OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH OPERATOR PERFORMANCE MONITORING

• US 20150081359A1
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Husqvarna AB (HUSQVARNA)
• Original Assignee: Husqvarna AB (HUSQVARNA)
• Inventors: Mejegrd, Peter, Wahlstrm, Per, Holmberg, Stefan, Philpott, Gary, Wahlgren, Hkan
• Granted Patent: US 10,380,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/09 Driving style or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/008 by doing functionality tests
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/00 Measuring linear or angular speed; Measuring differences of linear or angular speeds G01P5/00 - G01P11/00 take precedence; direction and speed indication G01P13/045; counting mechanisms G06M
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a fleet management system that assists a fleet, such as a landscaping crew, forestry company, grounds care manager, or the like, with management and monitoring the fleet'"'"'s collection of outdoor power equipment, like lawn mowers, trimmers, chainsaws, and/or the like, and the operators of the outdoor power equipment. In this regard, embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for automatically gathering data about one or more pieces of outdoor power equipment and one or more human operators of the equipment, processing the data into more useful data and data formats, and providing useful feedback, data, and tools to users of the system to assist with management of one or more fleets.

Claims

1. A fleet management system for assisting with management of one or more pieces of outdoor power equipment and one or more equipment operators, the fleet management system comprising:

an identification unit configured to be worn or carried by an operator, wherein each identification unit comprises a transmitter communicably coupled to a memory, and wherein the memory comprises an operator identification code uniquely associated with a specific operator, wherein the identification unit is configured to use the transmitter to wirelessly communicate the operator identification code;

an equipment data sensor associated with a specific piece of outdoor power equipment, the equipment data sensor comprising a receiver, a processing device communicably coupled to a memory, a receiver, and at least one sensor for sensing data about the equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment, wherein the processing device of the equipment data sensor is configured to;

(i) use the receiver to receive the operator identification code transmitted by the identification unit'"'"'s transmitter; and

(ii) store the operator identification code in the memory with the data about the equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment; and

a data management server, wherein the data management server is configured to utilize the operator identification code and the data about the outdoor power equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment to provide a user of a fleet management portal with information about the specific operator associated with the identification code and the operator'"'"'s use of the specific piece of equipment associated with the equipment data sensor.

2. The fleet management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of identification units each comprising a different operator identification code stored therein, each operator identification code uniquely associated with a different operator of a plurality of operators;

a plurality of equipment data sensors each associated with a different piece of equipment of a plurality of pieces of equipment,

wherein the data management server is configured to receive data from each of the plurality of equipment data sensors, the data from each of the plurality of equipment data sensors comprising one or more operator identification codes and data about the equipment associated with the equipment data sensor, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment, and

wherein the data management server provides the user of the fleet management portal with information about the plurality of operators and operation of the plurality of pieces of equipment.

3. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the outdoor power equipment comprises a trimmer, a mower, or a chainsaw.

4. The fleet management system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile phone comprising:

a short range transceiver configured to receive data about one of the pieces of equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment;

a long range transceiver configured to send the data to the data management server via a cellular network, and

a memory comprising an operator ID code stored therein, wherein the operator ID code is sent to the fleet management server with the data.

5. (canceled)

6. A data collection system comprising:

a communication device including a memory;

a powered machine provided with said communication device;

an identification unit associated with a specific operator ID-code for a specific operator of the machine, the identification unit being a separate entity from the machine and intended to be worn or carried by the operator, wherein the identification unit is configured to communicate said operator ID-code to the communication device,

characterized in that the communication device is capable of

obtaining values of at least one parameter associated with running of the machine,

receiving at least one operator ID-code, and

storing at least said values and said at least one operator ID-code in said memory,

wherein the at least one parameter associated with running of the machine includes position of a throttle valve or geographic position of the machine and/or operator.

7. A data collection system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one parameter includes at least one of RPM, temperature, vibration exposure, fuel consumption, oil temperature, battery voltage, oil pressure, transmission temperature and inclination of the machine.

8. The data collection system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one parameter includes at least RPM and wherein said RPM is used for calculating the amount of vibration exposure during running of the powered machine.

9. A data collection system as claimed in any one of claim 6, wherein either of (i) the communication device or (ii) the identification unit is provided with a GPS unit.

10. A data collection system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communication device is powered by being connected to at least one electromagnetic coil that is energized by at least one magnet provided on a rotating flywheel of an internal combustion engine of the machine.

11. A data collection system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the machine includes a control module for at least controlling a fuel supply to an internal combustion engine of the machine, wherein the communication device is connectable to or connected to the control module at least through a power supply connection so as to be supplied with power through said connection.

12. A data collection system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the machine includes a control module for at least controlling a fuel supply to an internal combustion engine of the machine, wherein the communication device is configured to receive values of the at least one parameter from said control module.

13. A data collection system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the machine includes a throttle position sensor for sensing the position of a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine of the machine, wherein the communication device is connectable to or connected to the throttle position sensor at least for sequentially obtaining values representing the position of the throttle valve.

14. A data collection system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the machine includes a control module for at least controlling a fuel supply to an internal combustion engine of the machine, wherein the communication device is an integrated part of the control module.

15. A data collection system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communication device comprises a warning system arranged to alert a user of the powered machine in case said obtained parameters are indicative of poor/unfavourable performance/handling/running of the machine.

16. A data collection system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a run-time data management system, wherein the run-time management system further comprises:

a base station; and

a server, wherein the communication device is connectable with the base station so as to transmit at least said values and said at least one operator ID-code to the base station, and the base station is connectable with the server so as to transmit at least said values and said at least one operator ID-code to the server.

wherein the machine and/or operator comprise/s a GPS-unit, and wherein the at least one parameter associated with running of the machine is the geographic position of the machine/operator, and wherein the run-time management system is arranged to;

obtain and store at least the geographic positions and the engine speed of the machine/operator during a specific operating time,

pair registered geographic positions with the engine speed obtained and stored at each geographic position,

evaluate the paired data to determine for each registered geographic position whether the engine was in idle mode or in active operating mode, and

based on the evaluation, determine the total area at which the machine/operator was in active operating mode during the operating time.

17. A communication device, arranged on a powered machine, comprising means for obtaining values of at least one parameter associated with running of the machine, a memory and means for wireless short range communication arranged to receive and transmit short distance communication signals, wherein the communication device comprises a warning system arranged to alert a user of the powered machine in case said obtained parameters are indicative of poor/unfavourable performance/handling/running of the machine.

18. A communication device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the at least one parameter includes at least one of RPM, position of a throttle valve, geographic position of the machine, oil temperature, oil pressure and transmission temperature, or wherein the communication device is provided with a GPS unit.

20. A communication device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the communication device is powered by being connected to at least one electromagnetic coil that is energized by at least one magnet provided on a rotating flywheel of an internal combustion engine of the machine or wherein the machine includes a throttle position sensor for sensing the position of a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine of the machine, wherein the communication device is connectable to or connected to the throttle position sensor at least for sequentially obtaining values representing the position of the throttle valve.

22. A communication device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the machine includes a control module for at least controlling a fuel supply to an internal combustion engine of the machine, wherein the communication device is configured to receive values of the at least one parameter from said control module or wherein the communication device is connectable to or connected to the control module at least through a power supply connection so as to be sullied with power through said connection.

24. A communication device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the machine includes a control module for at least controlling a fuel supply to an internal combustion engine of the machine, wherein the communication device is an integrated part of the control module.

19. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25. (canceled)