U.S. patent application number 14/291002 was filed with the patent office on 2015-02-19 for method for determining a condition indicator of an apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to HACH LANGE GMBH. The applicant listed for this patent is HACH LANGE GMBH. Invention is credited to MANFRED BATTEFELD, MICHAEL HAECK, MICHAEL KUSSMANN, ULRICH SCHMITZ, TORSTEN SEEHAUS, TOON STREPPEL, FRANK THOMAS.
Application Number | 20150051844 14/291002 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40740100 |
Filed Date | 2015-02-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150051844 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
STREPPEL; TOON ; et
al. |
February 19, 2015 |
METHOD FOR DETERMINING A CONDITION INDICATOR OF AN APPARATUS
Abstract
A method for determining a condition indicator of an apparatus
includes providing an apparatus configured to measure at least two
different technical parameters. A respective parameter value is
determined for each of the at least two different technical
parameters of the apparatus using at least one sensor configured to
determine a respective parameter value for each of the at least two
different technical parameters. A respective deviation value of
each of the parameter values is determined with respect to an
associated respective parameter reference value for each of the
technical parameters. A respective deviation relevance value is
determined from each of the deviation values using a respective
parameter-specific deviation relevance function for each of the
parameter values, the parameter-specific deviation relevance
functions being different from each other. Using an indicator
function, a condition indicator is calculated from the determined
deviation relevance values. An overall condition of the apparatus
is calculated using the condition indicator.
Inventors: |
STREPPEL; TOON; (AG EERBEEK,
NL) ; SEEHAUS; TORSTEN; (DUESSELDORF, DE) ;
SCHMITZ; ULRICH; (KERKEN, DE) ; BATTEFELD;
MANFRED; (DUESSELDORF, DE) ; THOMAS; FRANK;
(SOLINGEN, DE) ; KUSSMANN; MICHAEL; (DUESSELDORF,
DE) ; HAECK; MICHAEL; (BERGISCH GLADBACH,
DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HACH LANGE GMBH |
BERLIN |
|
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
HACH LANGE GMBH
BERLIN
DE
|
Family ID: |
40740100 |
Appl. No.: |
14/291002 |
Filed: |
May 30, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13920101 |
Jun 18, 2013 |
8886472 |
|
|
14291002 |
|
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|
|
12718164 |
Mar 5, 2010 |
8510064 |
|
|
13920101 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
702/25 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01N 33/1886 20130101;
G01N 25/56 20130101; G01N 33/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
702/25 |
International
Class: |
G01N 33/18 20060101
G01N033/18; G01N 25/56 20060101 G01N025/56 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 6, 2009 |
EP |
09154512.9 |
Claims
1. A method for determining a condition indicator of an apparatus,
the method comprising: providing an apparatus configured to measure
at least two different technical parameters; determining a
respective parameter value for each of the at least two different
technical parameters of the apparatus using at least one sensor
configured to determine a respective parameter value for each of
the at least two different technical parameters; determining a
respective deviation value of each of the parameter values with
respect to an associated respective parameter reference value for
each of the technical parameters; determining a respective
deviation relevance value from each of the deviation values using a
respective parameter-specific deviation relevance function for each
of the parameter values, the parameter-specific deviation relevance
functions being different from each other; calculating, using an
indicator function, a condition indicator from the determined
deviation relevance values; and determining an overall condition of
the apparatus using the condition indicator.
2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the indicator function
includes a term for an arithmetic mean of a plurality of the
deviation relevance values.
3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the term includes a
multiplication of the smallest of the deviation relevance values by
an arithmetic mean of other of the deviation relevance values.
4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the condition
indicator is an apparatus condition indicator.
5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the condition
indicator is a measured value quality indicator.
6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is at
least one of a process analysis apparatus and a water analysis
apparatus.
7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a first of the
parameter values is determined by a humidity sensor.
8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a first of the
parameter values is determined by a reagent quantity sensor.
9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a first of the
parameter values is the motor current of a drive motor.
10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the drive motor is
configured to drive a wiper for wiping a measurement window.
11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising supplying
the condition indicator to another apparatus component.
12. A method for determining a condition indicator of an apparatus,
the method comprising: providing an apparatus configured to measure
at least two different technical parameters, the apparatus
comprising: a microprocessor, at least one computing module, and at
least one sensor configured to determine a respective parameter
value for each of at least two different technical parameters;
determining a respective parameter value for each of the at least
two different technical parameters of the apparatus using the at
least one sensor; supplying the respective parameter value for each
of at least two different technical parameters determined by the at
least one sensor to the microprocessor; determining, via the
microprocessor, a respective deviation value of each of the
parameter values with respect to an associated respective parameter
reference value for each of the technical parameters; supplying the
respective deviation value for each of the parameter values to the
at least one computing module; determining, via the at least one
computing module, a respective deviation relevance value from each
of the deviation values using a respective parameter-specific
deviation relevance function for each of the parameter values, the
parameter-specific deviation relevance functions being different
from each other; calculating, using an indicator function, a
condition indicator from the determined deviation relevance values;
and determining an overall condition of the apparatus using the
condition indicator.
13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the indicator
function includes a term for an arithmetic mean of a plurality of
the deviation relevance values.
14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the term includes a
multiplication of the smallest of the deviation relevance values by
an arithmetic mean of other of the deviation relevance values.
15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the condition
indicator is an apparatus condition indicator.
16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the condition
indicator is a measured value quality indicator.
17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the apparatus is at
least one of a process analysis apparatus and a water analysis
apparatus.
18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a first of the
parameter values is determined by a humidity sensor.
19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a first of the
parameter values is determined by a reagent quantity sensor.
20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein a first of the
parameter values is the motor current of a drive motor.
21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the drive motor is
configured to drive a wiper for wiping a measurement window.
22. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising supplying
the condition indicator to another apparatus component.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
13/920,101, filed on Jun. 18, 2013, which is a continuation of
application Ser. No. 12/718,164, filed on Mar. 5, 2010. Application
Ser. No. 12/718,164 issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,510,064 on Aug. 13,
2013. Application Ser. No. 12/718,164 claimed priority to European
Patent Application No. EP 09154512.9-1240, filed Mar. 6, 2009. The
entire disclosure of said applications are incorporated by
reference herein.
FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a method for determining a
condition indicator of an apparatus.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Apparatuses are used, for example, for a qualitative and
quantitative determination of one or more analytes in water, such
as in waste water or drinking water. Apparatuses may be configured
as so-called laboratory apparatuses for individual measuring or as
process apparatuses for quasi-continuous measuring.
[0004] Prior art apparatuses provide no or only insufficient
information about the technical condition of the analysis apparatus
so that it is not readily possible to judge the state of health of
the analysis apparatus or the trustworthiness of the measured
values supplied by the analysis apparatus.
SUMMARY
[0005] An aspect of the present invention is to provide an
apparatus which supplies information on the overall condition of
the analysis apparatus in the form of a condition indicator.
[0006] In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method
for determining a condition indicator of an apparatus which
includes providing an apparatus configured to measure at least two
different technical parameters. A respective parameter value is
determined for each of the at least two different technical
parameters of the apparatus using at least one sensor configured to
determine a respective parameter value for each of the at least two
different technical parameters. A respective deviation value for
each of the parameter values is determined with respect to an
associated respective parameter reference value for each of the
technical parameters. A respective deviation relevance value is
determined from each of the deviation values using a respective
parameter-specific deviation relevance function for each of the
parameter values, the parameter-specific deviation relevance
functions being different from each other. Using an indicator
function, a condition indicator is calculated from the determined
deviation relevance values. An overall condition of the apparatus
is determined using the condition indicator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The present invention is described in greater detail below
on the basis of embodiments and of the drawing in which:
[0008] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an apparatus in which a
method for determining a condition indicator is implemented.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0009] According to the method of the present invention, the
following method steps are provided for the determination of a
condition indicator of an analysis apparatus: [0010] determining
one respective parameter value for at least two different technical
parameters of the apparatus; [0011] determining a value of
deviation of the parameter value with respect to an associated
parameter reference value for all parameters, respectively; [0012]
determining one respective deviation relevance value from the
deviation value using a parameter-specific deviation relevance
function for all parameters, respectively, the functions being
different from each other; and [0013] calculating the condition
indicator from all deviation relevance values determined using an
indicator function.
[0014] First, corresponding parameter values are determined for
several technical parameters of the analysis apparatus, for
example, an air humidity value can be determined by an air humidity
sensor in the analysis apparatus, or a power consumption value of a
photometric radiation source, a position value of a wiper, a
counter value of a wiper oscillation counter, etc. may be
determined.
[0015] Thereafter, a relative or absolute deviation value can be
determined for each determined parameter value with respect to an
associated parameter reference value. The reference value may, for
example, be an ideal value for the respective parameter. The
deviation value indicates an absolute or relative deviation of the
parameter value from the reference value. The deviation value
itself does not give an immediate indication of the degree of
relevance of the deviation from the ideal value for the
functionality of the analysis apparatus or for the quality of the
measured value.
[0016] After the deviation value has been determined for all
relevant parameters, a deviation relevance value can be determined
for each parameter using a respective parameter-specific function.
With at least two parameters, the functions for each of these two
parameters should be different from each other. This function
establishes a relation between the deviation value and its
relevance with respect to the functionality of the analysis
apparatus or to the quality of the measured values. For example, a
slight deviation of the air humidity value from an ideal value in a
housing of the analysis apparatus can generate a deviation
relevance value of 1.0, whereas a substantially greater deviation
may suddenly result in a deviation relevance value of 0.3. The same
can be true for the power consumption of a brightness-controlled
photometric light source, for example, which will cause a dramatic
change in the deviation relevance value when a threshold is
reached. With a wiper, which is to wipe a measuring window clean
from residues before each analysis, for example, the blocking of
only a single wiper oscillation may result in an unchanged
deviation relevance value of 1.0, for example, if the attempted
wiping can be successfully repeated immediately after the blocking.
If a blocking also occurs at the repeated attempt, the deviation
relevance value may, for example, decrease to 0.8. In the examples
described, a deviation relevance value of 1.0 characterizes an
optimal condition and a value of 0.0 characterizes a very poor
condition.
[0017] Finally, an indicator function can be used to calculate a
condition indicator from the deviation relevance values of the
relevant parameters, which indicator may, for example, be an
apparatus condition indicator or a measured value quality
indicator. The indicator function for determining the apparatus
condition indicator may differ substantially with respect to the
importance of the parameter "air humidity" from the indicator
function for determining the measured value quality indicator. A
high air humidity in the housing of the analysis apparatus may, for
example, be important for the apparatus condition indicator since
it would hint at a leak in the housing, whereas it is of only minor
importance for the measuring quality parameter since it has no
immediate influence on the reliability of a measured value.
[0018] Using the above described method, a condition indicator for
the analysis apparatus can be generated that represents significant
information about a certain aspect of the measuring apparatus. The
condition indicator provides even an untrained and inexperienced
user with information on a certain aspect of the analysis apparatus
without requiring a complex expert's knowledge.
[0019] The indicator function can include, for example, a term for
the arithmetic mean of a plurality of deviation relevance values.
For example, the indicator function can include a term containing a
multiplication of the smallest of all deviation relevance values by
the arithmetic mean of all other deviation relevance values.
[0020] In an embodiment of the present invention, a parameter is
determined by a reagent quantity sensor in a reservoir, a humidity
sensor in the apparatus housing, a motor current sensor of a drive
motor, a power sensor of a photometer light source, a wiper blade
oscillation counter, a wiper blade blocking sensor, a wiper blade
position sensor and/or a drive motor rotation counter.
[0021] In an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1,
the analysis apparatus 10 is a process analysis apparatus designed
as an immersion probe. The analysis apparatus 10 comprises a sensor
unit 12 in which a plurality of sensors S1, S2, S3 are
arranged.
[0022] The sensor S1 is a humidity sensor in the housing of the
sensor unit 12 that measures the air humidity within the sensor
unit housing which, in operation, is immersed in water. If the air
humidity within the housing exceeds a certain limit value, a leak
in the housing can be assumed which, in the long run, could lead to
substantial trouble and damage of the sensor unit 12 or the
apparatus 10. The air humidity determined by the humidity sensor
thus is a parameter that is substantially included in a statement
on the condition of the apparatus.
[0023] The sensor S2 is a wiper position sensor that indicates the
wiper position of a wiper wiping the sensor window of the sensor
unit 12. The wiper position sensor may either determine the exact
position of the wiper or the presence of the wiper at a certain
position. Using the wiper position sensor, it can be determined
whether the wiper is blocked, and the number of wiping oscillations
can be counted in combination with a corresponding counter. Since
the effective wiping of the measuring window by the wiper
influences the quality of the measurement result, information about
a wiper blocking or the wear of the wiper are relevant for an
overall statement on the measured value quality.
[0024] The sensor S3 is a light source power sensor that indicates
the electric power requirement of a brightness-controlled
photometer light source. Every light source, even a LED, ages due
to operation. Age often shows in particular that, based on a
constant light output, more electric power is needed for an older
light source than was required for the light source when new. With
the change in power requirement, the emitted spectrum of the light
source may change as well whereby the measured value quality can be
impaired. The information supplied by the light source power sensor
can thus be included in particular in the apparatus condition, but
may also be included in the measured value quantity.
[0025] Further sensors provided may include reagent quantity
sensors detecting the level of the respective reagents in
corresponding reservoirs. Further, the drive motor of the wiper may
be provided with a sensor counting the number of rotations of the
motor, thereby indirectly measuring the wear of the motor. A motor
current sensor can provide more information about the drive motor
and/or the wiper. The motor current sensor may also serve as a
wiper blocking sensor with which the blocking of the wiper can be
detected. Basically, information from any kind of sensor of the
analysis apparatus can be included in the determination of a
measured value quality indicator and/or a housing condition
indicator.
[0026] The parameter values p.sub.S1, p.sub.S2, p.sub.S3 determined
by the sensors S.sub.1, S.sub.2, S.sub.3 are supplied to a
microprocessor 16 and compared with a parameter reference value in
computing modules D.sub.1, D.sub.2, D.sub.3. The comparison is
effected by calculating the difference from the respective
parameter reference value or by division by the respective
parameter reference value. In this manner, a deviation value
d.sub.S1, d.sub.S2, d.sub.S3 can be determined for each sensor
S.sub.1, S.sub.2, S.sub.3 or each parameter, which deviation value
is supplied to a second stage of computing modules.
[0027] In the example of an air humidity sensor supplying a
relative air humidity value, the reference value may, for example,
be an ideal value of 0% air humidity. Determining a deviation value
may be effected by calculating the difference or by division. The
deviation value can, for example, be determined from the quotient
of the difference between the parameter value and the reference
value as the numerator and the reference value as the
denominator.
[0028] In the example of a wiper position sensor supplying
information on wiper blockings, the reference value may, for
example, be 4. The deviation value may then result from the number
of the actual wiping cycles with respect to the last 4 wiping cycle
attempts and thus yield a value between 4/4 and 0/4.
[0029] In the second computing modules 18, a deviation relevance
value y.sub.S1, y.sub.S2, y.sub.S3 can be determined for each
parameter from the deviation values d.sub.S1, d.sub.S2, d.sub.S3
using a parameter-specific deviation relevance function f.sub.S1,
f.sub.S2, f.sub.S3. Due to the deviation relevance function, in
particular small negligible deviations from an ideal value or large
deviations from a limit value can be rated as having very little
relevance. Generally, the deviation relevance function is different
for each parameter and may, for example, indicate the deviation
relevance value in a range from 0.1 to 1.0, where a value of 1.0
indicates the ideal condition and 0.0 indicates a very poor
condition.
[0030] The condition indicator I is individualized in particular in
the computing modules 18. If several different condition indicators
I are to be determined for the same analysis apparatus 10, the
process before the computing modules 18 splits into two or more
branches in which, in particular, the respective deviation
relevance functions f.sub.S1, f.sub.S2, f.sub.S3 differ from each
other.
[0031] The indicator function f.sub.I may, for example, be a
polynomial in which the deviation relevance values are given
factors of different sizes. An apparatus condition indicator or a
measured value quality indicator can, for example, be generated as
a condition indicator. Whereas the air humidity and the number of
rotations of the motor, for example, are relevant in the indicator
function for the apparatus condition, they can be ignored, in
relative terms, in the indicator function for the measured value
quality.
[0032] The indicator function f.sub.I can, for example, be a
multiplication of the smallest deviation relevance value y.sub.S1,
y.sub.S2, y.sub.S3 by the arithmetic mean of the other deviation
relevance value y.sub.S1, y.sub.S2, y.sub.S3.
[0033] The condition indicator I can, therefore, be outputted to a
display 14 or to a computer for a further processing of the
condition indicator I. If need be, the computer may effect
corresponding measures in the analysis apparatus if the condition
indicator I exceeds a limit value.
[0034] The indicator function may, for example, take the following
form:
I=min f.sub.Si.times.(.SIGMA.f.sub.Si-min f.sub.Si)/(max(i)-1)
where f.sub.Si is the respective deviation relevance function
f.sub.S1-f.sub.S3.
[0035] A deviation relevance function f.sub.Si may, for example,
take the following form:
f.sub.Si=(1-start).times.(1-d.sub.Si).sup.n+start
where d.sub.Si is a deviation value d.sub.S1, d.sub.S2, d.sub.S3
and the values "start" and n determine the form of the curve.
[0036] Although the present invention has been described and
illustrated with reference to specific illustrative embodiments
thereof, it is not intended that the present invention be limited
to those illustrative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will
recognize that variations and modifications can be made without
departing from the true scope of the present invention as defined
by the claims that follow. It is therefore intended to include
within the present invention all such variations and modifications
as fall within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents
thereof.
* * * * *