Maintenance of a machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10696399-B2
Application number	US-201916681584-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2019
Priority date	Jan 5, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A computer program product 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 computer program product for lubricating a machine, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code configured to:
fly an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to a lubrication location proximate the machine, the UAV including a supply of lubricant; and
deliver at least part of the supply of lubricant to the machine when the UAV is at the lubrication location.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising computer readable program code configured to activate a valve configured to pass the at least part of the supply of lubricant from the UAV to the engine when the UAV is at the lubrication location.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising computer readable program code configured to activate a valve configured to pass the at least part of the supply of lubricant from the UAV to the engine when the UAV is at the lubrication location.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising computer readable program code configured to detect by the UAV that the machine requires lubrication.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 , wherein the computer readable program code configured to detect that the machine requires lubrication includes computer readable program code configured to analyze 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.

6. The computer program product of claim 4 , wherein the computer readable program code configured to detect that the machine requires lubrication includes computer readable program code configured to analyze 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.

7. The computer program product of claim 4 , wherein the computer readable program code configured to detect that the machine requires lubrication includes computer readable program code configured to analyze 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

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U2101/45

  for releasing liquids or powders in-flight, e.g. crop-dusting · CPC title

• G05D1/0094

  involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target · CPC title

• F05B2260/98

  Lubrication · CPC title