1. A method for determining an engine part life usage of a gas turbine engine life limited part used on an aircraft, said method comprising:
operating a gas turbine engine that includes a plurality of rotating components and a plurality of sensors configured to monitor a plurality of gas turbine engine operating parameters;
continuously sampling the plurality of sensors during each flight using an engine control system coupled to the gas turbine engine;
obtaining outputs from the plurality of sensors;
sorting the sensor outputs based on predefined events using the engine control system;
transmitting at least some of the sorted sensor outputs to a remote server for viewing by at least one customer; and
utilizing the at least some of the sorted outputs to calculate the life usage of at least one life limited part to facilitate tracking the life-usage of an individual life limited part on the gas turbine engine that is consumed on a flight by flight basis.
2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:
acquiring at least one data snapshot during engine operation, wherein the data snapshot includes a plurality of engine parameters collected at a single time interval; and
storing the data snapshot within a computer that is coupled to the gas turbine engine.
3. A method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising
comparing at least one parameter within the data snapshot to a known value during the flight; and
outputting a K-factor for each life limited part based on the at least one parameter.
4. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein comparing at least one parameter within the data snapshot to a known value further comprises:
comparing the at least one parameter to a predetermined value stored within a matrix; and
outputting a K-factor based on the comparison on each flight.
5. A method in accordance with claim 3 further comprising:
summing a plurality of K-factors generated for a single life limited part; and
comparing the summed K-factors to a predetermined limit to facilitate tracking the life-usage of individual life limited parts.
6. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:
determining a down select criteria;
filtering the plurality of outputs to determine if the down select criteria is true;
downloading the plurality of outputs into a computer that is coupled to the gas turbine engine if the down select criteria is true; and
compressing the downloaded plurality of outputs into a single data file that is stored within the computer that is installed on the aircraft.
7. A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising:
inputting the plurality of outputs into a performance cycle model;
combining the performance model and the plurality of outputs into a single data file; and
compressing the performance model calculated data and the plurality of outputs into a single data file that is stored within the computer that is installed on the aircraft.
8. A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising:
transferring the compressed file to a ground based facility; and
utilizing the compressed file to facilitate tracking the life usage of individual life limited parts on the gas turbine engine.
9. A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising:
transferring the compressed file to a ground based facility; and
utilizing the compressed file to facilitate tracking the life usage of individual life limited parts on the gas turbine engine on a flight by flight basis.
10. A method in accordance with claim 9 further comprising:
generating a plurality of compressed files; and
providing the compressed files to a customer to facilitate assessing the cumulative life usage of a plurality of life limited parts.
11. A control system coupled to a gas turbine engine, wherein the gas turbine engine includes a plurality of life limited parts, and a plurality of sensors configured to monitor a plurality of gas turbine engine operating parameters, said control system is configured to:
operate the gas turbine engine;
continuously sample the plurality of sensors during each flight using said control system coupled to the gas turbine engine;
obtain outputs from the plurality of sensors;
sort the sensors outputs based on predefined events using said control system;
transmit at least some of the sorted sensor outputs to a remote server for viewing by at least one customer; and
utilize the at least some of the sorted outputs to calculate the life usage of at least one of said life limited parts to facilitate tracking the life-usage of an individual life limited part on the gas turbine engine that is consumed on a flight by flight basis.
12. A control system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said control system is further configured to:
acquire at least one data snapshot during engine operation, wherein said data snapshot includes a plurality of engine parameters collected at a single time interval; and
store said data snapshot within said control system.
13. A control system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said control system is further configured to:
compare at least one parameter within said data snapshot to a known value during the flight; and
output a K-factor for each life limited part based on the at least one parameter.
14. A control system in accordance with claim 13, wherein said control system is further configured to:
compare the at least one parameter to a predetermined value stored within a matrix; and
output a K-factor based on the comparison on each flight.
15. A control system in accordance with claim 13, wherein said control system is further configured to:
download a plurality of K-factors generated for a single life limited part such that a customer can sum the plurality of K-factors and compare the summed K-factors to a predetermined limit to facilitate tracking the life-usage of individual life limited parts.
16. A control system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said control system is further configured to:
receive a down select criteria;
filter the plurality of outputs to determine if the down select criteria is true;
download the plurality of outputs into a computer that is coupled to the gas turbine engine if the down select criteria is true; and
compress the downloaded plurality of outputs into a single data file that is stored within said computer that is installed on the aircraft.
17. A control system in accordance with claim 16, wherein said control system is further configured to:
input the plurality of outputs into a performance cycle model;
combine the performance model calculated data and the plurality of outputs into a single data file; and
compress the performance model calculated data and the plurality of outputs into a single data file that is stored within the computer that is installed on the aircraft.
18. A control system in accordance with claim 16, wherein said control system is further configured to:
transfer the compressed file to a ground based facility such that a customer can utilize the compressed file to facilitate tracking the life-usage of individual life limited parts on the gas turbine engine.
19. A control system in accordance with claim 16, wherein said control system is further configured to:
transfer the compressed file to a ground based facility such that a customer can utilize the compressed file to facilitate tracking the life usage of individual life limited parts on the gas turbine engine on a flight by flight basis.
20. A control system in accordance with claim 19, wherein said control system is further configured to generate a plurality of compressed files to facilitate a customer assessing the cumulative life usage of a plurality of life limited parts.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A sound source control information generating apparatus, adapted for generating sound source control information which controls a sound source means that generates a musical sound based on striking on a struck head of a percussion instrument that comprises a housing and the struck head, and the sound source control information generating apparatus comprising:
a first acquisition means obtaining an output value of a first sensor that detects striking on the housing;
a second acquisition means obtaining an output value of a second sensor that detects the striking on the struck head;
a memory control means storing information that is based on the output value obtained by the first acquisition means in a memory means;
a striking detection means detecting the striking, which triggers sound generation, on the struck head based on the output value obtained by the second acquisition means;
a determining means, wherein if the striking, which triggers the sound generation, is detected by the striking detection means, the determining means determines whether the housing is struck in a predetermined time interval before a timing of detecting the striking based on a content stored in the memory means; and
a generation means, wherein if the determining means determines that the housing is struck in the predetermined time interval, the generation means generates musical sound control information that differs from a situation where the determining means determines that the housing is not struck in the predetermined time interval.
2. The sound source control information generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the output value obtained by the first acquisition means is determined as the striking on the housing, the memory control means stores the information that is based on the output value in the memory means to identify a timing that the output value is obtained by the first acquisition means.
3. The sound source control information generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory control means stores the information that is based on the output value obtained by the first acquisition means sequentially in the memory means.
4. The sound source control information generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the output value obtained by the second acquisition means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the memory control means does not store the information that is based on the output value obtained by the first acquisition means in the memory means.
5. The sound source control information generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information that the memory control means stores in the memory means is the output value obtained by the first acquisition means, and
the determining means determines that the housing is struck if the output value stored in the memory means is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and determines that the housing is not struck if the output value stored in the memory means is not equal to or not greater than the predetermined value.
6. The sound source control information generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generation means generates the musical sound control information that is based on the output value obtained by the second acquisition means if the determining means determines that the housing is not struck in the predetermined time interval, and generates the musical sound control information that is based on the output value obtained by the second acquisition means and the information stored in the memory means if the determining means determines that the housing is struck in the predetermined time interval.
7. The sound source control information generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the musical sound control information is a tone control parameter or a volume control parameter.
8. A program adapted for causing a computer to function as the sound source control information generating apparatus of claim 1.
9. A sound source control information generating apparatus, adapted for generating sound source control information which controls a sound source means that generates a musical sound based on striking on a struck head of a percussion instrument that comprises a housing and the struck head, and the sound source control information generating apparatus comprising:
a first determining means determining whether the housing is struck based on a first output value, which is an output value of a first sensor that at least detects the striking on the housing;
a second determining means determining whether the striking on the struck head triggers sound generation based on a second output value, which is an output value of a second sensor that at least detects the striking on the struck head and is different from the first sensor;
a third determining means determining whether the housing is struck in a predetermined time interval before the striking that triggers the sound generation based on a determination result of the first determining means and a determination result of the second determining means; and
a generation means, wherein if the third determining means determines that the housing is struck in the predetermined time interval before the striking that triggers the sound generation, the generation means generates musical sound control information that differs from a situation where the third determining means determines that the housing is not struck in the predetermined time interval before the striking that triggers the sound generation.
10. The sound source control information generating apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a memory control means, wherein if the first determining means determines that the housing is struck, the memory control means stores information that is based on the first output value corresponding to the determination in the memory means to identify a timing of obtaining the first output value, and
the third determining means determines whether the housing is struck in the predetermined time interval before the striking that triggers the sound generation based on a memory content stored in the memory means.
11. The sound source control information generating apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a time counting means that starts counting time if the first determining means determines that the housing is struck, wherein
the third determining means determines that the housing is struck in the predetermined time interval before the striking that triggers the sound generation if the second determining means determines that the striking that triggers the sound generation occurs in a time period before the predetermined time interval lapses by the time counting means.
12. The sound source control information generating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first determining means determines that the housing is struck if the first output value outputted by the first sensor is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value and the second output value outputted by the second sensor is not equal to or not greater than a second predetermined value at a timing that the first sensor outputs the first output value, and determines that the housing is not struck if the second output value outputted by the second sensor is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value at the timing that the first sensor outputs the first output value.
13. The sound source control information generating apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a memory control means storing the information that is based on the first output value sequentially in the memory means, wherein
the third determining means determines whether the housing is struck in the predetermined time interval before the striking that triggers the sound generation based on the information stored in the memory means.
14. The sound source control information generating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the generation means generates the musical sound control information that is based on the second output value if the third determining means determines that the housing is not struck in the predetermined time interval before the striking that triggers the sound generation, and generates the musical sound control information that is based on the first output value and the second output value if the third determining means determines that the housing is struck in the predetermined time interval before the striking that triggers the sound generation.
15. The sound source control information generating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the musical sound control information is a tone control parameter or a volume control parameter.
16. A sound source control information generating method, adapted for generating sound source control information which controls a sound source means that generates a musical sound based on striking on a struck head of a percussion instrument that comprises a housing and the struck head, and the sound source control information generating method comprising:
using a first determining means to determine whether the housing is struck based on a first output value, which is an output value of a first sensor that at least detects the striking on the housing;
using a second determining means to determine whether the striking on the struck head triggers sound generation based on a second output value, which is an output value of a second sensor that at least detects the striking on the struck head and is different from the first sensor;
using a third determining means to determine whether the housing is struck in a predetermined time interval before the striking that triggers the sound generation based on a determination result of the first determining means and a determination result of the second determining means,
wherein if the third determining means determines that the housing is struck in the predetermined time interval before the striking that triggers the sound generation, using a generation means to generate musical sound control information that differs from a situation where the third determining means determines that the housing is not struck in the predetermined time interval before the striking that triggers the sound generation.