Method for servicing a vehicle

• US 20070225881A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: McAndrew, Dennis William, Oser, Adam Josef
• Granted Patent: US 8,301,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring at least one characteristic of a vehicle is provided, wherein the method includes generating a data set that includes data responsive to the at least one characteristic. The method further includes comparing the data set against predetermined parametric data and creating trend data for a plurality of the data sets. Furthermore, the method includes analyzing the trend data to determine if action should be taken regarding the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring at least one characteristic of an engine, the method comprising:

generating a data set, wherein said data set includes data responsive to the at least one characteristic;

comparing said data set against predetermined parametric data;

creating trend data for a plurality of said data sets; and

analyzing said trend data to determine if action should be taken regarding the engine.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said generating includes analyzing at least one engine component at predetermined intervals to generate said data for a plurality of said predetermined intervals.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said generating includes sampling at least one engine fluid at a predetermined interval and analyzing said at least one engine fluid to generate said data for a plurality of said predetermined intervals.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said generating further includes generating said data responsive to at least one engine fluid characteristic, wherein said at least one engine fluid characteristic includes at least one of a base number, a viscosity level, a pentane soluble level, a water qualitative level and an elemental analysis.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said elemental analysis includes analyzing said at least one engine fluid to generate data responsive to at least one of Iron, Copper, Chromium, Lead, Tin, Aluminum, Zinc, Silver, Silicon, Boron and Sodium.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data set includes at least one data element and wherein said generating includes generating a historical data set by storing at least one of said at least one data element and said data set for a plurality of sampling intervals.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined parametric data includes a predetermined parametric data range and wherein said comparing includes comparing said data set with said predetermined parametric data to determine whether said data is within said predetermined parametric data range.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising servicing the engine responsive to whether said data set is within said predetermined parametric data range.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said creating further includes processing said data set to generate a trend line.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said analyzing includes analyzing at least one of said trend data and said trend line to predict whether future data sets will fall within a predetermined parametric data range.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said analyzing further includes analyzing the slope of said trend line to predict whether future data sets will fall within a predetermined parametric data range.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of servicing and maintaining at least a portion of the engine responsive to said analyzing.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said generating includes associating said data set with the engine.

14. A system for monitoring at least one characteristic of an engine, the system comprising:

an input device for receiving data responsive to the at least one characteristic, wherein said data is associated with the engine and generated by analyzing at least one component of the engine;

a storage device for storing said data for a plurality of receiving events; and

a data processing device for processing at least a portion of said data to generate trend data.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an output device for communicating said trend data.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said processing device processes said data to generate a trend line responsive to said trend data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said processing device processes at least one of said trend data and said trend line to predict whether future data will fall within a predetermined parametric data range.

18. A method for monitoring at least one characteristic of a vehicle, the method comprising:

generating a data set, wherein said data set includes data responsive to the at least one vehicle characteristic;

comparing said data set against predetermined parametric data;

creating trend data for a plurality of said data sets; and

analyzing said trend data to determine if action should be taken regarding the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said generating includes generating said data set responsive to at least one vehicle characteristic.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said predetermined parametric data includes a predetermined parametric data range and wherein said analyzing includes comparing said trend data with said predetermined parametric data range to predict future performance of at least a portion of said vehicle.