Method and system for remote gas monitoring

• US 6,577,988 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wacker, John E. Jr., Travagline, David Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L.
• Application Number:
  US09/634,315
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 702/22, 702/24, 702/30-33, 702/45, 702/122, 702/182, 702/184, 702/185, 702/187, 702/188, 700/99, 700/266, 700/275, 340/3.1, 340/3.5, 340/5.9, 340/5.92, 340/7.29, 340/825.29, 707/9
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A monitoring system is described for monitoring gas delivery systems from a Web browser. The system collects data generated from existing gas delivery systems, as well as other information, such as maintenance and repair data, and stores the data in a database located on a centralized server computer system. An authorized user may access the database from a remote location, check the status of the gas cylinders, manifolds, and tools, and generate reports including mean-time-to-failure reports, serviceability, comparisons among buildings or sites, thus saving time and helping to minimize future downtime of the gas delivery system. In addition, the monitoring system automatically monitors the gas delivery system for critical conditions and automatically notifies appropriate personnel of conditions that require immediate attention.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for accessing information regarding a process gas delivery system at a location remote from the process gas delivery system and for delivering selected information to a client computer system, the monitoring system comprising:

a first computer readable storage medium connected to a local computer system including at least one input device and having stored therein new data including process gas delivery system information including new maintenance and repair information for pieces of equipment of the gas delivery system, said new data entered via said at least one input device into the local computer system, said first computer readable storage medium having stored therein first instructions for causing the local computer system to form a data set comprising said new data and identification information uniquely identifying an origination location of said new data;

a server computer system connected to the local computer system by a computer network;

a second computer readable storage medium connected to said server computer system and having stored therein a database including historical process gas delivery system information and historical maintenance and repair information, said second computer readable storage medium having stored therein second instructions for causing said server computer system to parse said new data from said data set and store said new data into said database, and for computing said maintenance and repair statistics derived from said new and historical maintenance and repair information including a mean-time-to-failure of the piece of equipment;

means for transferring said data set from the local computer system to said server computer system;

means for receiving a request from the client computer system for selected information based on the information stored in said database; and

means for processing said request and transferring said selected information from said server computer system to the client computer system.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the computer network includes a connection to the Internet, and said, request is received using said connection.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising:

a means for validating that a user of the client computer system has authority to access said server computer system;

a means for providing a secure connection between the client computer system and said server computer system;

a means for validating that the user has authority to access said database; and

a means for validating that the user has authority to access the information stored in said database.

4. The monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the computer network includes a connection to the Internet, and said request is received using said connection.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein

said second instructions further comprise instructions for causing said server computer to

generate mean-time-to-failure alarm information when one of said pieces of equipment nears its mean-time-to-failure and identify a selected person having a notification device and transmit said mean-time-to-failure alarm information to the notification device.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein said second instructions further comprises instructions for causing said server computer to

process said new data,

compare said processed data to predetermined criteria related to the mean-time-to-failure of a piece of equipment and, if said data meets said predetermined criteria,

generate mean-time-to-failure alarm information indicating occurrence of a mean-time-to-failure alarm condition,

identify a selected person having a notification device, and

transmit said mean-time-to-failure alarm information to the notification device.

7. A method for accessing information regarding a process gas delivery system at a location remote from the process gas delivery system and for delivering selected information to a client computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first computer readable storage medium connected to a local computer system, said first storage medium having stored therein new data including process gas delivery system information, new maintenance information and new repair information;

forming a data set comprising said new data and identification information uniquely identifying an origination location of said new data;

connecting a server computer system to the local computer system by a computer network;

providing a second computer readable storage medium connected to said server computer system and having stored therein a database including historical process gas delivery system information, historical maintenance information and historical repair information;

computing maintenance and repair statistics derived from said new and historical maintenance and repair information, including a mean-time-to-failure for pieces of equipment of the gas delivery system;

parsing said new data from said data set;

storing said new data into said database;

transferring said data set from the local computer system to said server computer system;

receiving a request from the client computer system for selected information based on the information stored in said database;

processing said request;

transferring said selected information from said server computer system to the client computer system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the computer network includes a connection to the Internet, and said step of receiving a request uses said connection to the Internet.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

validating that a user of the client computer system has authority to access said server computer system;

providing a secure connection between the client computer system and said server computer system;

validating that the user has authority to access said database; and

validating that the user has authority to access the information stored in said database.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the computer network includes a connection to the Internet, and said step of receiving a request uses said connection to the Internet.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising, after

said step of parsing,

generating mean-time-to-failure alarm information when one of said pieces of equipment of said gas delivery system nears its mean-time-to-failure;

and

identifying a selected person having a notification device and transmitting said mean-time-to-failure alarm information to the notification device.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of parsing further comprises

processing said new data,

comparing said processed data to predetermined criteria related to the mean-time-to-failure of said one of said pieces of equipment of the gas delivery system and, if said data meets said predetermined criteria,

generating mean-time-to-failure alarm information indicating occurrence of a mean-time-to-failure alarm condition,

identifying a selected person having a notification device, and

transmitting said mean-time-to-failure alarm information to the notification device.