# US 2019/0320244 A1 · Sensor module system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0320244 A1 - Document ID: US20190320244A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/385,544 - Filed: 2019-04-16 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-16 - Assignees: Nidec Motor Corporation - Applicants: Nidec Motor Corporation - Inventors: Timothy R. Albers; Pranesh Rao; Thomas Schardt; Suresh Kumar V; Sarang Kalbande; Satyadeep Kumar Gupta; Sambath Kumar B - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190320244A1 ## CPC - H04Q 9/00: Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom - G01K 3/14: in respect of space - G01K 13/00: Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes - G01M 15/12: by monitoring vibrations - G01N 29/36: Detecting the response signal {, e.g. electronic circuits specially adapted therefor} - G01N 29/50: using auto-correlation techniques or cross-correlation techniques - H04L 43/045: for graphical visualisation of monitoring data - H04L 43/08: Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - H04W 4/38: for collecting sensor information - H04Q 2209/43: using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth® or Zigbee® - H04Q 2209/823: where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - 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) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A system and method for monitoring health of equipment. One step of the method includes securing a plurality of sensor modules on to a plurality of pieces of equipment. Each sensor module is secured on to a separate piece of equipment. An additional step includes generating, by each sensor module, sensor data related to the piece of equipment on to which the sensor module is secured. The sensor data includes vibration data for the piece of equipment, temperature data for the piece of equipment, and temperature data for a location exterior to the piece of equipment. An additional step includes processing, by each sensor module, the sensor data generated by the sensor module into a data packet, with the data packet including the sensor data. An additional step includes transmitting the data packet from each sensor module to a gateway over a local communications network. A further step includes transmitting the sensor data from the gateway to a server device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for monitoring health of equipment, said method comprising the steps of: securing a plurality of sensor modules on to a plurality of pieces of equipment, wherein each sensor module is secured on to a separate piece of equipment; generating, by each sensor module, sensor data related to the piece of equipment on to which the sensor module is secured, wherein the sensor data includes vibration data for the piece of equipment, temperature data for the piece of equipment, and temperature data for a location exterior to the piece of equipment; processing, by each sensor module, the sensor data generated by the sensor module into a data packet, wherein the data packet includes the sensor data; transmitting the data packet from each sensor module to a gateway over a local communications network; and transmitting the sensor data from the gateway to a server device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the sensor data into a data packet includes formatting the sensor data according to a subnetwork access protocol. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of processing the sensor data into a data packet includes encrypting the sensor data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of analyzing, by the gateway, the data packets received from the sensor modules to determine if any data packets are missing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein each data packet includes a message identifier, wherein the step of analyzing the data packets to determine if any data packets are missing includes analyzing the message identifiers of the data packets. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of upon determining that one or more data packets are missing, requesting, by the gateway, for one or more sensor modules to re-transmit the one or more missing data packets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the gateway is configured to only request for the sensor modules to re-transmit the missing data packets for a period of time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including the step of storing the sensor data on a database associated with the server device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further including the step of presenting at least a portion of the sensor data stored on the database of the server device as part of a graphical user interface generated on a computing device of a user. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating, by each sensor module, sensor data, includes generating battery data for a battery included in the sensor module. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each piece of equipment comprises a motor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the temperature data for the location exterior to the motor comprises temperature data for a piece of machinery powered by the motor. ### Claim 13 A sensor module system for monitoring health of equipment, said sensor module system comprising: a plurality of sensor modules, each mounted to a piece of equipment, wherein each sensor module is configured to generate sensor data relevant to the piece of equipment to which said sensor module is mounted, wherein the sensor data includes vibration data for the piece of equipment, temperature data for the piece of equipment, and temperature data for a location exterior to the piece of equipment; wherein each sensor module is configured to process the sensor data generated by said sensor module into a data packet that includes the sensor data; a gateway configured to receive the data packets from each of said sensor modules; and a server device configured to receive, from said gateway, the sensor data for each sensor module. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The sensor module system of claim 13, wherein said sensor modules are configured to process the sensor data into data packets formatted according to a subnetwork access protocol. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The sensor module system of claim 13, wherein said sensor modules are configured to encrypt the sensor data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The sensor module system of claim 13, wherein said gateway is configured to analyze the data packets received from said sensor modules to determine if any data packets are missing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The sensor module system of claim 16, wherein each data packet includes a message identifier, wherein said gateway is configured to analyze the message identifiers of the data packets to determine if any data packets are missing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The sensor module system of claim 13, wherein said server device includes a non-transitory computer readable storage medium with a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program is configured to instruct a processor to perform the following step: generate a graphical user interface that displays at least a portion of the sensor data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The sensor module system of claim 18, wherein the computer program is further configured to instruct the processor to perform the following step: present, via the graphical user interface, the sensor data in a chart, wherein the chart illustrates the sensor data with respect to time. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The sensor module system of claim 18, wherein the computer program is further configured to instruct the processor to perform the following step: generate an alert if one or more portions of the sensor data exceeds a maximum value.