Method for determining a condition indicator of an apparatus

Abstract

A method for determining a condition indicator of an apparatus includes providing an apparatus configured to measure at least two different technical parameters. A respective parameter value is determined for each of the at least two different technical parameters of the apparatus using at least one sensor configured to determine a respective parameter value for each of the at least two different technical parameters. A respective deviation value of each of the parameter values is determined with respect to an associated respective parameter reference value for each of the technical parameters. A respective deviation relevance value is determined from each of the deviation values using a respective parameter-specific deviation relevance function for each of the parameter values, the parameter-specific deviation relevance functions being different from each other. Using an indicator function, a condition indicator is calculated from the determined deviation relevance values. An overall condition of the apparatus is calculated using the condition indicator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for determining a condition indicator of an apparatus, the method comprising:
 providing an apparatus configured to measure at least two different technical parameters;   determining a respective parameter value for each of the at least two different technical parameters of the apparatus using at least one sensor configured to determine a respective parameter value for each of the at least two different technical parameters;   determining a respective deviation value of each of the parameter values with respect to an associated respective parameter reference value for each of the technical parameters;   determining a respective deviation relevance value from each of the deviation values using a respective parameter-specific deviation relevance function for each of the parameter values, the parameter-specific deviation relevance functions being different from each other;   calculating, using an indicator function, a condition indicator from the determined deviation relevance values; and   determining an overall condition of the apparatus using the condition indicator.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the indicator function includes a term for an arithmetic mean of a plurality of the deviation relevance values. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the term includes a multiplication of the smallest of the deviation relevance values by an arithmetic mean of other of the deviation relevance values. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the condition indicator is an apparatus condition indicator. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the condition indicator is a measured value quality indicator. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is at least one of a process analysis apparatus and a water analysis apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a first of the parameter values is determined by a humidity sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a first of the parameter values is determined by a reagent quantity sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a first of the parameter values is the motor current of a drive motor. 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the drive motor is configured to drive a wiper for wiping a measurement window. 
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising supplying the condition indicator to another apparatus component. 
     
     
         12 . A method for determining a condition indicator of an apparatus, the method comprising:
 providing an apparatus configured to measure at least two different technical parameters, the apparatus comprising:
 a microprocessor, 
 at least one computing module, and 
 at least one sensor configured to determine a respective parameter value for each of at least two different technical parameters; 
   determining a respective parameter value for each of the at least two different technical parameters of the apparatus using the at least one sensor;   supplying the respective parameter value for each of at least two different technical parameters determined by the at least one sensor to the microprocessor;   determining, via the microprocessor, a respective deviation value of each of the parameter values with respect to an associated respective parameter reference value for each of the technical parameters;   supplying the respective deviation value for each of the parameter values to the at least one computing module;   determining, via the at least one computing module, a respective deviation relevance value from each of the deviation values using a respective parameter-specific deviation relevance function for each of the parameter values, the parameter-specific deviation relevance functions being different from each other;   calculating, using an indicator function, a condition indicator from the determined deviation relevance values; and   determining an overall condition of the apparatus using the condition indicator.   
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the indicator function includes a term for an arithmetic mean of a plurality of the deviation relevance values. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the term includes a multiplication of the smallest of the deviation relevance values by an arithmetic mean of other of the deviation relevance values. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the condition indicator is an apparatus condition indicator. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the condition indicator is a measured value quality indicator. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the apparatus is at least one of a process analysis apparatus and a water analysis apparatus. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein a first of the parameter values is determined by a humidity sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein a first of the parameter values is determined by a reagent quantity sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein a first of the parameter values is the motor current of a drive motor. 
     
     
         21 . The method as recited in  claim 20 , wherein the drive motor is configured to drive a wiper for wiping a measurement window. 
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising supplying the condition indicator to another apparatus component.