SYNTHESIS OF HUMAN AND MACHINE DIAGNOSIS

• US 20160349150A1
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABet SKF
• Original Assignee: ABet SKF
• Inventors: Boerhout, Johannes Izak
• Granted Patent: US 10,444,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/005 Testing of complete machines, e.g. washing-machines or mobile phones testing of machine parts G01M13/00; testing of electric apparatus or components G01R31/50

Abstract

A method for determining whether a defect exists in a machine. The method includes receiving a signal from a sensor that includes data related to operation of a machine. It is determined whether the data in the signal is accurate or valid and a first input is generated therefrom. It is determined whether a defect exists in the machine by analyzing the data in the signal and a second input is generated therefrom. The first input and the second input are introduced into one or more logic gates, which generate an output that indicates whether the defect exists in the machine. A user is notified when the output indicates that the defect exists in the machine.

Claims

1. A method for determining whether a defect exists in a machine, comprising:

receiving a signal from a sensor that includes data related to operation of a machine;

determining whether the data in the signal is accurate or valid and generating a first input therefrom;

determining whether a defect exists in the machine by analyzing the data in the signal and generating a second input therefrom;

introducing the first input and the second input into one or more logic gates, which generate an output that indicates whether the defect exists in the machine; and

notifying a user when the output indicates that the defect exists in the machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the data in the signal comprises analyzing at least a portion of the data in the signal where a defect is not known to occur for the machine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data in the signal is analyzed by an automatic diagnostic engine that includes one or more failure signatures stored therein, and wherein analyzing the data in the signal comprises analyzing at least a portion of the data in the signal where no failure signatures are stored in the automatic diagnostic engine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the data in the signal is accurate or valid comprises determining whether one or more errors have been introduced to the data by the sensor or by a cable transmitting the signal from the sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data in the signal is analyzed using a harmonic activity locator operator, a cyclic time averaging operator, a band filter operator, or a rate of change operator.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a likelihood that the output is accurate by receiving additional signals from the sensor.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising notifying the user when the output indicates that the defect exists in the machine and the likelihood that the output is accurate is greater than or equal to a threshold.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a signal from a sensor that includes data related to operation of a machine;

determining whether the data in the signal is accurate or valid and generating a first input therefrom;

determining whether a defect exists in the machine by analyzing the data in the signal and generating a second input therefrom;

introducing the first input and the second input into one or more logic gates, which generate an output that indicates whether the defect exists in the machine; and

notifying a user when the output indicates that the defect exists in the machine.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein analyzing the data in the signal comprises analyzing at least a portion of the data in the signal where a defect is not known to occur for the machine.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the data in the signal is analyzed by an automatic diagnostic engine that includes one or more failure signatures stored therein, and wherein analyzing the data in the signal comprises analyzing at least a portion of the data in the signal where no failure signatures are stored in the automatic diagnostic engine.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining whether the data in the signal is accurate or valid comprises determining whether one or more errors have been introduced to the data by the sensor or by a cable transmitting the signal from the sensor.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the data in the signal is analyzed using a harmonic activity locator operator, a cyclic time averaging operator, a band filter operator, or a rate of change operator.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising determining a likelihood that the output is accurate by receiving additional signals from the sensor.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising notifying the user when the output indicates that the defect exists in the machine and the likelihood that the output is accurate is greater than or equal to a threshold.

15. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory system comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a signal from a sensor that includes data related to operation of a machine;

determining whether the data in the signal is accurate or valid and generating a first input therefrom;

determining whether a defect exists in the machine by analyzing the data in the signal and generating a second input therefrom;

introducing the first input and the second input into one or more logic gates, which generate an output that indicates whether the defect exists in the machine; and

notifying a user when the output indicates that the defect exists in the machine.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein analyzing the data in the signal comprises analyzing at least a portion of the data in the signal where a defect is not known to occur for the machine.

17. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the data in the signal is analyzed by an automatic diagnostic engine that includes one or more failure signatures stored therein, and wherein analyzing the data in the signal comprises analyzing at least a portion of the data in the signal where no failure signatures are stored in the automatic diagnostic engine.

18. The computing system of claim 15, wherein determining whether the data in the signal is accurate or valid comprises determining whether one or more errors have been introduced to the data by the sensor or by a cable transmitting the signal from the sensor.

19. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the data in the signal is analyzed using a harmonic activity locator operator, a cyclic time averaging operator, a band filter operator, or a rate of change operator.

20. The computing system of claim 15, further comprising determining a likelihood that the output is accurate by receiving additional signals from the sensor.