Information providing system of construction machine and information providing method of construction machine

• US 20050021245A1
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Furuno, Yoshinori, Watanabe, Hiroshi, Ohwada, Yoshinori, Akino, Shinji, Adachi, Hiroyuki, Eguchi, Yoshinori, Matsuda, Fujio, Ikari, Takanobu
• Application Number:
  US10/496,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021245A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/33
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2292 Systems with two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An information providing system for a construction machine has a plurality of information terminals (4) provided on the side of users or owners of hydraulic excavators (1), a main server (5) provided on the side of a manufacturer of the hydraulic excavators, and an intermediate server (6) provided on the side of a dealer in charge of services presented to the users or the owners. The main server (5) obtains data regarding machine operation of each hydraulic excavator (1) via information communication and stores the obtained data in a database (5A ), and outputs the obtained data regarding the machine operations of the plurality of hydraulic excavators (1), as basic information for services presented to the users or the owners, to the intermediate server (6). The intermediate server (6) outputs, to the corresponding information terminal (4), the basic information directly or after optionally selecting the basic information.

Claims

1. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine, wherein:

said system includes a server for obtaining data regarding machine operations of a plurality of construction machines via information communication and storing the obtained data in a database, and for outputting the obtained data regarding the machine operations of the plurality of construction machines via information communication.

2. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine, wherein:

said system includes a server which is provided on the side of a manufacturer of the construction machine or a person commissioned from the manufacturer,

which obtains data regarding machine operations of a plurality of construction machines via information communication and stores the obtained data in a database, and

which outputs, via information communication, the obtained data regarding the machine operations of the plurality of construction machines, as basic information for services presented to a user or an owner of each construction machine, to an information terminal provided on the side of a serviceman in charge of the services or a supervisor supervising the serviceman.

21. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 2, wherein said server or said first server has the functions of:

obtaining data regarding operation per component section in a plurality of construction machines via information communication,

computing, based on the obtained data, the repair/replacement timing of a part belonging to the component section for each of the construction machines,

confirming parts having the repair/replacement timings substantially matched with each other among the plurality of construction machines,

deciding a planned selling price of the confirmed parts depending on a quantity thereof, and

outputting the planned selling price as the basic information via information communication.

22. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 2, wherein said server or said first server has the functions of:

obtaining data regarding operation per component section in a plurality of construction machines via information communication,

computing, based on the obtained data, the repair/replacement timing of a part belonging to the component section for each of the construction machines,

confirming parts having the repair/replacement timings substantially matched with each other among the plurality of construction machines,

deciding, for the confirmed parts, a discount sales period substantially the same as or prior to the repair/replacement timing thereof and a discount selling price during the discount sales period, and

outputting the discount sales period and the discount selling price as the basic information via information communication.

25. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 2, wherein said server or said first server has the functions of:

obtaining data regarding operation per component section of the construction machine via information communication,

computing, based on the obtained data, future change in machine management cost of the construction machine and future change in machine value of the construction machine, as well as the timing at which the machine management cost and the machine value become substantially equal to each other,

computing, when a particular part belonging to the component section is to be repaired or replaced before said computed timing, subsequent change in machine management cost of the construction machine and subsequent change in machine value of the construction machine resulting after the repair/replacement of said particular part, and

outputting at least the subsequent change in machine management cost and the subsequent change in machine value after the repair/replacement, as the service information or the sales information presented to the user or the owner of the corresponding construction machine, via information communication.

26. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claims 2, wherein said server or said first server has the functions of:

obtaining data regarding operation per component section of the construction machine via information communication,

computing, based on the obtained data, future change in machine management cost of the construction machine and future change in machine value of the construction machine, as well as the timing at which the machine management cost and the machine value become substantially equal to each other,

computing, when a particular part belonging to the component section is to be repaired or replaced before said computed timing, subsequent change in machine management cost of the construction machine and subsequent change in machine value of the construction machine resulting after the repair/replacement of said particular part, and

outputting the subsequent change in machine management cost and the subsequent change in machine value after the repair/replacement along with the future change in machine management cost and the future change in machine value of the construction machine, as the service information or the sales information presented to the user or the owner of the corresponding construction machine, via information communication.

27. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 25, wherein:

said server or said first server outputs at least the subsequent change in machine management cost and the subsequent change in machine value after the repair/replacement, as data capable of being graphically displayed in the form of curves, via information communication.

3. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine, wherein:

said system includes a server which is provided on the side of a manufacturer of the construction machine or a person commissioned from the manufacturer,

which obtains, via information communication, data regarding machine operations of a plurality of construction machines from an information terminal provided on the side of a user or an owner of each construction machine, and stores the obtained data in a database, and

which outputs, via information communication, the obtained data regarding the machine operations of the plurality of construction machines, as basic information for services presented to said user or said owner, to an information terminal provided on the side of a serviceman in charge of the services or a supervisor supervising the serviceman.

4. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine, wherein:

said system comprises an information terminal provided on the side of a user or an owner of a construction machine and being connectable to a portable terminal for obtaining data regarding machine operation of the construction machine,

a first server provided on the side of a manufacturer of the construction machine or a person commissioned from the manufacturer, obtaining data regarding the machine operation of the corresponding construction machine from each information terminal via information communication and storing the obtained data in a database, and outputting the obtained data regarding the machine operations of a plurality of construction machines, as basic information for services presented to said user or said owner, via information communication, and

a second server provided on the side of a serviceman in charge of the services or a supervisor supervising the serviceman, receiving the basic information from said first server, and outputting the basic information or information resulting from the basic information,

said information terminal receiving the basic information or the information resulting from the basic information from said second server, and displaying the received information, as service information presented to said user or said owner, in a predetermined form.

8. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 4, wherein:

said information terminal includes display means for displaying the service information in a predetermined graphical format, and

said display means rearranges the information from said second server to form a file each time when the information is obtained from each hydraulic excavator, and displays the file in relation to a machine number or a customer management-purposed machine name of the hydraulic excavator from which the file has been obtained, and a model name or a working site name of the relevant hydraulic excavator.

16. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 8, wherein:

said display means displays a list of the information from said second server, the list including the model name, the machine number corresponding to the model name, and a name of the file corresponding to the machine number, which are arranged in this order in a tree form.

17. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 8, wherein:

said display means displays a list of the information from said second server, the list including the working site name, the customer-management machine name corresponding to the working site name, and a name of the file corresponding to the customer-management machine name, which are arranged in this order in a tree form.

18. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 8, wherein:

said display means (4B) includes simultaneous display instructing means for simultaneously displaying the contents of the plural files on one screen image.

19. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 8, wherein:

said display means displays, of the data in the file, change in load factor of an engine equipped in the hydraulic excavator or in pressure frequency of hydraulic actuators associated with a front operating mechanism in a color-coded representation depending on the magnitudes of numerical values of the load factor or the pressure frequency.

20. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 8, wherein:

said display means displays, of the data in the file, values of an operation time and a non-operation time within a run time of the hydraulic excavator along with percentages of the values with respect to the run time.

23. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 4, wherein:

said information terminal is connectable to said portable terminal for obtaining data regarding operation per component section of the construction machine,

said first server obtains the data regarding the operation per component section of the corresponding construction machine from each information terminal via information communication and stores the obtained data in said database, computes, based on the data stored in said database, the repair/replacement timing of a part belonging to the component section for each of the construction machines, confirms parts having the repair/replacement timings substantially matched with each other among the plurality of construction machines, decides a planned selling price of the confirmed parts depending on a quantity thereof, and outputs the planned selling price as the basic information to said second server via information communication,

said second server outputs the basic information received from said first server or the information resulting from the basic information to said information terminal, and

said information terminal displays the information received from said second server, as the service information or the sales information, in a predetermined form.

24. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 4, wherein:

said information terminal is connectable to said portable terminal (3) for obtaining data regarding operation per component section of the construction machine,

said first server obtains the data regarding the operation per component section of the corresponding construction machine from each information terminal via information communication and stores the obtained data in said database, computes, based on the data stored in said database, the repair/replacement timing of a part belonging to the component section for each of the construction machines, confirms parts having the repair/replacement timings substantially matched with each other among the plurality of construction machines, decides, for the confirmed parts, a discount sales period substantially the same as or prior to the repair/-replacement timing thereof and a discount selling price during the discount sales period, and outputs the discount sales period and the discount selling price, as the basic information, to the second server via information communication,

said second server outputs the basic information received from said first server or the information resulting from the basic information to said information terminal, and

said information terminal displays the information received from said second server, as the service information or the sales information presented to the user or the owner, in a predetermined form.

28. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 4, wherein:

said information terminal is connectable to said portable terminal for obtaining data regarding operation per component section of the construction machine, said first server obtains the data regarding the operation per component section of the construction machine from said information terminal via information communication and stores the obtained data in said database, computes, based on the data stored in said database, future change in machine management cost of the construction machine and future change in machine value of the construction machine, as well as the timing at which the machine management cost and the machine value become substantially equal to each other, computes, when a particular part belonging to the component section is to be repaired or replaced before said computed timing, subsequent change in machine management cost of the construction machine and subsequent change in machine value of the construction machine resulting after the repair/replacement of said particular part, and outputs at least the subsequent change in machine management cost and the subsequent change in machine value after the repair/replacement, as the basic information, to said second server via information communication,

said second server outputs, to said information terminal, the basic information received from said first server directly or after processing or optionally selecting the basic information, and said information terminal displays the information received from said second server, as the service information or the sales information, in a predetermined form.

29. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 4, wherein:

said information terminal is connectable to said portable terminal for obtaining data regarding operation per component section of the construction machine,

said first server obtains the data regarding the operation per component section of the construction machine from said information terminal via information communication and stores the obtained data in said database, computes, based on the data stored in said database, future change in machine management cost of the construction machine and future change in machine value of the construction machine, as well as the timing at which the machine management cost and the machine value become substantially equal to each other, computes, when a particular part belonging to the component section is to be repaired or replaced before said computed timing, subsequent change in machine management cost of the construction machine and subsequent change in machine value of the construction machine resulting after the repair/replacement of said particular part, and outputs at least the subsequent change in machine management cost and the subsequent change in machine value after the repair/replacement along with the future change in machine management cost and the future change in machine value of the construction machine, as the basic information, to said second server via information communication,

said second server outputs, to said information terminal, the basic information received from said first server directly or after processing or optionally selecting the basic information, and

said information terminal displays the information received from said second server, as the service information or the sales information, in a predetermined form.

30. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 28, wherein:

said server or said first server outputs at least the subsequent change in machine management cost and the subsequent change in machine value after the repair/replacement, as data capable of being graphically displayed in said information terminal in the form of curves, to said second server via information communication.

5. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine,

wherein said system comprises a plurality of information terminals provided on the side of users or owners of construction machines,

a first server provided on the side of a manufacturer of the construction machines or a person commissioned from the manufacturer, and

a plurality of second servers provided in a hierarchical form on the side of a plurality of servicemen in charge of services presented to said users or said owners and on the side of a supervisor supervising the servicemen,

wherein said first server obtains data regarding machine operation of each construction machine via information communication and stores the obtained data in a database, and outputs the obtained data regarding the machine operations of the plurality of construction machines, as basic information for services presented to said users or said owners, to said second server provided on the supervisor side via information communication,

wherein the second server provided on the supervisor side outputs the basic information received from said first server to a plurality of other second servers provided on the serviceman side,

wherein the plurality of second servers provided on the serviceman side receive the basic information from the second server provided on the supervisor side and output, to said plurality of corresponding information terminals, the basic information directly or after optionally selecting the basic information, and

wherein said plurality of information terminals each receive the basic information or information resulting from the basic information from the second server provided on the corresponding serviceman side, and display the received information, as service information presented to the user or the owner, in a predetermined form.

6. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine, wherein:

said system includes a second server which is provided on the side of a serviceman in charge of services presented to a user or an owner of the hydraulic excavator, or on the side of a supervisor supervising the serviceman,

which receives, as basic information for said services, data regarding machine operations of a plurality of construction machines via information communication, the data being obtained by a first server provided on the side of a manufacturer of the construction machines or a person commissioned from the manufacturer, and

which outputs the basic information or information resulting from the basic information to an information terminal provided on the side of said user or said owner such that the basic information or the information resulting from the basic information is displayed in a predetermined form as service information presented to said user or said owner.

7. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine, wherein:

said system comprises a supervisor-side second server which is provided on the side of a supervisor supervising a plurality of servicemen in charge of services presented to users or owners of hydraulic excavators, and

which receives, as basic information for said services, data regarding machine operations of a plurality of construction machines via information communication, the data being obtained by a first server provided on the side of a manufacturer of the construction machines or a person commissioned from the manufacturer; and

a plurality of serviceman-side second servers which are provided on the side of said plurality of servicemen, and

each of which receives the basic information from said supervisor-side second server and outputs, to a corresponding information terminal provided on the side of said user or said owner, the basic information directly or after optionally selecting the basic information, such that the basic information or the optionally selected basic information is displayed, as service information, in a predetermined form to the user or the owner of the hydraulic excavator.

9. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine, wherein:

said system includes a server which is provided on the side of a manufacturer of the construction machine or a person commissioned from the manufacturer,

which obtains data regarding machine operations of a plurality of construction machines via information communication and stores the obtained data in a database, and

which outputs, via information communication, the obtained data regarding the machine operations of the plurality of construction machines, as basic information for sales to a user or an owner of each construction machine, to an information terminal provided on the side of a salesman or a supervisor supervising the serviceman.

10. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine, wherein:

said system includes a server which is provided on the side of a manufacturer of the construction machine or a person commissioned from the manufacturer, which obtains, via information communication, data regarding machine operations of a plurality of construction machines from an information terminal provided on the side of a user or an owner of each construction machine, and stores the obtained data in a database, and

which outputs, via information communication, the obtained data regarding the machine operations of the plurality of construction machines, as basic information for sales to said user or said owner, to an information terminal provided on the side of a salesman or a supervisor supervising the salesman.

11. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine, wherein:

said system comprises an information terminal provided on the side of a user or an owner of a construction machine and being connectable to a portable terminal for obtaining data regarding machine operation of the construction machine,

a first server provided on the side of a manufacturer of the construction machine or a person commissioned from the manufacturer, obtaining data regarding the machine operation of the corresponding construction machine from each information terminal via information communication and storing the obtained data in a database, and outputting the obtained data regarding the machine operations of a plurality of construction machines, as basic information for sales to said user or said owner, via information communication, and

a second server provided on the side of a salesman or a supervisor supervising the salesman, receiving the basic information from said first server, and outputting the basic information or information resulting from the basic information,

said information terminal receiving the basic information or the information resulting from the basic information from said second server, and displaying the received information, as sales information presented to said user or said owner, in a predetermined form.

15. An information providing system for a construction machine according to claim 11, wherein:

said information terminal includes display means for displaying the sales information in a predetermined graphical format, and

said display means rearranges the information from said second server to form a file each time when the information is obtained from each hydraulic excavator, and displays the file in relation to a machine number or a customer management-purposed machine name of the hydraulic excavator from which the file has been obtained, and a model name or a working site name of the relevant hydraulic excavator.

12. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine,

wherein said system comprises a plurality of information terminals (4) provided on the side of users or owners of construction machines,

a first server provided on the side of a manufacturer of the construction machines or a person commissioned from the manufacturer, and

a plurality of second servers provided in a hierarchical form on the side of a plurality of salesmen in charge of sales to said users or said owners and on the side of a supervisor supervising the salesmen,

wherein said first server obtains data regarding machine operation of each construction machine via information communication and stores the-obtained data in a database, and outputs the obtained data regarding the machine operations of the plurality of construction machines, as basic information for sales to said users or said owners, to said second server provided on the supervisor side via information communication,

wherein the second server provided on the supervisor side outputs the basic information received from said first server to a plurality of other second servers provided on the serviceman side,

wherein the plurality of second servers provided on the serviceman side receive the basic information from the second server provided on the supervisor side and output, to said plurality of corresponding information terminals, the basic information directly or after optionally selecting the basic information, and

wherein said plurality of information terminals each receive the basic information or information resulting from the basic information from the second server provided on the corresponding serviceman side, and display the received information, as sales information presented to the user or the owner, in a predetermined form.

13. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine, wherein:

said system includes a second server which is provided on the side of a salesman in charge of sales to a user or an owner of the hydraulic excavator, or on the side of a supervisor supervising the serviceman,

which receives, as basic information for promoting said sales, data regarding machine operations of a plurality of construction machines via information communication, the data being obtained by a first server provided on the side of a manufacturer of the construction machines or a person commissioned from the manufacturer, and

which outputs the basic information or information resulting from the basic information to an information terminal provided on the side of said user or said owner such that the basic information or the information resulting from the basic information is displayed in a predetermined form as sales information presented to said user or said owner of the construction machine.

14. An information providing system for a construction machine, said system transmitting and receiving information regarding the construction machine, wherein:

said system comprises a supervisor-side second server which is provided on the side of a supervisor supervising a plurality of servicemen in charge of sales to users or owners of hydraulic excavators, and

which receives, as basic information for promoting said sales, data regarding machine operations of a plurality of construction machines via information communication, the data being obtained by a first server provided on the side of a manufacturer of the construction machines or a person commissioned from the manufacturer; and

a plurality of serviceman-side second servers which are provided on the side of said plurality of salesmen, and

each of which receives the basic information from said supervisor-side second server and outputs, to a corresponding information terminal provided on the side of said user or said owner, the basic information directly or after optionally selecting the basic information, such that the basic information or the optionally selected basic information is displayed in a predetermined form as sales information presented to the user or the owner of the hydraulic excavator.

31. An information providing method for a construction machine, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining data regarding machine operations of a plurality of construction machines via information communication, and

outputting, via information communication, the obtained data regarding the machine operations of the plurality of construction machines, as basic information for services and/or sales made to a user or an owner of each construction machine, to a serviceman, a salesman or a supervisor supervising the serviceman and/or the salesman.

33. An information providing method for a construction machine according to claim 31, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

computing, based on the data obtained via information communication, the repair/replacement timing of a part belonging to the component section for each of the construction machines,

confirming parts having the repair/replacement timings substantially matched with each other among the plurality of construction machines,

deciding a planned selling price of the confirmed parts depending on a quantity thereof, and

outputting the planned selling price as the service information and/or the sales information via information communication.

34. An information providing method for a construction machine according to claim 31, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

computing, based on the data obtained via information communication, the repair/replacement timing of a part belonging to the component section for each of the construction machines,

confirming parts having the repair/replacement timings substantially matched with each other among the plurality of construction machines,

deciding, for the confirmed parts, a discount sales period prior to the repair/replacement timing thereof and a discount selling price during the discount sales period, and

outputting the discount sales period and the discount selling price as the service information and/or the sales information via information communication.

35. An information providing method for a construction machine according to claim 31, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

computing, based on the data obtained via information communication, future change in machine management cost of the construction machine and future change in machine value of the construction machine, as well as the timing at which the machine management cost and the machine value become substantially equal to each other,

computing, when a particular part belonging to the component section is to be repaired or replaced before said computed timing, subsequent change in machine management cost of the construction machine and subsequent change in machine value of the construction machine resulting after the repair/replacement of said particular part, and

outputting at least the subsequent change in machine management cost and the subsequent change in machine value after the repair/replacement, as the service information and/or the sales information, via information communication.

36. An information providing method for a construction machine according to claim 31, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

computing, based on the data obtained via information communication, future change in machine management cost of the construction machine and future change in machine value of the construction machine, as well as the timing at which the machine management cost and the machine value become substantially equal to each other,

computing, when a particular part belonging to the component section is to be repaired or replaced before said computed timing, subsequent change in machine management cost of the construction machine and subsequent change in machine value of the construction machine resulting after the repair/replacement of said particular part, and

outputting the subsequent change in machine management cost and the subsequent change in machine value after the repair/replacement along with the future change in machine management cost and the future change in machine value of the construction machine, as the service information and/or the sales information, via information communication.

32. An information providing method for a construction machine, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining, via information communication, data regarding machine operations of a plurality of construction machines from an information terminal provided on the side of a user or an owner of each construction machine, and

outputting, via information communication, the obtained data regarding the machine operations of the plurality of construction machines, as basic information for services and/or sales made to said user or said owner of the construction machine, to the side of a serviceman, a salesman or a supervisor supervising the serviceman and/or the salesman.