Patent ID: 8306778
Filing Date: 2012-11-06
Classification: G05B,G07C

Abstract:
1. A method of monitoring the health state of an electro-mechanical system or component, said system or component being controlled in a closed loop control system, said method being performed automatically by at least one processor, the method comprising: collecting measurements of at least one measurable varying parameter from healthy instances of said system or component while it is being commanded for a predetermined pattern of operation under known operational conditions; with the at least one processor, constructing a statistical model at least in part in response to said collected measurements; collecting new measurements for at least one instance of the system or component while it is being commanded for the same or similar predetermined pattern of operation; with the at least one processor, comparing said new measurements to said statistical model and in response thereto, producing a quantitative degradation index for said at least one instance of said system or component; and with the at least one processor, generating an indication whenever said degradation index exceeds a threshold, further including calculating, with the at least one processor, said degradation index using more than one technique and combining results of said more than one technique to provide the quantitative degradation index.