# US 2013/0239708 A1 · Valve-to-be-serviced selecting device and method

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- Number: US 2013/0239708 A1
- Document ID: US20130239708A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/794,987
- Filed: 2013-03-12
- Published: 2013-09-19
- Earliest claimed: 2012-03-14
- Assignees: Azbil Corporation
- Applicants: Azbil Corporation
- Inventors: Masato TANAKA; Kenichi KIKUCHI; Isao YAMADA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130239708A1

## CPC

- G01N 33/00: Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
- G06Q 10/20: Administration of product repair or maintenance
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- 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

## Abstract

A valve-to-be-serviced selecting device is provided with: a simple identification executing portion identifying a service-candidate valve by a method that is relatively non-labor-intensive (a relatively low-cost method), a fine identification executing portion identifying a service-candidate valve by a method that is relatively labor-intensive (a relatively high-cost method), and a valve-to-be-serviced determination processing portion. The valve-to-be-serviced determination processing portion performs the simple identification by the simple identification executing portion for valves 1-1 through 1-n (N valves), and then performs fine identification, through the fine identification executing portion service-candidate valves identified by the simple identification (M valves), to determine those valves to be subjected to servicing from among the valves 1-1 through 1-n.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A valve-to-be-serviced selecting device comprising:
a simple identification executing device identifying a service-candidate valve through a method that is relatively non-labor-intensive;
a fine identification executing device identifying a service-candidate valve through a method that is relatively labor-intensive;
a valve-to-be-serviced determining device determining a valve to be serviced from among a large number of valves by performing identification of a service-candidate valve through the simple identification executing device on a large number of valves and then performing service-candidate valve identification by the fine identification executing device on the service-candidate valves identified by the simple identification executing means.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The valve-to-be-serviced selecting device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
an information presenting device presenting information regarding the identification evaluation of a service-candidate valve in the simple identification executing device and the fine identification executing device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The valve-to-be-serviced selecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the simple identification executing device identifies a service-candidate valve based on the number of days elapsed since the date on which the most recent service was performed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The valve-to-be-serviced selecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
either the simple identification executing device or the fine identification executing device identifies a service-candidate valve based on a cumulative valve sliding distance since the most recent packing replacement.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The valve-to-be-serviced selecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
either the simple identification executing device or the fine identification executing device identifies a service-candidate valve based on a frequency with which stick-slip occurs.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The valve-to-be-serviced selecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the fine identification executing device identifies a service-candidate valve based on step-response characteristics.

### Claim 7

A valve-to-be-serviced selecting method comprising:
a simple identification executing step identifying a service-candidate valve through a method that is relatively non-labor-intensive;
a fine identification executing step identifying a service-candidate valve through a method that is relatively labor-intensive;
a valve-to-be-serviced determining step determining a valve to be serviced from among a large number of valves by performing identification of a service-candidate valve through the simple identification executing step for a large number of valves and then performing service-candidate valve identification by the fine identification executing step for the service-candidate valves identified by the simple identification executing step.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The valve-to-be-serviced selecting method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:
an information presenting step presenting information regarding the identification evaluation of a service-candidate valve in the simple identification executing step and the fine identification executing step.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The valve-to-be-serviced selecting method as set forth in claim 7, wherein:
the simple identification executing step identifies a service-candidate valve based on the number of days elapsed since the date on which the most recent service was performed.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The valve-to-be-serviced selecting method as set forth in claim 7, wherein:
either the simple identification executing step or the fine identification executing step identifies a service-candidate valve based on a cumulative valve sliding distance since the most recent packing replacement.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The valve-to-be-serviced selecting method as set forth in claim 7, wherein:
either the simple identification executing step or the fine identification executing step identifies a service-candidate valve based on a frequency with which stick-slip occurs.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The valve-to-be-serviced selecting method as set forth in claim 7, wherein:
the fine identification executing step identifies a service-candidate valve based on step-response characteristics.