IP Library Granted Patent US 10,620,170
Granted Patent B2
US 10,620,170 · App. 15/884,157 · Granted Apr 14, 2020

Systems, methods, and media for detecting abnormalities in equipment that emit ultrasonic energy into a solid medium during failure

Inventors: Peter Owens (Hingham, MA); David Micallef (Rabat, MT)
Assignee: Latency, LLC
G01N29/46G01N29/041G01N29/14G01N29/2481G01N29/28G01N2291/023H04R17/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,620,170
App. No.
15/884,157
Granted
Apr 14, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and media for detecting abnormalities in equipment that emit ultrasonic energy into a solid medium during failure are provided. In some embodiments, devices for monitoring a piece of equipment are provided, the devices comprising: a piezo microphone having a signal output; a mechanical structure acoustically coupling the piezo microphone to the piece of equipment; a hardware processor configured to: receive intensity signals based on the signal output of the piezo microphone; perform a fast Fourier transform on the received intensity signals to produce a set of output band values for each of a plurality of frequency bands; average at least some of the output band values to produce an average value; and calculate a sum of at least some of the output band values; and a transceiver that transmits the sum to a remote device.

Claims (26)

1. A device for monitoring a piece of equipment, comprising:

a piezo microphone having a signal output;

a mechanical structure acoustically coupling the piezo microphone to the piece of equipment;

a hardware processor configured to:

receive intensity signals based on the signal output of the piezo microphone;

perform a fast Fourier transform on the received intensity signals to produce a set of output band values for each of a plurality of frequency bands;

filter-out first output band values of the set of output band values corresponding to frequency bands less than 19 kHz;

average at least some of the output band values to produce an average value; and

calculate a sum of at least some of the output band values; and

a transceiver that transmits the sum to a remote device.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

an amplifier having an input coupled to the signal output of the piezo microphone and having an output.

3. The device of claim 2 , further comprising:

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) having an input coupled to the output of the amplifier and having an output that produces the intensity signals.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the ADC and the hardware processor are integrated into a single component.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to also filter-out second output band values of the set of output band values corresponding to frequencies bands above 51 kHz before averaging the at least some of the output band values to produce the average value.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to include only output band values greater than, or greater than or equal to, twice the average value in the sum of at least some of the output band values calculated.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a device body that houses the piezo microphone, a hardware processor, and the transceiver.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the device body forms at least a part of the mechanical structure that acoustically couples the piezo microphone to the piece of equipment.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piece of equipment is a steam trap.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piece of equipment is a bearing.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piece of equipment is a pipe.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the pipe carries one of: natural gas, ammonia gas, and nitrogen gas.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piece of equipment is a valve.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the valve passes one of water and air.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to receive configuration settings from the remote device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2022
From: LATENCY, LLC
To: MPSQUARED, LLC
Reel/Frame 061160/0243 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2021
From: OWENS, PETER; MICALLEF, DAVID
To: LATENCY, LLC
Reel/Frame 056050/0966 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62452034 · Jan 30, 2017
Provisional Application 62483756 · Apr 10, 2017
Related Publication 20180217110A1 · Aug 2, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,276,638