SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING THE HEALTH OF A SUBJECT SYSTEM

• US 20100081888A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, Dave, Magnuson, Randy, Crumpton, Kathleen, Kolbet, David
• Application Number:
  US12/242,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20100081888A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24183 If error, spare unit takes over, message to master, confirm new configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0297 Reconfiguration of monitoring system, e.g. use of virtual sensors; change monitoring method as a response to monitoring results

Abstract

A health monitoring system includes a first monitoring unit configured to monitor health status indicators of a subject system; and a second monitoring unit configured to monitor the health status indicators of the subject system upon receiving a transfer signal.

Claims

1. A health monitoring system, comprising:

a first monitoring unit configured to monitor health status indicators of a subject system; and

a second monitoring unit configured to monitor the health status indicators of the subject system upon receiving a transfer signal.

2. The health monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first monitoring unit comprises

a first processor comprising a first monitoring module configured to monitor the health status indictors.

3. The health monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the first processor further comprises a first metric module configured to generate a first metric of the first monitoring unit relative to the subject system.

4. The health monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the first metric is a measure of the suitability of the first monitoring unit to monitor the subject system.

5. The health monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the second monitoring unit comprises a second processor comprising a second monitoring module configured to monitor the health status indictors when the second monitoring unit is monitoring the subject system, the second processor further comprising a second metric module configured to generate a second metric of the second monitoring unit relative to the subject system indicating the suitability of the second monitoring unit to monitor the subject system.

6. The health monitoring system of claim 5, further comprising a transfer module configured to evaluate the first and second metrics and to generate the transfer signal.

7. The health monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the transfer module is distributed across the first ands second monitoring units.

8. The health monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the transfer module sends the transfer signal if the first metric falls below the second metric.

9. The health monitoring system of claim 6, further comprising a packaging module configured to package historical health status indicator data and supply the historical health status indicator data to the second monitoring unit upon receipt of the transfer signal.

10. The health monitoring system of claim 9, wherein the packaging module is distributed across the first ands second monitoring units.

11. The health monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first and second monitoring units are configured to move relative to the subject system.

12. The health monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first and second monitoring units are configured to generate a health status of the subject system based on the health status indicators.

13. A method for monitoring the health status of a subject system, comprising:

monitoring health status indicators from the subject system with a first monitoring unit;

generating a first metric that indicates the monitoring suitability of the first monitoring unit;

generating a second metric that indicates the monitoring suitability of a second monitoring unit; and

transferring monitoring responsibility to the second monitoring unit based on the first and second metrics.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the transferring step includes transferring the monitoring responsibility to the second monitoring unit when the first metric falls below the second metric.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transferring step includes transferring monitoring responsibility to the second monitoring unit based on a transfer signal from a transfer module configured to evaluate the first and second metrics.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transferring step includes transferring monitoring responsibility to the second monitoring unit with the transfer module that is distributed across the first and second monitoring units.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising, prior to the transferring step, packaging historical health status indicator data from the first monitoring unit.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising supplying the historical health status indicator data to the second monitoring unit.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the packaging step includes packaging historical health status indicator data with a packaging module distributed across the first and second monitoring units.

20. A health monitoring system, comprising:

a first monitoring unit comprising a first processor, the first processor comprising

a first monitoring module configured to monitor health status indictors of a subject system, and

a first metric module configured to generate a first metric of the first monitoring unit relative to the subject system, the first metric representing the suitability of the first monitoring unit to monitor the subject system;

a second monitoring unit comprising a second processor, the second processor comprising

a second monitoring module configured to monitor the health status indictors upon receipt of a transfer signal, and

a second metric module configured to generate a second metric of the second monitoring unit relative to the subject system indicating the suitability of the second monitoring unit to monitor the subject system;

a transfer module configured to evaluate the first and second metrics and to generate the transfer signal; and

a packaging module configured to package historical health status indicator data and supply the historical health status indicator data to the second monitoring unit upon receipt of the transfer signal.