FAILURE MANAGEMENT DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20090083586A1
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Frowein, Richard L., Warner, Adrian F., Mullen, Paul Lawrence
• Application Number:
  US11/859,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083586A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/47
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/021 adopting a different treatment of each operating region or a different mode of the monitored system, e.g. transient modes; different operating configurations of monitored system

Abstract

A method and device for monitoring failures are disclosed herein. The monitoring device comprises an environmental event generator and a status-monitor. The environmental event generator generates an environmental trigger based on changes in an environmental factor, and the status-monitor monitors failure-status of plurality of elements in a system. The status-monitor is configured to change its operational profile based on the environmental trigger. The device further comprises a decision mechanism configured to link the changes in an environmental factor and associated failure modes to different service industries.

Claims

1. A failure monitoring device comprising:

an environmental event generator configured to generate an environmental trigger based on changes in an environmental factor; and

a status-monitor connected to the environmental event generator, for monitoring failure-status of plurality of elements in a system;

wherein the status-monitor is configured to change its operational profile based on the environmental trigger.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein the environmental event generator includes an environmental event detector configured to generate an environmental trigger upon detection of changes in an environmental factor.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein the environmental event generator includes an environmental event predictor configured to generate an environmental trigger upon prediction of an environmental event based on changes in an environmental factor.

4. The device as in claim 1, wherein the status-monitor triggers monitoring failure-status of the elements, based on the environmental trigger.

5. The device as in claim 1, wherein the status-monitor changes frequency and nature of failure-status monitoring based on the environmental trigger.

6. The device as in claim 1, further comprising a decision mechanism coupled to the environmental event generator and the status-monitor, configured to control the elements in the system.

7. A failure monitoring method comprising:

generating an environmental trigger, reflecting the changes in an environmental factor;

changing operation profile of a status-monitor based on the environmental trigger; and

identifying failure-status of plurality of elements in a system using the status-monitor.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein the step of generating an environmental trigger comprises:

generating the environmental trigger upon detection of changes in an environmental factor.

9. A method as in claim 7, wherein the step of generating an environmental trigger comprises:

generating the environmental trigger upon prediction of an environmental event based on changes in an environmental factor.

10. A method as in claim 7, wherein the step of changing operational profile comprises:

triggering the status-monitor for monitoring failure-status of the elements.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein the step of changing operational profile further comprises:

altering the monitoring frequency of the status-monitor.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein the step of changing operational profile comprises:

changing the nature of monitoring of the status-monitor.

13. A method as in claim 11, wherein the step of changing operational profile comprises:

returning to the initial operational profile upon non-availability of the environmental trigger.

14. A method as in claim 7, wherein the step of identifying comprises:

detecting failure of at least one element in the system.

15. A method as in claim 7, wherein the step of identifying comprises:

predicting failure of at least one element in the system.

16. A method as in claim 7 further comprising, providing a failure detection model based on plurality of failure-status along with corresponding environmental events.

18. A system as in claim 16, wherein the status monitoring device is configured to change the operational profile based on the environmental trigger.

20. A system as in claim 18, wherein the decision mechanism is configured to enable and disable elements based on the environmental trigger.

21. A system as in claim 18, wherein the decision mechanism is configured to select available utility services based on the environmental trigger.

22. A system as in claim 18, wherein the decision mechanism is configured to predict the failure of a system based on the environmental trigger.

23. A system as in claim 18, wherein the decision mechanism is configured proactively avail services based on a predicted or detected environmental event.

17. A failure management device comprising:

an environmental event generator configured to generate an environmental trigger reflecting changes in an environmental factor; and

a status-monitor connected to the environmental event generator, for monitoring failure-status of plurality of elements in a system, based on the environmental trigger;

a decision mechanism configured to initiate a plurality of services based on inputs from the environmental event generator and the status-monitor.

19. A system as in claim 17, wherein the decision mechanism is configured to control the elements in the system.

24. A failure management method comprising:

initiating a decision mechanism to initiate maintenance services of a system, based on an environmental action, wherein the environmental action reflects changes in an environmental factor.

25. A method as in claim 24, wherein the environmental action includes generating an environmental trigger based on detection of changes in environmental factor and prediction of an environmental event based on the changes in an environmental factor.

26. A method as in claim 24, wherein the environmental action is generated based on failure-status of the system, the failure-status being predicted and detected based on the changes in an environmental factor.