# US 11,307,117 B2 · System and method for interpretation and analysis of manufacturing activity

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- Number: US 11,307,117 B2
- Document ID: US11307117B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/121,417
- Filed: 2018-09-04
- Published: 2019-03-07
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-04
- Assignees: Amper Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Amper Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Akshat Thirani; Philip House
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307117B2

## CPC

- G01M 99/005: {Testing of complete machines, e.g. washing-machines or mobile phones (testing of machine parts G01M13/00; testing of electric apparatus or components G01R31/50)}
- G05B 23/024: {Quantitative history assessment, e.g. mathematical relationships between available data; Functions therefor; Principal component analysis [PCA]; Partial least square [PLS]; Statistical classifiers, e.g. Bayesian networks, linear regression or correlation analysis; Neural networks}
- G05B 23/0283: {Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] (preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06)}
- G06Q 10/20: Administration of product repair or maintenance
- G07C 3/00: Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
- G07C 3/146: {during manufacturing process}
- G01R 19/25: using digital measurement techniques
- G01R 21/133: by using digital technique
- G05B 19/406: characterised by monitoring or safety (G05B19/19 takes precedence)
- G05B 2219/34427: Diagnostic, monitoring incorporated in controller
- Y02P 90/80: Management or planning
- G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A system and method for monitoring manufacturing machines that includes a sensor system that monitors a plurality of machines, wherein the sensor system is comprised of a set of current transformers, and wherein the set of current transformers transform electric currents to the plurality of machines into electric signals; an activity processing engine, wherein the activity processing engine generates diagnostic metrics from the electric signals for each machine from the plurality of machines; and a management platform configured to provide access to diagnostic metrics of the plurality of machines.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for monitoring manufacturing status for manufacturing machines comprising:
a sensor system that monitors electrical signals from a plurality of manufacturing machines, wherein the sensor system comprises a set of current transformers, wherein each current transformer of the set of current transformers couples to a power line connected to a corresponding manufacturing machine, and wherein each current transformer transforms electric currents of the power line into an electrical signal of the corresponding manufacturing machine;
an activity processing engine, wherein the activity processing engine generates manufacturing diagnostic metrics from the electrical signal for each manufacturing machine and assign a part identifier based on the classification by the trained machine learning model to a subset of the machine cycles, wherein the subset of the machine cycles assigned to the part identifier are detectable in the electrical signals of different manufacturing machines when manufacturing a similar part; and
a management platform configured to provide access to the manufacturing diagnostic metrics of the plurality of manufacturing machines, the management platform comprising at least one user interface configured to express the manufacturing diagnostic metrics of the plurality of manufacturing machines organized by part identifiers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of manufacturing machines comprises subsets of manufacturing machines of distinct types of machines and distinct models, wherein at least one manufacturing machine of the plurality of manufacturing machines does not have data reporting capabilities.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the machine cycles include, in addition to machine cycles assigned to the part identifiers, machine cycles associated with a set of states that includes at least: an on-state, an off-state, and an idle-state; wherein the activity processing engine additionally comprises configuration to train the trained machine learning model to classify the machine cycles associated with the set of states across similar types of manufacturing machines.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the manufacturing diagnostic metrics comprise machine cycle time.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one user interface configured to express the manufacturing diagnostic metrics of the plurality of manufacturing machines organized by the part identifiers is further configured to express a unit production count associated with a number of machine cycles assigned to the part identifier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system further comprises a breaker box unit that communicatively couples with at least a subset of the set of current transformers; wherein each current transformer of the set of current transformers electrically couples to power lines of a connected machine at a breaker box; and a communication module communicatively couples to the breaker box unit, wherein the communication module is configured to communicate the electrical signals to the activity processing engine.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the activity processing engine further comprises configuration to: perform Fourier analysis of the electrical signals, and for at least one electrical signal, detecting patterns of harmonic frequencies in the Fourier analysis of the at least one electrical signal that is indicative of cyclical signal variations corresponding to a machine maintenance state; and wherein the management platform is further configured to output an alert associated with the machine maintenance state.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein the alert is a tool degradation alert.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the alert is a machine calibration alert.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a machine management device located at a manufacturing machine, the machine management device including a second user interface configured to receive contextual data on operation of the manufacturing machine including a part label, wherein the contextual data is used in assigning the part identifier to a classified machine cycle of the manufacturing machine.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein production operation of the plurality of manufacturing machines is planned from the manufacturing diagnostic metrics.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, comparing a first electrical signal of a first machine cycle to a previous electrical signal of the first machine cycle, identifying electrical signal abnormalities, and detecting potential manufacturing issues based on the electrical signal abnormalities, and wherein outputting the manufacturing diagnostic metrics comprises generating an alert for potential manufacturing issues.

### Claim 13

A method for monitoring manufacturing status for manufacturing machines comprising:
electrically coupling a set of electric current sensors to a set of power lines, wherein each power line is connected to one of a plurality of manufacturing machines;
collecting, using the set of electric current sensors, electric signals for each manufacturing machine from the plurality of manufacturing machines;
generating manufacturing diagnostic metrics from the electric signals for each manufacturing machine from the plurality of manufacturing machines, wherein the generating comprises, for each electric signal of the electric signals:
classifying, using a machine learning model, a machine cycle through detection of machine cycle signature features in the electric signal, the machine cycle selected from a set of machine cycles that includes at least a subset of the machine cycles associated with part identifiers, wherein the subset of machine cycles associated with the part identifiers are detectable in the electric signals of a different manufacturing machine when manufacturing a similar part, and
assigning a part identifier based on the classification by the machine learning model to the machine cycle; and
outputting, at a user interface of a management platform, the manufacturing diagnostic metrics of the plurality of manufacturing machines organized by the part identifiers.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of manufacturing machines comprises subsets of manufacturing machines of different types of machines and distinct models, wherein at least one manufacturing machine of the plurality of manufacturing machines does not have data reporting capabilities.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein generating the manufacturing diagnostic metrics from the electric signals comprises identifying a segment of the electric signal as being in a machine state selected from a set of machine states that includes at least: an on-state, an off-state, and an idle-state.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising, for each electric signal of the electric signals, measuring a time of the machine cycle; and wherein outputting the manufacturing diagnostic metrics of the plurality of manufacturing machines organized by the part identifiers includes a cycle time associated with the part identifier based on the time of the machine cycle.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising, for each electric signal of the electric signals, measuring a machine power consumption associated with the machine cycle; and wherein outputting the manufacturing diagnostic metrics of the plurality of manufacturing machines organized by the part identifiers includes the machine power consumption associated with the part identifier.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving machine operation labels from an operator-controlled machine management device; wherein the machine operation labels are used in assigning the part identifier to the machine cycle.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein generating the manufacturing diagnostic metrics from the electric signals further comprises for each electric signal:
classifying each electric signal by machine type;
selecting an analysis model for each electric signal, wherein the analysis model is selected according to the machine type; and
analyzing each electric signal according to the selected analysis model.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein classifying each electric signal by the machine type is performed automatically through analysis of the activity data.