Patent Description:
In general, water usage products are products that are used with water and that can control at least one operational parameter associated with the water such as, for example, temperature, flow rate, pressure etc. Water usage products may be connected to a water source to enable those products to function as designed. These water usage products may be, for example, "end of line" plumbing fixtures such as tap ware, urinals, cisterns, showers, toilets and "inline" plumbing fixtures such as, for example, flow control valves, thermostatic mixing valves (TMV) and water re-circulation pumps.

For example, water usage products may be used in one or more environments or areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, restrooms, toilets and the like. For example, these water usage products may be bathroom or kitchen products and the like including urinals, basins, shower heads, taps and toilets, for example. As a further example, water usage products may be plumbing fixtures and the like. As yet a further example, water usage products may be other types of devices in which water is used such as water reticulation systems, water storage units, water sprinklers, hoses and outdoor taps.

Water usage products may be installed in bathroom facilities in various areas where excessive water usage is of concern and so its supply may be limited. To assist with this, low water usage type products may be used. However, in situations where a water usage product, or piping relating to the water usage product, may have a fault, such as a leak, large quantities of water may be wasted before such a leak is detected and rectified. In addition to the waste of water, the damage to facilities increases the longer a leak is undetected and unattended to.

In medium to large buildings, multiple bathroom facilities usually exist. Monitoring and control of the water used by the numerous water usage products in each of the bathroom facilities may be problematic and time consuming as it becomes necessary for individuals to move from facility to facility and device to device to assess any problems and monitor the water usage products. This problem is further exacerbated when a building manager is in charge of multiple buildings.

While some products are known that can determine "abnormal" water usage behaviour and instigate a shut off of water flow, the definition and determination of "abnormal" behaviour can lead to a poor confidence in the decisions made by the known products. For example, some devices might consider a large amount of water being used for a bath at night to be unusual and trigger a shut-off, when the usage was intended by the user. Thus, a problem with known devices is that they cannot differentiate between unusual and unintended usage of water usage products.

Monitoring numerous water usage products on a building scale may also preclude the ability to manage the water usage products on an individual basis. For example, urinals require a minimum flow rate of about <NUM> min-<NUM> to ensure that waste is flushed through an S-bend included in most commercially available urinals. If the water flow rate is lower than the minimum flow rate, urine salts would form and build up in the S-bend, decreasing performance of the urinal, or ultimately leading to blockages.

Similarly, the water flow rate to a shower head is typically limited using a water flow rate restrictor to limit the water flow rate through the shower head to comply with water use reduction regulations. However, the indiscriminate reduction of flow rate may lead to lower than necessary water pressure, or indeed lower than necessary water flow rate at the shower head.

Document <CIT> discloses a system and a method for monitoring and controlling a rest room, such as a bathroom with toilets, a urinal, sinks and a trash receptacle. An activation sensor is associated with the toilets and the urinal, while water flow sensors are associated with the sinks, respectively. Another water flow sensor monitors the rate of water flow in a main water supply line of the system. Further, a water supply line to either the toilet or the urinal may include a water flow meter. Another sensor indicates a state of the trash receptacle. Furthermore, the rest room is equipped with fixture controllers for selectively controlling one or more functions associated with the respective fixture. One control device is a motor or solenoid operated valve in the main water supply line. The system also includes a rest room controller connected to each of the sensors and fixture controllers in the rest room. The rest room controller receives data from one or more of the various sensors and/or fixture controllers in the rest room. Based on the received data, the rest room controller ascertains and communicates a status condition with the various monitored functions. The rest room controller can regulate the respective function of individual fittings, for example it can close the valve of the main water supply to prevent possible flooding.

Document <CIT> describes a water supply control system. In said system, water reaches a water manifold via a main water pipe, where it is divided into several water conduits. The main water pipe as well as each of the water conduits are equipped with a valve, respectively. Further, the main water pipe and the water conduits are equipped with a flow sensor, respectively. The valves are each connected to a processor. The processor is connected to a user interface through which a user can input various control modes and operational settings. Base on the system settings and on the data provided by the water flow sensors, the processor evaluates water consumption and checks whether it is behaving normally. In the event of unusual water consumption, the processor triggers an alarm meassage and, if necessary, shuts off the main valve or at least one of the other valves.

It is an object of the present invention to at least substantially overcome one or more of the above disadvantages, or at least provide a useful alternative to the above described arrangements.

In a first aspect the present invention provides a water flow management system including valve assembly, wherein the valve assembly comprising a valve and comprising a water flow detector, wherein the valve and the water flow detector are integrated in the valve assembly and the valve assembly being adapted to communicate with a set of water usage products,.

Preferably, the alteration is a stop of the water flow in response to a leak occurring, wherein the processor determines whether a water leak is occurring, based upon a determination that the water flow status indicates a water flow through the water flow detector and the operational status indicates that water is not currently being used by the set of water usage products.

Preferably, the alteration is an increase in the pressure of the water flow to the set of water usage products.

Preferably, the alteration is a decrease in the pressure of the water flow to the set of water usage products.

Preferably, the alteration is a control of the water flow to the set of water usage to a predetermined water flow rate.

Preferably, the predetermined water flow rate is a minimum flow rate to a urinal.

Preferably, the predetermined water flow rate is a maximum flow rate to a shower.

Preferably, the valve assembly includes a communication module adapted to communicate with the processor and a user device, such that the processor is able to send a performance signal confirming a performance of the set of water usage products to a user device.

Preferably, the performance signal is an alarm signal based on the operational status and the water flow status.

Preferably, the performance signal includes a confirmation that a water usage product is correctly installed.

Preferably, the water flow detector is a component of the valve assembly.

Preferably, the water flow detector is a water flow smart meter.

Preferably, the set of water usage products comprise at least one water usage product that is a bathroom product.

Preferably, the bathroom product comprises a faucet, a toilet, a urinal, a shower, a bath, and/or a bidet.

Preferably, the set of water usage products are arranged in a defined area to provide water services to the defined area.

Preferably, the operational status is an indication that a first water usage product was operated recently, and wherein the alteration is an increase in water flow to a second water usage product that is known to be operated subsequent to operation of the first water usage product.

In a second aspect the present invention provides a method for managing water flow to a set of water usage products, wherein the method using a valve assembly, wherein the valve assembly comprising a valve and comprising a water flow detector, wherein the valve and the water flow detector are integrated in the valve assembly, the valve assembly being adapted to communicate with the set of water usage products, wherein the water usage products are equipped with electronic controllers, which measure an operational parameter of the water usage products, and wherein the valve assembly includes a communications interface and a processor, wherein the method comprising the steps of: determining a water flow status to the set of water usage products using the water flow detector; determining an operational status of the set of water usage products using the electronic controllers associated with the set of water usage products; determining, on the basis of the operational status and the water flow status, whether the water flow to the set of water usage products requires alteration; and operating the valve to effect the alteration, wherein the processor determines the operational status of the set of water usage products, a water flow status of the water flow detector, and whether, on the basis of the operational status and the water flow status, the water flow to the set of water usage products requires alteration, wherein the processor operates the valve to effect the required alteration.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings:.

The water flow management system <NUM> and/or the method for managing water flow may be implemented in dedicated hardware such as one or more integrated circuits performing the functions or sub functions of water management. Such dedicated hardware may include graphic processors, digital signal processors, or one or more microprocessors and associated memories.

<FIG> and <FIG> collectively form a schematic block diagram of a general purpose electronic device <NUM> including embedded components, upon which the water flow management system and/or the method for managing water flow to be described are desirably practiced. The embedded electronic device <NUM> may be, for example, a mobile phone, a tablet device, a smart watch, personal digital assistant type device or any other embedded electronic device, in which processing resources are limited. Nevertheless, the system and/or methods to be described may also be performed on higher-level devices such as desktop computers, server computers, and other such devices with significantly larger processing resources.

As seen in <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> comprises an embedded controller <NUM>. Accordingly, the electronic device <NUM> may be referred to as an "embedded device. " In the present example, the controller <NUM> has a processing unit (or processor) <NUM> which is bidirectionally coupled to an internal storage module <NUM>. The storage module <NUM> may be formed from non-volatile semiconductor read only memory (ROM) <NUM> and semiconductor random access memory (RAM) <NUM>, as seen in <FIG>. The RAM <NUM> may be volatile, non-volatile or a combination of volatile and non-volatile memory.

The electronic device <NUM> includes a display controller <NUM>, which is connected to a video display <NUM>, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel or the like. The display controller <NUM> is configured for displaying graphical images on the video display <NUM> in accordance with instructions received from the embedded controller <NUM>, to which the display controller <NUM> is connected.

The electronic device <NUM> also includes user input devices <NUM> which are typically formed by keys, a keypad or like controls. In some implementations, the user input devices <NUM> may include a touch sensitive panel physically associated with the display <NUM> to collectively form a touch-screen. Such a touch-screen may thus operate as one form of graphical user interface (GUI) as opposed to a prompt or menu driven GUI typically used with keypad-display combinations. Other forms of user input devices may also be used, such as a microphone (not illustrated) for voice commands or a joystick/thumb wheel (not illustrated) for ease of navigation about menus.

As seen in <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> also comprises a portable memory interface <NUM>, which is coupled to the processor <NUM> via a connection <NUM>. The portable memory interface <NUM> allows a complementary portable memory device <NUM> to be coupled to the electronic device <NUM> to act as a source or destination of data or to supplement the internal storage module <NUM>. Examples of such interfaces permit coupling with portable memory devices such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory devices, Secure Digital (SD) cards, Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMIA) cards, optical disks and magnetic disks.

The electronic device <NUM> also has a communications interface <NUM> to permit coupling of the device <NUM> to a computer or communications network <NUM> via a connection <NUM>. The connection <NUM> may be wired or wireless. For example, the connection <NUM> may be radio frequency or optical. An example of a wired connection includes Ethernet. Further, an example of wireless connection includes Bluetooth™ type local interconnection, Wi-Fi (including protocols based on the standards of the IEEE <NUM> family), Infrared Data Association (IrDa) and the like.

Typically, the electronic device <NUM> is configured to perform some special function. The embedded controller <NUM>, possibly in conjunction with further special function components <NUM>, is provided to perform that special function. For example, where the device <NUM> is a digital camera, the components <NUM> may represent a lens, focus control and image sensor of the camera. The special function components <NUM> are connected to the embedded controller <NUM>. As another example, the device <NUM> may be a mobile telephone handset. In this instance, the components <NUM> may represent those components required for communications in a cellular telephone environment. Where the device <NUM> is a portable device, the special function components <NUM> may represent a number of encoders and decoders of a type including Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), (Moving Picture Experts Group) MPEG, MPEG-<NUM> Audio Layer <NUM> (MP3), and the like.

Various systems and/or methods described hereinafter may be implemented using the embedded controller <NUM>, where the process of <FIG> may be implemented as one or more software application programs <NUM> executable within the embedded controller <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> of <FIG> implements the described systems and/or methods. In particular, with reference to <FIG>, the steps of the described methods are effected by instructions in the software <NUM> that are carried out within the controller <NUM>. The software instructions may be formed as one or more code modules, each for performing one or more particular tasks. The software may also be divided into two separate parts, in which a first part and the corresponding code modules performs the described methods and a second part and the corresponding code modules manage a user interface between the first part and the user.

The software <NUM> of the embedded controller <NUM> is typically stored in the non-volatile ROM <NUM> of the internal storage module <NUM>. The software <NUM> stored in the ROM <NUM> can be updated when required from a computer readable medium. The software <NUM> can be loaded into and executed by the processor <NUM>. In some instances, the processor <NUM> may execute software instructions that are located in RAM <NUM>. Software instructions may be loaded into the RAM <NUM> by the processor <NUM> initiating a copy of one or more code modules from ROM <NUM> into RAM <NUM>. Alternatively, the software instructions of one or more code modules may be pre-installed in a non-volatile region of RAM <NUM> by a manufacturer. After one or more code modules have been located in RAM <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may execute software instructions of the one or more code modules.

The application program <NUM> is typically pre-installed and stored in the ROM <NUM> by a manufacturer, prior to distribution of the electronic device <NUM>. However, in some instances, the application programs <NUM> may be supplied to the user encoded on one or more CD-ROM (not shown) and read via the portable memory interface <NUM> of <FIG> prior to storage in the internal storage module <NUM> or in the portable memory <NUM>. In another alternative, the software application program <NUM> may be read by the processor <NUM> from the network <NUM>, or loaded into the controller <NUM> or the portable storage medium <NUM> from other computer readable media. Computer readable storage media refers to any non-transitory tangible storage medium that participates in providing instructions and/or data to the controller <NUM> for execution and/or processing. Examples of such storage media include floppy disks, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, a hard disk drive, a ROM or integrated circuit, USB memory, a magneto-optical disk, flash memory, or a computer readable card such as a PCMCIA card and the like, whether or not such devices are internal or external of the device <NUM>. Examples of transitory or non-tangible computer readable transmission media that may also participate in the provision of software, application programs, instructions and/or data to the device <NUM> include radio or infra-red transmission channels as well as a network connection to another computer or networked device, and the Internet or Intranets including e-mail transmissions and information recorded on Websites and the like. A computer readable medium having such software or computer program recorded on it is a computer program product.

The second part of the application programs <NUM> and the corresponding code modules mentioned above may be executed to implement one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to be rendered or otherwise represented upon the display <NUM> of <FIG>. Through manipulation of the user input device <NUM> (e.g., the keypad), a user of the device <NUM> and the application programs <NUM> may manipulate the interface in a functionally adaptable manner to provide controlling commands and/or input to the applications associated with the GUI(s). Other forms of functionally adaptable user interfaces may also be implemented, such as an audio interface utilizing speech prompts output via loudspeakers (not illustrated) and user voice commands input via the microphone (not illustrated).

<FIG> illustrates in detail the embedded controller <NUM> having the processor <NUM> for executing the application programs <NUM> and the internal storage <NUM>. The internal storage <NUM> comprises read only memory (ROM) <NUM> and random access memory (RAM) <NUM>. The processor <NUM> is able to execute the application programs <NUM> stored in one or both of the connected memories <NUM> and <NUM>. When the electronic device <NUM> is initially powered up, a system program resident in the ROM <NUM> is executed. The application program <NUM> permanently stored in the ROM <NUM> is sometimes referred to as "firmware". Execution of the firmware by the processor <NUM> may fulfil various functions, including processor management, memory management, device management, storage management and user interface.

The processor <NUM> typically includes a number of functional modules including a control unit (CU) <NUM>, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) <NUM>, a digital signal processor (DSP) <NUM> and a local or internal memory comprising a set of registers <NUM> which typically contain atomic data elements <NUM>, <NUM>, along with internal buffer or cache memory <NUM>. One or more internal buses <NUM> interconnect these functional modules. The processor <NUM> typically also has one or more interfaces <NUM> for communicating with external devices via system bus <NUM>, using a connection <NUM>.

The application program <NUM> includes a sequence of instructions <NUM> through <NUM> that may include conditional branch and loop instructions. The program <NUM> may also include data, which is used in execution of the program <NUM>. This data may be stored as part of the instruction or in a separate location <NUM> within the ROM <NUM> or RAM <NUM>.

In general, the processor <NUM> is given a set of instructions, which are executed therein. This set of instructions may be organised into blocks, which perform specific tasks or handle specific events that occur in the electronic device <NUM>. Typically, the application program <NUM> waits for events and subsequently executes the block of code associated with that event. Events may be triggered in response to input from a user, via the user input devices <NUM> of <FIG>, as detected by the processor <NUM>. Events may also be triggered in response to other sensors and interfaces in the electronic device <NUM>.

The execution of a set of the instructions may require numeric variables to be read and modified. Such numeric variables are stored in the RAM <NUM>. The disclosed method uses input variables <NUM> that are stored in known locations <NUM>, <NUM> in the memory <NUM>. The input variables <NUM> are processed to produce output variables <NUM> that are stored in known locations <NUM>, <NUM> in the memory <NUM>. Intermediate variables <NUM> may be stored in additional memory locations in locations <NUM>, <NUM> of the memory <NUM>. Alternatively, some intermediate variables may only exist in the registers <NUM> of the processor <NUM>.

The execution of a sequence of instructions is achieved in the processor <NUM> by repeated application of a fetch-execute cycle. The control unit <NUM> of the processor <NUM> maintains a register called the program counter, which contains the address in ROM <NUM> or RAM <NUM> of the next instruction to be executed. At the start of the fetch execute cycle, the contents of the memory address indexed by the program counter is loaded into the control unit <NUM>. The instruction thus loaded controls the subsequent operation of the processor <NUM>, causing for example, data to be loaded from ROM memory <NUM> into processor registers <NUM>, the contents of a register to be arithmetically combined with the contents of another register, the contents of a register to be written to the location stored in another register and so on. At the end of the fetch execute cycle the program counter is updated to point to the next instruction in the system program code. Depending on the instruction just executed this may involve incrementing the address contained in the program counter or loading the program counter with a new address in order to achieve a branch operation.

Each step or sub-process in the processes of the methods described below is associated with one or more segments of the application program <NUM>, and is performed by repeated execution of a fetch-execute cycle in the processor <NUM> or similar programmatic operation of other independent processor blocks in the electronic device <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the preferred embodiment of a water flow management system <NUM> includes a valve assembly <NUM> that is interposed between a water source <NUM> and a number of water usage products <NUM>. The valve assembly <NUM> comprises a valve <NUM> and a water flow detector <NUM>. In this embodiment the valve <NUM> and the water flow detector <NUM> are integrated in a valve assembly <NUM>. However, it will be appreciated that the water flow detector <NUM> and the valve <NUM> may be separate parts. It is further possible that multiple valves <NUM> and/or multiple water flow detectors <NUM> operate together.

The valve assembly <NUM> further includes the general purpose electronic device <NUM>, comprising the processor <NUM>. The water flow detector <NUM> is adapted to communicate an operational state, more specifically, a water flow rate, to the communications interface <NUM>. In the preferred embodiment, the water flow detector <NUM> is a water flow smart meter.

In the example shown in <FIG>, the water usage products <NUM> are a urinal <NUM>, a toilet <NUM>, and a faucet <NUM>. The water usage products <NUM> receive a supply of water from the water source <NUM> through a network of plumbing <NUM>. Each water usage product <NUM> may have a second valve <NUM>. The supply of water from the water source <NUM> passes through the valve assembly <NUM>, and also passes through the second valve <NUM>.

It will be appreciated that in the example shown in <FIG>, the water usage products <NUM> are arranged in a defined area, such as a bathroom, to provide water services to the defined area. However, in larger buildings, multiple defined areas may exist, or the defined area may be significantly larger. In these cases, it may be necessary to operate multiple valves <NUM> and/or multiple water flow detectors <NUM>.

In the case of multiple defined areas, a single valve <NUM> may control the flow of water from the water source <NUM> to the water usage products <NUM> located in each defined area. Each valve <NUM> is associated with one or more water flow detectors <NUM>.

In the case of a large defined area, such as a floor of a building have a plurality of bathrooms, it may be necessary to operate multiple valves <NUM> for the water usage products <NUM> in the defined area, instead of a single valve <NUM> for the defined area. Each valve <NUM> is then associated with one or more water flow detectors <NUM>.

The water usage products <NUM> are equipped with electronic controllers <NUM>, which are adapted to detect an operational parameter of the water usage products <NUM>. The operational parameter may include, dependent on the type of water usage product, a water flow rate, a water temperature, an in-use indicator, a usage frequency, a usage counter, a time since last use, and other like parameters that are of interest in controlling and maintaining the performance of the water usage products <NUM>.

The electronic controllers <NUM> are adapted to communicate with the communications interface <NUM>. The communications interface <NUM> then allows the processor <NUM> to access the information transmitted from the electronic controllers <NUM>. In the preferred embodiment, this communication occurs via Bluetooth™. However, it would be understood that other means of communication would be possible, such as, for example, Wireless LAN, Wired LAN, or radio frequency (RF) communications. The communications interface <NUM> also allows the processor <NUM> to communicate with a user device <NUM>, such as a personal handheld device <NUM>, or a server <NUM>.

Use of the water management system <NUM> will now be discussed.

As shown in <FIG>, the water management system <NUM> may be used to detect a water leak. To do so, the electronic controllers <NUM>, at step <NUM>, measure the operational parameter of the water usage products <NUM>. Similarly, at step <NUM>, the water flow detector <NUM> measures the water flow rate through the water flow detector <NUM>. Both the water flow detector <NUM> and the electronic controllers <NUM> communicate the water flow rate and the operational parameter to the communications interface <NUM> of the processor <NUM>.

The processor <NUM>, at step <NUM>, performs a determination on the basis of the information communicated to the processor <NUM>. If the water flow rate that the water flow detector <NUM> has communicated to the processor <NUM> indicates that water is flowing to the water usage products <NUM>, and the operational parameters the electronic controllers <NUM> have communicated to the processor <NUM> indicate that no water usage product <NUM> is using water, the processor <NUM> determines a leak is occurring and, at step <NUM>, operates the valve <NUM> to prevent further supply of water from the water source <NUM> to the water usage products <NUM>. If the processor <NUM> determines that the leak is occurring at a particular water usage product <NUM>, the processor <NUM> operates the second valve <NUM> associated with the water usage product <NUM> to prevent further supply of water to the water usage product <NUM>.

The processor <NUM> then outputs an alarm signal, using the communications interface <NUM>, to the user device <NUM>, i.e. the personal handheld device <NUM> and/or the server <NUM>.

The water flow management system <NUM> may also be used to determine and rectify an insufficient water flow rate to a water usage product <NUM>. To do so, the electronic controller <NUM> of a water usage product <NUM> measures a water flow rate at the water usage product <NUM>, and communicates the water flow rate of the water usage product <NUM> to the processor <NUM>. If the water flow rate of the water usage product <NUM> is below a predetermined minimum flow rate, the processor <NUM> operates the valve <NUM> and/or one or more of the second valves <NUM> to increase the water flow rate and/or water pressure to the water usage product <NUM>. If the processor <NUM> is unable to increase the water flow rate and/or water pressure to the water usage product <NUM>, the processor <NUM> then outputs an alarm signal, using the communications interface <NUM>, to the user device <NUM>.

Similarly, the water flow management system <NUM> may be used to determine and rectify an excessive water flow rate through a water usage product <NUM>. To do so, the electronic controller <NUM> of a water usage product <NUM> measures a water flow rate of the water usage product <NUM>, and communicates the water flow rate of the water usage product <NUM> to the processor <NUM>. If the water flow rate of the water usage product <NUM> is above a predetermined maximum flow rate, the processor <NUM> operates the valve <NUM> and/or one or more of the second valves <NUM> to decrease the water flow rate and/or water pressure to the water usage product <NUM>. If the processor <NUM> is unable to decrease the water flow rate and/or water pressure to the water usage product <NUM>, the processor <NUM> then outputs an alarm signal, using the communication interface <NUM>, to the user device <NUM>.

Further, the water flow management product <NUM> may be used to confirm that a water usage product <NUM> is operating correctly. To do so, the valve assembly <NUM> may provide a range of different water flow rates and/or pressures to the water usage product <NUM>. The electronic controller <NUM> measures one or more operational parameters of the water usage product <NUM> in response to the different water flow rates and/or pressures. The electronic controller <NUM> and the water flow detector <NUM> communicate, respectively, the operational parameter and the water flow rate to the processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> then determines whether the performance of the water usage product <NUM>, as determined by inspection of the operational parameter data in response to the water flow rate, is within predetermined acceptable bounds. The processor <NUM> then communicates, using communications interface <NUM>, with the user device <NUM> to confirm that the water usage product <NUM> has been correctly installed.

The water flow management system <NUM> may also perform the diagnostic steps described above in relation to determining correct operation on a regular basis to assess the status of the water usage products <NUM>.

Finally, the water flow management system <NUM> may be used to regulate the water flow and/or water pressure to a water usage product <NUM> in response to an operational parameter measured on a different water usage product <NUM>. For example, operation of the toilet <NUM> is generally followed by operation of the faucet <NUM>. The electronic controller <NUM> of the toilet <NUM> determines that the toilet <NUM> has been operated and communicates the operational parameter to the processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> then operates the valve <NUM> and/or the second valves <NUM> of other water usage products <NUM> to provide additional or sufficient water flow and/or water pressure to the faucet <NUM>.

Advantages of the water flow management system <NUM> will now be discussed.

The water flow management system <NUM> is able to quickly respond to leaks occurring in the defined area serviced by each valve assembly <NUM> by controlling water flow based on locally received signals and sending local control signals. Instead of communicating the operational parameters to a building management system, determining a leak is occurring at the building management system, and sending a control action back to the valve <NUM> to interrupt the flow of water from the water source <NUM>, the valve assembly <NUM> is able to quickly stop the flow of water. In the case of large leaks, a delay of a few seconds can cause large amounts of structural and economic damage. Thus, the reduction in time in which the electronic controllers <NUM> and the water flow detector <NUM> communicate, and the ability to almost instantly stop the flow of water once a leak has been detected, is advantageous in comparison to a building management system.

The water flow management system <NUM> is also able to act on the information communicated by the electronic controllers <NUM> on a product-by-product basis, using second valves <NUM>. Thus, leaks occurring in a single water usage product <NUM> may be responded to without impacting the performance of other water usage products <NUM> in the same location.

The water flow management system <NUM> is integrated into the building management system by outputting the alarm signal to the user device. However, instead of communicating an error state, the water flow management system <NUM> is able to report that a water leak has occurred, and has been stopped. This means that further action is not urgent, and disruption to maintenance schedules can be minimised.

The water flow management system <NUM> is able to determine and rectify a water flow rate to a water usage product <NUM> that would be detrimental to the water usage product <NUM> or a user. For example, if the electronic controller <NUM> of the urinal <NUM> measures a water flow rate below the predetermined minimum water flow rate, the valve assembly <NUM> is able to increase the water flow rate and/or pressure to avoid the formation and/or build-up of urine salts. For example, the processor <NUM> may operate the second valves <NUM> associated with water usage products <NUM> that are not urinals <NUM>, thereby increasing the available water flow rate to the urinal <NUM> whose second valve <NUM> has not been operated.

The water flow management system <NUM> is also able to precisely control the water flow rate to a water usage product <NUM> that is subject to water use regulations. This avoids the use of individual water flow rate restrictor devices.

The water flow management system <NUM> is also able to confirm, shortly after installation, that a water usage product <NUM> has been installed correctly. This avoids the unnecessary travel to and from an installation site if installation errors are only recognised during later use of the water usage product <NUM>. Regular diagnostic tests of the water usage product <NUM> may also be provided by the water flow management system <NUM>, which assists in maintaining an accurate record of the performance and maintenance requirement of the water usage product <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A water flow management system (<NUM>) including a valve assembly (<NUM>) characterized in that, the valve assembly (<NUM>) comprising a valve (<NUM>) and comprising a water flow detector (<NUM>), wherein the valve (<NUM>) and the water flow detector (<NUM>) are integrated in the valve assembly (<NUM>) and the valve assembly (<NUM>) being adapted to communicate with a set of water usage products (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), wherein the water flow detector (<NUM>) is for detecting water flow to the set of water usage products (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), wherein the water usage products (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) are equipped with electronic controllers (<NUM>), which are adapted to detect an operational parameter of the water usage products (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), wherein the valve assembly (<NUM>) includes a communications interface (<NUM>) and a processor (<NUM>) that is arranged to determine: an operational status of the set of water usage products (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), a water flow status of the water flow detector (<NUM>), and whether, on the basis of the operational status and the water flow status, the water flow to the set of water usage products (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) requires alteration, wherein the processor (<NUM>) is adapted to operate the valve (<NUM>) to effect the required alteration.