1. A method of monitoring and detecting in real-time a fault of a monitored apparatus comprising:
collecting a reference image fault database by taking fault images of a reference apparatus when the reference apparatus experiences a fault, the reference apparatus being substantially similar to the monitored apparatus;
monitoring the monitored apparatus by taking a real-time image of the monitored apparatus with at least one camera;
communicating the real-time image of the monitored apparatus from the at least one camera to at least one computer processing unit;
detecting a real-time fault of the monitored apparatus using said at least one computer processing unit using a software program by comparing the real-time image of the monitored apparatus to said fault images of said reference apparatus to determine whether the monitored apparatus has a fault; and
communicating via the computer processing unit the detected fault of the monitored apparatus to a user interface and alerting a user as to what corrective action is required.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitored apparatus comprises at least one of an equipment, a tool, a vehicle, a satellite, an aircraft, an underwater device, or an in-space device.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring of the monitored apparatus comprises the at least one camera taking the real-time image of a pre-determined portion of the monitored apparatus.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring of the monitored apparatus comprises the at least one camera taking the real-time image of at least one of a setting, a position, a reading, a color change, or a surface change of said monitored apparatus.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one camera comprises at least one of high-resolution, infrared, high-definition, laser, night-vision, optical, light-illumination, or laser-illumination.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring of the monitored apparatus comprises the at least one camera taking the real-time image of an aircraft during at least one of pre-flight, in-flight, or post-flight.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one camera is mounted on one or more robotic arms.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising at least one of storing the real-time image of the monitored apparatus into a storage database or trending a condition of the monitored apparatus over time based on the real-time image of the monitored apparatus using the at least one computer processing unit.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the at least one computer processing unit determining whether the monitored apparatus is outside of a desired state, determining whether the monitored apparatus is being used improperly, determining remaining life of the monitored apparatus, or determining predicted failure of the monitored apparatus.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising at least one of examining the monitored apparatus, repairing the monitored apparatus, or replacing the monitored apparatus based on the detected real-time fault of the monitored apparatus.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing the method automatically.
12. A system for monitoring and detecting in real-time a fault of a monitored apparatus comprising:
at least one camera for taking a real-time image of the monitored apparatus;
at least one computer processing unit for processing the real-time image of the monitored apparatus taken by the at least one camera;
a reference image fault database in communication with the at least one computer processing unit, said reference image fault database containing fault images of a reference apparatus which were taken when the reference apparatus experienced a fault, the reference apparatus being substantially similar to the monitored apparatus;
programming code in communication with the at least one computer processing unit configured to detect a real-time fault of the monitored apparatus by comparing the real-time image of the monitored apparatus taken by the at least one camera with the fault images of the reference apparatus contained in the reference image fault database; and
a user interface in communication with the computer processing unit, wherein the computer processing unit communicates the detected fault of the monitored apparatus to the user interface and alerts a user as to what corrective action is required.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the system is attached to at least one of equipment, a tool, a vehicle, a satellite, an aircraft, an underwater device, or an in-space device.
14. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one camera is at least one of high-resolution, infrared, high-definition, laser, night-vision, optical, light-illuminated, or laser-illuminated.
15. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one camera is mounted on one or more robotic arms.
16. The system of claim 12 further comprising at least one storage database for storing the real-time fault of the monitored apparatus or trending a condition of the monitored apparatus over time.
17. The system of claim 12 wherein the system is configured to automatically monitor and detect in real-time the fault of the monitored apparatus.
18. The system of claim 12 wherein the programming code is configured to determine whether the monitored apparatus is outside of a desired state, whether the monitored apparatus is being used improperly, a remaining life of the monitored apparatus, or a predicted failure of the monitored apparatus.
19. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring the monitored apparatus comprises taking continuous real-time images of the monitored apparatus with the at least one camera.
20. The method of claim 9 further comprising the at least one computer processing unit determining whether the monitored apparatus is being used improperly.
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 method of estimating the remaining state-of-charge of a non-rechargeable power source configured as a back-up power source for an electronic module normally powered by a primary power source, comprising the steps of:
a) calculating a self-discharge factor based on temperature;
b) combining a nominal self-discharge rate of the non-rechargeable power source with the self-discharge factor and an initial state of charge of the non-rechargeable power source to produce a temperature-adjusted self-discharge quantity;
c) calculating a quantity of parasitic leakage current draw from the non rechargeable power source;
d) calculating a quantity of voltage sampling current draw from the non-rechargeable power source;
e) calculating a quantity of transient current draw from the non-rechargeable power source; and
f) subtracting the temperature-adjusted self-discharge quantity, the quantity of parasitic leakage current draw, the quantity of voltage sampling current draw, and the quantity of transient current draw from the initial state-of-charge of the non-rechargeable power source to thereby estimate a remaining state-of-charge of the non-rechargeable power source.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial state-of-charge of the non-rechargeable power source is based on the ampere-hour rating of the non-rechargeable power source.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the nominal self-discharge rate of the non-rechargeable power source is based on the self-discharge rating of the non-rechargeable power source.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the self-discharge factor calculation is based on measured temperature values of the non-rechargeable power source.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the self-discharge factor calculation is based on interpolated self-discharge factor values.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the parasitic leakage quantity from the non-rechargeable power source is based on a predetermined value of the parasitic leakage current.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the quantity of voltage sampling current draw from the non-rechargeable power source is based on a predetermined value of current drain during voltage sampling.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the quantity of transient current draw from the non-rechargeable power source is based on a predetermined value of current drain during a low power operating mode of the electronic module.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the transient current draw occurs when the non-rechargeable power source is used to power the electronic module at less than full power when the primary power source is removed.
10. A back-up power source for an electronic module connected to a primary power source, comprising:
a power source having an initial ampere-hour rating and a nominal self-discharge rate;
a temperature measuring device configured to measure the temperature of the power source; and
a processor associated with the electronic module and coupled to the\u2014temperature measuring device;
wherein the processor is configured to receive the temperature measurements of the power source from the temperature measuring device, and to calculate therefrom a temperature-adjusted self-discharge quantity for the power source, and wherein the processor is further configured to calculate an estimated remaining state-of-charge of the power source, based on the reduction of the initial ampere-hour rating due to the temperature-adjusted self-discharge quantity, and on the further reduction of the initial ampere-hour rating due to a cumulative parasitic leakage current draw, a cumulative voltage sampling check current draw, and a cumulative low power mode transient current draw.
11. The back-up power source of claim 10 wherein the temperature-measuring device is a thermistor.
12. The back-up power source of claim 10 wherein the parasitic leakage current draw accumulates during the time that the back-up power source is connected to the electronic module.
13. The back-up power source of claim 10 wherein the voltage sampling check current draw accumulates only when the back-up power source connection to the electronic module is checked.
14. The back-up power source of claim 10 wherein the transient current draw accumulates only when there is a loss of primary power and the electronic module is operating from the back-up power source in a low power mode.
15. A method for estimating the remaining state-of-charge of a power source, the method comprising the following algorithm:
C(N)=C0*{1\u2212SUMR*E1+R*E2}\u2212IL*TL\u2212IM*TM\u2212IC*TC
where C(N) is the remaining state-of-charge;
where C0 is an initial state-of-charge of the non-rechargeable power source;
where R is a nominal self-discharge rate for the non-rechargeable power source;
where E1 is a temperature-adjusted discharge factor;
where E2 is a temperature-averaged discharge factor;
where IL*TL is a cumulative parasitic leakage current draw;
where IM*TM is a cumulative monitor current draw; and
where IC*TC is a voltage check current draw.