US 12,135,545 B2
Systems and methods for automatically scheduling maintenance
Daniel J. Reaume, Midland, MI (US)
Assigned to Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed by Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US)
Filed on Mar. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/219,661.
Prior Publication US 2022/0317676 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. G05B 23/02 (2006.01); G06N 20/00 (2019.01); G06Q 10/0631 (2023.01); G06Q 10/0635 (2023.01); G06Q 10/20 (2023.01)
CPC G05B 23/0283 (2013.01) [G06N 20/00 (2019.01); G06Q 10/06312 (2013.01); G06Q 10/0635 (2013.01); G06Q 10/20 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for scheduling maintenance of equipment, the method comprising:
(a) developing, by a processor, one or more mathematical models, wherein the one or more mathematical models predict a failure time value associated with a future failure of a first component of equipment based on first component data associated with the first component;
(b) collecting, by a sensor monitoring the first component, pre-emptive maintenance data associated with a pre-emptive maintenance task associated with the first component,
wherein the pre-emptive maintenance data includes a flag configured to indicate an impending failure of the first component;
(c) collecting preventive maintenance data associated with a preventive maintenance task, wherein the preventive maintenance data comprises costs associated with replacing a second component prior to the preventive maintenance task;
(d) applying, by the processor, the one or more mathematical models to component data to predict the failure time value associated with the future failure of the first component;
(e) analyzing, by the processor, the pre-emptive maintenance data, the preventive maintenance data, and the failure time value to determine an optimal time to perform a maintenance event that includes the preventive maintenance task and the pre-emptive maintenance task; and
determining, by the processor, whether the flag indicates the impending failure of the first component;
upon determining the flag indicates impending failure of the first component, periodically repeat steps (a)-(e);
inputting, by the processor, the optimal time to a timetable system to schedule next maintenance event;
wherein determining the optimal time comprises minimizing a total cost of the maintenance.