Method for automatic radio operational mode selection

• US 20060079278A1
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: O'Neal, Steven Wayne, Meiss, Trent Ray, Jenkins, Brian Lane, Wood, Daniel Craig, Ferguson, Alan Lewis
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles

Abstract

A method is performed to collect information in a work machine including an on-board data link connecting a wireless device and at least one on-board module. The process includes providing a first operational mode for the wireless device that allows the wireless device to perform a first set of operations on data associated with the at least one on-board module and providing a second operational mode for the wireless device that allows the wireless device to perform a second set of operations on the data associated with the at least one on-board module, wherein the second set of operations is a subset of the first set of operations. The process also determines an operational mode for the wireless device based on predetermined criteria and configures the wireless device based on the determined operational mode. Further, the process includes operating the wireless device in either the first or second operational mode based on the configuring.

Claims

1. A method for collecting information in a work machine including an on-board data link connecting a wireless device and at least one on-board module, the method comprising:

providing a first operational mode for the wireless device that allows the wireless device to perform a first set of operations on data associated with the at least one on-board module;

providing a second operational mode for the wireless device that allows the wireless device to perform at least a second set of operations on the data associated with the at least one on-board module, wherein the second set of operations is a subset of the first set of operations;

determining an operational mode for the wireless device based on predetermined criteria;

configuring the wireless device based on the determined operational mode; and

operating the wireless device in either the first or second operational mode based on the configuring.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining further includes:

determining the operational mode based on whether an interface control system is physically present in the work machine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the work machine includes an interface control system connected to the wireless device, and wherein determining further includes:

determining the operational mode based on an operational status of the interface control system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the work machine includes an interface control system connected to the wireless device, and wherein determining further includes:

determining the operational status based on configuration information provided by the interface control system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring further includes:

enabling functionalities of the wireless device related to the determined operational mode; and

disabling functionalities of the wireless device unrelated to the determined operational mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of operations includes at least one of:

collecting data received from the at least one on-board module;

forwarding data received from the at least one on-board module to an off-board system remotely located from the work machine;

processing data received from the at least one on-board module;

collecting data received from the off-board system directed to the work machine;

forwarding data received from the off-board system to the at least one on-board module; and

processing data received from the off-board system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one on-board module collects work machine parameters during operation of the work machine and collecting data received from the at least one on-board module includes:

collecting a subset of the work machine parameters from the at least one on-board module.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second set of operations includes only forwarding data received from the at least one on-board module to the off-board system and forwarding data received from the off-board system to the at least one on-board module.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the work machine includes an interface control system that performs at least the first set of operations when the wireless device operates in the second operational mode.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein configuring includes:

configuring the wireless device to operate in the second operational mode when the interface control system is physically present in the work machine; and

configuring the wireless device to operate in the first operational mode when the interface control system is not physically present in the work machine.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein determining includes:

determining whether the interface control system is logically connected to the wireless device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the interface control system is logically connected to the wireless device includes:

performing a message exchange process to determine whether the interface control system is logically connected to the wireless device.

13. A method for operating a wireless device in a work machine capable of receiving an interface control system that performs interface functions between an on-board data link and an off-board system through the wireless device, the method comprising:

providing at least a standalone operational mode and a channel operational mode for the wireless device, the standalone operational mode including wireless device functionalities greater than functionalities included in the channel operational mode;

determining an operational mode for the wireless device based on the presence or absence of an operational interface control system in the work machine;

configuring the wireless device based on the determined operational mode; and

operating the wireless device in the determined operational mode.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining further includes:

selecting the standalone operational mode based on the absence of the interface control system in the work machine.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless device is capable of both collecting and communicating data, and the configuring further includes:

enabling both the information collecting and communicating capabilities when the wireless device operates in standalone operational mode.

16. The method of claim 13, the determining further including:

selecting the channel operation mode based on the presence of the interface control system and information provided by the interface control system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless device is capable of both collecting and communicating data, the configuring further including:

enabling the communicating capability and disabling the information collecting capability when the wireless device operates in the channel operational mode.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the work machine includes the interface control system, and the method further includes:

monitoring an operational status of at least one of the wireless device and the interface control system; and

re-configuring the wireless device based on a changed operational status of the at least one wireless device and interface control system.

19. A method for providing a communication system in a work machine including an interface control system, a first and second wireless device, and an on-board module, the method comprising:

configuring the first wireless device to operate in a channel or standalone operational mode based on an operational status of the interface control system, wherein the standalone mode includes data collection and transceiving operations and the channel mode includes only data transceiving operations;

configuring the second wireless device to operate in either the channel or standalone operational mode based on the operational status of the interface control system and the operational mode of the first wireless device; and

exchanging data between the on-board module and an off-board system using at least one of the first wireless device, the second wireless device, and the interface control system.

20. The method of claim 19, further including:

establishing communications between an off-board system and the interface control system for information collecting and information processing using the communicating capabilities of the one or more wireless devices;

21. The method of claim 20, further including:

upgrading one or more wireless devices to improve communications between the external system and the interface control system without upgrading the interface control system.

22. The method of claim 19, further including:

establishing communications between an external system and the one or more wireless devices for information collecting without the interface control system.

23. A wireless communication device capable of coupling with an interface control system in a work machine, comprising:

a memory including program code that performs a process when executed, the process including;

determining an operational mode for the wireless communication device based on a presence of the interface control system in the work machine,

configuring the wireless communication device based on the determined operational mode, and

performing communication functions based on the operational mode; and

a processor executing the program code to perform data communications between an off-board system and the work machine.

24. A communication system for use in an on-board system of a work machine, comprising:

one or more wireless devices capable of both collecting and communicating data when operating in a standalone mode and capable of only communicating when operating in a channel mode;

an interface control system capable of performing data collecting and processing operations in the work machine; and

one or more data links for coupling the interface control system with the one or more wireless devices such that the interface control system uses the one or more wireless devices for communicating with an off-board system,

wherein the interface control system selectively configures the one or more wireless device to operate in standalone mode or channel mode.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the one or more wireless devices can be replaced to improve communications between the off-board system and the interface control system device without upgrading the interface control system.

26. A wireless communication device for collecting information in a work machine including an on-board data link connecting a wireless device and at least one on-board module, comprising:

means for providing a first operational mode for the wireless device that allows the wireless device to perform a first set of operations on data associated with the at least one on-board module;

means for providing a second operational mode for the wireless device that allows the wireless device to perform a second set of operations on the data associated with the at least one on-board module, wherein the second set of operations is a subset of the first set of operations;

means for determining an operational mode for the wireless device based on predetermined criteria;

means for configuring the wireless device based on the determined operational mode; and

means for operating the wireless device in either the first or second operational mode based on the configuring.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein means for determining further includes:

means for determining the operational mode based on whether an interface control system is physically present in the work machine.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein the work machine includes an interface control system connected to the wireless device, and wherein means for determining further includes:

means for determining the operational mode based on an operational status of the interface control system.

29. The device of claim 26, wherein the work machine includes an interface control system connected to the wireless device, and wherein means for determining further includes:

means for determining the operational status based on configuration information provided by the interface control system.

30. The device of claim 26, wherein means for configuring further includes:

means for enabling functionalities of the wireless device related to the determined operational mode; and

means for disabling functionalities of the wireless device unrelated to the determined operational mode.