Data sharing equipment for mobile stations

• US 6,668,157 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2000
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Architect Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Takeda, Koji, Ozaki, Tomonori, Kageyama, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): LELE, TANMAY S
• Application Number:
  US09/583,180
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/414, 455/517, 455/518, 455/507, 455/456, 455/457, 455/522, 455/417, 455/509, 455/575, 340/3.41, 340/3.1, 340/3.2, 340/825, 340/825.72, 340/825.4, 701/50, 701/28, 180/167, 180/168
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence

Abstract

Data sharing equipment for mobile stations is described, which is capable of suppressing a load upon a communication line for data communication between a monitor station and the mobile stations and reducing a standby time required for the data communication of the mobile stations. It is assumed that excavators and trucks have received all course data C1 to C3 and courses ID1 to ID3, and truck 11 has received only the course data C1, C2 and the course ID1, ID2. When an excavator moves from present course 2 to a location to adopt course 3, and when a truck arrives at a loading spot and the excavator and the truck can communicate by spread-spectrum radio communications, the excavator transmits the course ID3 as the instruction content to the truck by the spread-spectrum radio communication.

Claims

1. Data sharing equipment for mobile stations, comprising a plurality of mobile stations moving along runways and a monitor station for monitoring the plurality of mobile stations, wherein:

the plurality of mobile stations and the monitor station are provided with communication means for transmitting and receiving data to and from other stations;

the mobile stations are provided with storage means for storing data transmitted from other stations, and the monitor station or at least one of the plurality of mobile stations are provided with imparting means for giving identification information to predetermined data for identifying the predetermined data;

predetermined instructions are given to the mobile station with identification information given by the imparting means; and

the mobile station instructed by the identification information, when data corresponding to the identification information is not stored in its storage means, transmits a demand for transmission of data corresponding to the identification information to the monitor station or other mobile station through the communication means.

2. The data sharing equipment for mobile stations according to claim 1, wherein:

the monitor station is provided with data storage means for storing data as a reference and identification information imparting means for giving identification information for identifying data to the data stored in the data storage means, and transmits the data stored in the data storage means and the identification information given to the data to the plurality of mobile stations by broadcasting;

the monitor station or any one of the plurality of mobile stations transmits predetermined instructions to other stations by the identification information; and

the mobile station instructed by the identification information, when data corresponding to the instructed identification information is not stored in the own storage means, transmits a demand for transmission of data corresponding to the identification information to the monitor station or other mobile stations.

3. The data sharing equipment for mobile stations according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of mobile stations comprises first communication means for transmitting and receiving data with other mobile stations and second communication means for transmitting and receiving data with the monitor station.

4. The data sharing equipment for mobile stations according to claim 1, wherein:

the monitor station is provided with data storage means for storing data as a reference and identification information imparting means for giving identification information for identifying data to the data stored in the data storage means, and transmits latest identification information imparting means to the plurality of mobile stations by periodically broadcasting through the communication means; and

when the latest data corresponding to the latest identification information from the monitor station is not stored in the storage means and judges that the latest data is required, the mobile station transmits a demand for transmission of the latest data to the monitor station or other mobile stations through the communication means.

5. The data sharing equipment for mobile stations according to claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of mobile stations comprises first communication means for transmitting and receiving data with other mobile stations and second communication means for transmitting and receiving data with the monitor station.

6. The data sharing equipment for mobile stations according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of mobile stations comprises first communication means for transmitting and receiving data with other mobile stations and second communication means for transmitting and receiving data with the monitor station.

7. Data sharing equipment for mobile stations, comprising:

a plurality of unmanned dump trucks that run according to instructed courses;

a loading machine for loading the unmanned dump trucks, wherein;

the loading machine generates new course data each time a loading position at a loading spot is changed and transmits the new course data to a monitoring station;

after receiving the new course data, the monitoring station imparts new identification information for identifying the new course data, and the monitoring station transmits the new course data with the new identification information to the plurality of unmanned dump trucks;

when an unmanned dump truck of the plurality of unmanned dump trucks enters the loading spot, the monitor station transmits the new identification information, and

the unmanned dump truck runs in accordance with the new course data corresponding to the new identification information.