Diagnostics/prognostics using wireless links
First Claim
1. A method, comprising configuring one or more sensors on a vehicle collectively to detect two or more operating parameters of the vehicle;
- wirelessly transmitting signals representative of the two or more operating parameters from the one or more sensors to a processor on the vehicle; and
performing diagnostic or prognostic analysis on the signals with the processor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for monitoring operating parameters of a machine (such as a vehicle) and producing diagnostic and/or prognostic results are disclosed. Active, semi-active, or semi-passive sensors are wirelessly linked with an interrogator that selectively interrogates the sensors, such as through transponders in wired communication with the sensors. A data concentrator or processor analyzes data from certain sensors and generates diagnostic/prognostic conclusions, in some cases using additional data selectively requested from and acquired by the sensors. In some embodiments, raw or abstracted data is communicated with a management center that provides troubleshooting information (again, possibly using additional, selectively acquired data), makes resource management decisions (such as preparing parts or labor resources to make a repair), and tracks problems in all or a subset of the machines being managed.
172 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method, comprising
configuring one or more sensors on a vehicle collectively to detect two or more operating parameters of the vehicle; -
wirelessly transmitting signals representative of the two or more operating parameters from the one or more sensors to a processor on the vehicle; and
performing diagnostic or prognostic analysis on the signals with the processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus, comprising
a first number of sensors collectively configured to provide data signals indicative of one or more operating parameters of a machine, where the first number is at least one; -
a second number of semi-passive RF tags, coupled to the first number of sensors effectively to transmit the data signals, where the second number is at least one; and
one or more data collection devices that interrogate the semi-passive RF tags to read the data signals. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for monitoring vehicles, comprising:
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acquiring two or more operating parameters of a vehicle using one or more sensors on the vehicle;
wirelessly transmitting a first signal representative of a first number of the operating parameters to a first receiver on the vehicle, where the first number is at least two;
wirelessly transmitting a second signal representative of a second number of the operating parameters via cellular telephone connection to a remote receiver, where the second number is at least one; and
processing the operating parameters with a remote processor in communication with the remote receiver. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system, comprising:
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a vehicle subsystem mounted on a vehicle, comprising;
one or more sensors collectively detecting two or more operating parameters of the vehicle;
a first receiver;
a first set of signals, wirelessly received by the first receiver, that are collectively representative of the two or more operating parameters;
a first transmitter;
a first processor, in communication with the first receiver and the first transmitter, configured to process the two or more operating parameters; and
a second signal, wirelessly transmitted by the first transmitter, that is representative of at least one of the two or more operating parameters; and
a remote subsystem, comprising;
a second receiver configured to receive the second signal;
a second processor in communication with the second receiver; and
a memory in communication with the second processor, the memory being encoded with programming instructions executable by the second processor to analyze the at least one of the two or more operating parameters. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification