Remote Management System for Work Machinery

• US 20120197465A1
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gotou, Yuuki, Tsukada, Hidenobu, Shibamori, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,109,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2246 Control of prime movers, e.g. depending on the hydraulic load of work tools

Abstract

A remote management system for at least one working machine manages an upper limit of an engine rpm. A hydraulic excavator includes a controller and an instruction switch for selectively instructing three kinds of work modes. The controller includes a target rpm storage unit, a target rpm computer for selecting one of stored upper limits of the target rpm according to an instruction by an instruction switch and computing a target rpm in a range smaller than the selected upper limit, and a communication unit. A server selects a work mode, according to an instruction by an input device, and instructs the selected work mode to the controller. When the work mode is instructed from the server, the target rpm computer computes a target rpm based on the instructed work mode.

Claims

1. A remote management system for at least one working machine, said remote management system being provided with the working machine and a base station, characterized in that:

the working machine comprises an engine as a drive source for a hydraulic pump that delivers pressure oil to be fed to plural hydraulic actuators, a control means for performing control of an rpm of the engine, and a machine-side work mode instruction means for selectively instructing plural kinds of work modes to the control means,

the control means comprises a target rpm storage means in which upper limits of a target rpm for the engine as set corresponding to respective ones of the plural kinds of work modes have been stored, a target rpm computing means for selecting one of the upper limits of the target rpm, which have been stored in the target rpm storage means, according to the work mode instructed by the machine-side work mode instruction means and computing a target rpm not greater than the selected upper limit, and a machine-side communication unit,

the base station comprises a work mode storage means in which the work modes of the working machine have been stored beforehand, a base station-side work mode instruction means for selecting a desired one of the work modes stored in the work mode storage means, a base station-side communication unit capable of communicating with the machine-side communication unit, and a work mode management means capable of instructing the work mode, which has been selected by the base station-side work mode instruction means, to the control means via the base station-side communication unit, and

the target rpm computing means of the working machine is set such that, when the work mode is instructed to the control means by the work mode management means of the base station, a target rpm is computed based on the work mode instructed by the work mode management means.

2. The remote management system according to claim 1, wherein:

the control means is set such that information on the work mode instructed by the machine-side work mode instruction means is transmitted by the machine-side communication unit to the base station-side communication unit,

the base station further comprises a work mode appropriateness determination means for determining, based on the information on the work mode of the control means as received by the base station-side communication unit, whether or not the work mode instructed to the control means is appropriate, and

the work mode appropriateness determination means determines whether or not the work mode of the control means is a work mode having a higher upper limit in target rpm than the work mode instructed by the base station-side work mode instruction means and, when the work mode of the control means is the work mode having the higher upper limit, determines that the work mode instructed to the control means by the machine-side work mode instruction means is inappropriate, and the work mode management means is set such that, when the work mode of the control means is determined to be inappropriate by the work mode appropriateness determination means, the work mode instructed by the base station-side work mode instruction means is instructed to the control means.

3. The remote management system according to claim 2, wherein:

the control means further comprises a used fuel amount computing means for computing an amount of fuel used by the engine per unit time, and is set such that the information on the work mode instructed by the machine-side work mode instruction means and the information on the used amount of fuel as calculated by the used fuel amount computing means are transmitted by the machine-side communication unit to the base station-side communication unit, the base station further comprises a used fuel amount storage means in which lower limits of an amount of fuel to be used per unit time as set beforehand corresponding to respective ones of the plural kinds of work modes have been stored and a used fuel amount appropriateness determination means for determining whether or not the amount of the fuel used by the engine is appropriate, the used fuel amount appropriateness determination means determines whether or not the used amount of fuel as calculated by the used fuel amount computing means of the control means is smaller than the lower limit of used fuel amount corresponding to the work mode of the control means as stored in the used fuel amount storage means and, when the thus-calculated used fuel amount is smaller, determines the thus-calculated used fuel amount to be inappropriate, and the work mode management means is set such that, when the amount of fuel used by the engine is determined to be inappropriate by the used fuel amount appropriateness determination means and the work mode of the control means is determined to be inappropriate by the work mode appropriateness determination means, the work mode instructed by the base station-side work mode instruction means is instructed to the control means.

4. The remote management system according to claim 2, wherein:

the working machine further comprises a load pressure detection means for detecting a load pressure on the hydraulic pump and plural operational instruction detection means for detecting operational instructions to respective ones of the plural hydraulic actuators, the target rpm computing means is set such that, based on the load pressure detected by the load pressure detection means and the operational instructions detected by the plural operational instruction detection means, a target rpm not greater than the upper limit of the target rpm as set corresponding to the work mode is calculated, the control means is set such that the information on the work mode instructed by the machine-side work mode instruction means, the information on the load pressure and the information on the operational instructions are transmitted by the machine-side communication unit to the base station-side communication unit, the base station further comprises a work load storage means in which lower limits of a work load as set beforehand corresponding to respective ones of the plural kinds of work modes have been stored, a work load computing means for computing a work load based on the information on the work load and the operational instruction from the control means, and a work load appropriateness determination means for determining whether or not the work load calculated by the work load computing means is appropriate, and the work load appropriateness determination means determines whether or not the work load calculated by the work load computing means is smaller than the lower limit of work load as stored in the work load storage means and corresponding to the work mode of the control means and, when the calculated work load is smaller, determines the calculated work load to be inappropriate, and the work mode management means is set such that, when the work load is determined to be inappropriate by the work load appropriateness determination means and the work mode of the control means is determined to be inappropriate by the work load appropriateness determination means, the work mode instructed by the base station-side work mode instruction means is instructed to the control means.

5. The remote management system according to claim 2, wherein:

the working machine further comprises a load pressure detection means for detecting a load pressure on the hydraulic pump and plural operational instruction detection means for detecting operational instructions to respective ones of the plural hydraulic actuators, the target rpm computing means is set such that, based on the load pressure detected by the load pressure detection means and the operational instructions detected by the plural operational instruction detection means, a target rpm not greater than the upper limit of the target rpm as set corresponding to the work mode is calculated, the control means comprises a used fuel amount computing means for computing an amount of fuel used by the engine per unit time, the control means is set such that the information on the work mode instructed by the machine-side work mode instruction means, the information on the load pressure, the information on the operational instructions and the information on the used amount of fuel as calculated by the used fuel amount computing means are transmitted by the machine-side communication unit to the base station-side communication unit, the base station further comprises a used fuel amount storage means in which lower limits of an amount of fuel used per unit time as set beforehand corresponding to respective ones of the plural kinds of work modes have been stored, a used fuel amount appropriateness determination means for determining whether or not the amount of fuel used by the engine is appropriate, a work load storage means in which lower limits of a work load as set beforehand corresponding to respective ones of the plural kinds of work modes have been stored beforehand, a work load computing means for computing a work load based on the information on the work load and the operational instructions from the control means, and a work load appropriateness determination means for determining whether or not the work load calculated by the work load computing means is appropriate, the used fuel amount appropriateness determination means determines whether or not the used amount of fuel as calculated by the used fuel amount computing means of the control means is smaller than the lower limit of the used fuel amount as stored in the used fuel amount storage means and corresponding to the work mode of the control means and, when the calculated used fuel amount is smaller, determines the calculated used fuel amount to be inappropriate, the work load appropriateness determination means determines whether or not the work load calculated by the work load computing means is smaller than the lower limit of work load as stored in the work load storage means and corresponding to the work mode of the control means and, when the calculated work load is smaller, determines the calculated work load to be inappropriate, and the work mode management means is set such that, when the amount of fuel used by the engine is determined to be inappropriate by the used fuel amount appropriateness determination means, the work load is determined to be inappropriate by the work load appropriateness determination means and the work mode of the control means is determined to be inappropriate by the work load appropriateness determination means, the work mode instructed by the base station-side work mode instruction means is instructed to the control means.

6. The remote management system according to claim 1, wherein:

the base station further comprises a registration information storage means in which registration information on plural working machines have been stored beforehand, and a search means for searching for a specific one of the working machines by using the registration information stored in the registration information storage means, and

the work mode management means is set such that the work mode is instructed to only the working machine searched out by the search means.

7. The remote management system according to claim 1, wherein:

a timing at which the control means moves to the work mode instructed by the work mode management means of the base station is set to fall during a rest of the working machine.

8. The remote management system according to claim 7, wherein:

the control means further comprises an instructed mode storage means for storing the work mode, which has been instructed from the work mode management means of the base station, upon shut-down of the control means, and is set such that at a timing of a start-up of the control means, the control means moves to the work mode stored in the instructed mode storage means.

9. The remote management system according to claim 7, wherein:

the working machine further comprises hydraulic pilot control valves arranged corresponding to respective ones of the plural hydraulic actuators to control directions and flow rates of flows of pressure oil to be fed to the corresponding hydraulic actuators, a gate lock valve capable of cutting off feeding of a pilot pressure to the hydraulic pilot control valves, and a gate lock detection means for detecting whether a valve position of the gate lock valve is a closed position where the pilot pressure is cut off or an open position where the pilot pressure is communicated, and

the control means further comprises an instructed mode storage means for storing the work mode instructed from the work mode management means when the gate lock detection means has detected a change in the valve position from the open position to the closed position, and is set such that, at a timing at which the gate lock detection means has detected a change in the valve position from the closed position to the open position, the control means moves to the work mode stored in the instructed mode storage means.

10. The remote management system according to claim 2, wherein:

the base station further comprises a registration information storage means in which registration information on plural working machines have been stored beforehand, and a search means for searching for a specific one of the working machines by using the registration information stored in the registration information storage means, and

the work mode management means is set such that the work mode is instructed to only the working machine searched out by the search means.

11. The remote management system according to claim 3, wherein:

the base station further comprises a registration information storage means in which registration information on plural working machines have been stored beforehand, and a search means for searching for a specific one of the working machines by using the registration information stored in the registration information storage means, and

the work mode management means is set such that the work mode is instructed to only the working machine searched out by the search means.

12. The remote management system according to claim 4, Wherein:

the base station further comprises a registration information storage means in which registration information on plural working machines have been stored beforehand, and a search means for searching for a specific one of the working machines by using the registration information stored in the registration information storage means, and

the work mode management means is set such that the work mode is instructed to only the working machine searched out by the search means.

13. The remote management system according to claim wherein:

the base station further comprises a registration information storage means in which registration information on plural working machines have been stored beforehand, and a search means for searching for a specific one of the working machines by using the registration information stored in the registration information storage means, and

the work mode management means is set such that the work mode is instructed to only the working machine searched out by the search means.