AUTOMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110137432A1
• Filed: 11/26/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beet, LLC
• Original Assignee: Comau SPA (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Wang, David, Red, Daisy, Nausley, Ivan
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/79
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0232 based on qualitative trend analysis, e.g. system evolution
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

A method for monitoring performance of at least one task in controlled equipment is disclosed herein. The method includes collecting a series of signals associated with the at least one task, at least some of the signals in the series define timing values for the at least one task. comparing each of at least some of the timing values to a reference value, generating an accumulated variance value based on the comparisons and selectively generating a predictive failure indication based on the generated accumulated variance value.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring performance of at least one task in controlled equipment, comprising:

collecting a series of signals associated with the at least one task, at least some of the signals in the series defining timing values for the at least one task;

comparing each of at least some of the timing values to a reference value;

generating an accumulated variance value based on the comparisons; and

selectively generating a predictive failure indication based on the generated accumulated variance value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing each of at least some of the timing values to a reference value comprises:

determining a difference between each of at least some of the timing values and the reference value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the accumulated variance value comprises:

summing the differences corresponding to at least some of the timing values.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a slope of the accumulated variance value over a period of time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selectively generating the predictive failure indication further comprises:

if the slope is at least one of generally increasing or generally decreasing over the period of time, generating the predictive failure indicator; and

if the slope is generally constant over the period of time, not generating the predictive failure indicator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference value is based on data other than the series of signals.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reference value is further based on a predefined specification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference value is based on the series of signals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predictive failure indication is at least one of audible or visual.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of signals are at least one of analog data or digital data.

11. A method of monitoring performance of at least one task in controlled equipment, comprising:

collecting a series of signals associated with the at least one task, at least some of the signals in the series defining at least a first timing value for the at least one task;

comparing the first timing value to a reference value, wherein the reference value is based on data other than the series of signals; and

generating an indication based on the comparison.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the series of signals includes at least one of input data, output data or timer data.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first timing value is at least one of a start time, an end time or a duration time of the at least one task.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the reference value is based on a predefined specification.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the reference value based on a user'"'"'s predefined determination of at least one of a design start time, a design end time or a design duration for the at least one task.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the indication is at least one of visual or audible.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein comparing the first timing value to the reference value comprises:

determining a difference between the first timing value and the reference value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the reference value is associated with a threshold value and comparing the first timing value to the reference value further comprises:

determining whether the difference exceeds a threshold value.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the indication is at least one of a cautionary indicator, a warning indicator or a normal operation indicator and wherein generating the indication further comprises:

if the difference is greater than or equal to the threshold value, generating one of the warning indicator and the cautionary indicator; and

if the difference is less than the threshold value, generating the normal operation indicator.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein at least some of the signals in the series define one or more other timing values for the at least one task, comprising

determining a difference between each of at least some of the one or more other timing values and the reference value;

and

generating an accumulated variance value based on at least some of the differences corresponding to the first timing value and the one or more other timing values.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein generating the accumulated variance value further comprises:

summing the differences corresponding to the first timing value and the one or more other timing values.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a slope of the accumulated variance value over a period of time;

if the slope is at least one of generally increasing or generally decreasing over the period of time, generating a predictive failure indicator; and

if the slope is generally constant over the period of time, not generating the predictive failure indicator.

23. An apparatus for monitoring performance of at least one task in controlled equipment, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

collect a series of signals associated with the at least one task, at least some of the signals in the series defining timing values for the at least one task;

compare each of at least some of the timing values to a reference value;

generate an accumulated variance value based on the comparisons; and

selectively generate a predictive failure indication based on the generated accumulated variance value.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a slope of the accumulated variance value over a period of time.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the processor is configured to selectively generate the predictive failure indication including:

if the slope is at least one of generally increasing or generally decreasing over the period of time, generate the predictive failure indicator; and

if the slope is generally constant over the period of time, not generate the predictive failure indicator.