Interactive maintenance management alarm handling

• US 20050179537A1
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modular Mining Systems Incorporated (Komatsu)
• Original Assignee: Modular Mining Systems Incorporated (Komatsu)
• Inventors: Lewis, Michael W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles

Abstract

An Interactive Maintenance Management System (“IMMS”) (10) is an alarm handling system (FIG. 2) for handling alarms (102) that indicate present or imminent equipment failure. The IMMS (10) may be utilized in industrial situations, such as strip-mines (14), to reduce equipment (12) downtime and reduce or prevent equipment failure. The IMMS (10) utilizes a flexible response system to track, analyze, and improve performance of the alarm handling system.

Claims

1. A method of handling equipment failure alarms comprising the steps of:

receiving an alarm;

storing the received alarm in a Database;

determining that the alarm has not been snoozed;

analyzing the alarm; and

determining that the alarm is not to be snoozed.

2. A method of handling equipment failure alarms comprising the steps of:

receiving an alarm;

storing the received alarm in a database;

determining that the alarm has not been snoozed;

analyzing the alarm;

determining that the alarm is to be snoozed;

setting snooze criteria;

determining that at least one of the snooze criteria has been violated; and

releasing the alarm.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of displaying the alarm for action or information, wherein said displaying step follows the step of determining that the alarm has not been snoozed and precedes the step of analyzing the alarm.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

determining that a repair record is to be created; and

creating a repair record, wherein said steps of determining that a repair record is to be created and creating a repair record follow analyzing the alarm and precede the step of snoozing the alarm.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of determining that said alarm is not to be ignored, wherein said determining that said alarm is not to be ignored step follows the analyzing the alarm step and precedes the snoozing the alarm step.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

ignoring said alarm; and

documenting the reason for ignoring said alarm, wherein said ignoring step and said documenting steps follow the analyzing the alarm step and precedes the snoozing the alarm step.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of sending the alarm to an analyst, wherein said sending step follows said determining that the alarm has not been snoozed and precedes the step of displaying the alarm for action or information.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of sending the alarm to an analyst, wherein said sending step follows the step of determining that the alarm has not been snoozed and precedes the step of determining that said alarm is not to be ignored.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of sending the alarm to an analyst, wherein said sending step follows the step of determining that the alarm has not been snoozed and precedes the step of ignoring said alarm.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the alarm is to be sent to a third-party; and

sending said alarm to a third-party;

wherein said determining that the alarm is to be sent to a third-party step follows the step of determining that the alarm has not been snoozed.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the alarm is to be sent to a third-party; and

sending said alarm to said third-party;

wherein said determining that the alarm is to be sent to a third-party step follows the step of determining that the alarm has not been snoozed.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the alarm is to be sent to a third-party; and

sending said alarm to said third-party;

wherein said determining that the alarm is to be sent to a third-party step follows the step of determining that the alarm has not been snoozed.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of selecting snooze duration based on time, wherein said selecting snooze duration step follows said determining that the alarm is to be snoozed step and precedes the step of determining that at least one of the snooze criteria has been violated.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of selecting snooze duration based on abnormal event frequency, wherein said selecting snooze duration step follows said determining that the alarm is to be snoozed step and precedes the step of determining that at least one of the snooze criteria has been violated.

15. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of selecting parameters to monitor and rules to establish severity limits, wherein said selecting parameters and rules step follows said determining that the alarm is to be snoozed step and precedes the step of determining that at least one of the snooze criteria has been violated.

16. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of selecting an event to act as a trigger, wherein said selecting event step follows said determining that the alarm is to be snoozed step and precedes the step of determining that at least one of the snooze criteria has been violated.

17. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of selecting user defined criteria to act as a trigger, wherein said selecting user defined criteria step follows said determining that the abnormal event is to be snoozed step and precedes the step of determining that at least one of the snooze criteria has been violated.