Remote diagnostic system and method collecting sensor data according to two storage techniques

• US 6,499,114 B1
• Filed: 02/17/1999
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Almstead, John Gamwell, Morjaria, Maheshch Amritlal, Longtin, Keith Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoleil, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ziemer, Rita A
• Application Number:
  US09/251,654
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 714/25, 714/26, 714/46, 714/724, 714/47, 399/26, 399/24, 702/183, 709/224, 710/12
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4184 characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A remote monitoring diagnostic system and method utilize two different storage techniques. A time-coherent storage technique and change-detect storage technique are utilized to ensure that sensor signals are stored accurately and efficiently. A central diagnostic system can poll or pull the sensor values remotely. Additionally, an on-site monitor can perform anomaly detection to generate malfunction data.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system for analyzing operation of a process, the process being monitored by a plurality of sensors, each sensor sensing a different parameter associated with the operation of the process, the sensors providing sensor signals to an interface for conditioning and digitizing the sensor signals and providing digital sensor data the diagnostic system comprising:

a local diagnostic unit located at a site associated with the process, the local diagnostic unit receiving the digital sensor data associated with the sensor from the sensors, the sensor data being received from the interface, the local diagnostic unit periodically and simultaneously storing the plurality of sensor data, the local diagnostic unit storing at least one sensor datum of the sensor data whenever the one sensor datum deviates from a previously stored value by a first predetermined amount.

2. The diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the local diagnostic unit stores another sensor datum of the sensor data whenever the another sensor datum exceeds a previously stored value by a second predetermined amount.

3. The diagnostic system of claim 2, wherein the first predetermined amount is equal to the second predetermined amount.

4. The diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined amount is a predetermined percentage of the previous value or a predetermined fixed value.

5. The diagnostic system of claim 1, further comprising:

a central diagnostic unit located remote from the site, the central diagnostic unit communicating with the local diagnostic unit to obtain the sensor data stored by the local diagnostic unit.

6. The diagnostic system of claim 5, wherein the local diagnostic unit performs a local diagnostic analysis and sets flags indicating a malfunction, the flags being received by the central diagnostic unit when the stored sensor data are received.

7. A diagnostic system for analyzing operation of a process, the diagnostic system comprising;

a local database;

a local diagnostic unit located at a site associated with the process, the local diagnostic unit receiving a plurality of parameters associated with the process, the local diagnostic unit periodically stores the parameters in the local database, wherein the local diagnostic unit performs a local diagnostic analysis in response to the parameters and stores anomaly data in the database, the anomaly date indicating a probability of an anomaly, wherein the parameters are stored on a coherent basis and a change detect basis.

8. The diagnostic system of claim 7, wherein the local diagnostic analysis is in response to the anomaly data and the parameters.

9. The diagnostic system of claim 7, wherein the local diagnostic unit communicates a notification flag to a central diagnostic unit, wherein the diagnostic system includes the central diagnostic unit located remote from the site, the central diagnostic unit communicating with the local diagnostic unit to obtain the parameters stored by the local diagnostic unit.

10. The diagnostic system of claim 9, wherein the central diagnostic unit downloads the anomaly data and the parameters stored in the local database in response to the notification flag.

11. The diagnostic system of claim 10, wherein the notification flag is transmitted by a beeper communication link.

12. The diagnostic system of claim 7, wherein the local diagnostic unit stores the parameters in accordance with data storage parameters and the local diagnostic unit adjusts data storage parameters in response to the local diagnostic analysis.

13. The diagnostic system of claim 7, wherein the local diagnostic unit communicates a notification flag to a central diagnostic unit, wherein the diagnostic system includes the central diagnostic unit located remote from the site, the central diagnostic unit communicating with the local diagnostic unit to obtain the parameters stored by the local diagnostic unit, wherein the central diagnostic unit downloads the anomaly data and the parameters stored in the local database in response to the notification flag.

14. A method of diagnosing anomalies in an industrial process, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of different parameters on a time-coherent basis in a database in an on-site monitor;

storing at least one of the parameters on a change-detect basis in the database in the on-site monitor;

generating, with the on-site monitor, anomaly data in response to the parameters and storing the anomaly data in the database; and

communicating the anomaly data and the stored parameters to a remote diagnostic center.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing results of diagnostics performed by the remote diagnostic center for viewing at a site associated with the on-site monitor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the on-site monitor is a web site and the results are provided to the on-site monitor.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

viewing the results with web-based tools.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the parameters include two parameters from the following group:

speed, load, vibration, temperature, and fuel rate.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

generating a beeper or E-mail message in response to the anomaly data.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

processing sensor signals in the on-site monitor to generate the parameters.