Apparatus and method for identifying a defect and/or operating characteristic of a system

A method, comprising:

• collecting acoustical data produced by a mechanical or an electromechanical system (hereinafter, “system”) using an acoustic detector having a microphone;
• analyzing the acoustical data to identify a defect of the system and/or to identify an operating characteristic of the system;
• and
• performing signal-processing on the acoustical data, wherein the signal-processing at least includes an instant frequency analysis method.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a first detector configured to collect data indicative of a temperature (“temperature data”) produced by a component of a mechanical or an electromechanical system;
• a detector coupled with the temperature detector and configured to output non-orthogonally related data used to determine whether the temperature data outputted by the temperature detector is a true reading;
• and
• an orthogonally related detector configured to output orthogonally related data to be fused with the temperature data to reduce a false indication rate.