Method for estimating damage to an object, and method and system for controlling the use of the object

• US 7,283,932 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Albihns Goteborg AB
• Original Assignee: Albihns Goteborg AB
• Inventors: Olsson, Karl Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond; Edward
• Application Number:
  US10/907,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20060106549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 702182-185, 702/188, 702/179, 702 33- 35, 700/108, 700/45, 705/52, 705/22, 705/400, 705/28
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/021 Gearings
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

Method and apparatus for estimating damage to an object, with at least a first parameter which corresponds to an operational state for the object and at least a second parameter which corresponds to a condition during the operational state being determined by at least one operation measurement, and with such measurement being carried out repeatedly. A total load that is defined by the total influence of the first and second parameters on the life of the object is then calculated. The invention also relates to a method and a system for controlling the use of the object.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the use of an object which is susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of the object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the object based on the measured operational parameters; and

billing a user of the object for the calculated amount of damage and wherein the object is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is an object that has been rented to the user.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is an object that has been sold to the user with conditions regarding maintenance of the object.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is constituted by a cog wheel in a powertrain of a vehicle.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object is constituted by a beam in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

7. A method for controlling the use of an object which is susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of the object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the object based on the measured operational parameters; and

billing a user of the object for the calculated amount of damage and wherein the object is constituted by a component in a powertrain of a vehicle.

8. A method for controlling the use of an object which is susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of the object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the object based on the measured operational parameters; and

billing a user of the object for the calculated amount of damage and wherein a first measured operational parameter is based on forces bearing on the object and a second measured operational parameter is based on the environment surrounding the object.

9. A method for controlling the use of a vehicle that includes an object which is susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of the object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the object based on the measured operational parameters; and

billing a user of the vehicle for the calculated amount of damage to the object and wherein the vehicle takes the form of a construction vehicle.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the vehicle is rented to the user.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the vehicle has been sold to the user with conditions regarding maintenance of the object.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a powertrain of the vehicle.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the object is constituted by a cog wheel in a powertrain of the vehicle.

14. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the object is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of the vehicle.

15. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the object is constituted by a beam in a supporting structure of the vehicle.

16. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein a first measured operational parameter is based on forces bearing on the object and a second measured operational parameter is based on the environment surrounding the object.

17. A method for controlling the use of an object which is susceptible to damage and which is exposed to different degrees of life reducing damage in two different tasks, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of the object during a first task;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the object, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed and wherein the object is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the object is an object that has been rented to the user.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the object is an object that has been sold to the user with conditions regarding maintenance of the object.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the object is constituted by a cog wheel in a powertrain of a vehicle.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the object is constituted by a beam in a supporting structure of a vehicle.

22. A method for controlling the use of an object which is susceptible to damage and which is exposed to different degrees of life reducing damage in two different tasks, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of the object during a first task;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the object, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed and wherein the object is constituted by a component in a powertrain of a vehicle.

23. A method for controlling the use of an object which is susceptible to damage and which is exposed to different degrees of life reducing damage in two different tasks, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of the object during a first task;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the object, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed and wherein a first measured operational parameter is based on forces bearing on the object and a second measured operational parameter is based on the environment surrounding the object.

24. A method for controlling the use of a vehicle that includes a first and a second object which are each susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of at least the first object during a first task in which the first object is exposed to a higher degree of life reducing damage than the second object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the first object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the first object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the vehicle, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the first object and more less life reducing to the second object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed and wherein the vehicle takes the form of a construction vehicle.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a cog wheel in a powertrain of the vehicle.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a beam in a supporting structure of the vehicle.

27. A method for controlling the use of a vehicle that includes a first and a second object which are each susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of at least the first object during a first task in which the first object is exposed to a higher degree of life reducing damage than the second object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the first object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the first object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the vehicle, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the first object and more less life reducing to the second object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed and wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a component in a powertrain of the vehicle.

28. A method for controlling the use of a vehicle that includes a first and a second object which are each susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of at least the first object during a first task in which the first object is exposed to a higher degree of life reducing damage than the second object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the first object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the first object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the vehicle, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the first object and more less life reducing to the second object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed and wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of the vehicle.

29. A method for controlling the use of a vehicle that includes a first and a second object which are each susceptible to damage, said method comprising:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of at least the first object during a first task in which the first object is exposed to a higher degree of life reducing damage than the second object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the first object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the first object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the vehicle, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the first object and more less life reducing to the second object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed and wherein a first measured operational parameter is based on forces bearing on at least one of the objects and a second measured operational parameter based on the environment surrounding the objects.

30. A method for controlling the use of a plurality of vehicles managed as a vehicle fleet and wherein each of said vehicles includes a first and a second object which are each susceptible to damage, and with respect to each vehicle in said fleet, said method comprises:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of at least the first object during a first task in which the first object is exposed to a higher degree of life reducing damage than the second object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the first object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the first object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the vehicle, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the first object and more less life reducing to the second object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed and wherein the vehicle takes the form of a construction vehicle.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a cog wheel in a powertrain of the vehicle.

32. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a beam in a supporting structure of the vehicle.

33. A method for controlling the use of a plurality of vehicles managed as a vehicle fleet and wherein each of said vehicles includes a first and a second object which are each susceptible to damage, and with respect to each vehicle in said fleet, said method comprises:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of at least the first object during a first task in which the first object is exposed to a higher degree of life reducing damage than the second object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the first object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the first object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the vehicle, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the first object and more less life reducing to the second object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed and wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a component in a powertrain of the vehicle.

34. A method for controlling the use of a plurality of vehicles managed as a vehicle fleet and wherein each of said vehicles includes a first and a second object which are each susceptible to damage, and with respect to each vehicle in said fleet, said method comprises:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of at least the first object during a first task in which the first object is exposed to a higher degree of life reducing damage than the second object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the first object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the first object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the vehicle, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the first object and more less life reducing to the second object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed and wherein one of the first and second objects is constituted by a component in a supporting structure of the vehicle.

35. A method for controlling the use of a plurality of vehicles managed as a vehicle fleet and wherein each of said vehicles includes a first and a second object which are each susceptible to damage, and with respect to each vehicle in said fleet, said method comprises:

measuring a plurality of operational parameters of at least the first object during a first task in which the first object is exposed to a higher degree of life reducing damage than the second object;

calculating an amount of damage caused to the first object based on the measured operational parameters;

predicting a remaining useable life of the first object based on the calculated amount of damage; and

adapting future operation of the vehicle, based on the prediction, to tasks that are less life reducing to the first object and more less life reducing to the second object when a predetermined substantial part of the predicted life of the object is consumed and wherein a first measured operational parameter is based on forces bearing on at least one of the objects and a second measured operational parameter based on the environment surrounding the objects.