DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT

• US 20150123815A1
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Published: 05/07/2015
• 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, Birging, Torbjrn, Dvila Garcia, Francisco Javier, Philpott, Gary, Wahlgren, Hkan
• Granted Patent: US 9,973,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed a data communication system and method for a fleet management system configured to assist with monitoring and managing a fleet of one or more powered machines and one or more human operators.

Claims

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

an identification unit configured to be worn or carried by a human operator, wherein each identification unit comprises an identification unit transmitter communicably coupled to a memory, wherein the identification unit'"'"'s memory comprises stored therein an operator identification code uniquely associated with a specific operator, and wherein the identification unit is configured to wirelessly communicate the operator identification code via the identification unit'"'"'s transmitter; and

an equipment data sensor associated with a specific piece of equipment, the equipment data sensor comprising a processing device communicably coupled to a memory, a receiver, and at least one sensor configured to sense 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;

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

store the operator identification code in the memory with the data about the equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment.

2. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the processing device of the equipment data sensor is communicably coupled to a transceiver comprising the receiver and a transmitter, and wherein the processing device is further configured to:

use the transceiver to communicate the operator identification code and the data about the equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment to a remote data management server.

3. The fleet management system of claim 2 further comprising the data management server, wherein the data management server is configured to utilize the operator identification code and the data about the 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.

4. The fleet management system of claim 3, 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.

5. The fleet management system of claim 2, wherein the equipment data sensor'"'"'s processing device is configured to use the transceiver to communicate the operator identification code and the data about the equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment to the remote data management server via at least one data communication system.

6. The fleet management system of claim 5, further comprising:

a data communication system comprising a wireless transceiver communicably coupled to a network interface coupled to a global communication network,

wherein the data communication system uses the wireless transceiver to receive the operator identification code and the data about the equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment from the equipment data sensor, and

wherein the data communication system uses the network interface to communicate the operator identification code and the data about the equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment to the remote data management server via the global communication network.

7. The fleet management system of claim 5, wherein the data communication system comprises a base station or satellite station located in a storage facility for storing the equipment or in a vehicle for transporting the equipment.

8. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the equipment data sensor comprises a power source, the memory, the receiver, and the at least one sensor.

9. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the equipment data sensor can be installed on a plurality of different types of equipment without modification of the equipment data sensor'"'"'s components.

10. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the equipment data sensor comprises a self-powered device that wirelessly senses the data about the equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment so that the equipment data sensor can be installed on a plurality of different types of equipment, at the factory or after-market, by adhering the self-powered device to the equipment without further modification of the equipment.

11. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a temperature sensor or an engine RPM sensor.

12. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an antenna configured to sense engine RPM by sensing electromagnetic waves generated in an ignition cable in the specific piece of equipment.

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

a magnet attached to an engine flywheel, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense the magnet on the engine flywheel to sense engine RPM, and wherein the equipment data sensor is powered at least in part by electromagnetic induction caused by the magnet on the engine flywheel.

14. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the one or more pieces of equipment comprise outdoor power equipment, and wherein the specific piece of equipment comprises a trimmer, a chainsaw, a blower, or a lawn mower.

15. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the one or more pieces of equipment comprise both wheeled and handheld outdoor power equipment.

16. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises one of:

a GPS receiver, a RPM sensor, a RPM antenna, a three-axis accelerometer, an accelerometer, an electro-mechanical switch, an inclinometer, a thermocouple or other temperature sensor, a proximity sensor, a fluid level sensor, a pressure transducer, a moisture sensor, a motion detector, a magnetic field sensor, an RF antenna, an infrared sensor, a laser, a shock sensor, a speed sensor, or a vibration sensor.

17. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to sense data about the equipment, and wherein the data about the equipment comprises one of:

location data, engine RPM, engine speed, component RPM, power take-off (PTO) system speed, acceleration, orientation, incline, ambient temperature, engine temperature, transmission temperature, component temperature, nearby equipment identification (ID) code, nearby communication system ID code, throttle status, PTO engagement status, brake status, clutch status, user input, switch status, fuel consumption, fuel level status, oil level status, battery level status, voltage, electrical current, velocity, operator presence, heading, run time, ignition status, vibration, shock, tire level, tire condition, differential locking, wheel spinning, wheel slipping, humidity, force, signal strength, moisture, tension, pressure, altitude, tampering, equipment hatch opening, or component replacement.

18. The fleet management system of claim 1, wherein the processing device of the equipment data sensor is configured to use the receiver to receive a second operator identification code transmitted by a second identification unit'"'"'s transmitter, and wherein the processing device of the equipment data sensor is further configure to distinguish between the operator identification code and the second operator identification code based at least partially on strength of signals received from the identification unit'"'"'s transmitter and the second identification unit'"'"'s transmitter.

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

a data management server, wherein the processing device of the equipment data sensor is configured to use the receiver to receive a second operator identification code transmitted by a second identification unit'"'"'s transmitter, wherein the processing device of the equipment data sensor is further configure to sense a measure of strength of signals received from the identification unit'"'"'s transmitter and the second identification unit'"'"'s transmitter, and wherein a processing device of the data management server is configured to receive the measure of strength of the signals and determine, based at least partially on the measure of strength of the signals, which of the operator identification code or the second operator identification code is associated with the actual operator operating the specific piece of equipment at the time that the measure of signal strength was measured,

wherein the processing device of the data management server is further configured to;

associate the data about the equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment with the operator identification code or the second operator identification code that it determines to be the actual operator operating the specific piece of equipment at a time proximate to when the data was measured, and

use the data to provide output about the actual operator'"'"'s performance or work conditions, and

wherein the identification unit comprises a passive radio frequency tag that is powered at least in part by electromagnetic waves received from the equipment data sensor and communicates with the equipment data sensor in response to receiving the electromagnetic waves from the equipment data sensor.

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. A method of monitoring equipment and/or equipment operators, the method comprising:

providing each of a plurality of operators with an identification unit to be worn or carried by the operator whenever the operator is operating the equipment, wherein each identification unit comprises an identification unit transmitter communicably coupled to a memory, wherein the identification unit'"'"'s memory comprises stored therein unique operator identification code that can be uniquely associated with one of the plurality of operators, and wherein the identification unit is configured to wirelessly communicate the operator identification code via the identification unit'"'"'s transmitter;

providing each of a plurality of pieces of equipment with an equipment data sensor associated with a specific piece of equipment, the equipment data sensor comprising a processing device communicably coupled to a memory, a receiver, and at least one sensor configured to sense data about the equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment;

automatically receiving, via the receiver, the operator identification code transmitted by the identification unit'"'"'s transmitter; and

storing the operator identification code in the memory with the data about the equipment, operation of the equipment, or the equipment'"'"'s environment.

23-27. -27. (canceled)