Intelligent stationary power equipment and diagnostics

• US 7,603,586 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Logsdon, Matt, Essenmacher, Dennis, Skladanowski, David, Reddy, Sunil
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US11/320,830
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 700/26, 700/108, 700/177, 700/286, 700/287, 700/291, 702/183, 702/188, 702/184, 702/185, 702/35, 702/58, 340/310.11, 340/539.24, 340/853.2, 340/870.07, 340/870.16, 714/25, 714/30, 714/31, 714/46, 701/29
• US Class Current: 714/31
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/105 for increasing the stability

Abstract

Stationary power equipment including a sensing device configured to collect data associated with an operation of the equipment, and a data storage device configured for storing the collected data. Information derived from the collected data may be transmitted to a remote system via a data transmission network, or be downloaded to a data storage medium or a diagnostic device. An operation condition of the stationary power equipment is determined based on the information. Responsive to the operation condition, the power equipment receives data that is selected based on the operation condition, and modifies an operation of the power equipment based on the received data.

Claims

1. Stationary power equipment comprising:

a sensing device configured to collect data associated with an operation of the stationary power equipment;

a data storage device configured to store the collected data, and to pre-store machine-readable instructions corresponding to specific operational errors;

a communication device configured to couple to a data transmission network; and

a data processing device configured to perform the steps of;

causing the communication device to transmit signals via the data transmission network in a wireless manner, wherein the transmitted signals include information derived from the collected data associated with the operation of the equipment;

receiving data sent from a remote system via the data transmission network, wherein the data is selected based on information derived from the transmitted signals; and

modifying an operation of the power equipment based on the data received from the remote system;

wherein, responsive to the information derived from the data collected by the sensing device indicating an error of the stationary power equipment, the data processing device executes the machine-readable instructions pre-stored on the data storage device for initiating a diagnostic process for performing a fix procedure to cure the error.

2. The stationary power equipment of claim 1, where the equipment is configured to generate mechanical power by using at least one of electrical energy, fuel energy, nuclear energy and mechanical power.

3. The stationary power equipment of claim 1, where the equipment is configured to generate electrical power by using at least one of fuel energy, nuclear energy and mechanical power.

4. The stationary power equipment of claim 1, wherein the information includes at least a portion of the data collected by the sensing device, or a diagnostic result generated based on the data collected by the sensing device.

5. The stationary power equipment of claim 1, wherein the sensing device dynamically updates the data associated with the operation of the stationary power equipment.

6. The stationary power equipment of claim 1, wherein the data processing device is configured to cause the communication device to transmit the signals including the information, in response to a specific type of request received from the data transmission network.

7. A diagnostic system comprising:

a communication device configured to couple to stationary power equipment via a data transmission network, wherein the stationary equipment collects data associated with an operation of the stationary power equipment; and

a data processing device configured to perform the machine-implemented steps of;

sending a request to the stationary power equipment via the data transmission network to cause the stationary power equipment to send information derived from the collected data via the data transmission network;

determining an operation condition of the stationary power equipment based on the received information; and

causing data to be sent to the power equipment via the data transmission network, wherein the data is selected based on the determined operation condition and is configured to be used by the stationary power equipment to modify an operation of the power equipment;

wherein the data processing device, responsive to the operation condition of the stationary power equipment indicating that an error has occurred, causes machine-executable instructions which are pre-stored on a data storage device, which is a local component of the stationary power equipment system, for initiating a diagnostic process for curing the error.

8. A diagnostic method embodied in stationary power equipment, comprising the machine-implemented steps of:

collecting data associated with an operation of the stationary power equipment;

storing the collected data associated with an operation of the stationary power equipment;

transmitting signals including at least a portion of the collected data or information derived from the collected data associated with an operation of the equipment via a data transmission network in a wireless manner;

receiving data sent from a remote system via the data transmission network, wherein the data is selected based on information derived from the transmitted signals; and

modifying an operation of the power equipment based on the data received from the remote system;

the method further comprising;

pre-storing machine-executable instructions corresponding to specific operational errors in a local component of the stationary power equipment;

responsive to the information indicating that an error has occurred in the stationary power equipment, accessing the pre-stored machine-executable instructions for initiating a diagnostic process for performing a fix procedure corresponding to the error; and

executing the instructions to perform the fix procedure to cure the error.

9. The method of claim 8, where the equipment is configured to generate mechanical power by using at least one of electrical energy, fuel energy, nuclear energy and mechanical power.

10. The method of claim 8, where the equipment is configured to generate electrical power by using at least one of fuel energy, nuclear energy and mechanical power.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmitting step is performed in response to a specific type of request received from the data transmission network.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the information includes a diagnostic result generated based on the data collected by the sensing device.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of dynamically updating the data associated with the operation of the stationary power equipment.