Vibration monitor and transmission system
First Claim
1. A wireless monitoring system for monitoring a plurality of machines, the system comprising:
- a plurality of machine monitors mounted on a plurality of machine measuring points, each machine monitor including;
at least one sensor for sensing a characteristic of the machine at the machine measuring point and generating at least one sensor signal corresponding to the machine characteristic that was sensed;
a data processor for receiving and analyzing the sensor signals and producing analyzed sensor signals; and
transmitter means for producing wireless transmission signals corresponding to the analyzed sensor signals; and
a command station including receiver means for receiving said transmission signals and storing data corresponding to said transmission signals and the sensed characteristics of the machines, whereby characteristics of the plurality of machines at the plurality of measuring points are sensed and stored at said command station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus is disclosed consisting of one or more machine monitors which attach to one or more machines to sense a physical characteristic of the machine, such as vibration or temperature, and produce wireless transmissions corresponding to the sensed characteristic, and a command station which receives the transmissions from the machine monitors and processes the information to give an indication of the condition of the machine. The machine monitor incorporates a wireless transmitter to transmit the sensor data, and the command station incorporates a wireless receiver to receive the sensor data. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the machine monitors are not continuously on, but turn on only at preprogrammed times according to turn-on commands generated by a timer circuit within each machine monitor. In another preferred embodiment, each machine monitor includes a receiver and the command station includes a transmitter to enable the command station to send commands to each machine monitor. Each machine monitor includes a microcomputer to analyze the sensor data and a memory to store the analyzed sensor data prior to transmission to the command station. A repeater receives the sensor data transmissions from the machine monitors and retransmits the data to the command station when, due to site conditions, the machine monitors are beyond the receiving range of, or out of the line of sight to the command station.
514 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A wireless monitoring system for monitoring a plurality of machines, the system comprising:
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a plurality of machine monitors mounted on a plurality of machine measuring points, each machine monitor including; at least one sensor for sensing a characteristic of the machine at the machine measuring point and generating at least one sensor signal corresponding to the machine characteristic that was sensed; a data processor for receiving and analyzing the sensor signals and producing analyzed sensor signals; and transmitter means for producing wireless transmission signals corresponding to the analyzed sensor signals; and a command station including receiver means for receiving said transmission signals and storing data corresponding to said transmission signals and the sensed characteristics of the machines, whereby characteristics of the plurality of machines at the plurality of measuring points are sensed and stored at said command station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A monitoring system for monitoring a machine, comprising:
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a monitor including the following elements; at least one sensor for sensing a physical characteristic of said machine at a machine measuring point and generating at least one analog sensor signal corresponding to the physical characteristic that was sensed; an analog to digital converter for producing digital sensor signals corresponding to said analog sensor signals; a monitor computer for receiving the digital sensor signals, analyzing the digital sensor signals and producing analyzed sensor signals, storing and producing data corresponding to the analyzed sensor signals, and producing messages; monitor wireless transmitter means responsive to the messages for producing monitor wireless transmission signals corresponding to the analyzed sensor signals; monitor receiver means for receiving wireless signals and producing received signals for being transferred to said monitor computer; a power supply; and a housing for mounting on the machine and housing at least some of the monitor elements; and a command station including the following elements; command station receiver means for receiving and transferring said monitor wireless transmission signals and transferring data corresponding to the received signals to a command station computer; a command station computer for receiving and storing data corresponding to the received signals producing data, and producing commands; and command station transmitter means for transmitting command wireless transmission signals corresponding to data and commands received from said command station computer. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification