APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR DIAGNOSING DEVICES INCLUDED IN WORKING MACHINE

• US 20100070130A1
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hideaki, Watanabe, Hiroshi, Watanabe, Yutaka, Furuno, Yoshinori, Shibata, Kouichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,532,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/268 with failure correction follow-up actions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles

Abstract

A device diagnostic apparatus (201) comprising: data judgment means (101) for, when device information (121) including operating condition information and internal state information is inputted, comparing the operating condition information of the device information with operating condition information stored in a database (111) beforehand to judge whether or not both of the operating condition information agree with each other, and then outputting judgment result information; and state diagnosis means (103) for, when the judgment result information indicates that both of the operating condition information agree with each other, comparing the internal state information in the device information with internal state information stored in the database beforehand, and then outputting the result of the comparison. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that false judgment result will be output, and to achieve the efficiency of maintenance work.

Claims

1. A device diagnostic apparatus for a working machine including a body and a work device provided on the body, the device diagnostic apparatus diagnosing at least one of components, as a target device, included in the working machine, the apparatus comprising:

data judgment means for, when device information including operating condition information and internal state information is inputted, comparing the operating condition information in the device information with operating condition information stored beforehand to judge whether or not both of the operating condition information agree with each other, and then outputting judgment result information, the operating condition information including external environment information of the target device, and operation information of the target device, and the internal state information including operation state information of the target device; and

state diagnosis means for, when the judgment result information indicates that both of the operating condition information agree with each other, comparing the internal state information in the device information with internal state information stored beforehand, and then outputting the result of the comparison.

2. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 1.

wherein the operating condition information stored beforehand and the internal state information stored beforehand are stored with both of them associated with each other.

3. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 1, wherein

said state diagnosis means compares the internal state information in the device information with the internal state information stored beforehand to judge whether or not both of the internal state information agree with each other, and

when the judgment result information indicates that both of the internal state information agree with each other, said state diagnosis means outputs diagnostic result on the basis of maintenance information corresponding to the internal state information stored beforehand, whereas when the judgment result information does not indicate that both of the internal state information agree with each other, said state diagnosis means outputs diagnostic result indicating that an abnormal state has occurred.

4. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 1,

wherein the operating condition information includes at least one of following information:

temperature data, humidity data, weather data, road surface data, operation data, maintenance person data, driver data, model data, work site data, an oil grade, an oil deterioration level, and operation information of related equipment.

5. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 1,

wherein the internal state information includes at least one of following information:

engine speed data, radiator water temperature data, oil temperature data, an oil deterioration level, the amount of internal leakage, fuel consumption data, sound data of the target device, and vibration data of the target device.

6. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 1, the device diagnostic apparatus further comprising:

process learning means for, when the judgment result information output by said data judgment means indicates that both of the operating condition information disagree with each other, learning the device information, and then storing the learned device information in a process database as process learning information.

7. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 1, the device diagnostic apparatus further comprising:

a diagnostic database including an operating condition data storage unit in which the operating condition information is stored,

wherein said data judgment means compares operating condition information in the inputted device information with the operating condition information stored in the operating condition data storage unit.

8. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 1, the device diagnostic apparatus further comprising:

a diagnostic database including an internal state data storage unit in which the internal state information is stored,

wherein said state diagnosis means compares internal state information in the inputted device information with the internal state information stored in the internal state data storage unit.

9. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 6, the device diagnostic apparatus further comprising:

diagnostic database update means for detecting whether or not the process database has been updated, and for, when it is detected that the process database has been updated, outputting process database update request information.

10. A device diagnostic system for a working machine, the device diagnostic system comprising:

a device diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1; and

a display unit for displaying the diagnostic result.

11. The device diagnostic system for the working machine according to claim 10, wherein

said device diagnostic apparatus includes process learning means for, when the judgment result information output by the data judgment means indicates disagreement of the operating condition information, learning the device information, and then storing the learned device information in a process database as process learning information, and

said display unit displays the process learning information stored in the process database.

12. The device diagnostic system for the working machine according to claim 11, wherein

the process database stores the process learning information, and date data of the date on which the process learning information has been learned, with both of them associated with each other, and

said display unit displays the process learning information, and the date data of the date on which the process learning information has been learned.

13. The device diagnostic system for the working machine according to claim 10, the device diagnostic system further comprising:

maintenance information input means for inputting maintenance information,

wherein said device diagnostic apparatus includes diagnostic database update means for reading the process learning information from the process database to judge whether or not the maintenance information has been inputted from the maintenance information input means, and for, as a result of the judgment, when it is judged that the maintenance information has been inputted, adding the maintenance information to the read process learning information before storing the process learning information in a maintenance information data storage unit of the diagnostic database.

14. The device diagnostic system for the working machine according to claim 13,

wherein the maintenance information indicates whether the target device is normal or abnormal.

15. The device diagnostic system for the working machine according to claim 14,

wherein, when maintenance information inputted from the maintenance information input means indicates an abnormal state, the diagnostic database update means instructs said display unit to display a maintenance information input screen which prompts a user to input a detailed description of the abnormal state.

16. The device diagnostic system for the working machine according to claim 15,

wherein the maintenance information input screen includes a field to be input by the user, as a failure period, a specified period starting from the time before a point of time at which abnormal change of the internal state information becomes largest, the specified period including the point of time in question.

17. The device diagnostic system for the working machine according to claim 10, wherein

when the judgment result information output by the data judgment means indicates disagreement of the operating condition information, said device diagnostic apparatus outputs a detailed descriptions of the abnormal state and disagreement to said display unit, and

said display unit displays the detailed descriptions of the abnormal state and disagreement.

18. The device diagnostic system for the working machine according to claim 10, wherein

when the plurality of pieces of device information have been inputted, in a case where pieces of operating condition information in the plurality of pieces of device information include operating condition information which is uncomparable with the operating condition information stored beforehand, the data judgment means of said device diagnostic apparatus outputs, to said display unit, a detailed description of the abnormal state, and the uncomparable operating condition information, and

said display unit displays the detailed description of the abnormal state and the uncomparable operating condition information.

19. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 1, wherein

the number of the target device is two or more, and said data judgment means selects related device information on a target device basis and then judges the operating condition information.

20. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 19,

wherein, in the case where the number of pieces of internal state information associated with the target device to be judged is two or more, said data judgment means selects, for each of the pieces of internal state information, related operating condition information from among the pieces of operating condition information so that the judgment is performed.

21. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 19,

wherein, when the number of pieces of operating condition information associated with internal state information of the target device to be judged is two or more, said data judgment means performs the judgment for each of the pieces of operating condition information.

22. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 1, wherein

the working machine includes:

at least one engine with which the body is equipped;

a plurality of main pumps, each of which is driven by the engine;

a plurality of actuators, each of which is driven by hydraulic operating fluid discharged by the main pump, and each of which drives the front work device;

a pump mission unit for distributing the motive power of the engine into the plurality of main pumps;

a mission oil cooler for cooling mission oil which is used for the pump mission unit;

a hydraulic operating fluid cooler for cooling hydraulic operating fluid which has been discharged by the main pump so as to drive the plurality of actuators; and

a radiator for cooling coolant of the engine,

the target device is at least one of followings;

the pump mission unit, the mission oil cooler, the hydraulic operating fluid cooler, the main pump, the engine, and the radiator, and

in the case where the number of target devices is two or more, said data judgment means selects related device information on a target device basis, and then judges the operating condition information.

23. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 22, wherein

in the case where the target device is the pump mission unit, the internal state information is either a temperature of the mission oil or a deterioration level of the mission oil,

in the case where the internal state information is a temperature of the mission oil, the internal state information includes at least one of followings:

outdoor air temperature, road surface data (tilt angle of the vehicle body), maintenance person data, driver data, performance of the mission oil cooler, an oil grade, model data of the working machine, and a deterioration level of the mission oil,

in the case where the internal state information is a deterioration level of the mission oil, the internal state information includes at least one of followings;

work site data, and weather data, and

said data judgment means selects, for each of the pieces of internal state information, related operating condition information from among the pieces of operating condition information, and performs the judgment for each of the pieces of operating condition information.

24. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 22, wherein

in the case where the target device is the mission oil cooler the internal state information is a difference in temperature between the inlet and outlet of the mission oil cooler, and the operating condition information is at least one of followings:

outdoor air temperature, work site data, whether or not a cooler option exists, and a revolution speed of the fan motor, and

said data judgment means performs the judgment for each of the pieces of operating condition information.

25. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 22, wherein

in the case where the target device is the hydraulic operating fluid cooler, the internal state information is a difference in temperature between the inlet and outlet of the hydraulic operating fluid cooler, and the operating condition information is at least one of followings:

outdoor air temperature, work site data, whether or not a cooler option exists, and a revolution speed of the fan motor, and

said data judgment means performs the judgment for each of the pieces of operating condition information.

26. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 22, wherein

in the case where the target device is one of the plurality of main pumps, the internal state information is amount of internal leakage of the main pump, and the operating condition information is at least one of followings:

operation data of the front work device, model data of the working machine, outdoor air temperature, and an oil grade of hydraulic operating fluid, and

said data judgment means performs the judgment for each of the pieces of operating condition information.

27. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 22, wherein

in the case where the target device is the engine, the internal state information is an engine speed, and the operating condition information is at least one of followings:

an altitude, a fuel grade, an engine oil grade, and a change in load of the engine, and

said data judgment means performs the judgment for each of the pieces of operating condition information.

28. The device diagnostic apparatus for the working machine according to claim 22, wherein

in the case where the target device is the radiator, the internal state information is a difference in temperature between the inlet and outlet of the radiator, and the operating condition information is one of followings:

outdoor air temperature;

work site data;

whether or not a radiator option exists;

revolution speed of a fan motor; and

performance of a coolant pump, and

said data judgment means performs the judgment for each of the pieces of operating condition information.