Vehicle status notification device and a vehicle status notification method for a construction machine

• US 8,610,551 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamashita, Koichi, Shimazu, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US13/583,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20130207797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 340/441, 340/438, 340/439, 340/450, 340/450.3, 340/461, 340/679, 340/680, 340/685, 340/425.5, 701/29, 701/50, 701/1, 701/54, 372/02, 373/08, 373/61, 373/97, 307/10.1, 307/10.3, 307/10.6
• US Class Current: 340/441
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2025 Particular purposes of control systems not otherwise provided for E02F3/16, E02F3/26, sub-groups of E02F3/43, E02F3/651, sub-groups of E02F3/84, E02F3/907, E02F5/145 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2246 Control of prime movers, e.g. depending on the hydraulic load of work tools
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/24 Safety devices , e.g. for preventing overload E02F9/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle status notification device for a construction machine, includes: a key switch connected to a battery; an engine shut-off switch which is serially connected to a downstream side of the key switch in a connection line between the battery and an engine controller configured to control engine operation; and a control unit configured to perform control to notify a notification unit that the engine shut-off switch is in an OFF state in a case that a signal at the downstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in the OFF state while a signal at an upstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in an ON state.

Claims

1. A vehicle status notification device for a construction machine, comprising:

a key switch connected to a battery;

an engine shut-off switch which is serially connected to a downstream side of the key switch in a connection line between the battery and an engine controller configured to control engine operation; and

a control unit configured to perform control to notify a notification unit that the engine shut-off switch is in an OFF state in a case that a signal at the downstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in the OFF state while a signal at an upstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in an ON state.

2. The vehicle status notification device for a construction machine according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit is arranged in a monitor controller.

3. The vehicle status notification device for a construction machine according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit is composed of a discrete component.

4. The vehicle status notification device for a construction machine according to claim 3,

wherein the control unit is an inverting circuit configured to use the single at the upstream side of the engine shut-off switch as a power source when the signal at the upstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in the ON state and to use the signal at the downstream side of the engine shut-off switch as an input signal.

5. The vehicle status notification device for a construction machine according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit is configured to perform, in a case that the signal at the downstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in the OFF state, processing control to invalidate a process for abnormality detection which is to be performed when the signal at the downstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in the ON state.

6. The vehicle status notification device for a construction machine according to claim 1,

wherein the engine shut-off switch is configured to be surrounded by a switch state protecting unit configured to protect an ON/OFF state of the engine shut-off switch.

7. The vehicle status notification device for a construction machine according to claim 6,

wherein the switch state protecting unit is a cover configured to cover the engine shut-off switch.

8. The vehicle status notification device for a construction machine according to claim 1,

wherein the engine shut-off switch is arranged at a lower part of a driver'"'"'s seat.

9. The vehicle status notification device for a construction machine according to claim 1, further comprising a monitor configured to display and output at least a control content of the control unit,

wherein the notification unit is the monitor and causes a display screen of the monitor to display and output that the engine shut-off switch is in the OFF state.

10. The vehicle status notification device for a construction machine according to claim 2,

wherein the monitor controller includes a holding circuit configured to cause power to be supplied directly from the battery into the monitor controller in a case that the signal at the upstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in the ON state and to cause power to be supplied directly from the battery into the monitor controller during the monitor controller is in operation even when the signal at the upstream side of the engine shut-off switch is switched into the OFF state.

11. A vehicle status notification device for a construction machine, comprising:

a monitor controller configured to perform monitoring of operational status of the construction machine;

one or more other controllers configured to output various data to the monitor controller, the controllers including an engine controller configured to control engine operation;

a key switch connected to a battery;

an engine shut-off switch which is serially connected to a downstream side of the key switch in a connection line between the battery and the engine controller; and

a control unit configured to perform control to switch a display screen of a monitor to output that the engine shut-off switch is in an OFF state to the display screen in a case that a signal at the downstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in the OFF state while a signal at an upstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in an ON state, and to perform, in a case that the signal at the downstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in the OFF state, processing control to invalidate a process for abnormality detection which is to be performed when the signal at the downstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in the ON state.

12. A vehicle status notification method for a construction machine including a key switch connected to a battery and an engine shut-off switch which is serially connected to a downstream side of the key switch in a connection line between the battery and an engine controller to control engine operation, the method comprising:

performing control to notify a notification unit that the engine shut-off switch is in an OFF state in a case that a signal at the downstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in the OFF state while a signal at an upstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in an ON state.

13. The vehicle status notification method for a construction machine according to claim 12, further comprising

performing, in a case that the signal at the downstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in the OFF state, processing control to invalidate a process for abnormality detection which is to be performed when the signal at the downstream side of the engine shut-off switch is in the ON state.