Turf maintenance vehicle diagnostics and parameter condition logger

• US 5,657,224 A
• Filed: 12/30/1992
• Issued: 08/12/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Inventors: Wucherpfennig, Fredrick D., Dunford, William M., Lonn, Dana R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US07/998,429
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.04, 364/424.03, 364/424.07, 364/424.05, 364/431.12, 364/551.01, 364/554, 395/1.55, 395/1.56, 395/275, 395/325
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/006 Control or measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/475 Driving mechanisms for the cutters A01D34/56
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/60 fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1274 for drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/321 Display for diagnostics, e.g. diagnostic result display, self-test user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 56/02 Methods

Abstract

The present invention provides for a turf maintenance vehicle controller which includes data logger means to store the status of predetermined parameters. The invention further includes the ability to provide such data in real time to an inexpensive diagnostic apparatus and to store the data for concurrent or later analysis by either the diagnostic apparatus or a remote microprocessor.

Claims

1. A diagnostics device for a turf maintenance vehicle, of the type having an engine, a transmission, a cutting unit, and a plurality of operating parameters, comprising:

a. a first processor for actively controlling the operation of the turf maintenance vehicle, wherein said first processor monitors a plurality of predetermined operating parameters of the turf maintenance vehicle, each of said operating parameters having a status and wherein said operating parameters include an operator presence signal, a transmission status signal, and a cutting unit status signal, and wherein said first processor enables the operation of the engine and cutting unit of the turf maintenance vehicle based upon the status of the operating parameters by generating and outputting control signals to the engine and cutting unit;

b. status signal generation means for generating a signal which includes components which are indicative of the status of each of said operating parameters;

c. a second processor for receiving said generated signal, and memory array means, cooperatively connected to said second processor, for storing said generated signal in a memory location in a manner which preserves the real time sequence and relationship of the status of the parameters, wherein subsequent analysis of the status of the parameters is facilitated and wherein each of said operating parameters received by said second processor is monitored by said first processor; and

d. diagnostic tool means, cooperatively connected to said memory array means and said second processor, for visually displaying said generated signal, and wherein said diagnostic tool means displays the actual status of each of the parameters.

2. The diagnostics device of claim 1, wherein said diagnostic tool means is a remote computer.

3. The diagnostics device of claim 2, wherein said remote computer includes means for reviewing the status of the monitored parameters in a manner which provides for recreating the time sequence and relationship of the status of the monitored parameters.

4. The diagnostics device of claim 1, wherein said diagnostics tool means is a handheld device comprising:

a. decoder means for decoding said generated signal in real time into said components corresponding to the parameters which are monitored; and

b. indicator means, connected to said decoder means, for applying said decoded components to an indicator which is visually perceivable, wherein the status of each of the monitored parameters is discernable in real time.

5. The diagnostics device of claim 1, wherein said generated signal is a digital signal comprised of one or more segments, wherein each segment includes a plurality of discrete bits of information, and wherein each bit of information provides an indication of the status of one of the parameters on a one-to-one basis.

6. The diagnostics device of claim 5, wherein said diagnostics tool means is a handheld device comprising:

a. decoder means for decoding said segments and multiple bits into said components corresponding to the status of the monitored parameters; and

b. indicator means, connected to said decoder means, for applying said decoded components to an indicator, wherein the actual status of the monitored parameters may be visually discerned.

7. The diagnostics device of claim 1, wherein said memory array means includes a micro-controller having a communications port for receiving said generated signal, a memory storage device for storing said signal, and a microprocessor for controlling receipt of said signal and storing said signal in said memory storage device.

8. A diagnostics system for determining fault conditions by collecting the status of parameters monitored by an active control device on-board a turf maintenance vehicle, of the type wherein the control device produces control signals based on the status of the parameters and outputs the control signals to devices on the turf maintenance vehicle for allowing and disallowing operating functions of the turf maintenance vehicle, comprising:

a. parameter status means for generating a signal indicative of the logical operation of predetermined parameters monitored by the active control device located on-board the vehicle, wherein said parameters include cutting unit functions, engine and transmission status and operator presence, and wherein said generated signal contains the actual status of each of said parameters; and

b. display means for receiving said generated signal and visually displaying said parameter status, wherein a fault condition is directly determinable from said display means, wherein presupposition of all possible errors is not required.

9. The diagnostic system of claim 8, wherein said display means receives and displays said signal in real time, and wherein said display means is comprised of at least one of a remote computer and a logical decoder means including a plurality of LEDs.

10. The diagnostic system of claim 9, wherein said remote computer decodes said generated signal and displays the status of each monitored parameter on a visual display.

11. The diagnostic system of claim 8, wherein said signal is stored in a memory array in manner which preserves the real time sequence relationship of the said parameters in order to enable recreation of the real time operation of the monitored parameters, and wherein said visual display means includes means to retrieve said stored signal.

12. The diagnostic system of claim 8, wherein said parameter status means generate said signal when a parameter changes condition.

13. The diagnostic system of claim 8, wherein said generated signal is a digital signal which includes a timing character and a plurality of discrete bits, wherein the status of each bit corresponds to the status of an individual monitored parameter.

14. The diagnostic system of claim 8, wherein said display means further comprises a hand held device including:

a. decoder means for decoding said generated signal into said components corresponding to the status of the monitored parameters; and

b. indicator means, connected to said decoder means, for applying said decoded components to indicator which is visually perceivable, wherein the status of each of the monitored parameters may be reviewed by a user.

15. The diagnostic system of claim 8, wherein said signal is stored in a memory array in a predetermined manner to enable recreation of the real time operation of the monitored parameters, wherein said visual display means includes means to retrieve said stored signal, said signal is generated when a parameter changes condition, and said signal includes a timing character and a plurality of discrete bits, wherein the status of each bit corresponds to the status of an individual monitored parameter.

16. The diagnostic system of claim 15, wherein said memory array comprises a microprocessor which is arranged and configured for storing said signal in a predetermined area in a memory storage device and for responding to requests from said visual display means to transmit said signal.

17. The diagnostic system of claim 8, wherein said parameters includes inputs and computed outputs.

18. An electronic controller device for a turf maintenance vehicle, comprising:

a. a plurality of sensors to monitor a plurality of statuses of predetermined operative condition parameters of the vehicle and to generate first signals indicative of said condition wherein said first signals comprise a logical condition of said statuses relative to one another; and

b. a microprocessor for monitoring said first signals and comparing the logical condition of said first signals to a look-up table prior to allowing subsequent operation of the vehicle, wherein said microprocessor actively generates and outputs at least one signal to a device on the turf maintenance vehicle.

19. The controller device of claim 18, wherein said microprocessor generates a second signal indicative of said statuses, wherein said second signal is a digital signal, and wherein said second signal can be analyzed upon the occurrence of a fault to determine which parameter exhibited the fault condition.

20. The controller device of claim 19, further comprising memory array means, cooperatively connected to said microprocessor, for receiving said second signal and for storing said second signal, wherein subsequent analysis of said statuses for a fault condition is facilitated.

21. The controller device of claim 20, further comprising communication port means, cooperatively connected to said memory array means, for transmitting said generated signal in a manner suitable for receipt by a diagnostic tool in order to display the actual parameter status over time.

22. The controller device of claim 21, wherein said second signal is generated when a parameter changes condition, and said signal includes a timing character and a plurality of discrete bits, wherein the status of each bit corresponds to the status of an individual monitored parameter.

23. The controller device of claim 21, wherein said communication port means and said memory array means are fabricated in a single micro-controller integrated circuit chip.