METHOD FOR ESTIMATING DAMAGE TO AN OBJECT, AND METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING THE USE OF THE OBJECT

• US 20060106549A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Articulated Haulers AB (AB Volvo)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Articulated Haulers AB (AB Volvo)
• Inventors: OLSSON, Karl Erik
• Granted Patent: US 7,283,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/34
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/021 Gearings
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

Method and apparatus for estimating damage to an object, with at least a first parameter which corresponds to an operational state for the object and at least a second parameter which corresponds to a condition during the operational state being determined by at least one operation measurement, and with such measurement being carried out repeatedly. A total load that is defined by the total influence of the first and second parameters on the life of the object is then calculated. The invention also relates to a method and a system for controlling the use of the object.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the use of an object which is susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of the object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the object based on the measured operational parameters; and

billing a user of the object for the calculated amount of damage.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is an object that has been rented to the user.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is an object that has been sold to the user with conditions regarding maintenance of the object.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a powertrain of a vehicle.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is constituted by a cog wheel in a powertrain of a vehicle.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is constituted by a beam in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a first measured operational parameter is based on forces bearing on the object and a second measured operational parameter is based on the environment surrounding the object.

9. A method for controlling the use of a vehicle that includes an object which is susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of the object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the object based on the measured operational parameters; and

billing a user of the vehicle for the calculated amount of damage to the object.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the vehicle is rented to the user.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the vehicle has been sold to the user with conditions regarding maintenance of the object.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a powertrain of the vehicle.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the object is constituted by a cog wheel in a powertrain of the vehicle.

14. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of the vehicle.

15. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the object is constituted by a beam in a supporting structure of the vehicle.

16. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein a first measured operational parameter is based on forces bearing on the object and a second measured operational parameter is based on the environment surrounding the object.

17. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the vehicle takes the form of a construction vehicle.

18. A method for determining the value of a used object which is susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of the used object during use;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the used object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the used object based on the calculated damage; and

valuing the used object based on the predicted remaining useable life of the object.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a powertrain of a vehicle.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the object is constituted by a cog wheel in a powertrain of a vehicle.

21. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

22. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the object is constituted by a beam in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

23. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein a first measured operational parameter is based on forces bearing on the object and a second measured operational parameter is based on the environment surrounding the object.

24. A method for determining the value of a used vehicle that includes a used object which is susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of the used object during use;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the used object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the used object based on the calculated damage; and

valuing the used vehicle based on the predicted remaining useable life of the used object.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a powertrain of a vehicle.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the object is constituted by a cog wheel in a powertrain of a vehicle.

27. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

28. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the object is constituted by a beam in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

29. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein a first measured operational parameter is based on forces bearing on the object and a second measured operational parameter is based on the environment surrounding the object.

30. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the vehicle takes the form of a construction vehicle.

31. A method for controlling the use of an object which is susceptible to damage and which is exposed to different degrees of life reducing damage in two different tasks, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of the object during a first task;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the object, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed.

32. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein the object is an object that has been rented to the user.

33. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein the object is an object that has been sold to the user with conditions regarding maintenance of the object.

34. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a powertrain of a vehicle.

35. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein the object is constituted by a cog wheel in a powertrain of a vehicle.

36. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

37. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein the object is constituted by a beam in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

38. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein a first measured operational parameter is based on forces bearing on the object and a second measured operational parameter is based on the environment surrounding the object.

39. A method for controlling the use of a vehicle that includes a first and a second object which are each susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of at least the first object during a first task in which the first object is exposed to a higher degree of life reducing damage than the second object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the first object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the first object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the vehicle, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the first object and more less life reducing to the second object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed.

40. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a component in a powertrain of the vehicle.

41. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a cog wheel in a powertrain of the vehicle.

42. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of the vehicle.

43. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a beam in a supporting structure of the vehicle.

44. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein a first measured operational parameter is based on forces bearing on at least one of the objects and a second measured operational parameter based on the environment surrounding the objects.

45. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the vehicle takes the form of a construction vehicle.

46. A method for controlling the use of a plurality of vehicles managed as a vehicle fleet and wherein each of said vehicles includes a first and a second object which are each susceptible to damage, and with respect to each vehicle in said fleet, said method comprises:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of at least the first object during a first task in which the first object is exposed to a higher degree of life reducing damage than the second object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the first object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the first object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the vehicle, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the first object and more less life reducing to the second object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed.

47. The method as recited in claim 46, wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a component in a powertrain of the vehicle.

48. The method as recited in claim 46, wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a cog wheel in a powertrain of the vehicle.

49. The method as recited in claim 46, wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of the vehicle.

50. The method as recited in claim 46, wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a beam in a supporting structure of the vehicle.

51. The method as recited in claim 46, wherein a first measured operational parameter is based on forces bearing on at least one of the objects and a second measured operational parameter based on the environment surrounding the objects.

52. The method as recited in claim 46, wherein the vehicle takes the form of a construction vehicle.