System for controlling operating information of construction machine and construction machine therefor

• US 6,990,398 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Inventors: Kinugawa, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US09/961,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20020038172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 701 33- 35, 701/1, 701/50, 701/29, 702182-188, 702/150, 340/825.36, 340942-943, 340/988, 340991-993, 340 31- 332, 340 101- 104, 340/928, 340/933, 340/935, 340/938, 340/901, 340/903, 340435-436, 340/438, 340/439, 235384-385, 705 7- 9, 705/1, 705/4, 705/13, 455 301- 303, 4554041-404, 455/409, 455/412.2, 455/412.1, 455/421, 455/423, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/440, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 367/99, 367/105, 700/32
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

The present invention provides an operating information control system of a construction machine comprising: operating information collection device for collecting operating information regarding operation of a construction machine; storage device for storing the operating information; and transmission controller for transmitting the operating information read from the storage device to a first receiving device provided except the construction machine through a wireless radio, the transmission controller capable of transmitting the operating information to the first receiving device when receiving a transmission request from outside of the construction machine, or continuously for a predetermined period. Thereby, since the operating information of the construction machine is transmitted making use of a low power wireless radio without using a communication satellite or a public circuit network, lots of communication cost can be reduced.

Claims

1. A system for controlling operating information of a construction machine comprising:

operating information collection means at said construction machine for collecting operating information regarding operation of the construction machine;

a first receiving device provided in a base station for said construction machine;

storage means at said construction machine for storing the operating information;

detector means for detecting that the construction machine has left the base station and for detecting that the construction machine has returned to the base station; and

a transmission controller for transmitting the operating information read from the storage means to the first receiving device through a wireless radio having a limited range, including means responsive to a signal from the detector means that the construction machine has returned to the base station for transmitting the operating information read from the storage means to the first receiving device through the wireless radio.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operating information control device for controlling said operating information received by said first receiving device; and

operating information accumulating means provided on said operating information control device to accumulate said operating information, said operating information accumulating means classifying said operating information for plural construction machines.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said receiving device provides date and time at which receiving and transmitting of said operating information is carried out relative to said construction machine for said operating information control device as incoming or outgoing date and time information of said construction machine.

4. The system according to claim 2, further comprising:

confirmation means for confirming whether communication is established when said operating information control device tries to get into communication periodically with said construction machine within the base station to thereby check existence of said construction machine.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a movable body on which is mounted a second receiving device for receiving said operating information transmitted from said transmission controller.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein said detector means comprise sensors positioned to detect that a construction machine has left the base station and that the construction machine has returned to the base station based upon an order of signals output from the sensors.

7. A construction machine, comprising:

operating information collection means at said construction machine for collecting operating information regarding operation of the construction machine;

storage means at said construction machine for storing the operating information;

detector means for detecting that the construction machine has left the base station for the construction machine and for detecting that the construction machine has returned to the base station; and

a transmission controller for transmitting the operating information read from the storage means to a first receiving device provided in the base station through a wireless radio having a limited range, including means responsive to a signal from the detector means that the construction machine has returned to the base station for transmitting the operating information read from the storage means to the first receiving device through the wireless radio.

8. The construction machine according to claim 7, wherein said transmission controller reads said operating information from said storage means to transmit it to a second receiving device when a movable body provided with said second receiving device for receiving said operating information exists in a transmissible range of said wireless radio.

9. The construction machine according to claim 7, wherein when said operating information is transmitted, identification information of said construction machine in addition to said operating information is transmitted.

10. The construction machine according to claim 7 wherein said detector means comprise sensors positioned to detect that a construction machine has left the base station and that the construction machine has returned to the base station based upon an order of signals output from the sensors.

11. A system for controlling operating information of a construction machine, comprising:

operating information collection means for collecting operating information regarding operation of a construction machine;

a first receiving device provided on a movable body external to said construction machine;

storage means for storing the operating information;

detector means for detecting that a construction machine has left the base station for said construction machine and for detecting that the construction machine has returned to the base station; and

a transmission controller for transmitting the operating information read from the storage means to the first receiving device through a wireless radio having a limited range, including means responsive to a signal from the detector means that the construction machine has returned to the base station for transmitting the operating information read from the storage means to the first receiving device through the wireless radio.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein said detector means comprise sensors positioned to detect that a construction machine has left the base station and that the construction machine has returned to the base station based upon an order of signals output from the sensors.