Remote diagnosis server

• US 20020161555A1
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualtech Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualtech Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Ghoshal, Sudipto, Deb, Somnath, Malepati, Venkata N., Kleinman, David L., Cavanaugh, Kevin F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,795,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/914 Process plant

Abstract

A network-based diagnosis server for monitoring and diagnosing a system, the server being remote from the system it is observing, comprises a sensor for generating signals indicative of a characteristic of a component of the system, a network-interfaced sensor agent coupled to the sensor for receiving signals therefrom, a broker module coupled to the network for sending signals to and receiving signals from the sensor agent, a handler application connected to the broker module for transmitting signals to and receiving signals therefrom, a reasoner application in communication with the handler application for processing, and responding to signals received from the handler application, wherein the sensor agent, broker module, handler application, and reasoner applications operate simultaneously relative to each other, such that the present invention diagnosis server performs continuous monitoring and diagnosing of said components of the system in real time. The diagnosis server is readily adaptable to various different systems.

Claims

1. A network-based diagnosis server for remotely monitoring and diagnosing a system having multiple components, said diagnosis server comprising:

at least one sensor for monitoring and generating signals indicative of at least one characteristic of a component of the system;

at least one sensor agent coupled to said sensor for receiving signals therefrom;

an interface connecting said sensor agent to said network;

a broker module coupled to said network for sending signals to and receiving signals from said sensor agent;

at least one handler application initiated by and connected to said broker module for transmitting signals to and receiving signals therefrom;

at least one reasoner application in communication with and invocable by said handler application for processing, and responding to signals received from said handler application;

wherein said sensor agent, said broker module, said handler application, and said reasoner application operate simultaneously relative to each other;

said broker module being independent of said handler application and said reasoner application such that said diagnosis server is readily adaptable to various systems; and

wherein said diagnosis server continuously monitors and diagnoses said components.

2. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 1, wherein said reasoner application comprises at least one user-interactive reasoner application having a user interface for user controlled, processing and responding to signals received from said handler application.

3. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 2 further comprising at least one supervisor reasoner application for managing said reasoner and said user-interactive reasoner applications, wherein said supervisor reasoner is in communication globally with said reasoner application, said user-interactive reasoner application, said broker module and said sensor agent.

4. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 1, wherein said component of the system comprises a controller coupled to said signal agent, wherein said signal agent transmits signals thereto for controlling said component of the system.

5. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 3 further comprising a user interfaced database coupled to said supervisor reasoner for accessible storage of diagnostic information specific to the system.

6. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 1, wherein said reasoner application is a TEAMS-RT reasoner application.

7. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 3, wherein said supervisor reasoner application is a Supervisor TEAMS-RT reasoner application.

8. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 1, wherein said sensor agent periodically transmits signals to said broker module for subsequent processing by said reasoner application such that said diagnosis server operates in real-time.

9. A network-based diagnosis server as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handler application comprises at least one observer application for monitoring signals sent to and received by said broker module.

10. A network-based diagnosis server as claimed in claim 1, wherein said broker module is scalable for managing computational load of said server.

11. A network-based diagnosis server as claimed in claim 2 further comprising shared memory allocated by said broker module and coupled to said broker module and said handler applications for buffering signal transmissions therebetween.

12. A network based diagnosis server as claimed in claim 1, wherein said diagnosis server comprises at least one networked computer.

14. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 13 further comprising at least one TEAMATE reasoner application in communication with and invocable by said RT-Agent application for user controlled processing, and responding to signals received from said RT-Agent application.

15. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 14 further comprising at least one Supervisor TEAMS-RT reasoner application in communication globally with said TEAMS-RT reasoner application, said TEAMATE reasoner application, said RT-Agent application, said sensor agent and said broker module wherein, said Supervisor TEAMS-RT reasoner manages said TEAMS-RT reasoner and said TEAMATE reasoner applications.

16. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 14, wherein said component of the system comprises a controller in communication with said signal agent, wherein said signal agent transmits signals thereto for controlling said component of the system.

17. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 16 further comprising at least one TEAMS-KB diagnostic database for processing, diagnosing, and modeling signals, wherein said TEAMS-KB database is coupled to each of said RT-Agent application, said TEAMS-RT reasoner application, and said TEAMATE reasoner application and said Supervisor TEAMS-RT reasoner application, such that each said application can transmit signals to and receive signals from said TEAMS-KB diagnostic database.

18. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 17 further comprising a database accessible to said Supervisor TEAMS-RT reasoner application and said TEAMS-KB diagnostic database for storage of information specific to the system.

19. A network-based diagnosis server as defined in claim 13, wherein said sensor agent periodically transmits signals to said broker module for subsequent processing by said TEAMS-RT reasoner application such that said diagnosis server operates in real-time.

20. The diagnosis server as claimed in claim 13, further comprising shared memory allocated by said broker module and coupled to broker module and said RT-Agent handler applications for buffering transmission of signals therebetween.

21. The diagnosis server as claimed in claim 13, wherein said diagnosis server comprises at least one networked computer.

13. A network-based diagnosis server for monitoring and diagnosing a system having multiple components, said diagnosis server being remote from the system it is observing and comprising:

at least one sensor for monitoring and generating signals indicative of at least one characteristic of a component of the system;

at least one sensor agent coupled to said sensor for receiving signals from said sensor;

an interface connecting said sensor agent to said network;

a broker module coupled to said network for sending signals to and receiving signals from said sensor agent;

at least one RT-Agent application initiated by and connected to said broker module for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from said broker module;

at least one TEAMS-RT reasoner application in communication with and invocable by said RT-Agent application for processing, and responding to signals received from said RT-Agent application;

said sensor agent, said broker module, said RT-Agent application, and said TEAMS-RT reasoner application operate simultaneously relative to each other;

said broker module being independent of said RT-Agent application and said TEAMS-RT reasoner application such that said diagnosis server is readily adaptable to various systems; and

wherein said diagnosis server performs continuous monitoring and diagnosing of said components of the system.

22. A method of remotely monitoring, diagnosing and maintaining a system in real-time, the method comprising the steps of:

a) generating signals indicative of the state of at least one component of the system via a plurality of sensors;

b) transmitting said signals to remote applications via a network;

c) continuously monitoring and diagnosing said signals for indications of component failures and the potential therefor; and

d) generating and transmitting signals to user output devices and controllers of the system.

23. A method of remotely monitoring, diagnosing and maintaining a system in real-time according to the method of claim 22 wherein the step of continuously monitoring and diagnosing said signals for indications of component failures and the potential therefor further comprises the steps of:

a) requesting and retrieving system specific parameters and data;

b) performing logical analysis and user-interactive analysis using said sensor signals and system specific parameters and data for identifying, diagnosing, and isolating, system failures and the potential therefor.

24. A method of remotely monitoring, diagnosing and maintaining a system in real-time according to the method of claim 23 wherein the step of continuously monitoring and diagnosing said signals for indications of component failures and the potential therefor further comprises the step of utilizing diagnostic databases for performing system modeling and trend analysis.