Vehicle system prognosis device and method

A vehicle system prognosis device comprising:

• one or more sensors onboard a vehicle, the one or more sensors being configured to detect a predetermined characteristic of a vehicle system and generate a plurality of sensor signals corresponding to the predetermined characteristic;
• an indicator device;
• and
• a processor onboard the vehicle, the processor being connected to the one or more sensors and the indicator device and being configured to
• receive the plurality of sensor signals from the one or more sensors onboard the vehicle and determine an input time series of data based on the plurality of sensor signals;
• cluster a matrix of time series data, generated from the input time series of data, into a predetermined number of hyperplanes;
• extract extracted features that are indicative of an operation of the vehicle system from a sparse temporal matrix based on data point behavior with respect to two or more hyperplanes within the sparse temporal matrix and determine an operational status of the vehicle system based on the extracted features, where the sparse temporal matrix is based on the predetermined number of hyperplanes;
• and
• communicate the operational status of the vehicle system to an operator or crew member of the vehicle through the indicator device.

A method for determining a vehicle system prognosis, the method comprising:

• detecting a predetermined characteristic of a vehicle with one or more sensors onboard the vehicle;
• receiving, with a processor onboard the vehicle, a plurality of sensor signals from the one or more sensors onboard the vehicle and determining, with the processor onboard the vehicle, an input time series of data based on the plurality of sensor signals;
• clustering, with the processor onboard the vehicle, a matrix of time series data, generated from the input time series of data, into a predetermined number of data regions of a data distribution space;
• generating a sparse temporal matrix, with the processor onboard the vehicle, based on data within the predetermined number of data regions, where each data region comprises a hyperplane within the sparse temporal matrix;
• extracting, with the processor onboard the vehicle, one or more of a stability of data points within one or more hyperplanes, a fracturing of data points between two or more hyperplanes, and a transition of data points from one hyperplane to another hyperplane, and determining an operational status of the vehicle system based on hyperplane data point behavior;
• and
• communicating, with the processor onboard the vehicle, the operational status of the vehicle system to an operator or crew member of the vehicle.