Smart communication device or apparatus for collecting and evaluating information about equipment distributed over a large area, E.G., over a large industrial plant or oil field

• US 10,306,435 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2015
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Loychik, Neil, Reitano, James, George, Naveen, Decook, Bradley C., Sullivan, Jeffrey, Kernan, Daniel L., Hauenstein, Ken, Rayle, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Crompton, Christopher R
• Application Number:
  US14/933,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20170134878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 370254
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Apparatus is provided having a smart communication device having a processor configured to: receive signaling containing information about sensed data from a multiplicity of data collectors each associated with a respective piece of equipment and configured to collect the sensed data related to the respective piece of equipment when the smart communication device is moved within a predefined proximity to automatically connect with each data collector to receive the signaling during movement of the smart communication device on a programmed route having multiple pieces of equipment; and determine corresponding signaling containing information about prioritized sensed data related to each of the multiplicity of data collectors for operating an app in the processor, based upon the signaling received. The smart communication device includes an iPad, a smart phone, a laptop or a subsystem of a vehicle/robot. The apparatus may include the vehicle/robot having the subsystem.

Claims

1. Apparatus for collecting and evaluating information about equipment distributed over an area, comprising:

a smart communication device having

a memory configured to store and provide database signaling containing information about a plurality of programmed routes, each programmed route having multiple pieces of equipment distributed over an area, including an industrial plant or oil field; and

a processor configured to;

receive signaling containing information about sensed data from a multiplicity of data collectors, each data collector associated with a respective piece of equipment and configured to collect the sensed data related to the respective piece of equipment on a respective programmed route, when the smart communication device is moved within predefined proximity to automatically connect with each data collector to receive the signaling during movement of the smart communication device on the respective programmed route; and

determine corresponding signaling containing information about the sensed data related to each of the multiplicity of data collectors on the respective programmed route for operating an app in the processor, based upon the signaling received.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the smart communication device is an iPad, a smart phone, a laptop or a subsystem of a vehicle, or a subsystem of a robot.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises, or takes the form of, a robotic device configured to move from equipment-to-equipment on the respective programmed route to gather the sensed data, including where the robotic device is a human-controlled robot or drone.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automatically pair with each data collector to receive the signaling during the movement of the smart communication device on the respective programmed route, including by implementing a short distance wireless communication protocol.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensed data includes some combination of surface data in the form of advertised packets, historical data in the form of trend or regularly scheduled Fast Fourier Transforms (FFTs), or immediate data needs of a participant.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine if the respective piece of equipment is running, and if so, then perform analytics.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to capture surface data, and if the respective piece of equipment is in an alarm state, then connect for historical (trend) data or immediate analytics.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with a respective data collector associated with the respective piece of equipment to identify relevant data to upload to the smart communication device, provide data requests and update the respective data collector associated with the respective piece of equipment for relevant data for which to look.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to provide associated signaling to communicate with a respective data collector associated with a respective piece of equipment to identify any respective data collector associated with any respective piece of equipment in need of pairing or that may have been skipped from a region of the movement of the smart communication device on the respective programmed route.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to prioritize download functionality so that relevant data arrives at the smart communication device, organizes download functionality from different equipment, organizes the priority of information from each data collector, and optimizes download functionality for receiving the data in a certain amount of time.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the smart communication device comprises a screen;

and the processor is configured to perform signaling processing functionality associated with the signaling received and determined for displaying information on the screen as part of the app for running or operating on the smart communication device.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the app includes displaying a route check screen for allowing a user to check one or more of the programmed routes, including providing a list of all programmed routes available, a summary of information about the programmed routes, or an editing of a pre-existing programmed route.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the summary of information about the programmed routes includes an indication of a completion percentage (%), alarm information during a particular route, the ability to add or program a new route, or the ability to search for a specific programmed route or piece of equipment.

14. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the app includes displaying an add new route screen for allowing a user to add a new route having new pieces of equipment, including providing one or more prompts requesting a new route name and a desired order of equipment on the new route.

15. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the app includes displaying a route options screen for allowing a user to provide a report related to one or more of the programmed routes, a period for checking the one or more of the programmed routes, and a check due notification warning related to one or more of the programmed routes.

16. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the app includes displaying a route check screen for allowing a user to check a specific route, including providing information about devices in an alarm condition on the specific route and about alert devices on the specific route.

17. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the app includes displaying a route report screen for allowing a user to generate a route report for a specific route, including providing information about devices in an alarm condition on the specific route and about alert devices on the specific route.

18. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processor is configured to operate the app based upon the corresponding signaling determined.

19. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each programmed route is a respective user-defined programmed route having multiple respective pieces of equipment that are designated and stored in the memory by a user.

20. A method for running an app on a smart communication device having a processor and a memory for storing a database, comprising:

storing in a database of a memory database signaling containing information about a plurality of programmed routes, each programmed route having multiple pieces of equipment distributed over an industrial, commercial, or residential space; and

receiving in the processor signaling containing information about sensed data from a multiplicity of data collectors, each data collector associated with a respective piece of equipment stored in a respective programmed route in the database of the memory and configured to collect the sensed data related to the respective piece of equipment, when the smart communication device is moved within a predefined proximity to automatically connect or pair with each data collector to receive the signaling during movement of the smart communication device on the respective programmed route; and

determining with the processor corresponding signaling containing information about the sensed data related to each of the multiplicity of data collectors on the respective programmed route for operating an app in the processor, based upon the signaling received.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the method comprising using as the smart communication device an iPad, a smart phone, a laptop or a subsystem of a vehicle/robot.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein the method comprising configuring the smart communication device in an a robotic device programmed to move from equipment-to-equipment on the respective programmed route to gather the sensed data, including where the robotic device is a human-controlled robot or drone.

23. A method according to claim 20, wherein the method comprising operating the processor to run the app based upon the corresponding signaling determined.

24. A method according to claim 20, wherein the method comprising operating the processor to run the app on the smart communication device, by

displaying a route check screen for allowing a user to check one or more of the programmed routes, including providing a list of all programmed routes available, a summary of information about the programmed routes, or an editing of a pre-existing programmed route, including where the summary of information about the programmed routes includes an indication of a completion percentage (%), alarm information during a particular route, the ability to add or program a new route, or the ability to search for a specific programmed route or piece of equipment;

or

displaying an add new route screen for allowing a user to add a new route having new pieces of equipment, including providing one or more prompts requesting a new route name and a desired order of equipment on the new route;

or

displaying a route options screen for allowing a user to provide a report related to the one or more of the programmed routes, a period for checking the one or more of the programmed routes, and a check due notification warning related to the one or more of the programmed routes;

or

displaying a route check screen for allowing a user to check a specific route, including providing information about devices in an alarm condition on the specific route and about alert devices on the specific route;

or

displaying a route report screen for allowing a user to generate a route report for a specific route, including providing information about devices in an alarm condition on the specific route and about alert devices on the specific route.