A plant asset failure prediction system and associated method. The method includes receiving user input identifying a first target set of equipment including a first plurality of units of equipment. A set of time series waveforms from sensors associated with the first plurality of units of equipment are received, the time series waveforms including sensor data values. A processor is configured to process the time series waveforms to generate a plurality of derived inputs wherein the derived inputs and the sensor data values collectively comprise sensor data. The method further includes determining whether a first machine learning agent may be configured to discriminate between first normal baseline data for the first target set of equipment and first failure signature information for the first target set of equipment. The first normal baseline data of the first target set of equipment may be derived from a first portion of the sensor data associated with operation of the first plurality of units of equipment in a first normal mode and the first failure signature information may be derived from a second portion of the sensor data associated with operation of the first plurality of units of equipment in a first failure mode. Monitored sensor signals produced by the one or more monitoring sensors are received. The first machine learning agent is then and activated, based upon the determining, to monitor data included within the monitored sensor signals.
Please help me write a proper abstract based on the patent claims. CLAIM: 1. A plant asset failure prediction system, the system comprising: a memory; a network interface; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured by computer code to: receive, via the network interface, a first sensor data signal comprised of first sensor data produced by first sensors of a plurality of units of a first asset class; receive, via the network interface, a second sensor data signal comprised of second sensor data produced by second sensors of a plurality of units of a second asset class different from the first asset class; receive failure information relating to prior failures of the plurality of units of the first asset class; determine, based upon at least a subset of the first sensor data and the failure information, a plurality of failure signatures associated with the first asset class; and analyze the second sensor data in view of the plurality of failure signatures in order to identify at least one of the plurality of failure signatures applicable to the second asset class; link the second asset class to the at least one of the plurality of failure signatures; and transfer the linked at least one of the plurality of failure signatures and, using the plant control system, control the plurality of units of the second asset class to avert a failure associated with the linked at least one of the plurality of failure signatures. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured by the computer code to: receive trend data relating to sensors of a unit of monitored equipment within the second asset class; perform a comparison of the current trend data to the at least one of the plurality of failure signatures; and generate, based upon the comparing, an alarm signal with respect to the unit of monitored equipment wherein the alarm condition relates to a predicted failure of the unit of monitored equipment. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of units of equipment of the first asset class are of a first make and model and of a first revision and wherein the plurality of units of equipment of the second asset class are of the first make and model and of a second revision different from the first revision. 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of units of equipment of the first asset class are of a first make and model and are associated with a first operational context and wherein the plurality of units of equipment of the second asset class are of the first make and model and are associated with a second operational context different from the first operational context. 5. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of units of the first asset class is configured with a first set of sensors associated with a first sensor template and wherein each of the plurality of units of the second asset class is configured with a second set of sensors associated with a second sensor template matching the first sensor template. 6. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured by the computer code to analyze the first sensor data and the failure information in order to develop a plurality of learning agents for developing the plurality of failure signatures. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured by the computer code to analyze the first sensor data over a user-specified prediction interval preceding the failures in order to learn the plurality of failure signatures. 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured by the computer code to identify ones of the first sensors exhibiting a change in condition during the user-specified prediction interval. 9. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least a subset of the first sensor data is produced exclusively by the ones of the first sensors exhibiting a change in condition. 10. The system of claim 1 wherein the failure information comprises work order information and wherein the processor is further configured by the computer code to identify faults in the work order information corresponding to the equipment failures and to classify the faults. 11. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured by the computer code to analyze the sensor data at times of the prior failures in order to learn at least certain of the plurality of failure signatures. 12. A plant asset failure prediction system, the system comprising: a memory; a network interface; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured by computer code to: receive, via the network interface, a first sensor data signal relating to a first equipment unit of a first asset class; determine, based upon the first sensor data signal and failure information relating to the first unit, a failure signature associated with the first unit; identify a second equipment unit of a second asset class related to the first asset class within an equipment taxonomy, the second asset class being different from the first asset class wherein first equipment units within the first asset class and second equipment units within the second asset class are of the same functionality; perform an analysis of the second sensor data relating to the second equipment unit in view of the failure signature; identify, based upon the analysis, the second equipment unit as being linked to the failure signature; and transfer the linked failure signature to a plant control system and, using the plant control system, control the second equipment unit to avert a failure associated with the linked failure signature. 13. The system of claim 12 wherein the first equipment units are of a first make and model and of a first revision and wherein the second equipment units are of the first make and model and of a second revision different from the first revision. 14. The system of claim 12 wherein the first equipment units are of a first make and model and are associated with a first operational context and wherein the second equipment units are of the first make and model and are associated with a second operational context different from the first operational context. 15. The system of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured by computer code to perform the analysis by training a classifier to distinguish between normal components of the second sensor data and the failure signature. 16. A method for using failure signature information associated with a source unit of equipment to monitor operation of one or more target units of equipment, the method comprising: identifying a first target set of equipment containing a first target unit of equipment wherein each equipment unit within the first target set of equipment is associated with one or more target parameters equivalent to one or more source parameters of the source unit of equipment; determining whether a first machine learning agent may be configured to discriminate between normal baseline data of the first target unit of equipment from the failure signature information, wherein the normal baseline data of the first target unit of equipment is derived from sensor signals produced by the first target unit of equipment during operation in a normal mode and wherein the failure signature information is derived from sensor signal produced by the source unit of equipment during operation in a failure mode; activating, based upon the determining, the first machine learning agent to monitor data included within first sensor signals produced by sensors of the first target unit of equipment, the monitoring resulting in predicting failure of the first target unit of equipment; and transferring an indication of the predicted failure to a plant control system and, using the plant control system, controlling the first target units of equipment to avert the predicted failure based upon the transferred indication. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the one or more target parameters include at least one of: (i) make and model, and (ii) operating context. 18. The method of claim 16 wherein the one or more target parameters include: (i) make and model, and (ii) operating context. 19. The method of claim 16, further including: identifying a second target set of equipment containing a second target unit of equipment wherein each equipment unit within the second target set of equipment is characterized by at least one parameter equivalent to a parameter of the source unit of equipment; configuring a second machine learning agent to discriminate between normal baseline data of the second target unit of equipment from the failure signature information, wherein the normal baseline data of the second target unit of equipment is derived from sensor signals produced by the second target unit of equipment during normal mode operation of the second target unit of equipment; activating the second machine learning agent to monitor data included within second sensor signals produced by sensors of the second target unit of equipment. 20. The method of claim 16 wherein the determining includes determining whether the first machine learning agent may be configured to discriminate between the normal baseline data and the failure signature information with an accuracy exceeding a configurable threshold. 21. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of units of equipment of the first asset class are of a first make and model and of a first revision and wherein the plurality of units of equipment of the second asset class are of the first make and model and of a second revision different from the first revision; and wherein each equipment unit within the first target set of equipment is associated with one or more target parameters equivalent to one or more source parameters of the source unit of equipment. 22. The method of claim 16 wherein the one or more source parameters correspond to a first make and model and a first operational context and wherein the one or more target parameters correspond to the first make and model and a second operational context different from the first operational context.