Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
229 words
A method for monitoring the operating conditions of process plant or machinery characterised by the fact that the method comprises the steps of: (a) detecting the sound intensity of the plant or machinery by means of a sound transducer, the output from which is an analogue signal, the intensity of which is proportional to the intensity of the sound in the audio frequency range, (b) converting the analogue signal to a digital signal, (c) passing the digital signal through a digital band-pass filter to select at least two frequency bands, (d) utilising the signal power in these bands as signal descriptors and putting them into a multivariate pattern recognition procedure, (e) utilising the pattern recognition procedure to develop soft models to characterise the signals recorded and to assign them to a particular category of known operating conditions, (f) again detecting the sound intensity of the process or machinery by means of the sound transducer, (g) converting the analogue signal to a digital signal, (h) passing the digital signal through a digital band-pass filter to select the same frequency bands as in (c), (i) utilising the signal power in these bands as signal descriptors and putting them into a multivariate pattern recognition procedure, and (j) using the soft models as templates, such that when operating conditions repeat themselves they may be recognised, or a change in conditions may be detected.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
229 words
A method for monitoring the operating conditions of process plant or machinery characterised by the fact that the method comprises the steps of: (a) detecting the sound intensity of the plant or machinery by means of a sound transducer, the output from which is an analogue signal, the intensity of which is proportional to the intensity of the sound in the audio frequency range, (b) converting the analogue signal to a digital signal, (c) passing the digital signal through a digital band-pass filter to select at least two frequency bands, (d) utilising the signal power in these bands as signal descriptors and putting them into a multivariate pattern recognition procedure, (e) utilising the pattern recognition procedure to develop soft models to characterise the signals recorded and to assign them to a particular category of known operating conditions, (f) again detecting the sound intensity of the process or machinery by means of the sound transducer, (g) converting the analogue signal to a digital signal, (h) passing the digital signal through a digital band-pass filter to select the same frequency bands as in (c), (i) utilising the signal power in these bands as signal descriptors and putting them into a multivariate pattern recognition procedure, and (j) using the soft models as templates, such that when operating conditions repeat themselves they may be recognised, or a change in conditions may be detected.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the sound transducer is a microphone.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
16 words
A method according to either of the preceding claims wherein the analogue electrical signal is amplified.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
20 words
A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the analogue electrical signal is passed through a band-pass filter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein frequencies above 10 KHz are removed.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
17 words
A method according to any of claims 4 to 5 wherein frequencies below 50 Hz are removed.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
25 words
A method according to any of claims 4 to 6 wherein the band-pass filter is capable of selecting from 2 to 24 desired frequency bands.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
21 words
A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the multivariate statistical technique is the method of principal components analysis.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
18 words
A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the pattern recognition technique is the SIMCA technique.