SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING OPERATIVE COMPONENTS OF A VEHICLE BASED ON AMBIENT CONDITIONS

• US 20180052068A1
• Filed: 08/17/2016
• Published: 02/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Nicks, Eric Lee, Dame, Stephen Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 10,228,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/02 Toilet fittings of general application A47K
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0092 Pressure sensor associated with other sensors, e.g. for measuring acceleration or temperature G01L9/025, G01L9/045, G01L9/065, G01L9/085, G01L9/105, G01L9/125, G01L19/02, G01L19/04 take precedence; measuring two or more variable G01D21/02; temperature sensors with pressure compensation G01K1/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A component monitoring system is configured to indirectly monitor an operative health status of an operative component. The component monitoring system includes an ambient condition sensor within a chamber, an operative component coupled to the chamber. The ambient condition sensor is configured to sample an ambient condition within the chamber when the operative component is active. The ambient condition sensor is configured to output ambient condition data indicative of the ambient condition detected by the ambient condition sensor. At least one control unit is in communication with the ambient condition sensor. The control unit(s) is configured to indirectly determine the operative health status of the operative component through an analysis of the ambient condition data.

Claims

1. A component monitoring system that is configured to indirectly monitor an operative health status of an operative component, the component monitoring system comprising:

an ambient condition sensor within a chamber;

an operative component coupled to the chamber, wherein the ambient condition sensor is configured to sample an ambient condition within the chamber when the operative component is active, wherein the ambient condition sensor is configured to output ambient condition data indicative of the ambient condition sampled by the ambient condition sensor; and

at least one control unit that is in communication with the ambient condition sensor, wherein the at least one control unit is configured to indirectly determine the operative health status of the operative component through an analysis of the ambient condition data.

2. The component monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the ambient condition sensor is not coupled to the operative component.

3. The component monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the ambient condition sensor is an ambient air pressure sensor, wherein the chamber is a lavatory onboard a vehicle, and wherein the operative component is a vacuum generator of a vacuum sub-system coupled to a toilet within the lavatory.

4. The component monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the ambient condition sensor is an ambient temperature sensor.

5. The component monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control unit is configured to store historical data regarding a plurality of operative health status stages of the operative component, and wherein the at least one control unit is configured to compare the ambient condition data with the plurality of operative health status stages of the operative component to determine the operative health status of the operative component.

6. The component monitoring system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of operative health status stages include proper functioning, diminished capacity, and impending inoperability.

7. The component monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the ambient condition sensor is in a dormant state at least for a portion of time when the operative component is inactive.

8. The component monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising one or more environmental sensors in communication with the at least one control unit, wherein the at least one control unit is configured to correlate one or more environmental parameters detected by the one or more environmental sensors with the ambient condition data.

9. The component monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the one or more environmental parameters comprise one or more of an altitude, latitudinal position, longitudinal position, a velocity of a vehicle, or an acceleration of the vehicle.

10. The component monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control unit is onboard a vehicle.

11. The component monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control unit is within a monitoring center that is remotely located from the chamber.

12. The component monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control unit is configured to predict a time of replacement of the operative component based on the analysis of the ambient condition data.

13. A component monitoring method for indirectly monitoring an operative health status of an operative component, the component monitoring method comprising:

disposing an ambient condition sensor within a chamber;

coupling an operative component to the chamber;

using the ambient condition sensor to sample an ambient condition within the chamber when the operative component is active;

outputting ambient condition data, via the ambient condition sensor, that is indicative of the ambient condition sampled by the ambient condition sensor;

communicatively coupling at least one control unit to the ambient condition sensor;

analyzing the ambient condition data with the at least one control unit; and

indirectly determining the operative health status of the operative component through the analyzing.

14. The component monitoring method of claim 13, wherein the ambient condition sensor is an ambient air pressure sensor, wherein the chamber is a lavatory onboard a vehicle, and wherein the operative component is a vacuum generator of a vacuum sub-system coupled to a toilet within the lavatory.

15. The component monitoring method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing historical data regarding a plurality of operative health status stages of the operative component in at least one data storage unit, and wherein the analyzing comprises comparing the ambient condition data with the plurality of operative health status stages of the operative component.

16. The component monitoring method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of operative health status stages include proper functioning, diminished capacity, and impending inoperability.

17. The component monitoring method of claim 13, further comprising operating the ambient condition sensor in a dormant state at least for a portion of time when the operative component is inactive.

18. The component monitoring method of claim 13, further comprising correlating one or more environmental parameters sampled by one or more environmental sensors with the ambient condition data.

19. The component monitoring method of claim 13, further comprising using the at least one control unit to predict a time of replacement of the operative component based on the analyzing.

20. A vehicle comprising:

a lavatory including a toilet coupled to a vacuum sub-system having at least one operative component coupled to the lavatory;

an ambient condition sensor within the chamber, wherein the ambient condition sensor is configured to sample an ambient air pressure within the lavatory when the toilet is flushed, wherein the ambient condition sensor is configured to output ambient pressure data indicative of the ambient air pressure detected by the ambient condition sensor, wherein the ambient condition sensor is in a dormant state at least for a portion of time when the operative component is inactive, wherein the ambient condition sensor is not coupled to the operative component;

a control unit onboard the vehicle that is in communication with the ambient condition sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to indirectly determine the operative health status of the operative component through an analysis of the ambient pressure data within the lavatory during operation of the operative component, wherein the control unit is configured to compare the ambient pressure data with a plurality of operative health status stages of the operative component to indirectly determine the operative health status of the operative component, wherein the plurality of operative health status stages include proper functioning, diminished capacity, and impending inoperability, wherein the control unit is configured to predict a time of replacement of the operative component based on the analysis of the ambient condition data; and

one or more environmental sensors in communication with the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to correlate one or more environmental parameters detected by the one or more environmental sensors with the ambient condition data, wherein the one or more environmental parameters comprise one or more of an altitude, latitudinal position, longitudinal position, a velocity of the vehicle, or an acceleration of the vehicle.