# US 12,768,103 B2 · Health assessment of a mechanical system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,768,103 B2 - Document ID: US12768103B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/633,017 - Filed: 2024-04-11 - Published: 2024-08-01 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-31 - Assignees: Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc. - Applicants: Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc. - Inventors: Peter Francino - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12768103B2 ## CPC - D21C 7/16: Safety devices - G07C 3/005: {during manufacturing process} - D21C: PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR - 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 method is provided for assessing health of a mechanical system. The method includes receiving discontinuous system data that is obtained intermittently and is associated with health of the system and generating a discontinuous health index that is based on the discontinuous system data and receiving continuous system data that is obtained continuously and is associated with the health of the system and generating a continuous health index that is based on the continuous system data, wherein the discontinuous health index and the continuous health index are configured to be combinable. The method further includes combining the discontinuous health index and the continuous health index, generating an overall health index based on the combination of the discontinuous health index and the continuous health index, and automatically taking one or more actions to maintain or improve health of the mechanical system and/or avoid risk based on the overall health index. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for assessing health of a mechanical system, the method comprising: receiving, by using a discontinuous data processor and from one or more discontinuous system data sources, discontinuous system data that is obtained intermittently and is associated with the health of the mechanical system; executing, by using the discontinuous data processor and the discontinuous system data, one or more first computer-implemented models to generate a discontinuous confidence indicator (DC-CI) indicative of a level of confidence in the discontinuous system data; inputting, by using the discontinuous data processor, the DC-CI to the one or more first computer-implemented models as feedback to change a first weight to be applied to a discontinuous health index during a determination of an overall health index; generating, by using the discontinuous data processor, the discontinuous health index that is based on the discontinuous system data and the first weight; receiving, by using a continuous data processor and from one or more continuous system data sources, continuous system data that is obtained continuously and is associated with the health of the mechanical system; executing, by using the continuous data processor and the continuous system data, one or more second computer-implemented models to generate a continuous confidence indicator (C-CI) indicative of a level of confidence in the continuous system data; inputting, by using the continuous data processor, the C-CI to the one or more second computer-implemented models as feedback to change a second weight to be applied to a continuous health index during the determination of the overall health index; generating, by using the continuous data processor, the continuous health index that is based on the continuous system data and the second weight; generating, by using a combined health evaluator processor, the overall health index for overall health of the mechanical system based on a combination of the discontinuous health index and the continuous health index; and automatically causing, by using the combined health evaluator processor, one or more actions based on the overall health index, wherein the one or more actions include at least one of: generating a first command to shutdown a component related to the mechanical system; or generating a second command to sound an alarm and/or flash at least one light to alert a person to evacuate a vicinity of the mechanical system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing at least one of a group comprising the discontinuous system data and the continuous system data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more actions further include adjusting a number of settings of the one or more discontinuous system data sources and/or the one or more continuous system data sources. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more actions further include providing a notification to a system user or operator indicating a change in the assessing of the health of the mechanical system and/or a recommendation for responding to the change in the assessing of the health of the mechanical system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the overall health index is represented as a score, and generating the overall health index further includes combining one or more previously determined overall health indexes, wherein generating the overall health index is based on the combination of the discontinuous health index, the continuous health index, and the one or more previously determined overall health indexes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: updating the discontinuous health index in real time in response to receipt of new discontinuous system data; and updating the overall health index in real time in response to the updating of the discontinuous health index. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the DC-CI is indicative of a level of confidence in the discontinuous health index, the C-CI is indicative of a level of confidence in the continuous health index, and the method further comprising: generating an overall confidence indicator (O-CI) that is a function of at least one of (i) the DC-CI or the C-CI, (ii) trends of at least one of the DC-CI or the C-CI, or (iii) one or more previously determined O-CIs, wherein a determination whether to automatically take the one or more actions and/or a selection of the one or more actions to be taken is based on the O-CI and/or changes in the O-CI. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first weight applied to the discontinuous health index and the second weight applied to the continuous health index are dynamically determined as a function of the DC-CI and the C-CI, respectively. ### Claim 9 A health assessment system for assessing health of a mechanical system, the health assessment system comprising: a discontinuous data processor configured to: receive, from one or more discontinuous system data sources, discontinuous system data that is obtained intermittently and is associated with the health of the mechanical system; execute, by using the discontinuous system data, one or more first computer-implemented models to generate a discontinuous confidence indicator (DC-CI) indicative of a level of confidence in the discontinuous system data; input the DC-CI to the one or more first computer-implemented models as feedback to change a first weight to be applied to a discontinuous health index during a determination of an overall health index; and generate the discontinuous health index that is based on the discontinuous system data and the first weight; a continuous data processor configured to: receive, from one or more second continuous system data sources, continuous system data that is obtained continuously and is associated with the health of the mechanical system; execute, by using the continuous system data, one or more second computer-implemented models to generate a continuous confidence indicator (C-CI) indicative of a level of confidence in the continuous system data; input the C-CI to the one or more second computer-implemented models as feedback to change a second weight to be applied to a continuous health index during the determination of the overall health index; and generate the continuous health index that is based on the continuous system data and the second weight; and a combined health evaluator processor configured to: generate the overall health index for overall health of the mechanical system based on a combination of the discontinuous health index and the continuous health index; and automatically cause one or more actions based on the overall health index, wherein the one or more actions include at least one of: generating a first command to shutdown a component related to the mechanical system; or generating a second command to sound an alarm and/or flash at least one light to alert a person to evacuate a vicinity of the mechanical system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The health assessment system of claim 9, wherein the one or more actions include at least one of a group comprising generating the first command, generating the second command, providing a first notification to a system user or operator to shutdown the component, providing a second notification to the system user or operator indicating a change in the assessing of the health of the mechanical system and/or a recommendation for responding to the change in the assessing of the health of the mechanical system, and adjusting a number of settings of the one or more discontinuous system data sources and/or the one or more continuous system data sources. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The health assessment system of claim 9, wherein the mechanical system is associated with an industrial process. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The health assessment system of claim 9, wherein the mechanical system includes a pressurized vessel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The health assessment system of claim 12, wherein the pressurized vessel is a pulp digester associated with a paper manufacturing process. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The health assessment system of claim 9, wherein the overall health index is represented as a score, and the combined health evaluator processor is configured to combine a previously determined overall health index as feedback, wherein the combined health evaluator processor is configured to generate the overall health index based on the combination of the discontinuous health index, the continuous health index, and the previously determined overall health index. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The health assessment system of claim 9, wherein: the discontinuous data processor is configured to update the discontinuous health index in real time in response to receipt of new discontinuous system data; and the combined health evaluator processor is configured to update the overall health index in real time in response to the update to the discontinuous health index. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The health assessment system of claim 9, wherein the DC-CI is indicative of a level of confidence in the discontinuous health index, the C-CI is indicative of a level of confidence in the continuous health index, and the combined health evaluator processor is configured to: generate an overall confidence indicator (O-CI) that is a function of (i) at least one of the DC-CI or the C-CI and/or (ii) trends of at least one of the DC-CI or the C-CI, wherein a determination whether to automatically take the one or more actions and/or a selection of the one or more actions to be taken is based on the O-CI and/or changes in the O-CI. ### Claim 17 At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising one or more computer programs stored therein, which when executed by at least one computer system, cause the at least one computer system to at least: receive, by using a discontinuous data processor of the at least one computer system and from one or more discontinuous system data sources, discontinuous system data that is obtained intermittently and is associated with health of a mechanical system; execute, by using the discontinuous data processor and the discontinuous system data, one or more first computer-implemented models to generate a discontinuous confidence indicator (DC-CI) indicative of a level of confidence in the discontinuous system data; input, by using the discontinuous data processor, the DC-CI to the one or more first computer-implemented models as feedback to change a first weight to be applied to a discontinuous health index during a determination of an overall health index; generate, by using the discontinuous data processor, the discontinuous health index that is based on the discontinuous system data and the first weight; receive, by using a continuous data processor of the at least one computer system and from one or more continuous system data sources, continuous system data that is obtained continuously and is associated with the health of the mechanical system; execute, by using the continuous data processor and the continuous system data, one or more second computer-implemented models to generate a continuous confidence indicator (C-CI) indicative of a level of confidence in the continuous system data; input, by using the continuous data processor, the C-CI to the one or more second computer-implemented models as feedback to change a second weight to be applied to a continuous health index during the determination of the overall health index; generate, by using the continuous data processor, the continuous health index that is based on the continuous system data and the second weight; generate, by using a combined health evaluator processor of the at least one computer system, the overall health index for overall health of the mechanical system based on a combination of the discontinuous health index and the continuous health index; and automatically cause, by using the combined health evaluator processor, one or more actions based on the overall health index, wherein the one or more actions include at least one of: generating a first command to shutdown a component related to the mechanical system; or generating a second command to sound an alarm and/or flash at least one light to alert a person to evacuate a vicinity of the mechanical system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: updating the continuous health index in real time in response to receipt of new continuous system data; and updating the overall health index in real time in response to the updating of the continuous health index. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The health assessment system of claim 9, wherein: the continuous data processor is configured to update the continuous health index in real time in response to receipt of new discontinuous system data; and the combined health evaluator processor is configured to update the overall health index in real time in response to the update to the discontinuous health index. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more actions further include providing a notification to a system user or operator to shutdown the component related to the mechanical system.