Augmented industrial management

{
  "publication_number": "US11721195B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Augmented industrial management",
  "abstract": "A system and method for providing prescriptive analytics in an industrial process wherein a machine tap collects raw performance data from a machine, a machine user interface collects context data on operation of the machine, a server aggregates the performance data and context data, and an analytics engine analyzes the performance data and context data and generates analytics data. An alert engine compares the performance data, context data, and analytics data against a trigger definition, creates an alert if the trigger definition is satisfied, and sends the alert to a remote device to provide prescriptive guidance for improving process performance.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A system for improving operator performance in augmented industrial management of a manufacturing process, the system comprising: a plurality of industrial machines, each industrial machine operated by an operator and comprising: a machine tap comprising an input device and a sensor connected to the industrial machine for collecting raw performance data from the industrial machine continuously over time about machine function from one or more sensor readings, the raw performance data comprising machine state data; a machine user interface connected to the machine tap comprising a screen and a graphical user interface for collecting and displaying context data on operation of the industrial machine from the operator using tag inputs, wherein the machine user interface provides the operator with real-time information on the machine function and process productivity and queries the operator with one or more tags to enter data on the function of the industrial machine describing the machine state at a particular time, the context data comprising an identification of the operator operating the industrial machine; a server connected to the machine user interface of each of the plurality of industrial machines for aggregating the performance data and the context data for each of the plurality of industrial machines; an analytics engine, in a processor, for generating analytics data and detecting trends in operator performance based on the performance data and the context data to compare physical parameters against known engineering limits and identify optimized process characteristics of an individual outperforming operator; an alert engine, in a processor, comprising an algorithm for comparing the performance data, the context data, and the analytics data of each of the plurality of industrial machines against a trigger definition, the alert engine creating an alert if the trigger definition is satisfied comprising a prescriptive action for the operator to improve operator process performance compared to the individual outperforming operator, the trigger condition based on the machine state; and a remote device for receiving the alert created by the alert engine by the operator, the alert indicating instructions for the operator to take the prescriptive action comprising the optimized process characteristics to improve the operator process performance, the prescriptive action identified as improving the operator process performance to limit loss or contribute to productivity gain in the industrial process.",
    "2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a context tap connected to the machine user interface for collecting additional context data.",
    "3. The system of claim 1, wherein the context data comprises one or more of identification of the part being manufactured, step of manufacturing, batch information, information on the primary materials being processed by the machine, work order identification, machine task in progress, and tag describing the machine state at a particular time.",
    "4. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine state data comprises one or more of machine count, machine running speed, and sensor data.",
    "5. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert engine comprises a plurality of trigger definitions.",
    "6. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger definition comprises one or more of up-time, down time, counts, rates, error codes, timestamping, and context tags.",
    "7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor in the machine tap detects one or more of sound frequency, sound pressure, sound pressure level, sound intensity, sound power, equipment electrical energy consumption, change in electrical current consumption, voltage, change in voltage, temperature, thermal imaging, motion, emitted light or light intensity, imagery, depth image, point cloud, air flow, vibration, acceleration, mechanical forces, and electro-magnetic radiation.",
    "8. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger definition comprises analytics data.",
    "9. The system of claim 1, wherein the analytics engine tracks a response time between the alert received at the remote device and a time the alert is addressed.",
    "10. The system of claim 9, wherein the response time is gamified to incentivize shorter response times.",
    "11. The system of claim 1, wherein the prescriptive action comprises one or more of scheduling of operator activities, directed operator training, scheduling of machine calibration, scheduling of materials supply filling, scheduling of operator planned downtime, and changing industrial machine location.",
    "12. A method of improving operator performance in augmented industrial management in a manufacturing process, the method comprising: for a plurality of industrial machines, each industrial machine operated by an operator: collecting raw performance data from each industrial machine about machine function using a machine tap comprising an input device and a sensor to obtain one or more sensor readings continuously over time, the raw performance data comprising machine state data; collecting context data on operation of the industrial machine on a machine user interface connected to the machine tap comprising a screen and a graphical user interface by displaying to an operator real-time information on the machine function and querying the operator with one or more tags requesting information on the machine state of the industrial machine at a particular time, the machine user interface providing the operator with real-time information on the machine state and process productivity at a particular time, the context data comprising an identification of the operator operating the industrial machine; aggregating the raw performance data and the context data for each industrial machine; analyzing the raw performance data and the context data for each the plurality of industrial machines in a processor to compare physical parameters against known engineering limits and detect trends in individual operator performance which identify optimized process characteristics of an outperforming operator and generate analytics data; for at least one of the plurality of industrial machines, comparing the raw performance data, the context data, and the analytics data, in a processor, against a trigger definition, the trigger condition based on the machine state; and, if the trigger definition is satisfied: generating an alert, the alert comprising a prescriptive action for the operator to improve operator process compared to the individual outperforming operator based on the optimized process characteristics, the prescriptive action identified as improving the operator process performance to limit loss or contribute to productivity gain in the industrial process; sending the alert to a remote device; and confirming that the alert is actioned.",
    "13. The method of claim 12, wherein the context data is collected at one or more of a machine user interface, enterprise resource system, server, and database.",
    "14. The method of claim 12, wherein the machine state data comprises one or more of machine count, machine running speed, and sensor data.",
    "15. The method of claim 12, wherein the context data comprises one or more of identification of one or more of the part being manufactured, step of manufacturing, batch information, information on the primary materials being processed by the machine, work order identification, machine task in progress, and tag describing the machine state at a particular time.",
    "16. The method of claim 12, wherein the alert is sent in real-time.",
    "17. The method of claim 12, wherein the alert reports a machine performance metric to one or more of the remote device and machine user interface.",
    "18. The method of claim 12, further comprising clearing a tag once the queried machine function information is received from the operator.",
    "19. The method of claim 12, wherein the prescriptive action comprises one or more of scheduling of operator activities, directed operator training, scheduling of machine calibration, scheduling of materials supply filling, scheduling of operator planned downtime, and changing industrial machine location."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention pertains to a system and method for augmented industrial management using prescriptive analytics to improve industrial process performance.\n\nIn manufacturing facilities, the effective use of equipment and operator skill and time are important factors in determining operational performance and production line efficiency. With increased global competition, maximizing the efficiency of all assets and operators within a manufacturing plant is key to economic viability and productivity.\n\nOne commonly used measure to track equipment utilization is Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), which is a measure of the time equipment is used compared to the time the equipment is available, multiplied by the quality of product produced. OEE focuses on where productive time is lost in a manufacturing process so that lost time can be addressed and the process made more efficient. In an OEE analysis, loss can occur as unplanned stops such as machine failure, material shortage, machine setup and machine adjustment time, or planned stops such as machine changeover time or scheduled maintenance. Whether planned or unplanned, any event that stops production for an appreciable length of time creates loss since it is time that could otherwise be used for manufacturing.\n\nThere are many ways to measure production line efficiency. U.S. Pat. No. 9,471,452 to McElhinney et al.",
  "cpc": [
    "G08B 21/187",
    "F16P 3/00",
    "G05B 19/05",
    "G05B 2219/15117",
    "G05B 23/0235",
    "G06Q 10/20",
    "Y02P 90/80"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G08B 21/18",
    "F16P 3/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Raven Telemetry Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Braden Stenning",
    "Martin Cloake",
    "James Robinson"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-10-05",
  "publication_date": "2023-08-08",
  "grant_date": "2023-08-08",
  "priority_date": "2017-10-06",
  "application_number": "US-201816152441-A",
  "family_id": "65993998",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
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}