Temperature detector having different types of independent sensors

• US 9,151,681 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Arndt, Donald J., Bartonek, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jagan, Mirellys
• Application Number:
  US13/719,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20140169398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 374/1, 374/166, 374/110, 374/142
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/026 arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 15/007 Testing

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a temperature detector for detecting a temperature of a component. The temperature detector may receive a first signal indicative of the temperature of the component, with the first signal being received from a first type of temperature sensor. The temperature detector may further receive a second signal indicative of the temperature of the component, with the second signal being received from a second type of temperature sensor different from the first type of temperature sensor. The temperature detector may combine the first and second signals to generate an output indicative of the temperature of the component.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a temperature of a component, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal indicative of the temperature of the component, the first signal being received from a first temperature sensor, the first temperature sensor being a first technological type of temperature sensor having first principles of operation;

receiving a second signal indicative of the temperature of the component, the second signal being received from a second temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor being a second technological type of temperature sensor having second principles of operation different from the first principles of operation;

determining a reliability of the first and second signals by one or more of;

(1) evaluating the consistency of the first and second signals,

(2) determining whether one of the first and second signals is an outlier,

(3) determining a signal-to-noise ratio for each of the first and second temperature sensors,

(4) determining a false alarm rate associated with each of the first and second signals and

(5) determining a frequency of maintenance required for each of the first and second temperature sensors; and

combining the first and second signals after determining their reliability to generate an output indicative of the temperature of the component.

2. The method of claim 1, further including adaptively weighting at least one of the first and second signals before combining the first and second signals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the reliability of the first and second signals includes evaluating a false alarm rate associated with the first and second signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein combining the first and second signals includes averaging the first and second signals.

5. The method of claim 1, further including evaluating inconsistencies between the first and second signals before combining the first and second signals.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein evaluating inconsistencies between the first and second signals includes comparing the first and second signals received as indicative of the temperature of the component at substantially a same position on the component and at substantially a same point in time.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein evaluating inconsistencies between the first and second signals includes comparing the first and second signals received as indicative of the temperature of the component at substantially a same position on the component and at two different points in time.

8. A method for detecting a temperature of a component, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal indicative of the temperature of the component, the first signal being received from a first technological type of temperature sensor having first principles of operation;

receiving a second signal indicative of the temperature of the component, the second signal being received from a second technological type of temperature sensor having second principles of operation different from the first principles of operation;

determining a reliability of the first and second signals,

adaptively weighting one of the first and second signals determined to have a higher reliability than the reliability of the other of the first and second signals with a greater weight; and

combining the first and second signals to generate an output indicative of the temperature of the component.

9. A system for detecting the temperature of a component, the system comprising:

at least two types of temperature sensors, each employing a different technological type of temperature sensing technology relying on a different principle of operation; and

a processor configured to

determine a reliability of a first signal from a first one of the two types of temperature sensors;

determine a reliability of a second signal from a second one of the two types of temperature sensors; and

combine the first signal and the second signal after determining their reliability to generate an output indicative of the temperature of the component.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to adaptively weight at least one of the first and second signals before combining the first and second signals.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to determine the reliability of the first and second signals by determining a signal-to-noise ratio for each of the first and second temperature sensors.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to determine the reliability of the first and second signals by evaluating a false alarm rate associated with the first and second signals.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to combine the first and second signals by averaging the first and second signals.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to combine the first and second signals by adaptively weighting one of the first and second signals determined to have a higher reliability than the reliability of the other of the first and second signals with a greater weight.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to evaluate inconsistencies between the first and second signals before combining the first and second signals.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to evaluate inconsistencies between the first and second signals by comparing the first and second signals received as indicative of the temperature of the component at substantially a same position on the component and at substantially the same point in time.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor s configured to evaluate inconsistencies between the first and second signals by comparing the first and second signals received as indicative of the temperature of the component at substantially a same position on the component and at two different points in time.