INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR INDUSTRIAL VEHICLES

• US 20100228428A1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Inventors: Harshbarger, Aaron H., Whitford, Jeffrey C., Winner, Dean E., Tinnerman, David K., Wellman, Timothy A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,013,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 17/003 for fork-lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

Industrial vehicles communicate across a wireless environment and the wireless communication, data collection and/or processing capabilities of industrial vehicles are leveraged against robust software solutions to implement enterprise wide asset management functions, to integrate industrial vehicle data into existing enterprise workflows and/or to enable trusted third party integration into the enterprise for enhanced asset and/or workflow management. Still further, wireless communication, data collection and/or processing capabilities of industrial vehicles are leveraged with robust software solutions that aggregate and analyze data across multiple enterprises and/or promote the exchange of information between independent entities.

Claims

1. A method of tracking usage of an industrial vehicle comprising:

utilizing a graphical user interface of a server application executing on a server computer to configure at least one parameter associated with at least one hour meter for tracking usage of an associated feature of an industrial vehicle;

wirelessly communicating each configured parameter from the server application to an associated industrial vehicle having a transceiver installed therewith for receiving wirelessly communicated messages from the server application; and

transforming at least one hour meter on the industrial vehicle by programming each transformed hour meter to operate in accordance with at least the associated parameters wirelessly received from the server application;

operating each programmed hour meter on the industrial vehicle to record usage of the associated feature based upon the wirelessly received parameters; and

providing a reading of each transformed hour meter to indicate usage of the associated feature.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein utilizing a graphical user interface of a server application to configure at least one parameter associated with at least one hour meter for tracking usage of an associated feature of an industrial vehicle, further comprises:

configuring at least one pre-condition associated with determining a triggering event to begin the accumulation of time by the associated hour meter.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein utilizing a graphical user interface of a server application to configure at least one parameter associated with at least one hour meter for tracking usage of an associated feature of an industrial vehicle, further comprises:

configuring at least one condition associated with the accumulation of time by the associated hour meter.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein utilizing a graphical user interface of a server application to configure at least one parameter associated with at least one hour meter for tracking usage of an associated feature of an industrial vehicle, further comprises:

configuring at least one exclude condition associated with the accumulation of time by the associated hour meter.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein utilizing a graphical user interface of a server application to configure at least one parameter associated with at least one hour meter for tracking usage of an associated feature of an industrial vehicle, further comprises:

utilizing the graphical user interface to associated parameters of an associated hour meter with a corresponding selected industrial vehicle from within a fleet of industrial vehicles.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting hour meter data back to the server application; and

querying the hour meter information stored by the server application to ascertain data regarding usage of the industrial vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein utilizing a graphical user interface of a server application to configure at least one parameter associated with at least one hour meter for tracking usage of an associated feature of an industrial vehicle, further comprises:

customizing parameters to track an hour usage meter of at least one motor or control module of at least one industrial vehicle.

8. A method of collecting information related to a lockout event occurring on an industrial vehicle comprising:

defining at least one lock out condition associated with an industrial vehicle;

detecting an occurrence of the lockout condition by a processor executing on the industrial vehicle;

locking out the industrial vehicle so that the industrial vehicle cannot be driven from its locked location;

wirelessly communicating a message to a server application that indicates that the industrial vehicle has been locked; and

displaying on a display screen of the industrial vehicle, an indication as to why the lockout condition occurred.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a command to unlock the industrial vehicle;

wirelessly transmitting to the server application, information that designates the identity of a person who unlocked the industrial vehicle; and

storing the identity of the person who unlocked the industrial vehicle in a database associated with the server application.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein a lockout condition is defined as an impact event occurring on the industrial vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein an alarm is sounded in response to locking out the industrial vehicle, wherein the alarm comprises initiating an audible alarm sound that is different from a horn of the locked out industrial vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein an alarm is initiated in response to locking out the industrial vehicle, wherein the alarm comprises initiating a visual alarm that is different from one or more operating lights of the locked out industrial vehicle

13. A method of collecting information related to an impact event occurring on an industrial vehicle comprising:

defining at least one impact condition associated with an industrial vehicle;

detecting an occurrence of the impact condition by a processor executing on the industrial vehicle; and

wirelessly communicating a message to a server application that indicates that the impact condition occurred on the industrial vehicle, wherein the message includes the location of a closest access point to the location of the industrial vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the impact event causes the industrial vehicle to be locked out.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein an alarm is sounded in response to locking out the industrial vehicle, wherein the alarm comprises initiating an audible alarm sound that is different from a horn of the locked out industrial vehicle.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein an alarm is initiated in response to locking out the industrial vehicle, wherein the alarm comprises initiating a visual alarm that is different from one or more operating lights of the locked out industrial vehicle.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein a lockout condition is defined as a single impact above a severity threshold determined to be a major impact condition.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein a lockout condition is defined as a predetermined number of impacts below a severity threshold determined to be a major impact condition.

19. A method of enabling an override to a normal login procedure for an industrial vehicle, comprising:

providing a transceiver on the industrial vehicle, the transceiver configured for wireless data communication across a wireless computing environment to a server application;

configuring a processor on the industrial vehicle to communicate with the transceiver for wireless communication across the wireless computing environment to a server application operating on a corresponding server computer;

configuring the processor further to communicate with electronics components of the industrial vehicle across a vehicle network bus;

requiring a normal login sequence for normal operation comprising;

requiring an operator to log into the industrial vehicle using an authorized operator identification; and

requiring the operator to complete a vehicle inspection checklist;

providing an override to the normal operation login sequence comprising;

communicating across the vehicle network bus to reduce functionality of at least one vehicle process; and

wirelessly communicating a message to the server application that indicates that a login override occurred on the industrial vehicle, wherein the message includes the location of a closest access point to the location of the industrial vehicle.

20. A method of tracking usage of an industrial vehicle comprising:

receiving at least one parameter associated with at least one hour meter for tracking usage of an associated feature of an industrial vehicle, from a server application, to the industrial vehicle having a transceiver installed therewith for receiving wirelessly communicated messages from the server application;

transforming at least one hour meter on the industrial vehicle by programming each transformed hour meter to operate in accordance with at least the at least one associated parameter wirelessly received from the server application;

operating each programmed hour meter on the industrial vehicle to record usage of the associated feature based upon the at least one associated received parameter; and

providing a reading of each transformed hour meter to indicate usage of the associated feature.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the at least one associated parameter includes at least one of a pre-condition associated with determining a triggering event to begin accumulation of time by the transformed hour meter, a condition associated with the accumulation of time by the associated hour meter and exclude condition associated with the accumulation of time by the associated hour meter.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting hour meter data back to the server application.

23. An industrial vehicle comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to receive at least one parameter associated with at least one hour meter for tracking usage of an associated feature of an industrial vehicle, from a server application, and

a processor configured to transform at least one hour meter on the industrial vehicle by programming a transformed hour meter to operate in accordance with at least the at least one associated parameter wirelessly received from the server application;

the processor further configured to operate the transformed hour meter on the industrial vehicle to record usage of the associated feature based upon the at least one associated received parameter; and

a display configured to provide a reading of each transformed hour meter to indicate usage of the associated feature.