Method and apparatus for comparing machines in fleet

• US 5,737,215 A
• Filed: 12/13/1995
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Schricker, David R., Sarangapani, Jagannathan, Young, David G., Shetty, Satish M.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUGGIERO, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US08/573,214
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.04, 364/427, 364/424.034, 364/424.035, 364/424.036, 364/424.037, 364/424.038, 364/149-151, 364/156, 364/167.01, 246/169, 379/40, 395/911-915, 395/207-210
• US Class Current: 700/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

An apparatus for comparing one machine in a fleet of machines is provided. The apparatus senses a plurality of characteristics of each machine in the fleet and responsively determines a set of fleet data. The apparatus further determines a set of reference machine data as a function of the fleet data, compares the data for the machine with the reference machine data, and responsively produces a deviation signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for comparing one machine in a fleet of machines, comprising:

means for sensing a plurality of characteristics of each machine in the fleet and responsively determining a set of fleet data, said set of fleet data includes a plurality of parameters of each machine, each parameter being associated with a time interval and time window, wherein values of said plurality of parameters are stored in a database in response to the associated time interval and time window;

means responsive to said set of fleet data for determining a set of reference machine data; and

,

means for comparing data for the machine with said reference machine data and responsively producing a deviation signal.

2. An apparatus for comparing one machine in a fleet of machines, comprising:

means for sensing a plurality of characteristics of each machine in the fleet and responsively determining a set of fleet data, said set of fleet data includes a plurality of parameters of each machine;

means responsive to said set of fleet data for determining a set of reference machine data and for modeling at least one characteristic based on other characteristics and comparing a modeled value of said at least one characteristic with an actual value of said at least one characteristic and wherein one parameter is equal to the difference between said modeled and actual values of said at least one characteristic and,

means for comparing data for the machine with said reference machine data and responsively producing a deviation signal.

3. An apparatus for comparing one machine in a fleet of machines, comprising:

means for sensing a plurality of characteristics of each machine in the fleet, for determining a first parameter as a function of at least one characteristic, setting a second parameter equal to at least one other characteristic, modeling another characteristic as a function of a set of characteristics, comparing a modeled value with an actual value of said another characteristic, and setting a third parameter, and for creating a database of said first, second, and third parameters;

means responsive to said database for creating a set of reference machine data; and

,

means for comparing data for the one machine with said set of reference machine data and responsively producing a deviation signal.

4. An apparatus for comparing one machine in a fleet, the fleet includes machines of a first type and machines of a second type, comprising:

means for sensing a plurality of characteristics of each machine in the fleet and responsively determining a set of fleet data, said set of fleet data includes a plurality of parameters of each machine, each parameter being associated with a time interval and time window, wherein values of said plurality of parameters are stored in a database in response to the associated time interval and time window;

means responsive to said set of fleet data for determining first and second sets of reference machine data corresponding to the first and second machine types, respectively; and

,

means for comparing data for the machine with a respective one of said first and second sets of reference machine data and responsively producing a deviation signal.

5. A method for comparing one machine in a fleet of machines, comprising the steps of:

sensing a plurality of characteristics of each machine in the fleet and responsively determining a set of fleet data, said set of fleet data includes a plurality of parameters of each machine, each parameter being associated with a time interval and time window, wherein values of said plurality of parameters are stored in a database in response to the associated time interval and time window;

determining a set of reference machine data in response to said set of fleet data; and

,

comparing data for the one machine with said reference machine data and responsively producing a deviation signal.