Acoustics-based diagnostics

• US 6,772,633 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2002
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Uhl, William W., Terry, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAINT SURIN, JACQUES M
• Application Number:
  US10/316,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20040112136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 735/87, 735/98, 736/00, 736/02, 735/72, 735/79, 736/45, 347/19, 347/23, 347/20
• US Class Current: 73/587
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/028 Acoustic or vibration analysis

Abstract

Described herein is a technology for facilitating diagnosis of the operation of devices or machines based, at least in part, upon the acoustics of such.

Claims

1. A method for acoustics-based diagnosis, the method comprising:

obtaining a sound emitted by a device, wherein the device emits such sound while the device operates;

processing the sound;

acquiring one or more acoustics-based fault-signatures associated with the device, the fault-signatures being stored in a database of such signatures and the fault-signatures representing sounds emitted by the device while the device is in a fault condition;

analyzing the processed sound based upon the one or more acquired fault-signatures;

based upon such analysis, determining whether the device has a fault condition evidenced by the sound that it emitted;

indicating the result of such determination.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the fault condition is a present fault condition.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the fault condition is a future fault condition.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device is office machinery.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device is selected from a group consisting of:

computer peripheral;

printer;

scanner;

fax machine;

electronics.

6. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs a method for acoustics-based diagnosis, the method comprising:

obtaining a sound emitted by a device, wherein the device emits such sound while the device operates;

processing the sound;

acquiring one or more acoustics-based fault-signatures associated with the device, the fault-signatures being stored in a database of such signatures and the fault-signatures representing sounds emitted by the device while the device is in a fault condition;

analyzing the processed sound based upon the one or more acquired fault-signatures;

based upon such analysis, determining whether the device has a fault condition evidenced by the sound that it emitted;

indicating the result of such determination.

7. A medium as recited in claim 6, wherein the fault condition is a present fault condition.

8. A medium as recited in claim 6, wherein the fault condition is a future fault condition.

9. A medium as recited in claim 6, wherein the sounds produced by the device are indicative of one or more present abnormal operating conditions.

10. A medium as recited in claim 6, wherein the sounds produced by the device are indicative of one or more future abnormal operating conditions.

11. A medium as recited in claim 6, wherein the device is selected from a group consisting of:

office machinery;

copier;

computer peripheral;

printer;

scanner;

fax machine;

electronics.

12. A method for acoustics-based diagnosis, the method comprising:

processing the sound emitted by a device, wherein the device emits such sound while the device operates;

acquiring one or more acoustics-based fault-signatures associated with the device, the fault-signatures being stored in a database of such signatures and the fault-signatures representing sounds emitted by the device while the device is in a fault condition;

analyzing the processed sound based upon the one or more fault-signatures associated with the device;

based upon such analysis, determining whether the device has a fault condition evidenced by the sound that it emitted.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 further comprising acquiring one or more acoustics-based fault-signatures associated with the device.

14. A method as recited in claim 12 further comprising indicating the result of such determination.

15. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the fault condition is a present fault condition.

16. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the fault condition is a future fault condition.

17. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the device produces sounds when operating under normal conditions.

18. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the device produces sounds when operating abnormally.

19. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the sounds produced by the device are indicative of one or more present abnormal operating conditions.

20. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the sounds produced by the device are indicative of one or more future abnormal operating conditions.

21. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the device is office machinery.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, performs a method for acoustics-based diagnosis, the method comprising:

processing the sound emitted by a device, wherein the device emits such sound while the device operates;

acquiring one or more acoustics-based fault-signatures associated with the device, the fault-signatures being stored in a database of such signatures and the fault-signatures representing sound emitted by the device while the device is in a fault condition;

analyzing the processed sound based upon the one or more fault-signatures associated with the device;

based upon such analysis, determining whether the device has a fault condition evidenced by the sound that it emitted.

23. A medium as recited in claim 22, wherein the method further comprises acquiring one or more acoustics-based fault-signatures associated with the device.

24. A medium as recited in claim 22, wherein the method further comprises indicating the result of such determination.

25. A medium as recited in claim 22, wherein the fault condition is a present fault condition.

26. A medium as recited in claim 22, wherein the fault condition is a future fault condition.

27. An acoustics-based diagnostics architecture comprising:

a sound-gathering system configured to gather sound produced by the operation of a device;

a sound-analyzer configured to analyze the sound gathered by the sound-gathering system and determine a fault-condition of the device;

a fault-signature database interface configured to interface and acquire one or more fault-signatures associated with the device from a database of such;

wherein the analysis of the gathered sound by the sound-analyzer is based upon the one or more fault-signatures acquired from the database.

28. An architecture as recited in claim 27, further comprising a fault-indicator configured to produce an indication that specifies whether the device has a fault condition evidenced by the sound that it produces.

29. An architecture as recited in claim 27, wherein the fault condition is a present fault condition.

30. An architecture as recited in claim 27, wherein the fault condition is a future fault condition.

31. A system for acoustics-based diagnostics, the system comprising:

a memory comprising a set of computer program instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to execute the computer program instructions, which comprise;

processing the sound emitted by a device, wherein the device emits such sound while the device operates;

acquiring one or more acoustics-based fault-signatures associated with the device, the fault-signatures being stored in a database of such signatures and the fault-signatures representing sounds emitted by the device while the device is in a fault condition;

analyzing the processed sound based upon one or more fault-signatures associated with the device;

based upon such analysis, determining whether the device has a fault condition evidenced by the sound that it emitted.

32. A system as recited in claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise acquiring one or more acoustics-based fault-signatures associated with the device.

33. A system as recited in claim 31, wherein the instructions further comprise indicating the result of such determination.

34. A system as recited in claim 31, wherein the fault condition is a present fault condition.

35. A system as recited in claim 31, wherein the fault condition is a future fault condition.

36. A system as recited in claim 31, wherein the system is a printer.

37. A printer comprising:

a microphone;

a memory storing a set of computer program instructions comprising acoustic fault signatures, the fault-signatures representing sounds emitted by the device while the device is in a fault condition;

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to execute the computer program instructions and further configured to receive a printer noise signal generated by the microphone and an acoustic fault signature signal from the memory.

38. A printer as recited in claim 37, wherein the processor is configured to compare the printer noise signal to said acoustic fault signature signal and generate a signal indicative of the comparison.