Apparatus, method, and system for determining end-of-life of a product

• US 9,000,934 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Musco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Musco Corporation
• Inventors: Gordin, Myron, McGill, Timothy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akhter, Sharmin
• Application Number:
  US13/307,956
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.11, 340/310.13, 340/310.16, 340/458, 340/635, 340/636.1, 340/636.18, 340/657, 340/660, 340/661, 340/664, 340/669, 315/158, 315/119, 315/291, 370/438, 370/462, 370/463, 370/441, 370/475, 370/482, 370/488
• US Class Current: 340/635
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 Electrical actuation

Abstract

Disclosed herein are apparatus, methods, and systems for assessing the life span of a product and/or system—particularly with respect to end-of-life conditions which are defined by a customer, owner, operator, or other person(s) associated with the product and/or system—and communicating the assessment to said customer, owner, operator, or other person(s). According to one aspect, end-of-life conditions are defined in terms of product life (e.g., anything that relates to how well and how long the product/system operates) and/or economic life (e.g., anything that relates to the cost of deriving a benefit from the product/system). In one particular example, the products or systems relate to lighting systems, particularly those utilizing LED (or other solid-state) light sources.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring an electrically powered system comprising:

a. at least one electrically powered component in a circuit in operative connection to an electrical power source;

b. a processor;

c. a user input associated with the processor adapted to modify information stored in a digital memory which includes information relating to at least one operating factor and at least one economic factor of the component or electrically powered system;

d. a program associated with the processor which includes a first defined end of life condition for the component based on the at least one operating factor and a second defined end of life condition for the component based on the least one economic factor, the program adapted to modify either or both of the first and second defined end of life conditions based on user inputted changes to the information;

e. at least one sensor providing a sensor output related to a said operating factor or economic factor;

f. the program comparing at least one of the information and the sensor output to at least one of the first and second defined end of life conditions and, if indicated, taking an action based on the comparison;

g. so that an indicated action based on monitoring for a user inputted and updatable end of life condition can be provided for the system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electrically powered system is a lighting system and the electrically powered component is a light source.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the lighting system is a wide area lighting system.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the light source is HID or solid.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the end of life condition based on the at least one operating factor comprises one or more of:

a. operational failure of the light source; and

b. lack of useful operation of the light source.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein lack of useful operation of the light source comprises light output under a threshold level.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the end of life condition based on the at least one economic factor comprises one or more of:

a. a threshold cost of operating the system;

b. a threshold cost of operating the light source;

c. a threshold cost of repair of the light source; and

d. a threshold cost of replacement of the light source with the same or different light source.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the information related to a said operating factor or economic factor comprises one or more of:

a. rated light output of the light source;

b. rated operating power for the light source;

c. rated lamp lumen depreciation for the light source;

d. rated life span for the light source;

e. cost of energy consumed by the light source;

f. cost of replacement or repair of the light source with the same light source;

g. cost of replacement of the light source with a different light source;

h. labor and resource cost for maintenance of the light source;

i. possible replacement components;

j. material change in temperature at or near the light source;

k. level of operating power to the light source; and

l. ambient or environmental conditions around the light source.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the information is:

a. obtained from a third party;

b. obtained by empirical testing.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the sensor output comprises:

a. light output from the light source by a light level sensor;

b. power consumed by the light source by a sensor operatively connected to the circuit;

or

c. cumulative hours of operation by a timer.

11. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the action comprises a report based on the comparison.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the report comprises:

a. a posting accessible via a web site; and

/or

b. a message sent to a recipient.

13. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the action comprises an alert based on the comparison.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the alert comprises:

a. an auditory or visible signal perceivable over a substantial area at and around the system;

b. an auditory or visible signal perceivable at or near the system or component;

c. a textual or graphic display at or near the system or component;

or

d. a textual or graphic message to a remote location.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the comparison can be periodic, discretionary, or essentially continuous.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the action can be periodic, discretionary, or essentially continuous.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the comparison is performed each time an end of life condition is redefined.

18. A method of assessing the life span of a product or system comprising:

a. establishing one or more metrics for evaluating performance of the product or system;

b. processing, calculating, or gathering data relevant to the one or more metrics at a set of operating conditions;

c. predicting an initial end of the life span of the product or system at the set of operating conditions;

d. evaluating the data to determine proximity to one or more predefined thresholds related to the one or more metrics; and

e. taking separate actions based on the evaluation of step d wherein;

i. if the data exceeds at least one of said one or more predefined thresholds, the action comprises;

1. comparing cost to bring the product or system into conformity with the one or more predefined thresholds at said set of operating conditions with cost to replace the product or system; and

2. if the cost to replace the product or system is less than the cost to bring the product or system into the conformity, predict a new end of the life span of the product or system at the set of operating conditions; and

ii. if the data does not exceed at least one of said one or more predefined thresholds, the action comprises estimating proximity to the initial predicted end of the life span of the product or system at the set of operating conditions.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the initial end of the life span of the product or system comprises a failure of one or more components of the product or the system.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the one or more predefined thresholds comprise one or more of:

a. a metric value;

b. an operational limit of the product or system;

c. a ratio of metric values;

or

d. a trend in the data.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising visually or audibly indicating the proximity to the end of the life span of the product or system at or near the product or system.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising repeating steps b-e for additional sets of operating conditions.