# US 12,000,743 B2 · Safeguarding equipment based on detection of reduced cyclical pump performance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,743 B2 - Document ID: US12000743B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/071,439 - Filed: 2020-10-15 - Published: 2021-04-22 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-22 - Assignees: Textron Systems Corporation - Applicants: Textron Systems Corporation - Inventors: Thomas Edward Olenik; Richard Wolfgang Horn - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000743B2 ## CPC - G01L 19/12: Alarms or signals - B64D 45/00: Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for - F01M 1/02: using lubricating pumps (pumps in general F04; lubricating pumps per se F16N) - F01M 1/16: Controlling lubricant pressure or quantity (rendering machines or engines inoperative or idling on lubricant pressure failure F01M1/22) - B64D 2045/0085: {Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration} - B64U 50/11: using internal combustion piston engines - B64U 2101/15: for conventional or electronic warfare - B64U 2101/31: for surveillance - B64U 2101/60: for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons - F01M 11/10: Indicating devices; Other safety devices - F02B 61/04: for driving propellers - G07C 5/0816: {Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction} - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - F01M: LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - 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 ## Abstract A technique of safeguarding equipment involves deriving a pressure pulse amplitude based on operation of a pump of the equipment, and performing a comparison operation that compares the pressure pulse amplitude value to a predefined threshold. The technique further involves performing, in response to a result of the comparison operation indicating that the pressure pulse amplitude value has fallen below the predefined threshold, a remedial activity to prevent damage to the equipment or to prevent endangerment to persons affected by the failure of the equipment. For example, in the case of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the remedial action may be to transit the UAV from a densely populated area to a rural area where landing may be possible without injuring persons or damaging the UAV. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of safeguarding equipment, comprising: deriving a pressure pulse amplitude value based on operation of a pump of the equipment; performing a comparison operation that compares the pressure pulse amplitude value to a predefined threshold; and in response to a result of the comparison operation indicating that the pressure pulse amplitude value has fallen below the predefined threshold, performing a remedial activity to save the equipment; wherein the equipment is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); wherein the pump is an oil injection pump for a 2-stroke engine of the UAV, the 2-stroke engine being constructed and arranged to drive a propeller for UAV flight; wherein the operation of the pump produces a pressure pulse at an outlet of the pump during a pumping action cycle of the pump; wherein the method further comprises: sampling pressure readings at the outlet of the pump during the pumping action cycle; and wherein deriving a pressure pulse amplitude value includes: calculating the pressure pulse amplitude value based on the pressure readings by subtracting a lowest pressure value of the pressure readings from a highest pressure value of the pressure readings, the pressure pulse amplitude value indicating a fluid flow rate during the pumping action cycle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein deriving the pressure pulse amplitude value based on operation of the pump includes: receiving the pressure readings from a pressure sensor that senses pressure provided by the pump, and based on the pressure readings, generating an amplitude signal representing amplitude of the pressure provided by the pump. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method as in claim 2 wherein the pump is constructed and arranged to provide a cyclical pumping action to produce a series of pressure pulses; and wherein receiving the pressure readings from the pressure sensor includes sampling readings from the pressure sensor at a frequency that captures a maximum pressure reading and a minimum pressure reading during each pumping action cycle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method as in claim 3 wherein generating the amplitude signal representing amplitude of the pressure provided by the pump includes: subtracting a lowest pressure reading from a highest pressure reading during each pumping action cycle to provide the amplitude signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein performing the remedial activity to save the equipment includes: outputting an alert to a user remotely piloting the UAV to enable the user to land the UAV before the UAV loses power sufficient for flight. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein performing the remedial activity to save the equipment includes: executing an automated landing procedure to land the UAV before the UAV loses power sufficient for flight. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, further comprising: prior to performing the comparison operation, performing a threshold adjustment operation that modifies an original threshold to form the predefined threshold, the threshold adjustment operating being based on a current oil temperature value obtained from a temperature sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein deriving the pressure pulse amplitude value based on operation of the pump includes: ascertaining the pressure pulse amplitude value based on a set of pressure readings while the pump provides oil to the 2-stroke engine to support driving the propeller to provide thrust for UAV flight. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein performing the remedial activity includes: continuing to operate the pump during a safeguarding operation that safeguards the UAV. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein performing the remedial activity includes: after receiving the result of the comparison operation, (i) operating the 2-stroke engine to drive the propeller to provide thrust to the UAV and (ii) flying the UAV to a landing location and executing a landing procedure to land the UAV. ### Claim 11 An aircraft, comprising: an airframe; an engine mounted to the airframe to provide thrust for aircraft flight; a pump coupled with the engine; and a controller coupled with the pump, the controller being constructed and arranged to: derive a pressure pulse amplitude value based on operation of the pump, perform a comparison operation that compares the pressure pulse amplitude value to a predefined threshold, and in response to a result of the comparison operation indicating that the pressure pulse amplitude value has fallen below the predefined threshold, perform a remedial activity to save the aircraft while the aircraft is in flight; wherein the aircraft is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); and wherein the pump is an oil injection pump for a 2-stroke engine of the UAV, the 2-stroke engine being constructed and arranged to drive a propeller for UAV flight; wherein the operation of the pump produces a pressure pulse at an outlet of the pump during a pumping action cycle of the pump; wherein the method further comprises: sampling pressure readings at the outlet of the pump during the pumping action cycle; and wherein deriving a pressure pulse amplitude value includes: calculating the pressure pulse amplitude value based on the pressure readings by subtracting a lowest pressure value of the pressure readings from a highest pressure value of the pressure readings, the pressure pulse amplitude value indicating a fluid flow rate during the pumping action cycle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) An aircraft as in claim 11 wherein the controller, when deriving the pressure pulse amplitude value based on operation of the pump, is constructed and arranged to: receive the pressure readings from a pressure sensor that senses pressure provided by the pump, and based on the pressure readings, generate an amplitude signal representing amplitude of the pressure provided by the pump. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) An aircraft as in claim 12 wherein the pump is constructed and arranged to provide a cyclical pumping action to produce a series of pressure pulses; and wherein the controller, when receiving the pressure readings from the pressure sensor, is constructed and arranged to: sample readings from the pressure sensor at a frequency that captures a maximum pressure reading and a minimum pressure reading during each pumping action cycle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) An aircraft as in claim 13 wherein the controller, when generating the amplitude signal representing amplitude of the pressure provided by the pump, is constructed and arranged to: subtract a lowest pressure reading from a highest pressure reading during each pumping action cycle to provide the amplitude signal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) An aircraft as in claim 11 wherein the controller, when performing the remedial activity to save the aircraft, is constructed and arranged to: output an alert to a user remotely piloting the UAV to enable the user to land the UAV before the UAV loses power sufficient for flight. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) An aircraft as in claim 11 wherein the controller, when performing the remedial activity to save the aircraft, is constructed and arranged to: execute an automated landing procedure to land the UAV before the UAV loses power sufficient for flight. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) An aircraft as in claim 11 wherein the controller is further constructed and arranged to: prior to performing the comparison operation, perform a threshold adjustment operation that modifies an original threshold to form the predefined threshold, the threshold adjustment operating being based on a current oil temperature value obtained from a temperature sensor. ### Claim 18 Electronic circuitry to safeguard equipment, the electronic circuitry comprising: memory; and control circuitry coupled to the memory, the memory storing instructions which, when carried out by the control circuitry, cause the control circuitry to: derive a pressure pulse amplitude value based on operation of a pump of the equipment, perform a comparison operation that compares the pressure pulse amplitude value to a predefined threshold, and in response to a result of the comparison operation indicating that the pressure pulse amplitude value has fallen below the predefined threshold, perform a remedial activity to save the equipment; wherein the equipment is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); and wherein the pump is an oil injection pump for a 2-stroke engine of the UAV, the 2-stroke engine being constructed and arranged to drive a propeller for UAV flight; wherein the operation of the pump produces a pressure pulse at an outlet of the pump during a pumping action cycle of the pump; wherein the method further comprises: sampling pressure readings at the outlet of the pump during the pumping action cycle; and wherein deriving a pressure pulse amplitude value includes: calculating the pressure pulse amplitude value based on the pressure readings by subtracting a lowest pressure value of the pressure readings from a highest pressure value of the pressure readings, the pressure pulse amplitude value indicating a fluid flow rate during the pumping action cycle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) Electronic circuitry as in claim 18 wherein the control circuitry, when deriving the pressure pulse amplitude value based on operation of the pump, is constructed and arranged to: receive the pressure readings from a pressure sensor that senses pressure provided by the pump, and based on the pressure readings, generate an amplitude signal representing amplitude of the pressure provided by the pump. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) Electronic circuitry as in claim 19 wherein the controller, when generating the amplitude signal, is constructed and arranged to: from sampled readings from the pressure sensor at a frequency that captures a series of pressure readings during each pumping action cycle, identify a current highest pressure reading and a current lowest pressure reading for each pumping action cycle, and subtracting the current lowest pressure reading from the highest pressure reading for each pumping action cycle to provide the amplitude signal. ### Claim 21 A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions to safeguard equipment; the set of instructions, when carried out by computerized circuitry, causing the computerized circuitry to perform a method of: deriving a pressure value based on operation of a pump of the equipment; performing a comparison operation that compares the pressure value to a predefined threshold; and in response to a result of the comparison operation indicating that the pressure value has fallen below the predefined threshold, performing a remedial activity to save the equipment; wherein the equipment is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); and wherein the pump is an oil injection pump for a 2-stroke engine of the UAV, the 2-stroke engine being constructed and arranged to drive propeller for UAV flight; wherein the operation of the pump produces a pressure pulse at an outlet of the pump during a pumping action cycle of the pump; wherein the method further comprises: sampling pressure readings at the outlet of the pump during the pumping action cycle; and wherein deriving a pressure pulse amplitude value includes: calculating the pressure pulse amplitude value based on the pressure readings by subtracting a lowest pressure value of the pressure readings from a highest pressure value of the pressure readings, the pressure pulse amplitude value indicating a fluid flow rate during the pumping action cycle.