Equipment sound monitoring system and method

• US 9,223,299 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Discovery Sound Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Discovery Sound Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Jenkins, John, Stumpf, Mike, Samson, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boateng, Derrick
• Application Number:
  US13/690,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 700/78, 702/54, 702/56, 702/184, 705/305
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37337 Noise, acoustic emission, sound
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/632 Query formulation

Abstract

A system and method for comparative analysis of sound data obtained from client equipment includes a portable sound detection device with a transducer to collect sounds from equipment, convert the collected sounds into analog signals, and generate digital data files including sound data representative of the collected sounds. The data files are stored in a web-based database and remote server-based program modules aggregate data associated with the data files with previously stored and related data across a plurality of predetermined data parameters. The program executes or enables identification of outlying data points with respect to data points from the sound data, and the comparison of sound data with baseline data determined the equipment type, the location and the aggregated data. The program then executes or enables identification of data points from the sound data representative of an equipment failure, or an imminent failure thereof.

Claims

1. A system for comparative analysis of sound data obtained from client equipment, the system comprising:

a sound detection device comprising one or more transducers effective to collect analog sound signals from equipment, the analog sound signals being configured to be used to identify at least one source of work having a variable intensity across a range of measurement frequencies, and one or more transducers being further effective to convert the collected sounds into digital sound data, the device further effective to generate one or more digital datafiles comprising the sound data; and

a server comprising a database, a processor, and a computer-readable storage medium having program instructions residing thereon, the instructions effective upon execution by the processor to direct the performance of steps comprising

receiving the digital data files from the sound detection device and storing the received data files in the database,

aggregating data associated with the data files with previously stored and related data across a plurality of predetermined data parameters,

identifying outlying data points with respect to the plurality of data points from the sound data,

comparing the sound data with baseline data determined according to one or more baseline criteria selected from an equipment type, a location and the aggregated data, and

identifying data points from the sound data representative of an equipment failure associated with the at least one source of work.

2. The system of claim 1, the instructions further effective upon execution by the processor to direct the performance of a step of generating a user interface to enable authorized users to monitor the data points and apply tags to a profile in the database associated with the equipment.

3. The system of claim 1, the instructions further effective upon execution by the processor to direct the performance of a step of identifying data points from the sound data representative of an expected equipment failure, said identification based on one or more of threshold violations, trend patterns and environmental conditions associated with the equipment over a period of time.

4. The system of claim 3, the instructions further effective upon execution by the processor to direct the performance of a step of executing a cost-benefit analysis for maintenance of the equipment based on the identified data points from the sound data representative of equipment failure and expected equipment failure.

5. The system of claim 4, the instructions further effective upon execution by the processor to direct the performance of a step of generating a user interface to enable authorized users to monitor the data points and apply tags to a profile in the database associated with the equipment, said tags comprising priority tags with respect to future maintenance actions upon the equipment.

6. The system of claim 1, the sound detection device comprising a portable housing effective to generate sound data for a plurality of equipment across a plurality of locations, the sound detection device further comprising a flexible tube attached at a first end to the housing and a sound cup located at a second end, the sound detection device effective to calculate a position of the sound cup relative to a predetermined position with respect to the equipment.

7. The system of claim 6, the sound detection device further effective to electronically read equipment data and location data for a piece of equipment from a machine-readable coded label affixed to the equipment.

8. The system of claim 1, the sound detection device comprising a housing fixed relative to a particular piece of equipment, a flexible tube attached at a first end to the housing and a sound cup located at a second end of the tube and positioned relative to a predetermined position with respect to the equipment, the sound detection device effective to generate sound data over time with respect to the equipment.

9. The system of claim 8, the sound detection device further comprising a global position detector, wherein upon the equipment being installed in a portable location the location data further comprising a first location with respect to the equipment and a second location with respect to a global position of the device at a given time.

10. A method for comparative analysis of sound data obtained from client equipment, the system comprising:

receiving analog sound energy from a piece of equipment associated with a client user, identifying at least one source of work having a variable intensity across a range of measurement frequencies, and converting the received sound energy into digital sound data;

generating one or more digital data files comprising the sound data;

transmitting said data files to a remote server via a global communications network;

storing the data files in a database in association with a client profile;

aggregating data associated with the data files with previously stored and related data across a plurality of predetermined data parameters;

identifying outlying data points with respect to the plurality of data points from the sound data;

comparing the sound data with baseline data determined according to one or more baseline criteria selected from an equipment type, a location and the aggregated data; and

identifying data points from the sound data representative of an equipment failure associated with the at least one source of work.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising enabling authorized users of a web-based user interface to monitor the data points and apply tags to the client profile in association with the equipment.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying data points from the sound data representative of an expected equipment failure, said identification based on one or more of threshold violations, trend patterns and environmental conditions associated with the equipment over a period of time.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising executing a cost-benefit analysis for maintenance of the equipment based on the identified data points from the sound data representative of equipment failure and expected equipment failure.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising enabling authorized users of a web-based user interface to monitor the data points and apply tags to a profile in the database associated with the equipment, said tags comprising priority tags with respect to future maintenance actions upon the equipment.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising positioning a sound cup for a portable sound detection device relative to a predetermined position with respect to the piece of client equipment.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising electronically reading equipment data and location data for the piece of equipment from a machine-readable coded label affixed to the equipment.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program instructions residing thereon, the instructions effective upon execution by a processor to perform a comparative analysis of sound data obtained from client equipment comprising the steps of:

receiving digital data files comprising sound data representative of sounds collected from a piece of client equipment;

storing the received data files in a database functionally linked to the processor;

aggregating data associated with the data files with previously stored and related data across a plurality of predetermined data parameters;

identifying outlying data points with respect to the plurality of data points from the sound data;

comparing the sound data with baseline data determined according to one or more baseline criteria selected from an equipment type, a location and the aggregated data; and

identifying data points from the sound data representative of an equipment failure associated with at least one source of work, wherein the at least one source of work is configured to be identified according to a variable intensity across a range of measurement frequencies.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the instructions further effective upon execution by the processor to direct the performance of a step of

generating a user interface to enable authorized users to monitor the data points and apply tags to a profile in the database associated with the equipment.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the instructions further effective upon execution by the processor to direct the performance of a step of

identifying data points from the sound data representative of an expected equipment failure, said identification based on one or more of threshold violations, trend patterns and environmental conditions associated with the equipment over a period of time.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, the instructions further effective upon execution by the processor to direct the performance of a step of

executing a cost-benefit analysis for maintenance of the equipment based on the identified data points from the sound data representative of equipment failure and expected equipment failure.