System and method for new equipment configuration and sound monitoring

• US 10,156,844 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2017
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Discovery Sound Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Discovery Sound Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Jenkins, John, Harper, Jonathan Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US15/436,773
• Time in Patent Office: 668 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37337 Noise, acoustic emission, sound
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40162 Sound display of machining operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/42328 Detect bearing, clamp wear
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A server-based system provides remote configuration of client electromechanical equipment and comparative analysis of sound data obtained therefrom. The server obtains equipment identification data from an endpoint device, and determines a confidence level of a suggested equipment configuration relative to various types of equipment having associated sound data files stored in a database. For sufficient matches (confidence levels exceeding a predetermined threshold value), the server associates the equipment with a selected one of the types of equipment, and conveys at least predetermined sound inspection positions to the endpoint device. A sound detection device is applied respective to the inspection points, wherein analog sound signals are collected from the equipment and converted into digital sound data. The digital data files are transmitted to the server and analyzed to identify data points representative of an electromechanical equipment failure, and to alert authorized users of potential failure and/or associated costs.

Claims

1. A system for remote configuration of client equipment and comparative analysis of sound data obtained therefrom, the system comprising:

a sound detection device comprising one or more transducers effective to collect analog sound signals from equipment and convert the collected sounds into digital sound data, the device further effective to generate one or more digital data files comprising at least the sound data;

a server associated with one or more databases and linked to the sound detection device via a communications network, wherein the server is configured to;

obtain configuration data corresponding to electromechanical equipment at a first location, from an endpoint device proximate thereto,

determine a confidence level of a match for the configuration data relative to any one or more of a plurality of types of electromechanical equipment having associated sound data files stored in the one or more databases,

for determined confidence levels exceeding a predetermined threshold value, to associate the electromechanical equipment at the first location with a selected one of the plurality of types of electromechanical equipment, and identifying one or more predetermined sound inspection positions associated with the selected one of the plurality of types of electromechanical equipment,

convey the identified one or more predetermined sound inspection positions to the endpoint device,

receive digital data files from the sound detection device, said digital data files corresponding to analog sound signals collected from the one or more predetermined sound inspection positions, and

identify data points from the digital data files representative of an electromechanical equipment failure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to determine the confidence level based on a determined relevance of identified segments or groupings of model number codes resident in the obtained configuration data corresponding to the electromechanical equipment.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the server is configured to determine the confidence level further based on a relative weight of variables for one or more of the identified segments or groupings of model number codes resident in the obtained configuration data, and having historical significance with respect to baseline sound data similarities.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the database comprises iteratively compiled relationships associated with a specific set of one or more variables for the one or more identified segments or groupings of model number codes resident in the obtained configuration data, and having historical significance in identifying one or more existing equipment configurations having baseline sound data similarities.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration data corresponding to the electromechanical equipment at the first location is obtained from the endpoint device in the form of a captured one or more images, wherein the server is configured to extract make and model information from the one or more images.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration data corresponding to the electromechanical equipment at the first location is obtained from a comparison of current geographic coordinates for the endpoint device with stored location data associated with electromechanical equipment in the one or more databases.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to generate a user interface on a display unit associated with the endpoint device that presents a list of selectable profile matches sorted by confidence level.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to:

aggregate data associated with the received data files with previously stored and related data across a plurality of predetermined data parameters,

identify outlying data points with respect to the plurality of data points from the sound data, and

compare the sound data with baseline data determined according to baseline criteria comprising one or more of the equipment type, the location and the aggregated data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the baseline data is preconfigured in accordance with the electromechanical equipment type.

10. The system of claim 9, the processor further configured to aggregate the digital data files from a plurality of sound detection devices in accordance with the baseline criteria.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to generate an alert effective to notify a user of the failure or substandard operation of the electromechanical device by transmitting the alert via the communications network to an endpoint device associated with an authorized user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the server is further configured to estimate a cost for maintenance of the electromechanical equipment based on identified data points from the sound data representative of equipment failure and expected equipment failure.

13. A system for remote configuration of client electromechanical equipment, the system comprising:

an endpoint device comprising a user interface and linked to a communications network;

a server associated with one or more databases and linked to the endpoint device via the communications network, wherein the server is configured to;

obtain data from the endpoint device corresponding to electromechanical equipment at a first location,

identify one or more segments or groupings of model number codes resident in the obtained data and having a historical significance with respect to identifying one or more existing equipment configurations having baseline sound data similarities;

determine a confidence level of a match for the electromechanical equipment relative to any one or more of a plurality of electromechanical equipment configurations having associated sound data files stored in the one or more databases,

for determined confidence levels exceeding a predetermined threshold value, to associate the electromechanical equipment with a selected one of the plurality of electromechanical equipment configurations, and identifying one or more predetermined sound inspection positions associated with the selected one of the plurality of electromechanical equipment configurations, and

convey the identified one or more predetermined sound inspection positions to the endpoint device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the server is configured to determine the confidence level based on a determined relevance of identified segments or groupings of model number codes resident in the obtained data corresponding to the electromechanical equipment.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the server is configured to determine the confidence level further based on a relative weight of variables for one or more of the identified segments or groupings of model number codes resident in the obtained data, and having historical significance with respect to baseline sound data similarities.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the database comprises iteratively compiled relationships associated with a specific set of one or more variables for the one or more identified segments or groupings of model number codes resident in the obtained data, and having historical significance in identifying one or more existing equipment configurations having baseline sound data similarities.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the endpoint device comprises an imaging device, and the data corresponding to the electromechanical equipment at the first location is obtained from the endpoint device in the form of a captured one or more images, wherein the server is configured to extract make and model information from the one or more images.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the endpoint device comprises one or more position sensors, and the data corresponding to the electromechanical equipment at the first location is obtained from a comparison of current geographic coordinates for the endpoint device with stored location data associated with electromechanical equipment in the one or more databases.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a sound detection device comprising one or more transducers effective to collect analog sound signals from equipment and convert the collected sounds into digital sound data, the device further effective to generate one or more digital data files comprising at least the sound data;

wherein the server is further configured to receive digital data files from the sound detection device via a communications network, said digital data files corresponding to analog sound signals collected from the one or more predetermined sound inspection positions, and to identify data points from the digital data files representative of an electromechanical equipment failure.

20. A system for remote configuration of client equipment and comparative analysis of sound data obtained therefrom, the system comprising:

a sound detection device comprising one or more transducers effective to collect analog sound signals from equipment and convert the collected sounds into digital sound data, the device further effective to generate one or more digital data files comprising at least the sound data;

an endpoint device comprising one or more position sensors, an imaging device, and a user interface;

a server associated with one or more databases and remotely linked to the sound detection device and the endpoint device via one or more communications networks, wherein the server is configured to;

obtain imaging data from the endpoint device corresponding to electromechanical equipment, and position data corresponding to a location of the electromechanical equipment,

determine a configuration of the electromechanical equipment relative to any one or more of a plurality of types of electromechanical equipment having associated sound data files stored in the one or more databases,

identify one or more predetermined sound inspection positions associated with the selected one of the plurality of types of electromechanical equipment,

convey the identified one or more predetermined sound inspection positions to the endpoint device,

receive digital data files from the sound detection device, said digital data files corresponding to analog sound signals collected from the one or more predetermined sound inspection positions,

identify data points from the digital data files representative of an electromechanical equipment failure,

generate an alert effective to notify a user of the failure or substandard operation of the electromechanical device by transmitting the alert to the endpoint device associated with an authorized user, and

estimate a cost for maintenance of the electromechanical equipment based on identified data points from the sound data representative of equipment failure and expected equipment failure.