Sensor Area Network for Integrated Systems Health Management

The term Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) is used to describe a capability that focuses on determining the condition (health) of every element in a complex system (detect anomalies, diagnose causes, prognosis of future anomalies), and provide data, information, and knowledge (DIaK) to control systems for safe and effective operation. Therefore, ISHM capability is achieved by integrating DIaK that can be distributed throughout the system elements. DIaK must be available to any element of a system at right time and within a proper context. The implementations of the ISHM in the past have primarily focused on data access, and have not emphasized the integration of intelligence across all elements that make up a system. In order to distribute DIaK effectively, the integrated system must have the distributed capabilities and they require effective network functions across the whole system. Mobitrum proposes to develop a Sensor Area Network (SAN) for ISHM to bring the distributed intelligences together across all elements within ISHM system. The proposed SAN can be mixed of wireless and wired architecture. In order to implement credible ISHM functions, SAN must provide ISHM with effective communication mechanisms using distributed and/or hierarchical architectures to deliver intelligence across all elements.