Apparatus and method for monitoring sound in a process system

• US 8,824,691 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Gregg, Jack T.
• Primary Examiner(s): SANDVIK, BENJAMIN P
• Application Number:
  US12/024,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20090196431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,405 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 381/56
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0006 Controlling or regulating processes controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00268 Detecting faulty operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308

Abstract

A method for monitoring sound in a process system is provided that includes sensing sound at a specified location, capturing the sensed sound as sound data, and forwarding the sound data from the specified location to a process control system. The sound data is analyzed at the process control system and a determination is made regarding whether or not to issue a warning based on the analysis of the sound data. For a particular embodiment, the analysis of the sound data includes comparing the sound data to at least one stored sound, and the determination regarding whether or not to issue a warning based on the analysis of the sound data is made based on a level of similarity between the sound data and the stored sound.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sensing sound generated by equipment in a processing facility using one or more sensors positioned in proximity to the equipment;

capturing the sensed sound as sound data;

forwarding the sound data to a process control system;

analyzing the sound data at the process control system to determine whether the equipment is functioning abnormally;

determining whether to issue a warning based on the analysis of the sound data;

issuing the warning in response to determining that the sound data is within a threshold level of similarity of a stored sound;

determining whether to forward the sound data to an operator station based on the analysis of the sound data; and

forwarding the sound data to the operator station in response to determining that the sound data is not within the threshold level of similarity of the stored sound.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding the sound data to the process control system comprises forwarding the sound data to a controller within the process control system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are located remotely from the process control system, and wherein forwarding the sound data to the process control system comprises transmitting the sound data over a wireless network from the one or more sensors.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the sound data from the operator station to a speaker.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to issue the warning based on the analysis of the sound data further comprises:

issuing the warning when the analysis of the sound data recorded from the equipment indicates that the equipment is functioning abnormally.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding the sound data to the process control system comprises forwarding the sound data to the process control system exactly as captured.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the sound data to the operator station in response to issuing the warning.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to issue the warning comprises:

determining whether a level of similarity between the sound data and the stored sound is above a first threshold, below a second threshold, or between the first and second thresholds.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether to issue the warning comprises:

deciding to issue an alarm when the level of similarity is above the first threshold;

deciding to issue an alert when the level of similarity is between the first and second thresholds; and

deciding to issue no warning when the level of similarity is below the second threshold.

10. A system comprising:

a sound sensor positioned in proximity to equipment in a processing facility, the sound sensor configured to sense sound generated by the equipment, to capture the sensed sound as sound data, and to forward the sound data to a process control system; and

a sound data analyzer within the process control system, the sound data analyzer configured to analyze the sound data to determine whether the equipment is functioning abnormally, to determine whether to issue a warning based on the analysis of the sound data, to issue the warning in response to determining that the sound data is within a threshold level of similarity of a stored sound, to determine whether to forward the sound data to an operator station based on the analysis of the sound data, and to forward the sound data to the operator station in response to determining that the sound data is not within the threshold level of similarity of the stored sound.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sound sensor comprises a wireless sound sensor.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a sound data provider within the process control system, the sound data provider configured to send the sound data to a speaker.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a plurality of sound sensors, each of the sound sensors configured to sense sound at a specified location, to capture the sensed sound as sound data, and to forward the sound data from the specified location to the process control system.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the sound sensor is configured to forward the sound data to the process control system exactly as captured.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the sound data analyzer is configured to forward the sound data to the operator station in response to the warning.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the sound data analyzer is configured to determine whether to issue the warning by determining whether a level of similarity between the sound data and the stored sound is above a first threshold, below a second threshold, or between the first and second thresholds.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the sound data analyzer is configured to determine whether to issue the warning by:

deciding to issue an alarm when the level of similarity is above the first threshold;

deciding to issue an alert when the level of similarity is between the first and second thresholds; and

deciding to issue no warning when the level of similarity is below the second threshold.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a computer program, the computer program comprising computer readable program code for:

analyzing sound data received at a process control system from a sound sensor to determine whether equipment positioned in proximity to the sound sensor is functioning abnormally;

determining whether to issue a warning based on the analysis of the sound data;

issuing the warning in response to determining that the sound data is within a threshold level of similarity of a stored sound;

determining whether to forward the sound data to an operator station based on the analysis of the sound data; and

forwarding the sound data to the operator station in response to determining that the sound data is not within the threshold level of similarity of the stored sound.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, the computer readable program code for determining whether to issue the warning based on the analysis of the sound data comprising computer readable program code for determining whether a level of similarity between the sound data and the stored sound is above a first threshold, below a second threshold, or between the first and second thresholds.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, the computer readable program code for determining whether to issue the warning based on the analysis of the sound data comprising computer readable program code for determining to issue an alarm when the level of similarity is above the first threshold, to issue an alert when the level of similarity is between the first and second thresholds, and to issue no warning when the level of similarity is below the second threshold.