Systems and methods for machine sensing and communication

• US 10,576,930 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2018
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Hill, Jason E., Fogarty, Thomas E., Lathrop, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Ly D
• Application Number:
  US16/224,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20190118766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 706 22
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/00 Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/36 Suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing; Suction cleaners for fixing on staircases; Suction cleaners for carrying on the back
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2821 Pressure, vacuum level or airflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2831 Motor parameters, e.g. motor load or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/22 Transmitting seismic signals to recording or processing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 : Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 : Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 : for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An apparatus and method for monitoring the productivity of a portable machine are provided. The method includes receiving motion data for at least one component of the portable machine from a multi-axis accelerometer, receiving position data for the at least one component from a process parameter sensor communicatively coupled to the at least one component, and determining, based on the received motion data and the received position data that the at least one component is oriented in a predetermined position for productive operation. The method also includes determining an area of productive operation using at least one physical dimension of the at least one component and the received motion data when the at least one component is oriented in the predetermined position for productive operation and incrementing a total area counter based on the determination.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring productivity of a man-portable vacuum cleaning system including a cleaning head, the method comprising:

retrieving one or more predetermined motion thresholds associated with a productive acceleration and a proper positional orientation of the man-portable vacuum cleaning system from a memory;

receiving, during a cleaning process, position orientation data for the cleaning head from a process parameter sensor coupled to the cleaning head;

determining, based on the received cleaning head position orientation data that the cleaning head is oriented in a predetermined position for productive operation of the vacuum cleaning system;

receiving, during the cleaning process, first motion data from a multi-axis accelerometer coupled to the cleaning head;

comparing the received first motion data to the one or more predetermined motion thresholds;

determining an area of productive acceleration of the cleaning head using the comparison;

calculating a feedback indication in real-time for a total floor area of productive operation of the vacuum cleaning system using at least one physical dimension of the cleaning head, and the received cleaning head motion data when the cleaning head is determined to be oriented in the predetermined position for productive operation;

transmitting the calculated total floor area properly cleaned and areas that were not properly cleaned to a supervisory computer device in real-time;

repeating the cleaning process on the areas that were not properly cleaned based on the feedback indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving position orientation data for the cleaning head from a process parameter sensor coupled to the cleaning head comprises receiving pressure data from a pressure sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving pressure data from a pressure sensor comprises receiving pressure data from a pressure sensor configured to indicate a distance of the cleaning head to a surface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving position orientation data for the cleaning head from a process parameter sensor coupled to the cleaning head comprises receiving flow data from a flow sensor configured to indicate a distance of the cleaning head to a surface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving vacuum cleaning system position data in a building;

determining a relative position of the cleaning head with respect to the vacuum cleaning system; and

determining a position, in the building, of the cleaning head using the received position data in the building for the vacuum cleaning system and the determined relative position of the cleaning head with respect to the vacuum cleaning system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating a total floor area of productive operation of the vacuum cleaning system using at least one physical dimension of the cleaning head comprises determining a total floor area of productive operation using at least a width of the cleaning head in a direction perpendicular to a direction of motion of the cleaning head.

7. A man-portable cleaning machine including operator training feedback, said man-portable cleaning machine comprising:

a mechanical portion including a fan coupled to a motor and configured to generate a cleaning force;

a cleaning head comprising a first physical dimension and coupled in flow communication to said mechanical portion;

a multi-axis accelerometer positioned on said cleaning head, said multi-axis accelerometer configured to generate motion data of the cleaning head;

a process parameter sensor coupled to said cleaning head and configured to generate position orientation data for said cleaning head;

a machine controller configured to;

receive the motion data for said cleaning head from said multi-axis accelerometer;

receive the position orientation data for said cleaning head from said process parameter sensor;

determine, during operation of the man-portable cleaning machine, based on the received motion data and the received position orientation data that said cleaning head is being moved and is oriented for productive operation; and

provide real-time feedback to an operator of the man-portable cleaning machine that the cleaning head is being operated for productive operation of the man-portable cleaning machine based on the determination.

8. The man-portable cleaning machine of claim 7, further comprising a mechanical portion position receiver configured to determine a location of said mechanical portion within predetermined boundaries.

9. The man-portable cleaning machine of claim 8, further comprising a motion and sensor processor configured to determine a location of said cleaning head with respect to said cleaning head.

10. The man-portable cleaning machine of claim 9, wherein said motion and sensor processor is configured to map an area covered by said cleaning head and the location of said cleaning head within the set of predetermined boundaries.

11. The man-portable cleaning machine of claim 7, further comprising a motion and sensor processor configured to:

receive motion data from said multi-axis accelerometer; and

determine that the received motion data is within a threshold range of predetermined motion data.

12. A man-portable battery-powered cleaning machine system comprising:

a mechanical portion comprising;

a fan coupled to a motor and configured to generate a cleaning force, the motor powered from a battery;

a cleaning head comprising a first physical dimension and coupled in flow communication to said mechanical portion;

a collection bag coupled in flow communication to said fan and configured to receive a residue of the cleaning force;

a battery capacity gauge sensor configured to monitor a capacity of said battery;

a process parameter sensor coupled to said cleaning head and configured to generate position and orientation data of said cleaning head;

a machine controller comprising a processor communicatively coupled to a memory device and configured to;

receive the position and orientation data for said cleaning head from said process parameter sensor;

determine, during operation of the cleaning machine system, based on the received position orientation data that said cleaning head is being moved and is oriented for productive operation;

determine, during operation of the man-portable cleaning machine, an amount of productive operation of the cleaning machine system using at least one physical dimension of said cleaning head and the position and orientation data;

operate the motor based on the determination to reduce a rate of depletion of battery capacity;

at least one of schedule maintenance on the cleaning machine system and replace consumables associated with the cleaning machine system based on the amount of productive operation.

13. The cleaning machine system of claim 12, wherein said collection bag comprises at least one of a cyclonic cleaner and a storage bin, and a filter medium.

14. The cleaning machine system of claim 12, wherein said battery capacity gauge sensor comprises a battery life model stored in a memory accessible to said battery capacity gauge sensor, said battery life model is used to determine remaining charge of said battery from a plurality of battery parameters including a voltage at rest, a voltage during various loadings, a current response in changes to battery load, a voltage response in changes to battery load, and a battery temperature.

15. The cleaning machine system of claim 12, wherein said battery capacity gauge sensor further comprises a coulomb counter configured to determine a status, efficiency, and capacity of said battery.

16. The cleaning machine system of claim 12, wherein said processor is configured to transmit an indication of a total floor area wirelessly to at least one of a central server and a supervisory computer device.

17. The cleaning machine system of claim 12, further comprising one or more load cells configured to monitor a force exerted on a mechanical portion harness by a weight of said mechanical portion bearing on the operator or on wheels supporting said mechanical portion.

18. The cleaning machine system of claim 12, further comprising a supervisory computer device configured to monitor a plurality of man-portable cleaning machines including monitoring the activities, performance, alerts, and data generated by each of the plurality of man-portable cleaning machines.

19. The cleaning machine system of claim 18, wherein said supervisory computer device is configured to identify fleet-wide issues of said plurality of man-portable cleaning machines from the data generated by each of the plurality of man-portable cleaning machines and generate a report of the fleet-wide issues.

20. The cleaning machine system of claim 18, wherein said supervisory computer device is configured to initiate a purchase of consumables or have consumables delivered to a location where at least some of the plurality of machines needing consumables is located.