Machine remote monitoring system and management method

• US 20020114433A1
• Filed: 01/29/2002
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Shinogi, Yoshihisa, Kimata, Ryuichi, Toida, Naoya, Yamashita, Kousei, Katou, Hironori
• Granted Patent: US 6,836,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/106.01
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0404 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0406 Intake manifold pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0604 Estimation of fuel pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/703 Atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0275 Fault isolation and identification, e.g. classify fault; estimate cause or root of failure
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail

Abstract

An operating condition of an outboardmotor 1 is detected by an ECU 3, and then, is transmitted to a remote monitoring apparatus 6 using a mobile phone 5. The condition data transmission is made by only access from the outboard motor 1 side, therefore, security can be secured. When confirming a failure based on the condition data, the remote monitoring apparatus 6 decides the cause of failure by troubleshooting, and then, give information about measures to a boat 2 equipped with the outboard motor 1. Troubleshooting is carried out by acquiring a program from a server of maker, and the cause of failure is transmitted to the server so as to be stored as user information. The remote monitoring apparatus 6 orders necessary maintenance parts so as to improve quickness of maintenance.

Claims

1. A machine remote monitoring system comprising:

means for determining identification information of call station in response to an incoming call;

communication means which starts communication with the call station when the determining means makes a decision such that a call comes from a previously registered station;

means for confirming an operating condition of machine connected with the call station based on the condition data transmitted from the call station in the communication; and

information providing means for giving an information such that a failure occurs to a predetermined destination when the condition data is not a predetermined normal value or predetermined data showing an occurrence of failure.

2. The machine remote monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the system further includes troubleshooting means, which starts up a predetermined program when it is confirmed that the failure occurs based on the condition data, and detects the cause of failure, and the contents given by the information providing means includes the cause of failure decided by the troubleshooting means.

3. The machine remote monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the system is connected with a network including a server serving as database, and the program is downloaded from the server via the network.

4. The machine remote monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the detection result of the cause of failure by the troubleshooting means is transmitted to the server as history data together with the condition data.

5. A machine management method comprising the steps of:

making an access to a remote monitoring apparatus from a communication device connected to a managed machine so as to transmit a condition data of the managed machine;

carrying out troubleshooting so as to detect the cause of failure when the remote monitoring apparatus confirms an occurrence of failure based on the condition data; and

giving a message of the occurrence of failure and the cause of failure decided by troubleshooting to a predetermined destination.

6. The machine management method according to claim 5, wherein troubleshooting is carried out using a program downloaded from the server via a network including a server serving as database.

7. The machine management method according to claim 6, wherein the detection result of the cause of failure by the troubleshooting is transmitted to the server as history data together with the condition data.

8. The machine management method according to claim 5, wherein the condition data includes a failure data detected by the machine side, and the condition data is transmitted for each predetermined time and when a failure is detected.

9. The machine management method according to claim 8, wherein the condition data is transmitted when the machine starts to operate.

10. The machine management method according to claim 5, wherein the destination is at least one of a maintenance staff of the machine and a user of the machine.

11. The machine management method according to claim 10, wherein history data transmitted to the server is stored in the server, and an access is possible from any one of the maintenance staff and the user with previously allocated identification information.

12. The machine management method according to claim 6, wherein the remote monitoring apparatus displays the detection result of the cause of failure by the troubleshooting, maintenance parts required for taking suitable measures to the cause of failure, and an order screen for ordering the maintenance parts, and the order screen is operated so as to order the maintenance parts to a provider or maker included in the network.

13. The machine management method according to claim 6, wherein the remote monitoring apparatus displays the detection result of the cause of failure by the troubleshooting, maintenance parts required for taking suitable measures to the cause of failure, and an instruction screen for providing information about cost required for maintenance to the user, and the instruction screen is operated so as to make an inquiry for taking desired measures to the user.

14. The machine management method according to claim 6, wherein an access to the remote monitoring apparatus from the communication device is made with identification information previously allocated to the machine, and the remote monitoring apparatus is started up in response to the access.