Condition monitoring system and method for monitoring a condition of a bearing unit for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10053121-B2
Application number	US-201514946783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Nov 27, 2014
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A condition monitoring system (CMS) for vehicle bearing units, including at least one condition monitoring unit (CMU) for measuring at least one operating parameter of one bearing unit and a control unit for receiving and processing signals from the CMU. The control unit is configured to activate/deactivate the CMU(s) upon reaching at least one predetermined waypoint stored in a waypoint memory of the control unit. The CMS can be equipped with a waypoint setting unit for setting the at least one waypoint at which the CMU(s) shall be activated/deactivated and to store the waypoint in the waypoint memory. The waypoint setting unit processes route data includes data on at least a curviness of at least one route intended for vehicle travel. The processing includes extracting at least one route section within the curviness of the route within a predetermined range and setting the waypoint(s) within the extracted route section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A condition monitoring system for bearing units for a vehicle, the system comprising:
at least one wireless sensor node that measures at least one operating parameter of one of the bearing units when active;
a waypoint setting server that sets at least one waypoint that is utilized to activate the at least one wireless sensor node, that processes route data including at least data on a curviness of at least one route of the vehicle by extracting at least one route section within which the curviness of the at least one route is in a predetermined range and setting the at least one waypoint within the at least one route section; and
a control computer comprising a global positioning system module that determines a waypoint arrival with respect to at least one waypoint, the control computer activating the at least one wireless sensor node when the waypoint arrival is determined to cause the one wireless sensor node to measure the at least one operating parameter,
wherein the global positioning system module operates in at least two parallel processing paths comprising a waypoint processing and an event processing,
wherein the waypoint processing comprises performing a check on each receipt of position data from the global positioning system receiver if any of the at least one waypoints are in a pre-configured search radius of a current position of the vehicle, and
wherein the event processing path comprising raising a waypoint alarm,
wherein the global positioning system module checks a direction variable stored in relation to each of the at least one waypoints to determine whether a matches exists when one of the at least one waypoints are within the pre-configured search radius, and
wherein when the direction variable is matched, a speed is checked with respect to a pre-configured value,
wherein when the speed is greater than or equal to the pre-configured value, the event processing path is invokes the waypoint alarm.

2. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the waypoint setting server extracts a slope of the at least one route section form the route data and discards the at least one route section when the slope is out of a second predetermined range.

3. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the waypoint setting server sets the at least one waypoint at a predetermined distance from end points of the at least one route section.

4. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the waypoint setting server sets a plurality of waypoints, each of which indicates one of a beginning or an end of the at least one route section out of a predetermined set of route sections within which the wireless sensor node is activated.

5. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , the control computer further comprises a memory for storing at least one radius and coordinates of a plurality of waypoints,
wherein the control computer is configured to at least one of activate and deactivate the wireless sensor node when a distance between at least one of the plurality of waypoints and a detected geographic position is smaller than the at least one radius.

6. The condition monitoring system according to claim 5 , wherein the memory is configured to store a travelling direction in relation with the plurality of waypoints,
wherein the control computer activates the wireless sensor node when the distance between at least one of the plurality of waypoints and the detected geographic position is smaller than the at least one radius and when the travelling direction of the vehicle matches the travelling direction stored in relation to the at least one waypoint.

7. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless sensor node wirelessly communicates with the control computer in a wireless way.

8. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless sensor node is attached to a hub unit of a train,
wherein the control computer monitors the condition of the hub unit of the train.

9. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the control computer triggers simultaneous measurements across multiple wireless sensor nodes at a given geographical location corresponding to the at least one waypoint.

10. A condition monitoring method for bearing units for a vehicle, the condition monitoring method comprising:
measuring, by at least one wireless sensor node, at least one operating parameter of one of the bearing units when active;
setting, by a waypoint setting server, at least one waypoint that is utilized to activate the at least one wireless sensor node;
processes, by the waypoint setting server, route data including at least data on a curviness of at least one route of the vehicle by extracting at least one route section within which the curviness of the at least one route is in a predetermined range and setting the at least one waypoint within the at least one route section;
determining, by a global positioning system module of a control computer, a waypoint arrival with respect to at least one waypoint;
activating, by the control computer, the at least one wireless sensor node when the waypoint arrival is determined to cause the one wireless sensor node to measure the at least one operating parameter,
wherein the global positioning system module operates in at least two parallel processing paths comprising a waypoint processing and an event processing,
wherein the waypoint processing comprises performing a check on each receipt of position data from the global positioning system receiver if any of the at least one waypoints are in a pre-configured search radius of a current position of the vehicle, and
wherein the event processing path comprising raising a waypoint alarm,
wherein the global positioning system module checks a direction variable stored in relation to each of the at least one waypoints to determine whether a matches exists when one of the at least one waypoints are within the pre-configured search radius, and
wherein when the direction variable is matched, a speed is checked with respect to a pre-configured value,
wherein when the speed is greater than or equal to the pre-configured value, the event processing path is invokes the waypoint alarm.

11. The condition monitoring method according to claim 10 , the condition monitoring method further comprising:
extracting, by the waypoint setting server, a slope of the at least one route section form the route data, and
discarding, by the waypoint setting server, the at least one route section when the slope is out of a second predetermined range.

12. The condition monitoring method according to claim 10 , the condition monitoring method further comprising:
determining, by the waypoint setting server, a center point of the at least one route section; and
setting, by the waypoint setting server, the at least one waypoint on each side of the center point to divide a distance between the center point and end points in a predetermined ratio, respectively.

13. The condition monitoring method according to claim 10 , wherein the waypoint setting server sets the at least one waypoint at a predetermined distance from end points of the at least one route section.

14. The condition monitoring method according to claim 10 , the condition monitoring method further comprising setting a plurality of waypoints by the waypoint setting server, each of which indicates one of a beginning or an end of the at least one route section out of a predetermined set of route sections within which the wireless sensor node is activated.

Assignees

• Franchitti Julian
• Patwari Ramshy
• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Franchitti Julian
• Patwari Ramshy

Classifications

• B61L25/023 Primary

  Determination of driving direction of vehicle or train · CPC title

• B61L25/025 Primary

  Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates · CPC title

• B61L15/0081

  On-board diagnosis or maintenance · CPC title

• B60B27/0068

  the element being a sensor · CPC title

• G01S19/14

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title