Monitoring and annunciation device for equipment maintenance
First Claim
1. A service tracking system (10) for use with a machine (15) having an engine or motor assembly (18), the service tracking system (10) for warning when a maintenance procedure for a service maintenance task is to be performed, comprising:
- a maintenance manager (14), responsive to a service interval setting command, for providing a corresponding service interval setting signal indicating a service interval for the service maintenance task; and
a service tracker (12), retrofittably attached to the machine (15), responsive to the service interval setting signal, and further responsive to a machine operating status signal provided by a coupling to the engine or motor assembly (18), for issuing a service warning urging that the service maintenance task be performed as soon as possible, wherein the service tracker (12) includes a resettable timer (42a) having a timer count value indicating a timer reading useable for determining when to issue the service warning, and the service tracker (12) is responsive to a timer reset signal for resetting the resettable timer so as to allow comparing the resettable timer reading with the service interval; and
a non-resetting total timer (40) adapted to advance whenever the resettable timer (42a) advances and providing a total timer reading, and further wherein the resettable timer is reset to the total timer reading in response to the timer reset signal at the time the reset signal is received so as to allow comparing the resettable timer reading at a current time with the service interval after subtracting the resettable timer reading from the total timer reading at the current time.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system (10) that can be used to retrofit any machine (15) for indicating when to perform maintenance service tasks for the machine (15). It includes a service tracker (12) connected to the machine (15), and also a maintenance manager (14) typically hosted by a hand-held device and coupled to the service tracker (12) by a wireless link (12a 14a 16), so as to allow providing a service interval for each of typically several tasks. For each of the tasks, a timer (42a), preferably resettable via the maintenance manager (14), is provided as part of the service tracker (12), allowing direct comparison of a service interval for a task with the reading of the corresponding resettable timer (42a). Based on the direct comparison of service interval and resettable timer reading for a task, the service tracker (12) provides a service warning via a display (12d) when it is time to perform the task again.
18 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A service tracking system (10) for use with a machine (15) having an engine or motor assembly (18), the service tracking system (10) for warning when a maintenance procedure for a service maintenance task is to be performed, comprising:
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a maintenance manager (14), responsive to a service interval setting command, for providing a corresponding service interval setting signal indicating a service interval for the service maintenance task; and a service tracker (12), retrofittably attached to the machine (15), responsive to the service interval setting signal, and further responsive to a machine operating status signal provided by a coupling to the engine or motor assembly (18), for issuing a service warning urging that the service maintenance task be performed as soon as possible, wherein the service tracker (12) includes a resettable timer (42a) having a timer count value indicating a timer reading useable for determining when to issue the service warning, and the service tracker (12) is responsive to a timer reset signal for resetting the resettable timer so as to allow comparing the resettable timer reading with the service interval; and a non-resetting total timer (40) adapted to advance whenever the resettable timer (42a) advances and providing a total timer reading, and further wherein the resettable timer is reset to the total timer reading in response to the timer reset signal at the time the reset signal is received so as to allow comparing the resettable timer reading at a current time with the service interval after subtracting the resettable timer reading from the total timer reading at the current time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A service tracking system (10) for use with a machine (15) having an engine or motor assembly (18), the service tracking system (10) for warning when a maintenance procedure for a service maintenance task is to be performed, comprising:
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a maintenance manager (14), responsive to a service interval setting command, for providing a corresponding service interval setting signal indicating a service interval for the service maintenance task; and a service tracker (12), retrofittably attached to the machine (15), responsive to the service interval setting signal, and further responsive to a machine operating status signal provided by a coupling to the engine or motor assembly (18), for issuing a service warning urging that the service maintenance task be performed as soon as possible, wherein the service tracker (12) includes a resettable timer (42a) having a timer count value indicating a timer reading useable for determining when to issue the service warning, and the service tracker (12) is responsive to a timer reset signal for resetting the resettable timer so as to allow comparing the resettable timer reading with the service interval, a non-resetting total timer (40) adapted to advance whenever the resettable timer (42a) advances and providing a total timer reading, and further wherein the resettable timer is reset to the total timer reading in response to the timer reset signal at the time the reset signal is received so as to allow comparing the resettable timer reading at a current time with the service interval after subtracting the resettable timer reading from the total timer reading at the current time, and further wherein the machine operating status signal conveys information about the speed of operation of a component of the engine or motor assembly (18), and the service tracker module (12) is adapted so that the resettable timer (42a) advances its timer count value only when the speed of operation is at least a predetermined minimum speed setting. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification