Serviceability strategy for machine control system

• US 9,244,448 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Cook, Jarrod J., McTavish, Melissa A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US13/762,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20140229033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25296 Identification module, type connected I-O, device

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a machine is provided. For example, the method includes coupling removeably, at an on-board controller module of a machine, a first identification device, reading, using a reader in the on-board controller module, a code stored in the first identification device, receiving, at the on-board controller module, a wireless message including another code from a control console, comparing, using a processor in the on-board controller module, the code with the received another code, and processing, using a processor coupled to the reader, the wireless message based on the comparing to determine pairing with a second external wireless identification device of a control console to the machine if the code and the received another code match.

Claims

1. A control system, comprising:

a first and a second identification device storing a first and a second identification code, respectively;

a control console;

an on-board electronic controller module of a machine to which the first identification device is removeably coupled externally, the on-board electronic controller module comprising;

a first identification device reader to read the first identification code, and

a first processor, coupled to the first identification device reader, configured to;

receive the first identification code from the first identification device reader,

receive a first wireless message, including the second identification code, from the control console,

compare the first and second identification codes, and

process the first wireless message if the first and second identification codes match,

wherein the control console comprises;

a second identification device reader to obtain the second identification code, and

a second processor in the control console, coupled to the second identification device reader, configured to;

receive the second identification code from the second identification device reader,

transmit the first wireless message, including the second identification code, to the on-board electronic controller module,

receive a second wireless message, including information regarding whether the first and second identification codes match, from the on-board electronic controller module, and

transmit a third wireless message to control the machine if the first and the second identification codes match.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second identification devices is a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, and at least one of the first and the second identification device readers are RFID readers.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the control console comprises a plurality of identification devices associated with a plurality of machines, such that the plurality of identification devices are removeably coupled to the control console and are selected based on one of the plurality of machines to be controlled by the control console.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein if the first identification device is unreadable by the first identification device reader, the first processor is further configured to:

perform a diagnostic test on the first identification device, and

indicate a result of the diagnostic test in a fourth wireless message to the control console.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein when the result indicates that the first identification device is defective, the second processor is further configured to:

order a replacement of the first identification device, and

stop the control of the machine.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the first identification code in the first identification device is read wirelessly by the first identification device reader.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the on-board electronic controller module comprises an on-board transceiver.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein the first identification device is a passive device.