DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR AN ENERGY CONVERSION APPLIANCE
First Claim
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1. A method of monitoring an energy conversion appliance, comprising:
- positioning a sound receiving transducer to receive sound signals emitted by the appliance during each of two or more operational events;
associating an output device with said sound receiving transducer, said output device being responsive to the sound emitted by each of said two or more operational events; and
employing a monitoring device to compare each of said received sound signals with pre-established data, said monitoring device comprising a data store to store information related to at least one of (a) a plurality of operating sequences that are indicative of correct functioning of the appliance or (b) time intervals between received acoustic signatures that are indicative of correct functioning of the appliance, and said monitoring device being operable to compare at least one of the order of occurrence of monitored acoustic signatures or monitored time intervals with information held in said data store,wherein the energy compliance in normal use, performs the two or more operational events in a pre-determined sequence, each of said operational events having a different acoustic signature.
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Abstract
A diagnostic tool for an energy conversion appliance, which may be a heating, ventilating or air conditioning appliance, comprises a sound receiving transducer (1) coupled to output means (5) to identify, discriminate and log the acoustic signatures of a sequence of events within an operating sequence of an appliance. Individual event occurrences are identified by comparison of a received acoustic signature with stored data to determine whether an event occurrence has occurred in a proper manner and at a correct position in the sequence of a plurality of event occurrences.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring an energy conversion appliance, comprising:
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positioning a sound receiving transducer to receive sound signals emitted by the appliance during each of two or more operational events; associating an output device with said sound receiving transducer, said output device being responsive to the sound emitted by each of said two or more operational events; and employing a monitoring device to compare each of said received sound signals with pre-established data, said monitoring device comprising a data store to store information related to at least one of (a) a plurality of operating sequences that are indicative of correct functioning of the appliance or (b) time intervals between received acoustic signatures that are indicative of correct functioning of the appliance, and said monitoring device being operable to compare at least one of the order of occurrence of monitored acoustic signatures or monitored time intervals with information held in said data store, wherein the energy compliance in normal use, performs the two or more operational events in a pre-determined sequence, each of said operational events having a different acoustic signature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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- 17. A diagnostic tool for an energy conversion appliance of a kind which, in normal use, performs two or more operational events in a pre-determined sequence and each said event having a different acoustic signature, said diagnostic tool comprising a sound receiving transducer coupled to an output and monitoring device to receive, identify, discriminate and log the acoustic signatures of each of said two or more operational events within the operating sequence of the appliance, said diagnostic tool comprising a data store of pre-established data of at least one of the order of occurrence of each said operational events and the time intervals between operational events concomitant with proper functioning of the appliance, and said monitoring device being operable to compare each of said received acoustic signatures with pre-established data held in said data store with at least one of the order of occurrence of each said received acoustic signatures and the time intervals between said received acoustic signatures of the operational events.
Specification