System and method for machine parameter analysis in wireless field units

• US 9,839,069 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uptime Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: UpTime Solutions
• Inventors: Girardeau, James, Rohrer, Timothy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Hoai V
• Application Number:
  US14/558,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20150366001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 702188
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A sensor sampling system comprises a field unit to receive at least one analysis parameter from a base station and a signal representing a machine parameter monitored by a machine sensor. The field unit analyzes the signal based on the at least one machine parameter to generate a representation of the machine parameter, and wirelessly transmits the representation of the machine parameter for reception by the base station.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a field unit, the field unit to;

receive, from a base station, at least one analysis parameter designating at least one threshold value against which a machine parameter monitored by a machine sensor is compared;

receive, at a wireless transceiver of the field unit, a signal representing the machine parameter;

analyze, at a processor of the field unit, the signal based on the at least one analysis parameter to generate a representation of the machine parameter; and

wirelessly transmit, from the wireless transceiver of the field unit, the representation of the machine parameter for reception by the base station.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising the base station.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising the machine sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine parameter comprises vibration.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a tachometer; and

wherein the field unit is further to;

receive a rotational speed reading from the tachometer; and

analyze the signal based on the rotational speed reading to generate the representation of the machine parameter.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one analysis parameter comprises at least one of:

a machine operation speed, a threshold value, a format for the representation of the machine parameter, and an indicator protocol.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the representation of the machine parameter comprises at least one of:

a root mean square (RMS) value within a band, a peak value within a band, variance within a band, a result of an orbit plot, and a threshold indicator.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the threshold indicator comprises an alarm.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the field unit further comprises at least one battery.

10. A method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting, from a wireless transceiver of a base station for reception by a field unit, at least one analysis parameter designating at least one threshold value against which a machine parameter monitored by a machine sensor at the field unit is compared; and

receiving, at the wireless transceiver of the base station, a representation of the machine parameter based on the at least one analysis parameter and a signal representing the machine parameter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the machine parameter comprises vibration.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one analysis parameter comprises at least one of:

a machine operation speed, a threshold value, a format for the representation of the machine parameter, and an indicator protocol.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the representation of the machine parameter comprises at least one of:

a root mean square (RMS) value within a band, a peak value within a band, variance within a band, a result of an orbit plot, and a threshold indicator.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the machine parameter comprises machine operation speed; and

the field unit obtains the machine operation speed through a database query or an OLE for Process Control (OPC) query.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, at the base station, a rotational speed reading from a tachometer; and

wirelessly transmitting, from the base station, the rotational speed reading for reception by the field unit.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless transceiver of a field unit, at least one analysis parameter from a base station that designates at least one threshold value against which a machine parameter monitored by a machine sensor is compared;

receiving, at the field unit, a signal representing the machine parameter;

analyzing, at a processor of the field unit, the signal based on the at least one analysis parameter to generate a representation of the machine parameter; and

wirelessly transmitting, from the wireless transceiver of the field unit, the representation of the machine parameter for reception by the base station.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the machine parameter comprises vibration.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, at the field unit, a rotational speed reading from a tachometer.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one analysis parameter comprises at least one of:

a machine operation speed, a threshold value, a format for the representation of the machine parameter, and an indicator protocol.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the representation of the machine parameter comprises at least one of:

a root mean square (RMS) value within a band, a peak value within a band, variance within a band, a result of an orbit plot and a threshold indicator.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the threshold indicator comprises an alarm.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein analyzing the signal comprises analyzing an orbit plot of the signal to generate the representation of the machine parameter.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the field unit is battery-operated.