Method and apparatus for transmitting machine operation data

• US 6,751,541 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Hiroshi, Shibata, Koichi, Komatsu, Hideki, Adachi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/239,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/35
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/20 Drives; Control devices gearings in general F16H; controlling in general G05; electric multi-motor drives H02K, H02P
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C

Abstract

To permit grasping operation conditions of a working machine at a control station located at a remote place no matter whether or not a trouble has occurred on the working machine, a CPU of a controller arranged on a hydraulic excavator produces operation data in accordance with signals outputted from operation detecting unit such as various sensors. These operation data are stored in a memory unit on the basis of time outputted from a clock unit, for example, depending upon the day. The operation data stored depending upon the day are outputted from an output unit of the controller to satellite communication terminal equipment, for example, when a key switch has been turned on. The operation data are transmitted from the satellite communication terminal equipment to an earth station via a communication satellite and further, are automatically transmitted from the earth station to a control station via a telephone line such that the operation data can be obtained as daily report data or the like by operating a PC at the control center.

Claims

1. A method for automatically transmitting operation data of plural working machines from controllers, which are arranged on said working machines, respectively, and have produced said operation data of the corresponding working machines, to a control station located at a remote place via predetermined communication means, said method comprising:

storing said operation data of said respective working machines at intervals of a predetermined time in their corresponding controllers, and automatically transmitting groups of operation data out of said operation data, said groups of operation data having been stored during desired ones or more of said intervals, from said controllers to said control station at predetermined time points shifted from one another.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined time is 1 day.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein, only when said working machine was operated on a preceding day, operation data of said preceding day are transmitted.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said controller transmits operation data of a preceding day.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said working machine is a hydraulic excavator.

6. A system for transmitting operation data of plural working machines, said system being provided with operation detecting means for detecting operating conditions of said working machines, controllers for producing, as operation data, data detected by said operation detecting means, said operation detecting means and said controllers being arranged on said working machines, respectively, and a control station located at a remote place, connected with said controllers via predetermined communication means and adapted to receive operation data outputted from said controllers, wherein:

said controllers each a clock unit, a memory unit for storing said produced operation data at predetermined time intervals on a basis of a time clocked at said clock unit and an output unit for outputting at least a group of operation data out of said operation data, said group of operation data having been stored in said memory unit during desired one or more of said intervals, at a predetermined time point, and said controllers automatically transmit said operation data, which have been outputted from said output units of said controllers, to said control station with timings of transmission being shifted from one working machine to another.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined time point is a time stored in said memory units of said controllers.

8. A system according to claim 7, further comprising rewriting means capable of rewriting said time stored in said memory units of said controllers.

9. A system according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined communication means comprises satellite communication terminal equipment arranged on said working machine and adapted to receive said operation data outputted from said output units of said controllers, a communication satellite for receiving said operation data outputted from said satellite communication terminal equipment, and an earth station for receiving said operation data outputted from said communication satellite and outputting said operation data to said control station.

10. A system according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined communication means comprises a telephone line.

11. A system according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined communication means comprises a cellular telephone.

12. A system according to claim 6 or 9, wherein said working machine is a hydraulic excavator.