Advance manufacturing monitoring and diagnostic tool

• US 8,643,539 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokomis Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nokomis Inc.
• Inventors: Keller, Walter John III, Pauly, Gerald William
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): BYTHROW, PETER M
• Application Number:
  US12/551,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20100123453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: 342 13- 20, 342/22, 342/89, 342/90, 342/128, 342/129, 342/165, 342169-175, 342/95, 340/572.2, 324/537, 324/750.01, 324/754.01, 324/754.06, 324/754.21, 324/754.31, 324/762.01, 324/763.01, 324/500, 324/501, 324/538, 324/600, 324/601, 324637-639, 324/158.1, 324/750.02, 324/762.02, 700/174, 700/175, 702/34, 702117-120, 702182-185
• US Class Current: 342/173
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0871 Complete apparatus or systems; circuits, e.g. receivers or amplifiers G01R29/0878, G01R29/0892 take precedence; dosimeters, warning devices G01R29/0857
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0892 Details related to signal analysis or treatment; presenting results, e.g. displays; measuring specific signal features other than field strength, e.g. polarisation, field modes, phase, envelope, maximum value
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/008 on air- or spacecraft, railway rolling stock or sea-going vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/26 Testing of individual semiconductor devices testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment H01L22/00; testing of photovoltaic devices H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2642 Testing semiconductor operation lifetime or reliability, e.g. by accelerated life tests
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/265 Contactless testing of circuits, also in wafer-form G01R31/302
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2829 Testing of circuits in sensor or actuator systems testing of apparatus for measuring electric or magnetic variables G01R35/00; testing of indicating or recording apparatus G01D; in airbag systems B60R21/0173; checking gas analysers G01N33/007; monitoring or fail-safe circuits for electromagnets H01F7/1844
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2851 Testing of integrated circuits [IC] G01R31/317 takes precedence; testing individual devices G01R31/26; testing printed circuits G01R31/2801
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2894 Aspects of quality control [QC] G01R31/31718 takes precedence; program control for QC G05B19/41875
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/302 Contactless testing G01R31/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/315 by inductive methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31703 Comparison aspects, e.g. signature analysis, comparators concerning scan tests G01R31/318566; concerning testers G01R31/3193
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3278 of relays, solenoids or reed switches measuring contact resistance G01R27/205; high voltage magnetic switches G01R31/3271, G01R31/333; testing electric windings G01R31/72; monitoring of fail safe circuits H01H47/002
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/34 Testing dynamo-electric machines
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/62 Testing of transformers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/72 Testing of electric windings testing of transformers G01R31/62
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/41 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section

Abstract

The current invention relates to a monitoring and analysis device and a method for monitoring and analysis that utilizes the unintended electromagnetic emissions of electrically powered systems. The present invention monitors electrical devices by taking detailed measurements of the electromagnetic fields emitted by any component or system utilizing electricity. The measurements will be analyzed to both record a baseline score for future measurements and to be used in detailed analysis to determine the status of the analyzed system or component.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an antenna,

a receiver, configured, in combination with said antenna, to receive at least one emission of an electromagnetic energy, said at least one emission being given off by at least one electrical device;

at least one processor;

wherein said device is configured to monitor the at least one electrical device by measuring and processing a change or changes in a signature of said at least one electromagnetic emission; and

wherein said device is configured to predict degradation of a component of the at least one electrical device based on said signature change or changes.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one processor comprises a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) processor configured to conduct an initial processing of a targeted analog signal and wherein said at least one processor further comprises a general purpose processor (GPU) coupled to said FPGA processor and configured to perform higher level processing of said analog signal, said higher level processing including at least one of comparing said signal to a predetermined signature, accessing a non-volatile memory provided within said device so as to store historical records, and interfacing with a user.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said FPGA processor is further configured to transform a digital waveform of the emitted spectrum from the at least one electrical device to a frequency domain of interest.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a cascade integrated comb (CIC) filter configured to decimate a frequency signal, and wherein said FPGA processor is further configured to apply Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to said frequency signal.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein said FPGA and GPU are configured to process said frequency domain and are further configured to identify inconsistencies in said digital waveform from an anticipated waveform.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said receiver is a radio frequency (RF) receiver configured to extract a desired target frequency from a raw signal received from said antenna.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said at least one processor includes a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) configured to convert said target frequency to a baseband frequency.

2. A device comprising:

an antenna,

a receiver, configured, in combination with said antenna, to receive at least one emission of an electromagnetic energy, said at least one emission being given off by at least one electrical device;

at least one processor;

wherein said device is configured to monitor the at least one electrical device by measuring and processing a change or changes in a signature of said at least one electromagnetic emission; and

wherein the electromagnetic emission measurement device is configured, based on said signature changes, to predict degradation of the at least one electrical device.

3. A comprising:

an antenna,

a receiver, configured, in combination with said antenna, to receive at least one unintended emission of an electromagnetic energy, said at least one unintended emission being given off by at least one semiconductor device;

at least one processor;

wherein said device is configured to passively measure and process a change or changes in a signature of said at least one unintended electromagnetic emission and is further configured to assess at least one of a health, defects, inconsistency and degradation of the at least one semiconductor device either during manufacturing of the at least one semiconductor device, during manufacturing of an assembly containing the at least one semiconductor device or during a quality control inspection.

12. The device of claim 3, wherein said at least one processor is configured to extract a desired target frequency from a raw signal received from said antenna.

13. The device of claim 3, wherein said at least one processor is configured to transform a digital waveform of the emitted spectrum from the at least one electrical device to a frequency domain of interest.

4. A comprising:

(a) an antenna,

(b) a receiver, configured, in combination with said antenna, to receive at least one emission of an electromagnetic energy, said at least one emission being given off by at least one electrical device without an aid from a hardwire connection,

(c) at least one processor,

wherein said device is configured to measure and process change or changes in a signature of said at least one electromagnetic emission and is further configured to monitor a level of degradation of the at least one electrical device.

5. A device comprising:

a housing sized to be held by a hand of a user;

an antenna disposed within said housing,

a receiver disposed within said housing, said receiver configured, in combination with said antenna, to receive at least one emission of an electromagnetic energy, said at least one emission being given off by at least one electrical device, at least one processor disposed within said housing, and

wherein said device is configured to measure and process change or changes in a signature of said at least one electromagnetic emission.