Maintenance of a machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569872-B2
Application number	US-201715398929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2017
Priority date	Jan 5, 2017
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A system for maintaining a machine. The system includes an aerial vehicle configured to fly to a lubrication location proximate the machine. A supply of friction minimizing material is carried by the aerial vehicle. A controller is configured to deliver at least part of the supply of friction minimizing material to the machine when the aerial vehicle is at the lubrication location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for lubricating a machine, the system comprising:
an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to fly to a lubrication location proximate the machine;
a supply of lubricant carried by the UAV;
a controller configured to deliver at least part of the supply of lubricant to the machine when the UAV is at the lubrication location; and
a timer configured to signal the UAV to deliver the at least part of the supply of lubricant to the machine at a regular time interval.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a valve configured to pass the at least part of the supply of lubricant from the UAV to the machine when activated by the controller.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a pump configured to pump the at least part of the supply of lubricant from the UAV to the machine when activated by the controller.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the supply of lubricant includes a plurality of different lubricants; and
wherein the controller is configured to select one of the plurality of different lubricants to deliver to the machine when the UAV is at the lubrication location.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lubricant reservoir carried by the UAV, the lubricant reservoir configured to contain lubricant removed from the machine; and
a pump carried by the UAV, the pump configured to transfer used lubricant from the machine to the lubricant reservoir.

6. A system for lubricating a machine, the system comprising:
an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to fly to a lubrication location proximate the machine;
a supply of lubricant carried by the UAV;
a controller configured to deliver at least part of the supply of lubricant to the machine when the UAV is at the lubrication location; and
a detector configured to detect that the machine requires lubrication, the detector signals the controller to deliver the at least part of the supply of lubricant to the machine upon detection that the machine requires lubrication.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the detector comprises:
a microphone configured to convert sound generated by the machine while the machine is in operation to an audio signal; and
a computer processor configured to analyze the audio signal to detect an audio indicator that the machine requires lubrication, the audio indicator including at least one of a humming sound, a periodic sound, a squeaking sound, a scraping sound, and a clicking sound.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the detector comprises:
a camera configured to provide a video signal of the machine while the machine is in operation;
a computer processor configured to analyze the video signal to detect a video indicator that the machine requires lubrication, the video indicator including at least one of a lubricant leak, a lubricant level, a machine vibration, a pressure gauge level, burned paint, a belt thickness, and thermal radiation.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the detector comprises:
an odor sensor configured to convert odor generated by the machine while the machine is in operation to an odor signal; and
a computer processor configured to analyze the odor signal to detect an odor indicator that the machine requires lubrication, the odor indicator including at least one of a rubber odor, a burning oil odor and a burning paint odor.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the detector comprises:
a probe configured to provide a probe signal that the machine requires lubrication to the detector, the probe signal including at least one of a vibration measurement, a temperature measurement, changes in the vibration measurement since a past measurement, changes in the heat measurement since a past measurement, a difference in temperature between two regions of the machine.

11. A system for lubricating a machine, the system comprising:
an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to fly to a lubrication location proximate the machine;
a supply of lubricant carried by the UAV;
a controller configured to deliver at least part of the supply of lubricant to the machine when the UAV is at the lubrication location; and
a particulate sensor configured to detect particulates in the used lubricant.

12. A method for lubricating a machine, the method comprising:
flying an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to a lubrication location proximate the machine, the UAV including a supply of lubricant; and
delivering at least part of the supply of lubricant to the machine when the UAV is at the lubrication location; and
detecting by the UAV that the machine requires lubrication.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising activating a valve configured to pass the least part of the supply of lubricant from the UAV to the engine when the UAV is at the lubrication location.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising activating a pump configured to pump the least part of the supply of lubricant from the UAV to the engine when the UAV is at the lubrication location.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein detecting that the machine requires lubrication includes analyzing an audio signal to detect an audio indicator that the machine requires lubrication, the audio indicator including at least one of a humming sound, a periodic sound, a squeaking sound, a scraping sound, and a clicking sound.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein detecting that the machine requires lubrication includes analyzing a video signal to detect a video indicator that the machine requires lubrication, the video indicator including at least one of a lubricant leak, a lubricant level, a machine vibration, a pressure gauge level, burned paint, a belt thickness, and thermal radiation.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein detecting that the machine requires lubrication includes analyzing an odor signal to detect an odor indicator that the machine requires lubrication, the odor indicator including at least one of a rubber odor, a burning oil odor and a burning paint odor.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Erickson Thomas D
• Fleming Kala
• Pickover Clifford A
• Weldemariam Komminist

Classifications

• B64D1/16

  Dropping or releasing powdered, liquid, or gaseous matter, e.g. for fire-fighting (jettisoning fuel B64D37/26) · CPC title

• F16N2210/12

  Gearings · CPC title

• F16N9/00 Primary

  Arrangements for supplying oil or unspecified lubricant from a moving reservoir or the equivalent (also usable with a stationary reservoir F16N7/00) · CPC title

• B64C39/024 Primary

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title

• B64C2201/127

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic