IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,915,531
Granted Patent B2
US 11,915,531 · App. 17/083,546 · Granted Feb 27, 2024

Systems and methods of servicing equipment

Inventors: Andrew Crispin Graham (Badminton, GB); David Scott Diwinsky (West Chester, OH); Julian Matthew Foxall (Bristol, GB)
Assignees: General Electric Company; Oliver Crispin Robotics Limited
G07C5/008G05D1/0016G06N20/00G07C5/0808G07C5/0816
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,915,531
App. No.
17/083,546
Granted
Feb 27, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods of servicing equipment including determining, by one or more computing devices, a workscope associated with the equipment; and at least partially-autonomously servicing the equipment in response to the determined workscope.

Claims (37)

1. A method of servicing equipment, the method comprising:

performing an initial servicing operation of the equipment comprising:

servicing the equipment within a first workscope;

causing to monitor, by one or more computing devices, the initial servicing operation;

causing to record, by the one or more computing devices, the initial servicing operation; and

creating, by the one or more computing devices, an autonomous servicing protocol associated with the first workscope to provide an interval based on a condition profile for a successive servicing operation; and

performing the successive servicing operation of the equipment comprising:

determining, by the one or more computing devices, the successive servicing operation relates to the completed initial servicing operation;

autonomously performing a servicing protocol in view of the autonomous servicing protocol in response to determining the successive servicing operation is related to the completed initial servicing operation;

performing the successive servicing operation after the interval has passed; and

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a further interval based on a second condition profile for a further servicing operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the successive servicing operation of the equipment further comprises

determining the successive servicing operation does not relate to the first workscope, the method further comprises:

servicing the equipment within a second workscope;

causing to monitor, by the one or more computing devices, an updated servicing operation;

causing to record, by the one or more computing devices, the updated servicing operation; and

creating, by the one or more computing devices, an updated autonomous servicing protocol associated with the second workscope.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising autonomously performing the servicing protocol if the further servicing operation relates to the first workscope or autonomously performing the updated servicing protocol if the further servicing operation relates to the second workscope.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the autonomous servicing protocol comprises analyzing information of tasks performed during the initial servicing operation;

simulating the analyzed information to create a queue of tasks; and

creating instructions from the simulated information to replicate the servicing operation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial servicing operation is performed by an at least partially-autonomous robotic assembly comprising an environmental capture device configured to capture information of the initial servicing operation and assist the one or more computing devices to navigate the at least partially-autonomous robotic assembly through an environment containing the equipment.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial operation and successive operation correspond with successive, routine services of the equipment.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the step of creating, by the one or more computing devices, the autonomous servicing protocol associated with the first workscope to provide the interval based on the condition profile for the successive servicing operation, the interval is a time based interval.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the condition profile and the second condition profile relate to a condition of a cracked surface.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the condition profile and the second condition profile relate to a condition of a thermal coating on a surface of a portion of the equipment.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the condition profile and the second condition profile relate to a condition of debris on the equipment.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the condition profile and the second condition profile are used to predict equipment longevity.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the condition profile and the second condition profile are used to predict future inspection requirements.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the condition profile and the second condition profile are used to predict future maintenance requirements.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the condition profile and the second condition profile are used to form a third condition profile.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more computing devices includes a local computing device in an environment containing the equipment.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more computing devices includes a remote computing device away from an environment containing the equipment.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more computing devices includes a local computing device in an environment containing the equipment and a remote computing device away from the environment containing the equipment, wherein the local computing device and the remote computing device communicate with each other.

18. The method of claim 5 wherein the environmental capture device is in communication with the one or more computing devices and configured to transmit the information of the initial servicing operation to the one or more computing devices.

19. The method of claim 8 wherein the further servicing operation includes repairing or replacing the cracked surface.

20. the method of claim 9 wherein the further servicing operation includes repairing the thermal coating on the surface of the portion of the equipment.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2020
From: GRAHAM, ANDREW CRISPIN; FOXALL, JULIAN MATTHEW
To: OLIVER CRISPIN ROBOTICS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 054208/0740 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2020
From: DIWINSKY, DAVID SCOTT
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 054208/0752 →
Continuity (1)
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