Communication management system and communication management method

• US 9,374,723 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2013
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Futakami, Masanao
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai M
• Application Number:
  US14/350,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/436, 455/435.1, 455/440, 455/443, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

A communication management system in which a work machine communicates with an outside of the work machine, the communication management system includes: a work machine including: a communications carrier setting unit configured to set a communications carrier that provides a communication service to generate information about the set communications carrier as communications carrier information; and a communication unit configured to transmit the communications carrier information to the outside of the work machine; and a communication state analyzing unit configured to gather statistics on the communications carrier information included at two or more different times among pieces of the communications carrier information transmitted from the communication unit, the statistics gathering being performed for each of the times.

Claims

1. A communication management system in which a work machine communicates with an outside of the work machine,

the communication management system comprising:

a work machine including;

a communications carrier setting unit configured to set a communications carrier that provides a communication service to generate information about the set communications carrier as communications carrier information; and

a communication unit configured to transmit the communications carrier information to the outside of the work machine;

a communication state analyzing unit configured to gather statistics on the communications carrier information included at two or more different times among pieces of the communications carrier information transmitted from the communication unit, the statistics gathering being performed for each of the times; and

a determining unit configured to determine whether an abnormality occurs in the communications carrier, from at least one of a change over time in the number of the pieces of the communications carrier information acquired by the communication state analyzing unit and a change over time in a rate of the communications carrier information among a plurality of the communications carriers.

2. The communication management system of claim 1, wherein the communication state analyzing unit generates time-series data by arranging the communications carrier information in chronological order after the statistics gathering.

3. A communication management system in which a work machine communicates with an outside of the work machine,

the communication management system comprising:

a communications carrier setting unit configured to set a communications carrier that provides a communication service to generate information about the set communications carrier as communications carrier information, the communications carrier setting unit being mounted on the work machine;

a position detecting unit configured to detect a position of the work machine and generate information about the detected position as positional information, the position detecting unit being mounted on the work machine;

a communication unit configured to transmit the communications carrier information and the positional information to the outside of the work machine, the communication unit being mounted on the work machine;

a communication state analyzing unit configured to associate the communications carrier information and the positional information included at two or more different times with each other among pieces of the communications carrier information and the positional information transmitted from the communication unit, the associating being performed for each of the times; and

a determining unit configured to determine whether an abnormality occurs in the communications carrier, from at least one of a change over time in the number of the pieces of the communications carrier information acquired by the communication state analyzing unit and a change over time in a rate of the communications carrier information among a plurality of the communications carriers.

4. The communication management system of claim 3, further comprising

an output unit configured to display the communications carrier information associated with the positional information in a position on a map corresponding to the positional information.

5. The communication management system of claim 4, wherein the output unit displays the communications carrier information associated with the positional information in the position on the map corresponding to the positional information, the displaying being performed for each of the two or more different times.

6. A communication management system in which a work machine communicates with an outside of the work machine,

the communication management system comprising:

the work machine including;

a communications carrier setting unit configured to set a communications carrier that provides a communication service to generate information about the set communications carrier as communications carrier information; and

a communication unit configured to transmit the communications carrier information to the outside of the work machine;

a communication state analyzing unit configured to gather statistics on the communications carrier information included at two or more different times among pieces of the communications carrier information transmitted from the communication unit, the statistics gathering being performed for each of the times; and

a determining unit configured to determine whether an abnormality occurs in the communications carrier, from at least one of a change over time in the number of the pieces of the communications carrier information acquired by the communication state analyzing unit and a change over time in a rate of the communications carrier information among a plurality of the communications carriers,

wherein the communication state analyzing unit generates time-series data by arranging the communications carrier information in chronological order after the statistics gathering.

7. A communication management method to be implemented where a work machine communicates with an outside of the work machine,

the communication management method comprising:

setting a communications carrier to be used by the work machine to perform communications, and generating information about the set communications carrier as communications carrier information;

transmitting the communications carrier information to the outside of the work machine;

gathering statistics on the communications carrier information included at two or more different times among pieces of the communications carrier information transmitted from the communication unit, the statistics gathering being performed for each of the times;

arranging the communications carrier information in chronological order after the statistics gathering; and

determining whether an abnormality occurs in the communications carrier, from at least one of a change over time in the number of the pieces of the communications carrier information from the gathered statistics and a change over time in a rate of the communications carrier information among a plurality of the communications carriers.

8. A communication management method to be implemented where a work machine communicates with an outside of the work machine,

the communication management method comprising:

setting a communications carrier to be used by the work machine to perform communications, and generating information about the set communications carrier as communications carrier information;

transmitting the communications carrier information and positional information about the work machine to the outside of the work machine;

associating the communications carrier information and the positional information included at two or more different times with each other among pieces of the communications carrier information and the positional information transmitted from the communication unit, the associating being performed for each of the times;

determining whether an abnormality occurs in the communications carrier, from at least one of a change over time in the number of the pieces of the communications carrier information from the gathered statistics and a change over time in a rate of the communications carrier information among a plurality of the communications carriers; and

displaying the communications carrier information associated with the positional information in a position on a map corresponding to the positional information, the displaying being performed for each of the two or more times.