System and method for remotely obtaining and managing machine data

• US 7,181,370 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Large Drives LLC
• Original Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Robertson, Daniel W., Madhavarao, Gopal, Furem, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff; Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suglo; Janet L
• Application Number:
  US10/919,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 701/50
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments can comprise obtaining and analyzing data from at least one discrete machine, automatically determining relationships related to the data, taking corrective action to improve machine operation and/or maintenance, automatically and heuristically predicting a failure associated with the machine and/or recommending preventative maintenance in advance of the failure, and/or automating and analyzing mining shovels, etc.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving representative data from at least one sensor associated with an electric mining shovel, said electric mining shovel comprising a bucket, said representative data transmitted responsive to a transmission rate selected by a wirelessly receiving user via a user interface, the user interface adapted to accept a user selection indicative of the transmission rate;

wirelessly transmitting said representative data from the electric mining shovel to a receiver connectable to a remote server; and

automatically reporting an impending failure of a component, said impending failure of said component automatically determined via an analysis of said representative data via a pattern recognition algorithm, said pattern recognition algorithm trained via data related to said at least one sensor regarding a prior failure.

2. A method comprising a plurality of activities, said activities comprising:

at a remote server, receiving representative data obtained from a set of sensors associated with an electric mining shovel, said electric mining shovel comprising a bucket, said representative data transmitted responsive to a transmission rate selected by a wirelessly receiving user via a user interface, the user interface adapted to accept a user selection indicative of the transmission rate;

storing said received representative data in a memory device; and

automatically reporting an impending failure of a component, said impending failure of said component automatically determined via an analysis of said representative data via a pattern recognition algorithm, said pattern recognition algorithm trained via data related to said at least one sensor regarding a prior failure.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

validating a communicative coupling related to said receiving activity, said validating activity comprising receiving a test transmission from said electric mining shovel, said validating activity comprising correcting at least one error associated with said receiving representative data activity.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

rendering a user interface adapted to provide a user with status information relating to said receiving activity.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

rendering a user interface adapted to provide a user with current status of the electric mining shovel, said status associated with said representative data.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving an initialization file at the remote server, the initialization file comprising identification information related to the electric mining shovel, the identification information comprising a moniker associated with the electric mining shovel and an address of the electric mining shovel, the initialization file wirelessly transmitted from the electric mining shovel to a receiver connectable to the remote server.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving data related to actions of a mine dispatcher, said received data comprising information regarding personnel scheduling.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing data related to actions of a mine dispatcher.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining equipment scheduling information from a mine dispatch system.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting information associated with said representative data to a mine dispatch system.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

automatically comparing information associated with a portion of said representative data to at least one predetermined standard.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

automatically detecting a failed component of the electric mining shovel responsive to said representative data.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

automatically alerting a user to a failed component of the electric mining shovel responsive to information associated with a portion of said representative data.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

automatically notifying a user to schedule a maintenance activity responsive to said representative data.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein said representative data comprises data related to an electrical variable.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein said representative data comprises data related to a mechanical variable.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein said representative data comprises data related to a shovel motion control variable.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein said representative data comprises production data related to the electric mining shovel.

19. A machine-readable medium comprising stored instructions for:

at a remote server, receiving representative data obtained from a set of sensors associated with an electric mining shovel, said electric mining shovel comprising a bucket, said representative data transmitted responsive to a transmission rate selected by a wirelessly receiving user via a user interface, the user interface adapted to accept a user selection indicative of the transmission rate;

storing said received representative data in a memory device; and

automatically reporting an impending failure of a component, said impending failure of said component automatically determined via an analysis of said representative data via a pattern recognition algorithm, said pattern recognition algorithm trained via data related to said at least one sensor regarding a prior failure.

20. A system comprising:

an input processor adapted to receive representative data obtained from a set of sensors associated with an electric mining shovel, said electric mining shovel comprising a bucket, said representative data transmitted responsive to a transmission rate selected by a wirelessly receiving user via a user interface, the user interface adapted to accept a user selection indicative of the transmission rate; and

a storage processor adapted to store said received representative data in a memory device, said storage processor adapted to automatically report an impending failure of a component, said impending failure of said component automatically determined via an analysis of said representative data via a pattern recognition algorithm, said pattern recognition algorithm trained via data related to said at least one sensor regarding a prior failure.