Automated recommendation engine and virtual space for monitoring physical assets requiring special attention

Abstract

Within conventional asset management systems, it is difficult to identify and manage physical assets that require special attention (e.g., transformers in an electrical network) from potentially thousands of physical assets within a target system. Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments provide a recommendation engine that automatically recommends physical assets for special attention based on one or more criteria. In addition, physical assets that are approved for special attention are added to a virtual special attention space that enables a particular subset of physical assets that require special attention to be retrieved in a computationally inexpensive manner and managed within a specialized graphical user interface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments described herein generally relate to asset management, and more specifically to recommendation engines and virtual spaces for monitoring physical assets that require special care. Background Technology

[0002] Power systems typically comprise multiple physical assets. Conventional management systems used to monitor these assets do not provide any means for quickly and intuitively identifying and managing subsets of physical assets requiring special attention or monitoring. For example, a typical asset management platform for an operator might manage thousands of power transformers scattered across a very large geographic service area (e.g., several states or provinces, one or more countries, etc.). Of these thousands of transformers, only a few may require special attention (e.g., due to their operating condition, age, environment, or hazard level to the overall power system). Typically, operators must manually identify and track each of these special assets. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media are disclosed for recommendation engines and virtual spaces for monitoring physical assets requiring special attention. The disclosed embodiments offer numerous advantages over current technology. One objective achievable through the disclosed embodiments is to automate recommendations for special attention to physical assets. Another objective achievable through the disclosed embodiments is to automate recommendations and the initiation of special attention actions that adjust resources to improve the monitoring of physical assets requiring special attention. Yet another objective achievable through the disclosed embodiments is to group physical assets requiring special attention into one or more virtual special attention spaces, which enable the computationally inexpensive retrieval of such physical assets for asset management. A further objective achievable through the disclosed embodiments is a specialized graphical user interface for managing physical assets requiring special attention.

[0004] In an embodiment, a method for monitoring multiple physical assets includes using at least one hardware processor to perform the following operations: receiving data associated with the multiple physical assets from one or more data sources, wherein the data includes one or more measurement parameters of one or more of the multiple physical assets; for each of the multiple physical assets: determining whether to recommend special attention to the physical asset based on the data associated with that physical asset; and when it is determined that special attention to the physical asset is recommended: providing the recommendation to special attention to the physical asset to at least one recipient; receiving approval or rejection of special attention to the physical asset from the at least one recipient; and when approval to special attention to the physical asset is received, adjusting resources used for monitoring the physical asset based on the reasons for the special attention.

[0005] The plurality of physical assets may include multiple electrical assets within an electrical network. The plurality of physical assets may include at least one transformer.

[0006] Determining whether to recommend special attention to physical assets may include: calculating the location of the physical asset across multiple dimensions, wherein the multiple dimensions include the importance of the physical asset and the probability of failure of the physical asset; determining whether the calculated location is within a predefined area of ​​the multiple dimensions; and when the calculated location is determined to be within the predefined area, determining that special attention to the physical asset is recommended.

[0007] The data may further include one or both of the following: environmental data, representing information about the physical environment of one or more of the plurality of physical assets; or socio-political data, representing one or more socio-political events affecting the physical environment of one or more of the plurality of physical assets. Determining whether to recommend special attention to a physical asset may include: determining, based on one or both of the environmental data or socio-political data of the physical asset, whether the physical environment of the physical asset presents a potential hazard during the current or future time period; and determining that special attention to the physical asset is recommended when the physical environment is determined to present a potential hazard during the current or future time period.

[0008] Determining whether to recommend special care for physical assets may include: determining whether an event that could affect the functionality of the physical asset has occurred in the current or past time period; and, if such an event has occurred in the current or past time period, determining whether to recommend special care for the physical asset. This event could be the repair, reinstallation, maintenance, or testing of the physical asset.

[0009] Adjusting resources may include increasing the number of sensors that measure one or more parameters of the physical asset, increasing the frequency of testing the physical asset, making access to the physical asset's data available to one or more experts, and / or deploying systems to monitor the environment around the physical asset.

[0010] The method may further include using the at least one hardware processor to: for each of the plurality of physical assets, when it is determined that special attention should be given to the physical asset and approval for special attention is received, marking the representation of the physical asset with a special attention indication in the asset management system. The at least one hardware processor may be included in the asset management system, and the method may further include using the at least one hardware processor to: generate a graphical user interface including information about each of the plurality of physical assets, wherein the information in the graphical user interface distinguishes the representations of physical assets marked with special attention from the representations of physical assets not marked with special attention. Each representation of a physical asset marked with special attention may be distinguished from the representation of a physical asset not marked with special attention by an icon indicating the reason for giving special attention to the physical asset corresponding to that representation.

[0011] It should be understood that any of the features in the above methods may be implemented individually or in any combination with any subset of other features. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments are not limited to these specific dependencies to the extent that the appended claims would imply particular dependencies between features. Rather, any of the features described herein may be combined with any other feature described herein, or implemented in any combination of any features without any one or more other features described herein. Additionally, any of the methods described above and elsewhere herein may be embodied individually or in any combination in an executable software module of a processor-based system (such as a server) and / or in executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Attached Figure Description

[0012] By studying the accompanying drawings, details of both the structure and operation of the invention can be partially gathered. Similar reference numerals in the drawings refer to similar parts, and in the drawings: Figure 1 The illustration shows an example infrastructure that can implement any of the processes described herein, according to an embodiment; Figure 2 An example processing system according to an embodiment is illustrated, which can perform any of the processes described herein; Figure 3The illustration shows an example data flow for managing a target system according to an embodiment; Figure 4 An example of a special attention architecture according to an embodiment is illustrated; Figure 5 An example of a special care process according to an embodiment is illustrated; Figure 6A and Figure 6B The illustration shows an example of a first criterion for giving special attention to physical assets for automated recommendations according to an embodiment; Figure 7-9 An example of a screen for a graphical user interface according to an embodiment is illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0013] In the embodiments, systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media are disclosed for recommendation engines and virtual spaces used to monitor physical assets requiring special attention. After reading this specification, it will become apparent to those skilled in the art how the invention can be practiced in various alternative embodiments and applications. However, although various embodiments of the invention will be described herein, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and illustration only and not by way of limitation. Therefore, this detailed description of various embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope or breadth of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

[0014] 1. Infrastructure Figure 1The illustration depicts an example infrastructure that may implement any of the disclosed processes according to an embodiment. The infrastructure may include a management system 110 (e.g., including one or more servers) that hosts and / or executes one or more of the various processes described herein, which may be implemented in software and / or hardware. Examples of management system 110 include, but are not limited to, asset monitoring or management systems (AMS), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, power management systems (PMS), energy management systems (EMS), distribution management systems (DMS), advanced DMS (ADMS), and so on. As a specific example, management system 110 may consist of, include, or be included in a Lumada® Asset Performance Management (APM) system provided by Hitachi Vantara, Santa Clara, California. Management system 110 may include dedicated servers or, alternatively, be implemented in a computing cloud where the computing resources of one or more servers are dynamically and elastically allocated to multiple tenants based on demand. In either case, these servers may be co-located (e.g., in a single data center) and / or geographically distributed (e.g., across multiple data centers). The management system 110 may also include software 112 and / or database 114, or be communicatively connected to software 112 and / or database 114. Additionally, the management system 110 may be communicatively connected to one or more user systems 130, target systems 140, and / or third-party systems 150 via one or more networks 120.

[0015] The network 120 may include the Internet, and the management system 110 may communicate with the user systems 130, target systems 140, and / or third-party systems 150 via the Internet using standard transport protocols and proprietary protocols. Standard transport protocols include Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), HTTP Secure (HTTPS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), FTP Secure (FTPS), Secure Shell FTP (SFTP), Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), Open FieldMessage Bus (OpenFMB), IEEE Smart Energy Profile Application Protocol (IEEE 2030.5), Internet Control Center Communication Protocol (ICCP), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61850, etc. Although the management system 110 is illustrated as being connected to various systems via a single set of networks 120, it should be understood that the management system 110 may be connected to various systems via different arrays of one or more networks. For example, management system 110 may be connected via the Internet to a subset of user systems 130, target systems 140, and / or third-party systems 150, but may be connected via an intranet to one or more other user systems 130, target systems 140, and / or third-party systems 150. Furthermore, although only a few user systems 130, target systems 140, and third-party systems 150, one instance of software 112, and one database 114 are illustrated, it should be understood that the infrastructure may include any number of user systems, target systems, third-party systems, software instances, and databases.

[0016] The (multiple) user systems 130 may include any one or more types of computing devices capable of wired and / or wireless communication, including but not limited to desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones or other mobile phones, servers, game consoles, televisions, set-top boxes, electronic kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, embedded controllers, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and / or similar devices. However, it is generally envisioned that the (multiple) user systems 130 will include personal computers, mobile devices, or workstations through which one or more agents of the operator of the target system 140 (e.g., asset administrators) can interact with the management system 110. These interactions may include inputting data (e.g., parameters for configuring the processes described herein) and / or receiving data (e.g., outputs of the processes described herein) via a graphical user interface provided by the management system 110 or by the system between the management system 110 and the (multiple) user systems 130. The graphical user interface may include screens (e.g., web pages) that include a combination of content and elements such as text, images, videos, animations, references (e.g., hyperlinks), frames, inputs (e.g., text boxes, text areas, check boxes, radio buttons, drop-down menus, buttons, forms, etc.), scripts (e.g., JavaScript), and so on, including elements that include or originate from data stored in database 114.

[0017] Target system 140 may include any type of system for which data can be monitored, analyzed, and acted upon. Generally, target system 140 may be any system comprising multiple physical assets being monitored. However, within the context of the specific, non-limiting examples provided throughout this disclosure, it may be assumed that target system 140 includes or is composed of an electrical system. An electrical system may include one or more (and typically more) physical assets (e.g., electrical resources) connected in an electrical network, such as a distribution network, transmission network, and / or similar. Physical assets may include electric generators, energy storage systems, loads (e.g., rechargeable energy storage systems or other controllable loads, uncontrollable loads, etc.), transformers, and / or the like. Electrical networks spanning large geographical areas may have complex characteristics such as network topology, device parameters, line flow limitations, resource response rates, and / or similar characteristics.

[0018] Like the user systems 130, the third-party systems 150 may include any one or more types of computing devices capable of wired and / or wireless communication, including but not limited to desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones or other mobile phones, servers, game consoles, televisions, set-top boxes, electronic kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, embedded controllers, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), sensor-based monitoring systems (e.g., arrays of one or more sensors), and / or similar devices. However, it is generally envisioned that the third-party systems 150 will include servers representing external data sources that supply data to one or more processes implemented by the management system 110.

[0019] The management system 110 executes software 112, which includes one or more software modules that implement one or more of the disclosed processes. Additionally, the management system 110 may include a database 114, a communicative connection to that database, or otherwise access to that database, which stores data input to one or more of the disclosed processes and / or output from one or more of the disclosed processes. Any suitable database may be used as database 114, including but not limited to MySQL™, Oracle™, IBM™, Microsoft SQL™, Access™, PostgreSQL™, MongoDB™, and / or others, and includes cloud-based databases, proprietary databases, and unstructured databases.

[0020] 2. Example processing device Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example wired or wireless system 200 that may be used in conjunction with the various embodiments described herein. For example, system 200 may be used as one or more of, or in combination with, the functions, methods, or other processes described herein (e.g., to store and / or execute software 112), and may represent components of management system 110, user systems(s) 130, target systems(s) 140, third-party systems(s) 150, and / or other processing apparatuses described herein. System 200 may be a server or any conventional personal computer, or any other processor-enabled apparatus capable of wired or wireless data communication. Computer systems and / or architectures other than those illustrated may also be used, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0021] System 200 preferably includes one or more processors 210. The processors 210 may include a central processing unit (CPU). Additional processors may be provided, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an auxiliary processor for managing input / output, an auxiliary processor for performing floating-point mathematical operations, a dedicated microprocessor (e.g., a digital signal processor) with an architecture suitable for fast execution of signal processing algorithms, a processor subordinate to the main processor (e.g., a back-end processor), an additional microprocessor or controller for a dual-processor or multi-processor system, and / or a coprocessor. Such auxiliary processors may be discrete processors or may be integrated with the main processor 210. Examples of processors that can be used with System 200 include, but are not limited to, any of the processors available from Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, California (e.g., Pentium™, Core i7™, Xeon™, etc.), any of the processors available from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) of Santa Clara, California, any of the processors available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino (e.g., A-series, M-series, etc.), any of the processors available from Samsung Electronics Ltd. of Seoul, South Korea (e.g., Exynos™), any of the processors available from NXP Semiconductors of Eindhoven, Netherlands, and / or similar processors.

[0022] Processor 210 is preferably connected to communication bus 205. Communication bus 205 may include a data channel for facilitating information transfer between the storage devices of system 200 and other peripheral components. Furthermore, communication bus 205 may provide a set of signals for communicating with processor 210, including a data bus, an address bus, and / or a control bus (not shown). Communication bus 205 may include any standard or non-standard bus architecture, such as, for example, bus architectures conforming to: Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA), Micro Channel Architecture (MCA), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) local bus, standards issued by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), including IEEE 488 Universal Interface Bus (GPIB), IEEE 696 / S-100, and / or similar.

[0023] System 200 may include main memory 215. Main memory 215 provides storage for instructions and data for programs executed on processor 210, such as one or more processes discussed herein (e.g., embodied as software 112). It should be understood that programs stored in memory and executed by processor 210 may be written and / or compiled in any suitable language, including but not limited to C / C++, Java, JavaScript, Perl, Visual Basic, .NET, etc. Main memory 215 is typically a semiconductor-based memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or static random access memory (SRAM). Other semiconductor-based memory types include, for example, synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), Rambus dynamic random access memory (RDRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), etc., including read-only memory (ROM).

[0024] System 200 may also include secondary memory 220. Secondary memory 220 may optionally include internal media 225 and / or removable media 230. Internal media 225 may include, for example, hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), and / or similar devices. Removable media 230 may include, for example, magnetic tape drives, compact optical disc (CD) drives, digital versatile optical disc (DVD) drives, flash memory drives, and / or the like. Secondary memory 220 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium on which computer-executable code (e.g., software 112) and / or other data is stored. Computer software or data stored on secondary memory 220 is read into main memory 215 for execution by processor 210.

[0025] System 200 may include an input / output (I / O) interface 235. The I / O interface 235 provides an interface between one or more components of system 200 and one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of input devices include, but are not limited to, sensors, keyboards, touchscreens or other touch-sensitive devices, cameras, biometric sensing devices, computer mice, trackballs, pen-based pointing devices, and / or similar devices. Examples of output devices include, but are not limited to, other processing devices, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), plasma displays, light-emitting diode (LED) displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), printers, vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs), surface-conducting electron emission displays (SEDs), field emission displays (FEDs), and / or the like. In some cases, input and output devices may be combined, such as in the case of touch panel displays (e.g., in smartphones, tablets, or other mobile devices).

[0026] System 200 may include a communication interface 240. Communication interface 240 allows the transfer of software and other data between system 200 and external devices, networks, or other external systems 245. For example, data (which may include computer software or executable code) may be transferred from external system 245 (e.g., a network server) to system 200 and / or from system 200 to external system 245 via communication interface 240. Examples of communication interface 240 include built-in network adapters, network interface cards (NICs), PCMCIA network cards, card bus network adapters, wireless network adapters, Universal Serial Bus (USB) network adapters, modems, wireless data cards, communication ports, infrared interfaces, IEEE 1394 FireWire, and any other device capable of interfacing system 200 with a network (e.g., network(s) 120) or another computing device. The communication interface 240 preferably implements industry-issued protocol standards, such as Ethernet IEEE 802 standard, Fibre Channel, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Integrated Digital Service Network (ISDN), Personal Communication Service (PCS), Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Serial Line Internet Protocol / Point-to-Point Protocol (SLIP / PPP), etc., but may also implement custom or non-standard interface protocols.

[0027] Data transmitted via communication interface 240 is typically in the form of electrical communication signals 255. These signals 255 may be provided to communication interface 240 via communication channel 250. In embodiments, communication channel 250 may be a wired or wireless network (e.g., network(s) 120) or any other various communication link. Communication channel 250 carries signals 255 and may be implemented using various wired or wireless communication devices, including wires or cables, optical fibers, conventional telephone lines, cellular telephone links, wireless data communication links, radio frequency (“RF”) links, or infrared links, to name just a few.

[0028] Computer-executable code (e.g., computer programs, such as software 112) is stored in main memory 215 and / or secondary memory 220. Computer programs may also be received via communication interface 240 and stored in main memory 215 and / or secondary memory 220. Such computer programs, when executed, enable system 200 to perform one or more of the processes described elsewhere herein.

[0029] In this specification, the term "computer-readable medium" is used to refer to any non-transitory computer-readable storage medium used to provide computer-executable code and / or other data to or within system 200. Examples of such media include main memory 215, secondary memory 220 (including internal memory 225 and / or removable media 230), and any peripheral device communicatively coupled to communication interface 240, such as external system 245 (e.g., third-party system 150, network information server, or other network device). These non-transitory computer-readable media are devices used to provide executable code, programming instructions, software, and / or other data to processor(s) 210.

[0030] System 200 may also include optional wireless communication components that facilitate wireless communication over voice and / or data networks (e.g., in the case of user system 130 as a smartphone or other mobile device). The wireless communication components include antenna system 270, radio system 265, and baseband system 260. In system 200, radio frequency (RF) signals are transmitted and received over the air by antenna system 270 under the control of radio system 265.

[0031] In one embodiment, antenna system 270 may include one or more antennas and one or more multiplexers (not shown) that perform switching functions to provide transmission and reception signal paths to antenna system 270. In the reception path, received RF signals may be connected from the multiplexer to a low-noise amplifier (not shown), which amplifies the received RF signals and transmits the amplified signals to radio system 265.

[0032] In alternative embodiments, radio system 265 may include one or more radios configured to communicate over various frequencies. In one embodiment, radio system 265 may combine a demodulator (not shown) and a modulator (not shown) in a single integrated circuit (IC). The demodulator and modulator may also be separate components. In the ingress path, the demodulator removes the RF carrier signal, leaving a baseband received signal, which is transmitted from radio system 265 to baseband system 260.

[0033] The baseband system 260 is also communicatively connected to processor(s) 210, which have access to data storage areas 215 and 220. Therefore, data including computer programs can be received from the baseband processor 260 and stored in main memory 210 or secondary memory 220, or executed immediately upon receipt. Such computer programs, when executed, enable system 200 to perform one or more of the disclosed processes.

[0034] 3. Example data stream for target system management Figure 3 An example data flow according to an embodiment is illustrated between a management system 110, a user system 130, and a target system 140. The target system 140 may include at least one monitoring module 310 and a control module 320. The software 112 of the management system 110 may include an analysis and control module 330 and a human-machine interface (HMI) 340. The database 114 of the management system 110 may store a system model 350. It should be understood that communication between the various systems may be performed via networks 120(s). Additionally, communication between a pair of modules may be performed via an application programming interface (API) provided by one of these modules or by other inter-process communication devices.

[0035] Monitoring module 310 can monitor and collect data output from one or more sensors in target system 140 (e.g., sensors in a power system network). Monitoring module 310 can also export data from the collected data. Monitoring module 310 can transmit or “push” the collected and / or exported data as system telemetry data to analysis and control module 330 (e.g., via API of analysis and control module 330). Alternatively, analysis and control module 330 can retrieve or “pull” system telemetry data from monitoring module 310 (e.g., via API of monitoring module 310). System telemetry data may include measurements at each of one or more physical assets or other nodes or points (e.g., buses within a power system) within target system 140. System telemetry data may be communicated from monitoring module 310 to analysis and control module 330 in real time, as data is collected and / or exported, or periodically. As used herein, the term “real-time” includes events that occur simultaneously, as well as events that are time-separated by ordinary delays caused by the latent time of processing, memory access, communication and / or similar situations.

[0036] The analysis and control module 330 receives system telemetry data from the monitoring module 310 and combines the system telemetry data with the system model 350 to determine the configuration of the target system 140 (e.g., the configuration of one or more physical assets, such as transformers in a power system), and then controls the target system 140 to transition to the determined configuration. Specifically, the analysis and control module 330 can generate control signals that are transmitted to the control module 320 of the target system 140. For example, control signals can be sent via the API of the control module 320. Control signals can be communicated from the analysis and control module 330 of the management system 110 to the control module 320 of the target system 140 in real time, when system telemetry data is received and analyzed, periodically (e.g., before a sliding time window), or in response to user actions. The analysis and control module 330 can control the target system 140 automatically (e.g., without any user intervention), semi-automatically (e.g., requiring user approval or confirmation), and / or in response to manual user input.

[0037] The analysis and control module 330 can perform one or more types of analysis, such as power flow analysis, optimal power flow, distributed energy resource (DER) management, situational awareness of the network, contingency planning analysis, security analysis, Volt-Var optimization, load capacity analysis, and so on. Analysis can be performed in response to user actions, or automatically in real-time or periodically. In some cases, analysis can be provided to the user via a human-machine interface 340. In other cases, the analysis and control module 330 can automatically (i.e., without user intervention) or semi-automatically (e.g., with user approval or confirmation) initiate control operations based on the analysis. Initiation of control operations may include transmitting control commands to the target system 140, which can responsively control the target system 140 according to the control commands.

[0038] The control module 320 of the target system 140 receives control signals from the analysis and control module 330 and controls one or more physical assets of the target system 140 based on these control signals. In the context of a power system, examples of such control include setting setpoints (e.g., active and / or reactive power of a power generator, voltage, etc.), adjusting the power output of a power generator, adjusting the charging or discharging of an energy storage system, adjusting the power input to a load, closing or opening switches (e.g., circuit breakers), and / or similar actions.

[0039] The human-machine interface 340 can generate a graphical user interface (GUI) that is transmitted to the user system 130 and receive input from the GUI via the user system 130. The GUI can provide information about the following: the current state of the target system 140 and / or the various physical assets within the target system 140 as determined by system telemetry data; the predicted state of the target system 140 and / or the various physical assets within the target system 140 as determined by the analysis and control module 330; the configuration of the target system 140 and / or the various physical assets within the target system 140 as determined by the analysis and control module 330; control decisions or recommendations for the target system 140 and / or the various physical assets within the target system 140 as determined by the analysis and control module 330; the system model 350 and / or the visual representation of the various physical assets within the target system 140; and / or similar representations. Additionally, a graphical user interface can provide inputs that enable users of user system 130 to configure settings of analysis and control module 330, configure system model 350, specify or approve control of control module 320 to be transmitted to target system 140, analyze target system 140 and / or similar.

[0040] System model 350 may be stored in database 114 and accessed by modules (such as analysis and control module 330) via any known means (e.g., via the API of database 114, direct queries of database 114, etc.). Database 114 may store system models 350 for each target system 140, managed by management system 110. Each system model 350 may model the target system 140 in any suitable manner. For example, system model 350 may include single-line diagrams, systems of equations, and / or similar representations of the physical assets of the network and their relationships to each other. It should be understood that system model 350 may be implemented as a data structure capable of being automatically analyzed by software modules, including analysis and control module 330.

[0041] 4. The example pays special attention to the architecture. Figure 4 An example of a special attention architecture 400 according to an embodiment is illustrated. Analysis and control module 330 may include a recommendation engine 410 and a special attention actuator 420. Recommendation engine 410 applies a set of rules 412 to data 414 to provide automated recommendations for applying special attention to physical assets to a human-machine interface 340. Special attention actuator 420 receives decisions (e.g., operator-specified decisions) from human-machine interface 340 related to applying special attention to physical assets and initiates one or more special attention actions 450 based on those decisions.

[0042] Recommendation engine 410 applies rule 412 to data 414 of one or more (and typically more) physical assets within target system 140. In the context of a power system, target system 140 may include thousands of physical assets. Rule 412 may include predefined logic (e.g., decision trees), one or more machine learning algorithms (e.g., artificial neural networks), and / or any other algorithm that derives recommendations about whether a physical asset should be associated with special attention based on data 414. Specific examples of rule 412 are described elsewhere in this document. Each recommendation output by recommendation engine 410 may identify the physical asset being recommended for special attention, identify the category of special attention being recommended, indicate the reason for the special attention recommendation, identify one or more recommended special attention actions 450 and / or similar actions to be performed.

[0043] Data 414 is received from data layer 430. Data layer 430 may include environmental data 432, asset data 434, socio-political data 436, and / or similar data. Environmental data 432 for physical assets represents information about the physical environment of the physical asset, which may affect the operation of the physical asset. Asset data 434 for physical assets represents information about the operation of the physical asset. Socio-political data 436 for physical assets represents information about known or potential social and / or political events that may affect the physical environment or otherwise affect the operation of the physical asset.

[0044] Data layer 430 may aggregate data from multiple data sources 440. For example, the data sources 440 for environmental data 432 may include: weather sources 441 (e.g., third-party system 150, which may represent a meteorological service), which provide past, present, or future (i.e., forecast) weather information (e.g., temperature, precipitation, wind speed, weather warnings, etc.) related to each physical asset; geographic sources 442 (e.g., third-party system 150, which may represent a map service), which provide information about the geographic location of each physical asset; substation sensors 443 (e.g., monitored by monitoring module 310 of target system 140), which provide one or more measurement parameters of the substation controlling the physical asset; and / or similar. The data source 440 for asset data 434 may include: asset sensors 444 (e.g., monitored by monitoring module 310 of target system 140), which provide one or more measurement parameters for each physical asset (e.g., voltage, current, temperature, humidity, wind, solar charging susceptibility, etc.); asset maintenance records 445 (e.g., stored in database 114), which identify information about the historical service of each physical asset (e.g., the time of the most recent maintenance or the time since the most recent maintenance, the condition of the physical asset during the most recent maintenance, etc.); and / or similar. The data source 440 for sociopolitical data 436 may include: sources 446 (e.g., third-party system 150, representing news services, government agencies, etc.) of current and future events (e.g., protests or other large gatherings, festivals, etc.); law enforcement agencies 447 (e.g., third-party system 150, representing county, state, or federal law enforcement agencies), which can provide information about intimidation or other criminal threats; and / or similar.

[0045] Special attention actuator 420 receives decisions related to physical assets to which special attention should be applied. For example, the decision may include the identification of a physical asset corresponding to the special attention. The decision may also indicate a special attention category to be associated with the physical asset and / or one or more special attention actions 450 to be performed. The decision to associate a physical asset with special attention may be in response to a recommendation output by recommendation engine 410. For example, recommendation engine 410 may recommend associating a specific physical asset with special attention based on applying rule 412 to data 414 via human-machine interface 340. An operator may review and confirm the association between a specific physical asset and special attention, select one or more special attention actions 450 to be performed, and / or similarly, via human-machine interface 340, which are provided as decisions to special attention actuator 420.

[0046] In response to receiving a decision that associates a physical asset with special attention, the special attention actuator 420 may associate the physical asset with special attention and determine and initiate one or more special attention actions 450 to implement the special attention. If the decision indicates that the special attention(s) to be performed on the physical asset, the special attention actuator 420 may initiate the special attention(s) indicated in the decision. Examples of actions requiring special attention 450 include, but are not limited to, deploying additional sensors at the physical asset (e.g., installing wind speed sensors, humidity sensors, dissolved gas analysis (DGA) sensors, load sensors, temperature sensors, image sensors, cloud / solar charging susceptibility sensors, etc.), increasing the frequency of testing the physical asset (e.g., increasing the frequency of DGA testing, bushing power factor testing, winding resistance testing, vector group testing, etc. (if the physical asset is a transformer), increasing the frequency of other relevant tests for other physical assets, etc.), applying expertise to the physical asset (e.g., engaging experts to perform routine inspections, interpret test results, access virtual special attention spaces, inspect for anomalous behavior, etc.), and deploying surveillance of the physical asset (e.g., adding surveillance systems to the physical environment of the physical asset or refocusing existing surveillance systems).

[0047] 5. Example: Pay special attention to the process Figure 5 An example of a special attention process 500 according to an embodiment is illustrated. Although process 500 is illustrated with a certain arrangement and order of subprocesses, process 500 can be implemented with fewer, more, or different subprocesses, as well as different arrangements and / or orders of subprocesses. Furthermore, it should be understood that any subprocess that does not depend on the completion of another subprocess may be executed before, after, and / or in parallel with that other independent subprocess, even if these subprocesses are described or illustrated in a particular order.

[0048] Process 500 can be implemented in the analysis and control module 330, and particularly by a combination of the recommendation engine 410 and the special attention actuator 420. Iterations of process 500 can be performed for each physical asset being monitored in the target system 140. Additionally, for each physical asset, iterations of process 500 can be performed periodically in response to triggering events such as the expiration of a time interval, the availability of new data, user actions (e.g., via human-machine interface 340), and / or similar events.

[0049] In subprocess 505, data 414 is received. As discussed elsewhere herein, data 414 may be collected by data layer 430. Data layer 430 may receive data 414 from multiple data sources 440, which may include: sources within management system 110, such as database 114; and / or sources outside management system 110 (e.g., via networks 120), such as monitoring module 310 within the target system 140 being monitored, third-party system 150, and / or similar. It should be understood that data 414 of a particular physical asset may be received in combination with data 414 of other physical assets within target system 140 (e.g., in a batch).

[0050] Data 414 may include environmental data 432, asset data 434, socio-political data 436, and / or similar data. One or more attributes of the physical asset under consideration may be included in and / or derived from data 414. For example, multiple environmental attributes of the physical asset may be extracted or otherwise derived from environmental data 432, multiple asset-related attributes of the physical asset may be extracted or otherwise derived from asset data 434, and multiple socio-political attributes of the physical asset and / or similar may be extracted or otherwise derived from socio-political data 436.

[0051] In subprocess 510, rule 412 is applied to the attributes(s) extracted or otherwise derived from the received data 414. Rule 412 may include an algorithm that determines whether the attributes(s) of the physical asset(s) under consideration satisfy one or more (and preferably more) criteria. In an embodiment, rule 412 tests each attribute(s) of the physical asset(s) against at least three criteria, which will be explained in more detail elsewhere herein.

[0052] In sub-procedure 515, it is determined whether any of rule 412 has been triggered by applying rule 412 to the attributes(s) of the physical asset in sub-procedure 510. For example, rule 412 may be triggered when the attributes(s) of the physical asset meet at least one criterion. Alternatively or additionally, rule 412 may be triggered when the attributes(s) of the physical asset meet a combination of two or more criteria. When a rule is triggered (i.e., "yes" in sub-procedure 515), it is determined that special attention should be paid to the physical asset. In this case, process 500 proceeds to sub-procedure 520. Otherwise, when no rule is triggered (i.e., "no" in sub-procedure 515), it is determined that special attention should not be paid to the physical asset. In this case, process 500 may terminate.

[0053] In subprocess 520, a recommendation for special attention to a physical asset is generated. This recommendation may be generated based on which rule(s)412(s) were triggered in subprocess 515. In other words, the recommendation may vary based on the specific rule(s)412(s) ...

[0054] In subprocess 525, recommendations generated in subprocess 520 may be output. In an embodiment, recommendations that provide special attention to physical assets are provided to at least one recipient. For example, the at least one recipient may be a user of user system 130. In this case, recommendations may be displayed in a graphical user interface of human-machine interface 340, or otherwise provided to user system 130 via human-machine interface 340. In the case of a graphical user interface, recommendations may be displayed, where one or more inputs are used to approve or reject recommendations, potentially including approving or rejecting one or more recommended special attention actions 450. The user may select inputs for approving a recommendation or a specific special attention action 450 to thereby approve the recommendation or special attention action 450, or select inputs for rejecting a recommendation or special attention action 450 to thereby reject the recommendation or special attention action 450. Alternatively or additionally, the recipient may be another process of management system 110 or third-party system 150 that provides recommendations to the user or automatically approves or rejects recommendations based on algorithms (e.g., decision trees, machine learning algorithms, or other logic).

[0055] In subprocess 530, it is determined whether special attention will be associated with the physical asset under consideration. For example, approval or rejection of a recommendation to give special attention to the physical asset (output in subprocess 525) may be received from at least one recipient of the recommendation. As mentioned above, this approval or rejection decision may be received via input from the graphical user interface of human-machine interface 340. When special attention to the physical asset under consideration is approved (i.e., "yes" in subprocess 530), process 500 proceeds to subprocess 535. Otherwise, when special attention to the physical asset under consideration is rejected (i.e., "no" in subprocess 530), process 500 proceeds to subprocess 555.

[0056] In response to the approval of special attention to physical assets in subprocess 530, subprocesses 535-550 may adjust the resources used for monitoring physical assets based on the reasons for recommending and / or approving special attention, the approved recommended special attention action(s)450, and / or similar actions. Generally, the amount of resources used to monitor physical assets may be increased.

[0057] In subprocess 535, physical assets under consideration can be marked as receiving special attention. Specifically, the representation of physical assets in management system 110 (e.g., stored in database 114) can be tagged with indications of special attention (e.g., the reason or category of special attention). Therefore, management system 110 (which may be or includes an asset management system) can easily and quickly (i.e., with low computational cost) determine which physical assets have been associated with special attention. For example, software 112 can easily retrieve representations of physical assets associated with special attention via tags and distinguish these physical assets from those not associated with special attention. When a physical asset is marked as receiving special attention, for efficiency, another iteration of process 500 may not be performed for that physical asset until and unless the physical asset becomes no longer associated with special attention (e.g., through subsequent user action). In other words, process 500 can exclude a physical asset from consideration as long as it has been associated with special attention.

[0058] In subprocess 540, physical assets under consideration can be added to the virtual special attention space. The virtual special attention space can be a data structure and / or storage area that facilitates the retrieval of all physical assets associated with special attention and / or a specific special attention category. Thus, an operator can easily retrieve and observe all physical assets within a given virtual special attention space by retrieving the entire virtual special attention space in a single operation (e.g., a single database operation, such as a single Structured Query Language (SQL) operation).

[0059] In embodiments, a separate virtual special attention space exists for each of the multiple special attention categories. Each special attention category may represent the reason for special attention and / or the special attention action(s) to be taken 450. It should be understood that the specific special attention category may depend on the type of physical asset being monitored. For example, in embodiments where the physical asset includes a power transformer, the special attention category for the transformer may include special attention to the following: transformer bushings, partial discharge, dissolved gas analysis (e.g., to monitor an increase in dissolved gases within the transformer), cooling of the transformer, presence of the transformer in a floodplain, monitoring of the transformer, transformer temperature, and / or similar categories.

[0060] In subprocess 545, one or more special attention actions 450 are determined for the physical asset under consideration. For example, the special attention actions 450 may be extracted from the approval decision received in subprocess 530. In this case, the approval decision may include user-specified special attention actions 450, such as those selected by the user from optional options provided by the recommendations generated in subprocess 520 and output in the graphical user interface of human-machine interface 340. Alternatively, the special attention actions 450 may be determined automatically, or subprocess 545 may include simply selecting the special attention actions 450 included in the recommendations approved in subprocess 530.

[0061] In subprocess 550, one or more special attention actions 450 identified in subprocess 545 may be initiated. Examples of special attention actions 450 include, but are not limited to, increasing the number of sensors measuring one or more parameters of the physical asset (e.g., 452), increasing the frequency of testing of the physical asset (e.g., 454), providing access to data on the physical asset to one or more experts (e.g., 456), deploying a system to monitor the environment around the physical asset (e.g., 458), and / or so on. For example, subprocess 550 may include a control module 320 that transmits one or more control commands to a target system 140, communicates with another process of the management platform 110 (e.g., sends data related to special attention action 450 to that other process) (e.g., to generate a work order for installing one or more sensors or monitoring systems, to test physical assets, etc.), communicates with a third-party system 150 (e.g., sends data related to special attention action 450 to that third-party system), sends communication content (e.g., dashboard messages, email messages, text messages, voice messages, etc.) to one or more recipients (e.g., to technicians to install one or more sensors or monitoring systems or to test physical assets, to experts to review data, etc.) and / or so on.

[0062] In sub-procedure 555, a physical asset under consideration can be marked as ineligible for special attention. When a physical asset is marked as ineligible for special attention, for efficiency reasons, another iteration of process 500 may not be performed for that physical asset until, and unless, the physical asset becomes unmarked. In other words, as long as a physical asset is marked as ineligible for special attention, process 500 can exclude that physical asset from consideration. Once marked as ineligible for special attention, the physical asset may remain marked for a predefined duration. When the predefined duration expires, the mark can be removed, allowing process 500 to be performed again for that physical asset, thereby enabling process 500 to recommend special attention for that physical asset again.

[0063] 6. Example Guidelines In an embodiment of subprocess 510, rule 412 tests multiple properties of the physical asset under consideration according to multiple criteria. Three exemplary criteria are discussed in more detail below. In embodiments, one, two, or preferably all three of these exemplary criteria are implemented in rule 412. However, it should be understood that these criteria are provided as non-limiting examples. In practice, rule 412 may test multiple properties of the physical asset according to more, fewer, or different criteria than those explicitly described herein.

[0064] According to the first criterion, the location of the physical asset is calculated across multiple dimensions. Specifically, a subset of the attributes of the physical asset under consideration can be mapped to location vectors across the multiple dimensions. Then, it is determined whether the calculated location is within a predefined region across the multiple dimensions. The predefined region can be defined by a predefined range of values ​​within each of the multiple dimensions. When the calculated location is determined to be within a predefined region, special attention to the physical asset can be automatically recommended. When the calculated location is not determined to be within a predefined region, special attention to the physical asset is not recommended unless another criterion is met. It should be understood that, for all of the multiple dimensions, if the value of the location vector is within a predefined range of values ​​for each of the multiple dimensions, then the calculated location will be within the predefined region.

[0065] Figure 6AAn example of a first criterion for giving special attention to physical assets in automated recommendations, according to an embodiment, is illustrated. In this embodiment, the plurality of dimensions includes, or consists of, the importance of the physical asset and the probability of failure of the physical asset. It should be understood that these are two examples of dimensions, and the plurality of dimensions may include one or both of these dimensions, as well as additional dimensions or a completely different set of dimensions. Furthermore, for ease of illustration, this example utilizes a two-dimensional criterion space 600. However, it should be understood that the criterion space 600 can be readily adapted to any number of dimensions, including three or more dimensions.

[0066] The importance of a physical asset represents how critical the physical asset is to the target system 140. For example, a physical asset whose failure would cause less or no disruption to the operation of the target system 140 could be associated with a higher importance value than a physical asset whose failure would cause less disruption or other impact to the operation of the target system 140. Importance values ​​are illustrated as values ​​between zero and one hundred, but alternatively, they can be defined within different value ranges. The importance value of a physical asset can be defined in any suitable manner, including by an algorithm or by manual specification by the asset administrator of the target system 140 (e.g., via human-machine interface 340). The importance value can be one of the attributes(s) of the physical asset or derived from one or more of the attributes(s) of the physical asset (e.g., by an algorithm).

[0067] Failure probability represents the likelihood that a physical asset will fail. Probability is plotted as a value between zero and one, but can alternatively be defined as a different range of values ​​(e.g., zero to seven). Failure probability can be defined in any suitable manner, including based on one or more of the physical asset's attributes through an algorithm. Failure probability can be one of the physical asset's attributes or derived from one or more of the physical asset's attributes (e.g., through an algorithm), such as one or more conditions of the physical asset as measured by one or more sensors. As an example, failure probability can correspond to the Total Risk of Failure (TROF) measurement provided by the Lumada® DataOps platform at Hitachi Vantara in Santa Clara, California.

[0068] As illustrated, the criterion space 600 can be divided into multiple segments 610, including, for example, a low-priority segment 610L defined by a first boundary 620A, a medium-priority segment 610M defined by the first boundary 620A and a second boundary 620B, and a high-priority segment 610H defined by the second boundary 620B. Physical assets can be plotted in the criterion space 600 and within one of these segments 610 according to their location vector, which includes values ​​for each of the multiple dimensions (i.e., in the illustrated example, the importance value and the failure probability value).

[0069] A predefined area 650 is defined within the criterion space 600. When a physical asset is located within the predefined area 650, the physical asset satisfies the first criterion and therefore special attention will be recommended for that physical asset. For example, the physical asset represented by location 655 is within the predefined area 650 and special attention will be recommended for that physical asset under the first criterion, while any physical asset located outside the predefined area 650 will not be recommended for special attention under the first criterion.

[0070] If the physical asset meets the first criterion, appropriate special care actions 450 may include, but are not limited to, increasing the number of sensors measuring one or more parameters of the physical asset (e.g., 452), increasing the frequency of testing the physical asset (e.g., 454), providing access to the physical asset's data to one or more experts (e.g., 456), deploying systems to monitor the environment around the physical asset (e.g., 458), and / or the like.

[0071] Figure 6B The illustration depicts an example of a first criterion for giving special attention to physical assets for automated recommendations, according to an alternative embodiment. This embodiment is related to... Figure 6A Similar to the embodiment illustrated, except that both the first boundary 620A and the second boundary 620B are curves, this changes the shape of the low priority segment 610L, the medium priority segment 610M, and the high priority segment 610OH.

[0072] According to the second criterion, multiple attributes related to the physical environment of a physical asset can be analyzed. This analysis can determine whether the physical environment of the physical asset presents a potential hazard during the current or future time period. This analysis may be based, for example, on environmental data 432 and / or socio-political data 436 of the physical asset. When the analysis determines that the physical environment presents a potential hazard during the current or future time period, the physical asset meets the second criterion and therefore special attention to the physical asset is recommended. On the other hand, when the analysis does not determine that the physical environment presents a potential hazard during the current or future time period, special attention to the physical asset is not recommended unless another criterion is met.

[0073] As an example of the second criterion, based on environmental data 432 obtained from weather source 441 and / or geographic source 442 (e.g., weather forecasts covering a specific geographic area of ​​the physical asset's location), a potential hurricane can be identified as a potential hazard in a future time period. In this case, appropriate special care actions 450 for the transformer may include, but are not limited to, deploying wind speed sensors for operation during the future time period, de-energizing the transformer during the future time period, shedding power supplied to and / or provided by the transformer, and / or so on. It should be understood that similar examples can be described for other storms, heat waves, tornadoes, and any other weather events that may potentially affect the operation of the physical asset.

[0074] As another example of the second criterion, based on environmental data 432 (e.g., identifying the geographic location of the physical asset) and socio-political data 436 (e.g., identifying events occurring within the geographic location of the physical asset) obtained from geographic sources 442, event sources 446, and / or law enforcement sources 447, protests (e.g., those that may pass within the vicinity of the physical asset) or criminal threats (e.g., law enforcement leads regarding attacks on or within the vicinity of the physical asset) can be identified as potential dangers in a future time period. In this case, appropriate special attention actions 450 may include deploying surveillance cameras within the physical environment of the physical asset to detect human behavior and closely monitor the physical environment during the time period that poses a threat to the physical asset.

[0075] According to the third criterion, multiple attributes related to events that may affect the functionality of a physical asset during the current or past time period can be analyzed. This analysis determines whether the physical asset has experienced such an event. When the analysis determines that the physical asset has experienced such an event, the physical asset meets the third criterion, and therefore, special attention to the physical asset is recommended. In this case, appropriate special attention actions 450 may include, but are not limited to, deploying additional sensors, increasing the frequency of testing, and / or similar operations. On the other hand, when the analysis does not determine that the physical asset has experienced such an event, special attention to the physical asset is not recommended unless another criterion is met.

[0076] As an example of the third criterion, based on asset data 434 obtained from asset sensor 444 and / or asset maintenance source 445, it can be determined that a physical asset has recently undergone a service requiring more frequent testing than usual. This service event could be repair, reinstallation (e.g., moving from one substation to another), maintenance, testing, etc., of the physical asset. In this case, providing special attention to the physical asset can be beneficial to ensure that it performs correctly after the service event. For example, in the case of a transformer, the transformer may have recently undergone oil reclaiming. In this case, a DGA sensor could be installed in the transformer to analyze dissolved gases, the frequency of DGA testing could be increased, and / or similar operations could be performed. It should be understood that similar examples can be described for other types of physical assets and other types of services.

[0077] 7. Example graphical user interface In an embodiment, the human-machine interface 340 may generate a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes information about each of the plurality of physical assets in a given target system 140. The information in the GUI may distinguish representations of physical assets marked with special attention or otherwise associated with special attention from representations of physical assets not marked with special attention or not otherwise associated with special attention. For example, representations of physical assets associated with special attention may be distinguished from representations of physical assets not associated with special attention by icons indicating special attention, potentially including a category of special attention (e.g., the reason for special attention).

[0078] Figure 7 An example of a screen 700 of a graphical user interface according to an embodiment is illustrated. Screen 700 represents a dashboard in a graphical user interface provided by human-machine interface 340. Screen 700 may include multiple panels, including an asset risk panel 710, a problem panel 720, an analysis panel 730, and a geographic panel 740. Each of these panels may include information related to a set of physical assets within a monitored geographic area and may include one or more inputs for navigation, filtering, and otherwise interacting with the relevant information. Depending on how the geographic area is defined, the geographic area may include all physical assets within the target system 140, or only a portion of the physical assets within the target system 140.

[0079] The asset risk panel 710 may include information about the risk of physical assets within the monitored geographic area. This information may include a graphical representation of the percentage of physical assets at each of low, medium, and high failure risk levels (e.g., based on failure probabilities discussed elsewhere herein), values ​​for one or more parameters, and / or similar parameters. Parameters may include, but are not limited to, the number of locations covered by the monitored geographic area, the number of different types of physical assets within the monitored geographic area, the number of currently monitored physical assets within the monitored geographic area, the number of not currently monitored physical assets within the monitored geographic area, the duration since the last data update, and / or so on.

[0080] The issue panel 720 may include information about issues related to monitored physical assets within the monitored geographic area. This information may include, for example, a list of at least a subset of issues arranged in order from most important to least important. The information may also include a graphical representation of the percentage of new, ongoing, monitored, and / or other issues.

[0081] The analysis panel 730 may include information derived from analyses performed on data associated with physical assets within the monitored geographic area. For example, this information may include a summary of the physical assets based on any one or more attributes of the physical assets, such as performance metrics, sensor measurements, failure probability, importance, special attention, special attention category, etc.

[0082] The geographic panel 740 may include a virtual map of the monitored geographic area or consist of a virtual map of the monitored geographic area. The virtual map may include natural features (e.g., rivers, lakes, oceans, etc.), man-made features (e.g., roads, railways, cities, etc.), and any other landmarks typically found in a map, and may include inputs for zooming, panning, and / or performing other standard functions within the virtual map. Additionally, the virtual map may include: one or more icons 742 that precisely locate the position of each physical asset in the monitored geographic area not associated with special attention; and one or more icons 745 that precisely locate the position of each physical asset in the monitored geographic area associated with special attention. Selecting icon 742 or 745 redirects the graphical user interface to the screen for viewing details about the physical assets(s) represented by the selected icon 742 or 745.

[0083] Each icon 745 may differ from each icon 742 in order to distinguish physical assets associated with special attention from those not associated with special attention. For example, icon 742 may be a standard “pin” icon, and icon 745 may include hospital symbols (e.g., crosses, crosses within an iconographic depiction of a physical asset (such as a transformer), healthcare symbols, or any other symbol conveying special attention. In the illustrated example, icon 745 is an iconographic depiction of a transformer with a cross in the center. Additionally or alternatively, icon 745 may have a different color than icon 742 (e.g., red). Physical assets that are near each other (e.g., determined by a predefined radius and the resolution of the current view of the virtual map) and are not associated with special attention may be grouped under a single icon 742, where the size of each icon 742 represents the number of physical assets grouped under that icon 742 (e.g., proportional to that number).

[0084] In embodiments, the icon 745 may vary depending on the special attention category associated with the corresponding physical asset. For example, a transformer associated with special attention to bushings may be represented by an iconographic depiction of bushings; a transformer associated with partial discharge may be represented by an iconographic depiction of lightning; a transformer associated with dissolved gas analysis may be represented by an iconographic depiction of a bubbling laboratory beaker; a transformer associated with special cooling may be represented by an iconographic depiction of snowflakes; a transformer in a floodplain may be represented by an iconographic depiction of a flooded house; a transformer associated with surveillance may be represented by an iconographic depiction of an eye; a transformer associated with temperature monitoring may be represented by an iconographic depiction of a thermometer, and / or so on. Using different icons 745 for different special attention categories allows users to easily identify the category of special attention being paid to each physical asset associated with special attention, and to distinguish physical assets associated with special attention from those not associated with special attention.

[0085] Figure 8 An example of a screen 800 of a graphical user interface according to an embodiment is illustrated. Screen 800 represents a list of assets in a graphical user interface provided by human-machine interface 340. Screen 800 may be accessible via the same graphical user interface as screen 700 through standard navigation inputs (e.g., menu ribbon, expandable / collapseable menu, etc.).

[0086] The asset list can be represented in tabular format. Each row across the horizontal dimension represents a specific physical asset, and each column across the vertical dimension represents the attributes of the physical asset represented in each row. In an example where the physical assets include electrical assets in an electrical network, the attributes represented by the columns may include the physical asset's identifier, description of the physical asset, duration since the next planned test of the physical asset, the organization associated with the physical asset, the voltage measurement of the physical asset, the service life of the physical asset, one or more ratings or grades of the physical asset (e.g., health status, importance, condition, etc.), the condition of the physical asset, the probability of failure of the physical asset, the result of the last test of the physical asset, and / or similar attributes. The asset list can be sorted and filtered via standard input.

[0087] As illustrated, any physical asset associated with special attention can be distinguished from physical assets not associated with special attention by icon 745. Although only a single icon 745 is illustrated, in embodiments, as discussed elsewhere herein, icon 745 may instead differ based on the special attention category. For example, an asset identified as “ID2” may be associated with a first special attention category and distinguished by a first icon 745 associated with the first special attention category, and an asset identified as “ID3” may be associated with a second special attention category and distinguished by a second icon 745 associated with the second special attention category and different from the first icon 745.

[0088] Once a physical asset has been added to the virtual special attention space (e.g., in subprocess 540), that physical asset can be easily and quickly (i.e., with low computational cost) retrieved (in combination with all other physical assets in the same virtual special attention space). As discussed elsewhere herein, a separate virtual special attention space may exist for each of several different special attention categories. Thus, a virtual special attention space can be stored for each special attention category, and it is searchable. Additionally or alternatively, a single virtual special attention space may exist for all of the multiple special attention categories. In other words, an overall virtual special attention space can be stored for all special attention, regardless of the specific category, and this overall virtual special attention space is searchable.

[0089] Figure 9 An example of a screen 900 of a graphical user interface according to an embodiment is illustrated. In particular, screen 900 represents a view of a virtual special attention space for all special attention categories. Screen 900 may be accessible via standard navigation inputs (e.g., a menu ribbon, expandable / collapseable menus, etc.) through the same graphical user interface as screens 700 and / or 800.

[0090] Screen 900 is similar to or the same as Screen 800, except that the asset list consists only of representations of physical assets associated with special attention. The asset list does not include any representations of physical assets not associated with special attention. Additionally, unlike Screen 800, Screen 900 includes an icon 910 (e.g., in the upper right corner) that corresponds to icon 745 used to distinguish physical assets associated with special attention.

[0091] Each representation of a physical asset in the asset list can be selected. Selecting one of the representations of a physical asset will redirect the graphical user interface to a screen that includes details about that physical asset. For example, the details may include data about the physical asset (e.g., measurement parameters, statistics, etc.), real-time analysis of the data, and / or more.

[0092] Although not illustrated, the graphical user interface may also include screens for each of the plurality of special attention categories. Screens for specific special attention categories may look similar to or identical to screen 900, except that icons 745 and 910 will represent specific special attention categories rather than overall special attention. Each of these screens can be viewed as a specific special attention unit, department, or room (similar to the various departments in a hospital). Screens for the plurality of special attention categories may be accessible via screen 900 (e.g., via a set of labels (including one label for each of the plurality of special attention categories), another type of submenu, etc.).

[0093] 8. Example usage Specific examples of use cases for the disclosed embodiments will now be described. In this example, the plurality of physical assets includes a plurality of electrical assets within a target system 140, which includes an electrical network. While electrical assets can be of any type, for simplicity, it will be assumed that the electrical assets are transformers. The electrical network may include multiple transformers, potentially including hundreds or thousands of transformers. It should be understood that the described use cases are readily adaptable to other types of electrical assets, as well as other types of physical assets and target system 140.

[0094] The management platform 110 may receive data 414 associated with the plurality of physical assets (e.g., transformers) from one or more data sources 440 (e.g., in a subprocess 505 for a given transformer). The received data 414 may include environmental data 432, asset data 434, socio-political data 436, and / or more, including one or more measurement parameters of one or more of the physical assets.

[0095] For each of the plurality of physical assets, rule 412 of recommendation engine 410 may be applied to received data 414 (e.g., in sub-process 510) to determine whether special attention to that physical asset is recommended based on the received data 414 associated with that physical asset (e.g., in sub-process 515). Using the transformer example, received data 414 may indicate that the DGA reading of methane in the transformer (e.g., from a recently performed test) has increased exponentially since the last iteration of process 500 for the transformer, exceeding the DGA threshold. This may increase the failure probability, such that the calculated location vector (including the transformer's failure probability and importance) is now within the predefined region 650. In other words, the transformer meets the first criterion. Therefore, special attention to the transformer is recommended.

[0096] When it is determined that special attention should be paid to a physical asset, a recommendation for special attention to the physical asset is generated (e.g., in subprocess 520) and provided to at least one recipient (e.g., in subprocess 525). Using a transformer as an example, the recommendation may include information identifying the transformer, the reason for the recommendation (which may be determined according to a first criterion 412 that serves as a trigger), and DGA readings from received data 414 and potentially previous data to support the included reason. Since an increase in DGA readings prompts a recommendation for special attention, more frequent DGA testing is prudent. If the transformer does not yet have a DGA sensor, making it necessary to perform DGA testing manually and infrequently (e.g., once every five years), the recommendation engine 410 may primarily recommend installing an online DGA sensor in the transformer (e.g., 452), and secondarily recommend performing DGA testing more frequently (e.g., once every six months) (e.g., 454). These recommendations for special attention action 450 may be provided to the human operator either once via human-machine interface 340 or via an interactive session (in which primary recommendations are provided first and secondary recommendations are provided if rejected).

[0097] For each of the plurality of physical assets recommended for special attention, approval or rejection of the special attention is received from the at least one recipient via human-machine interface 340 (e.g., in sub-process 530). The recipient may be a human operator who enters approval or rejection within the graphical user interface of human-machine interface 340, including approval and / or rejection of the recommended special attention action 450. When a rejection of special attention to a physical asset is received, the physical asset may be marked as rejected (e.g., in sub-process 555) and special attention to that physical asset may not be recommended for a predefined duration.

[0098] On the other hand, when approval for special attention to a physical asset is received, resources used to monitor the physical asset can be adjusted based on the reason for the special attention (e.g., in subprocesses 535-550). Returning to the transformer example above, if the primary recommendation to install an online DGA sensor is approved, a new sensor can be deployed (e.g., 452). Otherwise, if a secondary recommendation for more frequent DGA testing is approved, the frequency of DGA laboratory testing can be increased (e.g., 454). In either case, the transformer is added to at least one virtual special attention space, which may include a general virtual special attention space and / or a virtual special attention space for a specific DGA category for the special attention. Additionally, the transformer is marked for special attention such that it will not be considered for special attention again unless and until the transformer subsequently becomes unmarked for special attention.

[0099] The disclosed embodiments enable operators to create virtual special attention spaces that facilitate the monitoring, in a computationally inexpensive manner, of specific subsets of physical assets (e.g., transformers or other electrical assets) that are critical to their respective target systems 140 (e.g., electrical networks). Special attention actions 450 may be performed on such physical assets, including deploying additional sensors (e.g., 452), increasing testing (e.g., 454), engaging experts for data analysis (e.g., 456), deploying surveillance (e.g., 458), and / or more. Further examples of special attention actions 450 in the case of electrical assets or similar types of physical assets include, but are not limited to, load shedding, redistributing load to another substation, scheduling maintenance for the physical asset, analyzing historical, current, and / or predictive data of the physical asset (e.g., using artificial intelligence, such as machine learning models), and / or more. Conceptually, a virtual special attention space can be viewed as a care room or intensive care unit (ICU) for a subset of physical assets that require special attention, such as transformers with a high probability of failure and critical to electrical networks, transformers located in particularly dangerous geographical locations (e.g., floodplains, hurricane zones, high-temperature zones, etc.), transformers that have recently undergone service (e.g., maintenance, major repairs, etc.), transformers that are potential targets of future threats (e.g., sabotage, terrorist acts, etc.), and / or the like.

[0100] Furthermore, the disclosed embodiments automatically generate recommendations for moving physical assets to a virtual special attention space based on one or more criteria via a recommendation engine 410. These recommendations can be provided to an asset administrator (e.g., an operator's asset administrator) who can make the final decision on whether to move physical assets to the virtual special attention space. It is generally envisioned that the criteria will be set such that only a relatively small percentage of physical assets will be recommended to be moved to the virtual special attention space. For example, for a target system 140 comprising thousands of physical assets, only a small number (e.g., a few, a dozen, a few dozen, etc.) may be moved to the virtual special attention space. This allows the asset administrator to focus attention on the relatively small number of physical assets at greatest risk.

[0101] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will readily become apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, it will be understood that the description and drawings presented herein represent presently preferred embodiments of the invention and thus represent the broad subject matter contemplated by the invention. It should be further understood that the scope of the invention fully encompasses other embodiments that will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and the scope of the invention is accordingly not limited.

[0102] As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “comprises” are open-ended. For example, “A comprises B” means that A may include any of the following: (i) B alone; or (ii) B combined with one or more, and potentially any number of, other components. In contrast, the terms “consisting of,” “consist of,” and “consists of” are closed-ended. For example, “A consists of B” means that A includes only B, without any other components in the same context.

[0103] Combinations described herein such as "at least one of A, B, or C", "one or more of A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", "one or more of A, B, and C", and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof" include any combination of "A, B, and / or C" and may include multiple A, multiple B, or multiple C. Specifically, combinations such as "at least one of A, B, or C", "one or more of A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", "one or more of A, B, and C", and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof" may be only A, only B, only C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, and any such combination may include one or more members of its constituent parts A, B, and / or C. For example, a combination of A and B may include one A and multiple B, multiple A and one B, or multiple A and multiple B.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring multiple physical assets, the method comprising using at least one hardware processor to perform the following operations: Receive data associated with the plurality of physical assets from one or more data sources, wherein, The data includes one or more measurement parameters of one or more physical assets among the plurality of physical assets; For each of the plurality of physical assets Determining whether to recommend special attention to the physical asset based on data associated with it, and When it is determined that special attention should be paid to the physical assets mentioned above. A recommendation to give special attention to the physical assets will be provided to at least one recipient. Receive approval or rejection from the at least one recipient for special attention to the physical assets, and When approval is received to give special attention to the physical asset, the resources used to monitor the physical asset are adjusted based on the reasons for the special attention.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The multiple physical assets include multiple electrical assets within the electrical network.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The plurality of physical assets includes at least one transformer.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Determining whether to recommend special attention to the physical assets includes: The location of the physical asset is calculated across multiple dimensions, including the importance of the physical asset and the probability of failure of the physical asset. Determine whether the calculated position is within a predefined area of ​​the multiple dimensions; and When the calculated location is determined to be within the predefined area, it is recommended to give special attention to the physical asset.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The data further includes one or both of the following: Environmental data, which represents information about the physical environment of one or more of the plurality of physical assets; or Sociopolitical data, which represents one or more sociopolitical events affecting the physical environment of one or more of the plurality of physical assets.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, Determining whether to recommend special attention to the physical assets includes: Determine whether the physical environment of the physical asset presents a potential hazard during the current or future time period based on one or both of the physical asset's environmental data or socio-political data; and When the physical environment is determined to present a potential hazard during the current or future time period, it is determined that special attention should be paid to the physical assets.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Determining whether to recommend special attention to the physical assets includes: Determine whether any events that could affect the functionality of the physical asset have occurred within the current or past time period; and When it is determined that the event has occurred within the current or past time period, it is recommended that special attention be paid to the physical asset.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The event refers to the repair, reinstallation, maintenance, or testing of the physical asset.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Adjusting resources includes increasing the number of sensors that measure one or more parameters of the physical asset.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Resource adjustments include increasing the frequency of testing the physical assets.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Adjusting resources includes providing access to data on the physical assets to one or more experts.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Adjusting resources includes deploying systems to monitor the environment surrounding the physical assets.

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims further includes using the at least one hardware processor to perform the following operations: for each of the plurality of physical assets, when it is determined that special attention should be given to the physical asset and approval for special attention to the physical asset is received, marking the representation of the physical asset in the asset management system with the special attention instruction.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The at least one hardware processor is included in the asset management system, wherein the method further includes using the at least one hardware processor to perform the following operations: generating a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including information about each of the plurality of physical assets, and wherein the information in the graphical user interface distinguishes the representation of physical assets marked with special attention from the representation of physical assets not marked with special attention.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, Each representation of a physical asset marked with the special attention designation is distinguished by an icon from the representation of a physical asset not marked with the special attention designation, the icon indicating the reason for the special attention given to that physical asset corresponding to that representation.

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