Sensor signal processing system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10559138-B2
Application number	US-201615365980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2016
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

A sensor assembly includes one or more accelerometers that generate movement signals indicative of movement of a powered system, a fluid level sensor that generates fluid level signals indicative of an amount of fluid in the powered system, and one or more processors that receive the movement signals and the fluid level signals. The one or more processors also (a) filter at least some of the movement signals based on a speed at which the powered system operates and/or (b) calculate one or more of (1) a statistical measure, (2) a fast Fourier transform (FFT), or (3) a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of the movement signals. The assembly also includes a first antenna that wirelessly communicates the one or more of the movement signals, the amount of fluid, the statistical measure, the FFT, or the DFT to a remote location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor assembly comprising:
one or more accelerometers configured to generate movement signals indicative of sensed movement of a powered system in one or more directions;
a fluid level sensor configured to generate fluid level signals indicative of a sensed amount of fluid in the powered system;
one or more processors configured to receive the movement signals and the fluid level signals from the one or more accelerometers and the fluid level sensor, the one or more processors also configured to
filter at least some of the movement signals based on a speed at which the powered system operates; and

a first antenna configured to wirelessly communicate one or more of the movement signals or the fluid level signals to a remote location.

2. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a housing in which the one or more accelerometers, the fluid level sensor, the one or more processors, and the first antenna are disposed.

3. A sensor assembly comprising:
one or more accelerometers configured to generate movement signals indicative of sensed movement of a powered system in one or more directions;
a fluid level sensor configured to generate fluid level signals indicative of a sensed amount of fluid in the powered system;
one or more processors configured to receive the movement signals and the fluid level signals from the one or more accelerometers and the fluid level sensor, the one or more processors also configured to
filter the movement signals with a filter having a bandwidth that increases for faster speeds of a motor of the powered system and that decreases for slower speeds of the motor;

a first antenna configured to wirelessly communicate one or more of the movement signals or the fluid level signals to a remote location.

4. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the movement signals represent a combination of movements of a propulsion system of the powered system in multiple, different directions.

5. The sensor assembly of claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors also are configured to calculate a root mean square of the movement signals of the propulsion system in the multiple, different directions over a sampling period.

6. A sensor assembly comprising:
one or more accelerometers configured to generate movement signals indicative of sensed movement of a powered system in one or more directions,
a fluid level sensor configured to generate fluid level signals indicative of a sensed amount of fluid in the powered system;
one or more processors configured to receive the movement signals and the fluid level signals from the one or more accelerometers and the fluid level sensor, the one or more processors also configured to one or more of:
filter at least some of the movement signals based on a speed at which the powered system operates, or
calculate one or more of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) or a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of the movement signals; and

a first antenna configured to wirelessly communicate one or more of the movement signals, the fluid level signals, the FFT, or the DFT to a remote location, wherein the first antenna is configured to wirelessly communicate the one or more of the movement signals, the fluid level signals, the FFT, or the DFT to the remote location according to a predetermined schedule: and
a second antenna configured to wirelessly communicate the one or more of the movement signals, the fluid level signals, the FFT, or the DFT to the remote location responsive to receipt of an interrogation signal from an external device.

7. The sensor assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first antenna is configured to communicate the one or more of the movement signals, the fluid level signals, the FFT, or the DFT over a first communication link and the second antenna is configured to communicate the one or more of the movement signals, the fluid level signals, the FFT, or the DFT over a different, second communication link, wherein the first communication link is a higher power and longer range communication link than the second communication link.

8. A vehicle comprising:
a gear box having a gear box housing that holds a fluid; and
a sensor assembly coupled to the gear box housing, the sensor assembly comprising a sensor assembly housing, one or more accelerometers, a fluid level sensor, one or more processors, and a first antenna; wherein:
the one or more accelerometers are configured to generate movement signals indicative of sensed movement of the vehicle in one or more directions;
the fluid level sensor is configured to generate fluid level signals indicative of a sensed amount of the fluid;
the one or more processors are configured to receive the movement signals and the fluid level signals from the one or more accelerometers and the fluid level sensor, and the one or more processors also are configured to one or more of filter at least some of the movement signals based on a speed at which the vehicle operates or calculate one or more of a statistical measure, a fast Fourier transform (FFT), or a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of the movement signals; and
the first antenna is configured to wirelessly communicate one or more of the movement signals, the fluid level signals, the statistical measure, the FFT, or the DFT to a remote location.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to filter the movement signals with a filter having a bandwidth that increases for faster speeds of a motor of the vehicle and that decreases for slower speeds of the motor.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to calculate the statistical measure of the movement signals as a combination of movements of a propulsion system of the vehicle in multiple, different directions.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to calculate the statistical measure as a root mean square of the movement signals of the propulsion system in the multiple, different directions over a sampling period.

12. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the first antenna is configured to wirelessly communicate the one or more of the movement signals, the fluid level signals, the statistical measure, the FFT, or the DFT to the remote location at regular intervals, and the sensor assembly further comprising a second antenna configured to wirelessly communicate the one or more of the movement signals, the fluid level signals, the statistical measure, the FFT, or the DFT to the remote location responsive to receipt of an interrogation signal from an external device.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the first antenna is configured to communicate the one or more of the movement signals, the fluid level signals, the statistical measure, the FFT, or the DFT over a first communication link and the second antenna is configured to communicate the one or more of the movement signals, the fluid level signals, the statistical measure, the FFT, or the DFT over a different, second communication link, wherein the first communication link is a higher power and longer range communication link than the second communication link.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Ge Global Sourcing Llc

Inventors

• Worden Bret
• Zhang Jingjun
• Petersen David

Classifications

• B61L25/021

  Measuring and recording of train speed · CPC title

• B61L15/0081 Primary

  On-board diagnosis or maintenance · CPC title

• G07C5/008 Primary

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title

• G08C17/02

  using a radio link · CPC title

• G01D21/02

  Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass · CPC title