Operation data collection device for construction machines

• US 9,291,524 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Junsuke, Suzuki, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): LANG, MICHAEL DEAN
• Application Number:
  US14/359,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20140288768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/226 Safety arrangements, e.g. hydraulic driven fans, preventing cavitation, leakage, overheating
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2285 Pilot-operated systems
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2292 Systems with two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/09 by monitoring pressure in fluid ducts, e.g. in lubrication or cooling parts
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

Provided is an operation data collection device for construction machines that is capable of efficiently collecting operation data indicative of impending failure of a construction machine by reducing the amount of information to be collected and stored without degrading the quality of information used for maintenance. The device receives operation data containing values measured by a plurality of sensors, a value indicating the operating status and an operation data storage section. The device includes a normal reference value storage section that stores a normal reference value for each of the sensors generating the operation data, a deviation calculation section that calculates the deviation of each of the sensors from the normal reference value, and a stored sensor item extraction section that extracts sensor items of operation data to be stored in the operation data storage section in accordance with the calculated deviation of each sensor.

Claims

1. An operation data collection device for a construction machine, where the operation data collection device is mounted on the construction machine, the operation data collection device receives operation data containing a plurality of values indicative of an operating state of the construction machine and stores the operation data in an operation data storage section, the values being measured by a plurality of sensors of the construction machine, the operation data collection device comprising:

a normal reference value storage section that stores a plurality of normal reference values for each of the sensors generating the operation data;

a deviation calculation section that calculates deviations of the respective values of the operation data generated by each of the sensors with relation to the respective normal reference values; and

a stored sensor item extraction section that extracts and stores sensor items of the operation data in the operation data storage section according to the calculated deviations of the operation data for each of the sensors,

wherein the stored sensor item extraction section compares the deviations of each of the sensors with relation to the normal reference values, sequentially selects the sensors from the sensor items in order from greatest deviation to smallest deviation, and stores information on the selected sensors in the operation data storage section,

wherein the sensors are classified into a plurality of sensor assemblies in accordance with sensor properties of the sensors,

wherein the deviation calculation section calculates a deviation aggregate of each of the sensor assemblies in accordance with the deviations of each of the sensors thereof,

wherein the deviation calculation section includes a sensor item count determination threshold value storage section for storing sensor item count determination threshold value information indicative of a relationship between the deviation aggregate of each of the sensor assemblies and a number of the sensor items of operation data to be selected by the stored sensor item extraction section and stored in the operation data storage section, and

wherein the stored sensor item extraction section determines the number of the sensor items of the operation data to be stored in the operation data storage section in accordance with the sensor item count determination threshold value information and the respective deviation aggregate of each of the sensor assemblies.

2. The operation data collection device according to claim 1, wherein the deviation calculation section classifies the sensors into the sensor assemblies according to a respective component of the construction machine on which each of the sensors are mounted or according to a respective system of the construction machine to which each of the sensors belong.

3. The operation data collection device according to claim 2, wherein

the deviation calculation section classifies the sensors into the sensor assemblies according to a respective component system of the construction machine to which each of the sensors belong, and

the component systems include at least one of an engine cooling water system, an engine intake system, an engine exhaust system, an engine oil system, and a hydraulic fluid cooling system.

4. The operation data collection device according to claim 3, wherein the sensors of one of the sensor assemblies whose component system is the engine cooling water system include one or more of an inter-cooler inlet temperature sensor, an inter-cooler inlet pressure sensor, an inter-cooler outlet temperature sensor, and an inter-cooler outlet pressure sensor.

5. The operation data collection device according to claim 3, wherein the sensors of one of the sensor assemblies whose component system is the hydraulic fluid cooling system include one or more of an oil cooler inlet pressure sensor, an oil fan motor inlet pressure sensor, an oil cooler fan motor drain temperature sensor, an oil cooler fan motor drain pressure sensor, a hydraulic fluid temperature sensor, an oil cooler front temperature sensor, and an oil cooler outlet temperature sensor.

6. The operation data collection device according to claim 3, wherein the sensors of one of the sensor assemblies whose component system is the engine cooling water system include one or more of a radiator inlet temperature sensor, a radiator inlet pressure sensor, a radiator outlet temperature sensor, a radiator front air temperature sensor, and a fan drive motor inlet pressure sensor.

7. An operation data collection device for a construction machine, where the operation data collection device is mounted on the construction machine, the operation data collection device receives operation data containing a plurality of values indicative of an operating state of the construction machine and stores the operation data in an operation data storage section, the values being measured by a plurality of sensors of the construction machine, the operation data collection device comprising:

a normal reference value storage section that stores a plurality of normal reference values for each of the sensors generating the operation data;

a deviation calculation section that calculates deviations of the respective values of the operation data generated by each of the sensors with relation to the respective normal reference values; and

a stored sensor item extraction section that extracts and stores sensor items of the operation data in the operation data storage section according to the calculated deviations of the operation data for each of the sensors,

wherein an average and a variance of the values acquired by the sensors are stored as the normal reference values in the normal reference value storage section,

wherein the sensors are classified into a plurality of sensor assemblies in accordance with sensor properties of the sensors,

wherein the deviation calculation section calculates a deviation aggregate of each of the sensor assemblies in accordance with the deviations of each of the sensors thereof;

wherein the deviation calculation section includes a sensor item count determination threshold value storage section for storing sensor item count determination threshold value information indicative of a relationship between the deviation aggregate of each of the sensor assemblies and a number of the sensor items of operation data to be selected by the stored sensor item extraction section and stored in the operation data storage section, and

wherein the stored sensor item extraction section determines the number of the sensor items of the operation data to be stored in the operation data storage section in accordance with the sensor item count determination threshold value information and the respective deviation aggregate of each of the sensor assemblies.

8. The operation data collection device according to claim 7, wherein the deviation calculation section classifies the sensors into the sensor assemblies according to a respective component of the construction machine on which each of the sensors are mounted or according to a respective system of the construction machine to which each of the sensors belong.

9. The operation data collection device according to claim 8, wherein

the deviation calculation section classifies the sensors into the sensor assemblies according to a respective component system of the construction machine to which each of the sensors belong, and

the component systems include at least one of an engine cooling water system, an engine intake system, an engine exhaust system, an engine oil system, and a hydraulic fluid cooling system.

10. The operation data collection device according to claim 9, wherein the sensors of one of the sensor assemblies whose component system is the engine cooling water system include one or more of an inter-cooler inlet temperature sensor, an inter-cooler inlet pressure sensor, an inter-cooler outlet temperature sensor, and an inter-cooler outlet pressure sensor.

11. The operation data collection device according to claim 9, wherein the sensors of one of the sensor assemblies whose component system is the hydraulic fluid cooling system include one or more of an oil cooler inlet pressure sensor, an oil fan motor inlet pressure sensor, an oil cooler fan motor drain temperature sensor, an oil cooler fan motor drain pressure sensor, a hydraulic fluid temperature sensor, an oil cooler front temperature sensor, and an oil cooler outlet temperature sensor.

12. The operation data collection device according to claim 9, wherein the sensors of one of the sensor assemblies whose component system is the engine cooling water system include one or more of a radiator inlet temperature sensor, a radiator inlet pressure sensor, a radiator outlet temperature sensor, a radiator front air temperature sensor, and a fan drive motor inlet pressure sensor.