User community generated analytics and marketplace data for modular systems

• US 9,589,287 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MIQ LLC
• Original Assignee: MIQ LLC
• Inventors: Hill, William McGinley, Livesay, Adam Monroe, Schwasnick, Steven Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARLAND, STEVEN R
• Application Number:
  US14/919,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20160379282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Embodiments are directed towards providing analytics and marketplace data to members of a user community. In some embodiments, the analytics and marketplace data are generated based on machine data provided by the members. The analytics and marketplace data may enable automatically identifying, configuring, monitoring, controlling, managing, and/or maintaining a machine or a collection/system of machine components. The analytics may include, but are not limited to analytics related to machine component reliability, machine maintenance conditions, machine prohibited conditions, machine usages, machine alert conditions, and the like. The marketplace data may include information relating to the maintenance of the machine, replacement components or alternative components for the machine, and the like for various machines. Marketplace data may include an aggregation of electronic (e)-commerce data. The marketplace data may be provided is based on data aggregated from various sources, including vendors, suppliers, buyers, sellers, online auctioneers, or other members of the user community.

Claims

1. A method for managing a machine, comprising:

communicating, to a collection computer, component identification data separately stored in each of a plurality of component identification (ID) Tags that correspond to one or more components for the machine, wherein the component identification data includes a component type;

automatically determining a machine type of the machine based on a comparison of the one or more component types and one or more previously provided combinations of component types that correspond to one or more previously determined machine types, wherein a statistical evaluation of a look up table that maps correlations between specific combinations of component types and machine types is employed to determine the machine type;

recommending one or more candidate peers to include in a social network of a user based on one or more of the component types or the machine type, wherein the one or more candidate peers are included in a user community;

providing an analytics template to the user, wherein the analytics template is populated with analytics for the machine type based on machine data provided by the user community; and

providing a marketplace template to the user, wherein the marketplace template is populated with marketplace data for the machine type based on the machine data provided by the user community.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the analytics or the marketplace data for the machine type is further based on machine data provided by the plurality of peers of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an expected machine usage based on a previously determined machine usage for the user community; and

determining at least one of the analytics or the marketplace data for the machine type based on the previously determined expected machine usage for the user community.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an actual machine usage based on data provided by one or more sensors that correspond to one or more characteristics of the one or more components for the machine; and

dynamically updating at least one of the analytics or the marketplace data for the machine type based on the actual machine usage.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more of a geographic location or an environmental parameter of the machine, wherein at least one of the one or more candidate peers, the analytics for the machine type, or the marketplace data for the machine type is further based on the one or more of the geographic location or the environmental parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the analytics for the machine type based on a customization of the analytics template by the user; and

determining the marketplace data for the machine type based on a customization of the marketplace template by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more maintenance conditions based on at least a previous machine usage and the machine data provided by the user community;

determining one or more alternative components based on the one or more maintenance conditions or the machine data; and

determining the marketplace data based on the one or more maintenance conditions, the one or more alternative components or the machine data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating user data based on data provided by one or more sensors that correspond to one or more characteristics of the one or more components for the machine; and

receiving the user data from the machine; and

updating the machine data to include at least a portion of the user data.

9. A processor readable non-transitory storage media that includes instructions for managing a machine, wherein the execution of the instructions by a processor enables actions, comprising:

communicating, to a collection computer, component identification data separately stored in each of a plurality of component identification (ID) Tags that correspond to one or more components for the machine, wherein the component identification data includes a component type;

automatically determining a machine type of the machine based on a comparison of the one or more component types and one or more previously provided combinations of component types that correspond to one or more previously determined machine types, wherein a statistical evaluation of a look up table that maps correlations between specific combinations of component types and machine types is employed to determine the machine type;

recommending one or more candidate peers to include in a social network of a user based on one or more of the component types or the machine type, wherein the one or more candidate peers are included in a user community;

providing an analytics template to the user, wherein the analytics template is populated with analytics for the machine type based on machine data provided by the user community; and

providing a marketplace template to the user, wherein the marketplace template is populated with marketplace data for the machine type based on the machine data provided by the user community.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein at least one of the analytics or the marketplace data for the machine type is further based on machine data provided by the plurality of peers of the user.

11. The media of claim 9, wherein the actions further comprise:

determining an expected machine usage based on a previously determined machine usage for the user community; and

determining at least one of the analytics or the marketplace data for the machine type based on the previously determined expected machine usage for the user community.

12. The media of claim 9, wherein the actions further comprise:

determining an actual machine usage based on data provided by one or more sensors that correspond to one or more characteristics of the one or more components for the machine; and

dynamically updating at least one of the analytics or the marketplace data for the machine type based on the actual machine usage.

13. The media of claim 9, wherein the actions further comprise:

determining one or more of a geographic location or an environmental parameter of the machine, wherein at least one of the one or more candidate peers, the analytics for the machine type, or the marketplace data for the machine type is further based on the one or more of the geographic location or the environmental parameter.

14. The media of claim 9, wherein the actions further comprise:

determining the analytics for the machine type based on a customization of the analytics template by the user; and

determining the marketplace data for the machine type based on a customization of the marketplace template by the user.

15. The media of claim 9, wherein the actions further comprise:

determining one or more maintenance conditions based on at least a previous machine usage and the machine data provided by the user community;

determining one or more alternative components based on the one or more maintenance conditions or the machine data; and

determining the marketplace data based on the one or more maintenance conditions, the one or more alternative components or the machine data.

16. The media of claim 9, wherein the actions further comprise:

generating user data based on data provided by one or more sensors that correspond to one or more characteristics of the one or more components for the machine; and

receiving the user data from the machine; and

updating the machine data to include at least a portion of the user data.

17. A system for managing a machine, comprising:

a plurality of component identification (ID) Tags that separately store component identification data, wherein each of the plurality of ID Tags corresponds to one or more components for the machine and the component identification data includes a component type; and

a network computer;

a memory for storing at least instructions; and

a processor device that executes the instructions to enable actions, comprising;

communicating, to a collection computer, component identification data separately stored in each of a plurality of component identification (ID) Tags that correspond to one or more components for the machine, wherein the component identification data includes a component type;

automatically determining a machine type of the machine based on a comparison of the one or more component types and one or more previously provided combinations of component types that correspond to one or more previously determined machine types, wherein a statistical evaluation of a look up table that maps correlations between specific combinations of component types and machine types is employed to determine the machine type;

recommending one or more candidate peers to include in a social network of a user based on one or more of the component types or the machine type, wherein the one or more candidate peers are included in a user community, wherein the likeliest comparison is employed to determine the machine type;

providing an analytics template to the user, wherein the analytics template is populated with analytics for the machine type based on machine data provided by the user community; and

providing a marketplace template to the user, wherein the marketplace template is populated with marketplace data for the machine type based on the machine data provided by the user community.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the analytics or the marketplace data for the machine type is further based on machine data provided by the plurality of peers of the user.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the actions further comprise:

determining an expected machine usage based on a previously determined machine usage for the user community; and

determining at least one of the analytics or the marketplace data for the machine type based on the previously determined expected machine usage for the user community.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the actions further comprise:

determining an actual machine usage based on data provided by one or more sensors that correspond to one or more characteristics of the one or more components for the machine; and

dynamically updating at least one of the analytics or the marketplace data for the machine type based on the actual machine usage.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the actions further comprise:

determining one or more of a geographic location or an environmental parameter of the machine, wherein at least one of the one or more candidate peers, the analytics for the machine type, or the marketplace data for the machine type is further based on the one or more of the geographic location or the environmental parameter.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the actions further comprise:

determining the analytics for the machine type based on a customization of the analytics template by the user; and

determining the marketplace data for the machine type based on a customization of the marketplace template by the user.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the actions further comprise:

determining one or more maintenance conditions based on at least a previous machine usage and the machine data provided by the user community;

determining one or more alternative components based on the one or more maintenance conditions or the machine data; and

determining the marketplace data based on the one or more maintenance conditions, the one or more alternative components or the machine data.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the actions further comprise:

generating user data based on data provided by one or more sensors that correspond to one or more characteristics of the one or more components for the machine; and

receiving the user data from the machine; and

updating the machine data to include at least a portion of the user data.