a human health or lifestyle state from detected water usage patterns. The system receives signals indicative of water usage from at least one sensor upstream of a plurality of appliances, and determines from the signals a current water usage pattern. The system accesses a database of a plurality of stored water usage patterns, associated with a human health or lifestyle state, compares the pattern with stored water usage patterns and, based on the comparison, identifies a human health or lifestyle condition reflected by the current water usage pattern.

A method and apparatus for operating a flowmeter (5) is provided. A process fluid is placed in the flowmeter (5). A measured mass flow rate (221) of the process fluid is determined. The process fluid is totalized. A first flowmeter parameter is measured. The measured mass flow rate (221) is set to zero if the first flowmeter parameter differs from a pre-determined threshold by a predetermined amount, and totalizing is halted if the first flowmeter parameter differs from a predetermined threshold by a predetermined amount.

A computer implemented method implemented on a computer system includes non-transient memory storing instructions for configuring a plurality of district metering areas within a utility supply network. The method includes identifying a plurality of flow measurement devices, wherein each flow measurement device is connected by a directional connection to at least one other flow measurement device, generating a utility supply network representation based on the directional connections between the flow measurement devices, and generating a plurality of district metering areas for the utility supply network representation, each district metering area being a directed acyclic graph based on the directional connections and including a subset of the plurality of flow measuring devices and including at least one flow measurement device designated as a supply meter and at least one flow measurement device designated as a demand meter.

A computer implemented method implemented on a computer system includes non-transient memory storing instructions for configuring a plurality of district metering areas within a utility supply network. The method includes identifying a plurality of flow measurement devices, wherein each flow measurement device is connected by a directional connection to at least one other flow measurement device, generating a utility supply network representation based on the directional connections between the flow measurement devices, and generating a plurality of district metering areas for the utility supply network representation, each district metering area being a directed acyclic graph based on the directional connections and including a subset of the plurality of flow measuring devices and including at least one flow measurement device designated as a supply meter and at least one flow measurement device designated as a demand meter.

A remaining-LP-gas display control apparatus includes a consumption obtaining unit that obtains daily gas consumptions in a tank, a consumption predicting unit that predicts future daily gas consumptions for a set number of days such that each future gas consumption is predicted based on the latest gas consumption on the same day of the week included in the gas consumptions obtained by the consumption obtaining unit, a replacement date predicting unit that predicts the amounts of gas remaining in the tank and a date on which the gas remaining in the tank will be used up by using the obtained gas consumptions and the predicted future gas consumptions, and a display control unit that controls a display unit to display an image in which remaining-gas information is superimposed on a location where the tank is placed by using the predicted date and location information.

A remaining-LP-gas display control apparatus includes a consumption obtaining unit that obtains daily gas consumptions in a tank, a consumption predicting unit that predicts future daily gas consumptions for a set number of days such that each future gas consumption is predicted based on the latest gas consumption on the same day of the week included in the gas consumptions obtained by the consumption obtaining unit, a replacement date predicting unit that predicts the amounts of gas remaining in the tank and a date on which the gas remaining in the tank will be used up by using the obtained gas consumptions and the predicted future gas consumptions, and a display control unit that controls a display unit to display an image in which remaining-gas information is superimposed on a location where the tank is placed by using the predicted date and location information.

Techniques for the design and operation of an efficient battery-powered meter are described herein. A metrology unit of the meter may be at least partially located in the gas flow of a pipe, and measures gas flow rate data according to a static flow sensor. The metrology unit calculates raw gas-volume data using at least the flow rate data as input. The metrology unit measures gas temperature to produce gas temperature data, and adjusts the raw gas-volume data, based at least in part on the gas temperature data, to produce corrected gas-volume data. The metrology unit accumulates the corrected gas-volume data over multiple minutes, hours or even days, and then sends the accumulated corrected gas-volume data to an index unit of the meter. By accumulating the data over time, fewer data transmissions are required. The index unit may send the accumulated the accumulated corrected gas-volume data to a utility server.

A volume meter auxiliary module is configured to be assembled on a fluid volume meter. The volume meter auxiliary module includes a first assembly member and a second assembly member. The first assembly member includes a clamping structure configured to fix the first assembly member on the fluid volume meter. The second assembly member is configured to connect with the first assembly member. The second assembly member includes a casing body, a light emitter, an image-capturing piece and a cover. The casing body has a first opening and a second opening. The first opening is located at a bottom of the casing body. The light emitter is disposed inside the casing body. The image-capturing piece is disposed inside the casing body. The cover connects with the casing body and covers the second opening. The cover is rotatable relative to the casing body.

A volume meter auxiliary module is configured to be assembled on a fluid volume meter. The volume meter auxiliary module includes a first assembly member and a second assembly member. The first assembly member includes a clamping structure configured to fix the first assembly member on the fluid volume meter. The second assembly member is configured to connect with the first assembly member. The second assembly member includes a casing body, a light emitter, an image-capturing piece and a cover. The casing body has a first opening and a second opening. The first opening is located at a bottom of the casing body. The light emitter is disposed inside the casing body. The image-capturing piece is disposed inside the casing body. The cover connects with the casing body and covers the second opening. The cover is rotatable relative to the casing body.