Method and system of remote delivery of engine analysis data

• US 20020161493A1
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: Bird, John A., Franz, Martin P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,636,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements

Abstract

A vehicle analysis system includes a system analyzer, such as an engine analyzer, having probes that gather data from vehicle parameters such as engine components. The data is converted into digital signals, which are processed into display data and stored in a computer memory. A controller converts the display data into packets that may be transmitted across a communications network to a remote computer using transmission control protocol/Internet protocol.

Claims

1. A vehicle component analysis system comprising:

at least one probe capable of retrieving analog signals representative of the operation of a vehicle system or systems;

an analog-to-digital converter system capable of receiving the analog signals and converting the analog signals to digital format signals;

a processor system for converting the digital format signals into display data;

a memory for storing the digital format signals, the memory having a direct memory access for directing the digital format signals into the memory; and

a controller for assembling the display data into packets for transmission through a communications network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the packets conform to transmission control protocol/Internet protocol.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller includes at least one of a network card, an interface chip, and a protocol stack module.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the controller is integral with the system.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the controller is an external controller.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one remote computer having a display and a communications card, the communications card being capable of receiving the packets, and the computer further comprising a processor and a display controller capable of displaying information representative of the data in the packets on the display.

7. A method of gathering, displaying, or analyzing data representative of vehicle operation, comprising:

collecting, using at least one probe, analog signals indicative of at least one vehicle component parameter;

converting, using analog-to-digital conversion circuitry, the analog signals into digital signals;

storing, using a direct memory access, the digital signals in a computer memory;

processing, using a computer processor, the digital signals into display data; and

converting, using a controller, the display data into packets for transmission through a communications network.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising transmitting the packets to at least one remote computer via the communications network.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the converting step is performed in accordance with transmission control protocol/Internet protocol.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the collecting step also includes collecting direct digital signals indicative of at least one vehicle component parameters, and further including the step of directly storing and processing the direct digital signals without conversion of the direct digital signals using analog-to-digital conversion circuitry.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the storing and the processing are performed in parallel.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one of the data signals is an analog signal, and further comprising a means for converting analog signals into digital signals.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising a means for transmitting the packets to at least one remote computer via a communications network.

15. The system of claim 12 further comprising a means for retrieving the packets and presenting the packets to a user as a waveform.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the packets conform to transmission control protocol/Internet protocol.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the converting means is integral with the system.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the converting means is external to the system.

12. A system for vehicle component analysis, comprising:

means for retrieving data signals corresponding to at least one vehicle component parameter;

means for storing the data signals in a computer memory;

means for processing the digital signals into display data; and

means for converting the display data into packets for communication through a communications network.