A method of machine condition monitoring by a processor of a machine condition monitoring system (100, 600), the method comprising: receiving a condition signal pattern from sensors measuring parameters of a monitored machine, wherein the condition signal pattern is indicative of a fault condition; comparing the condition signal pattern to a plurality of known signal patterns that are indicative of fault conditions; creating a machine condition pattern rule for the monitored machine based on the comparison of the condition signal pattern to each of the plurality of known signal patterns, wherein creating a machine condition pattern rule comprises: determining a matching score for each comparison of the condition signal pattern to each of the plurality of known signal patterns based on the comparison of the condition signal pattern to each of the plurality of known signal patterns; determining a signal pattern duration of each of the plurality of known signal patterns by varying the original signal pattern duration of each of the plurality of known signal patterns to achieve optimal correlation with the condition signal pattern; determining an optimal known signal pattern based on the matching scores and the signal pattern durations, wherein the known signal pattern that most closely matches the condition signal pattern is selected as the optimal known signal pattern; defining (516, 518) the machine condition pattern rule as a multipartite threshold rule with a first threshold based on the determined matching score of the optimal known signal pattern and a second threshold based on the determined signal pattern duration of the optimal known signal pattern; storing the created machine condition pattern rule in a rule base of the machine condition monitoring system (100, 600); and monitoring a machine condition of the monitored machine by detecting (532, 534) a fault condition in the monitored machine based on a machine condition signal received from the monitored machine using the created machine condition pattern rule. receiving a condition signal pattern from sensors measuring parameters of a monitored machine, wherein the condition signal pattern is indicative of a fault condition; comparing the condition signal pattern to a plurality of known signal patterns that are indicative of fault conditions; creating a machine condition pattern rule for the monitored machine based on the comparison of the condition signal pattern to each of the plurality of known signal patterns, wherein creating a machine condition pattern rule comprises: determining a matching score for each comparison of the condition signal pattern to each of the plurality of known signal patterns based on the comparison of the condition signal pattern to each of the plurality of known signal patterns; determining a signal pattern duration of each of the plurality of known signal patterns by varying the original signal pattern duration of each of the plurality of known signal patterns to achieve optimal correlation with the condition signal pattern; determining an optimal known signal pattern based on the matching scores and the signal pattern durations, wherein the known signal pattern that most closely matches the condition signal pattern is selected as the optimal known signal pattern; defining (516, 518) the machine condition pattern rule as a multipartite threshold rule with a first threshold based on the determined matching score of the optimal known signal pattern and a second threshold based on the determined signal pattern duration of the optimal known signal pattern; determining a matching score for each comparison of the condition signal pattern to each of the plurality of known signal patterns based on the comparison of the condition signal pattern to each of the plurality of known signal patterns; determining a signal pattern duration of each of the plurality of known signal patterns by varying the original signal pattern duration of each of the plurality of known signal patterns to achieve optimal correlation with the condition signal pattern; determining an optimal known signal pattern based on the matching scores and the signal pattern durations, wherein the known signal pattern that most closely matches the condition signal pattern is selected as the optimal known signal pattern; defining (516, 518) the machine condition pattern rule as a multipartite threshold rule with a first threshold based on the determined matching score of the optimal known signal pattern and a second threshold based on the determined signal pattern duration of the optimal known signal pattern; storing the created machine condition pattern rule in a rule base of the machine condition monitoring system (100, 600); and monitoring a machine condition of the monitored machine by detecting (532, 534) a fault condition in the monitored machine based on a machine condition signal received from the monitored machine using the created machine condition pattern rule.