System for monitoring an environment

• US 7,272,530 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smiths Detection (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Detection (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Steinthal, Michael Gregory, Hsiung, Chang-Meng B., Vicic, Michael Allen, Zhang, Shou-Hua, Sunshine, Steven A., Roy, Ajoy Kumar, Munoz, Bethsabet
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Carol S. W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): O MALLEY, MARY CATHERINE
• Application Number:
  US11/067,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20050159922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 702 22- 23, 702 30- 32, 702/45, 702/50, 702/114, 702/179, 702181-184, 702186-189, 700 28- 32, 700/95, 700108-110, 700214-215, 700282-285, 709/220, 706 45- 48, 706/50, 422105-108, 422/112, 422/114, 422/116, 703 11- 12
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4093 characterised by part programming, e.g. entry of geometrical information as taken from a technical drawing, combining this with machining and material information to obtain control information, named part programme, for the NC machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41855 by local area network [LAN], network structure
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31265 Control process by combining history and real time data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31337 Failure information database
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31435 Paging support with display board, status monitoring and report compiling
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32129 Select program for specified machine from library, file server
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32194 Quality prediction
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32196 Store audit, history of inspection, control and workpiece data into database
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32201 Build statistical model of past normal proces, compare with actual process
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32404 Scada supervisory control and data acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33209 Protocol, mailbox, email, mail system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35095 Features library
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0221 Preprocessing measurements, e.g. data collection rate adjustment; Standardization of measurements; Time series or signal analysis, e.g. frequency analysis or wavelets; Trustworthiness of measurements; Indexes therefor; Measurements using easily measured parameters to estimate parameters difficult to measure; Virtual sensor creation; De-noising; Sensor fusion; Unconventional preprocessing inherently present in specific fault detection methods like PCA-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0235 based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0243 model based detection method, e.g. first-principles knowledge model
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0254 : based on a quantitative model, e.g. mathematical relationships between inputs and outputs; functions: observer, Kalman filter, residual calculation, Neural Networks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0286 : Modifications to the monitored process, e.g. stopping operation or adapting control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0294 : Optimizing process, e.g. process efficiency, product quality
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 : Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning

Abstract

A system for controlling an industrial process. The system includes an input module for receiving a plurality of parameters from a process for manufacture of a substance or object. The system also includes a library module. The library module includes a plurality of computer aided processes. Any one of the computer aided processes is capable of using each of the plurality of parameters to compare at least two of the plurality of parameters against a training set of parameters. The training set of parameters is generally predetermined. The computer aided process is also capable of determining if the at least two of the plurality of parameters are within a predetermined range of the training set of parameters. Additionally, the system includes an output module for outputting a result based upon the training set and the plurality of parameters

Claims

1. A system for monitoring an environment, the system comprising:

a chemical sensor, a biological sensor, and a radiation sensor connected over a computer network,

a library module that includes at least one computer aided process, the at least one computer aided process being capable of determining an output based upon a predetermined training set of a plurality of sensor parameters;

an external system that includes an external database that stores atmospheric information utilized in analyzing the environment so as to predict a future atmospheric state of the environment; and

an output module coupled to the library module and the external system, the output module being adapted to output a result based upon the information obtained from the external database of the external system, the predetermined training set, and the plurality of sensor parameters;

wherein a current state of the environment, as obtained from the chemical, biological and radiation sensors, is compared to a historical state using statistical, structural, or physical models,

wherein the at least one computer aided process compares at least one of the plurality of sensor parameters against a portion of the training set of parameters, and determines if the at least one of the plurality of sensor parameters is within a predetermined range of the portion of the training set of parameters.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer aided process module and the output module are provided in a computer software program.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer aided process includes an algorithm selected from PCA, HCA, KNN CV KNN Prd, SIMCA CV, SIMCA Prd, Canon Prd, SCREAM, and Fisher CV.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a normalizing module coupled to the process controller, the normalizing module being adapted to normalize each of the plurality of sensor parameters before input into the computer aided process module.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the training set of parameters are preprocessed in the at least one computer aided process.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the result is an affirmative response or a negative response, where the response is displayed on a terminal.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer aided process is selected from a library comprising a plurality of processes.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the atmospheric information stored in the external database of the external system corresponds to wind direction and wind speed information.

9. A method of monitoring an environment, the method comprising:

determining a current state of the environment by obtaining data from the environment by way of a chemical sensor, a biological sensor, and a radiation sensor connected over a computer network;

comparing the current state of the environment to a historical state using statistical, structural, or physical models;

obtaining atmospheric information of the environment from an external database of an external system to be used in analyzing the current state of the environment to predict a future atmospheric state of the environment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the atmospheric information stored in the external database of the external system corresponds to wind direction and wind speed information.