Construction machine managing method and system, and arithmetic processing device

• US 20020161551A1
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Hiroshi, Shibata, Koichi, Sugiyama, Genroku, Komatsu, Hideki, Adachi, Hiroyuki, Hirata, Toichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,810,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A controller 2 is mounted on a hydraulic excavator 1 working in fields. An operating time for each of an engine 32, a front 15, a swing body 13 and a travel body 12 is measured and stored in a memory of the controller 2. The measured data is transferred to a base station computer 3 through satellite communication, a FD, etc. and stored in a database 100 inside the base station computer 3. The base station computer 3 reads, per hydraulic excavator, the data stored in the database 100 and then prepares and outputs a distribution graph of the number of operated machines with respect to the working time (engine running time) of the hydraulic excavator. While looking at the distribution graph, a machine maker estimates the number of hydraulic excavators to be renewed and estimates the sales quantity of hydraulic excavators, thereby setting up a production plan of hydraulic excavators. It is hence possible to precisely estimate the sales quantity of construction machines and to set up an adequate production plan of construction machines.

Claims

1. A method for managing a construction machine, the method comprising the steps of:

a first step (S9-14, S20-24, S30-32) of measuring an operation status for each of a plurality of construction machines (1, 1a, 1b, 1c) working in fields, transferring the measured operation status to a base station computer (3), and then storing and accumulating it as operation data in a database (100); and

a second step (S36-40, S44-47) of, in said base station computer, statistically processing said operation data, and then producing and outputting estimation data of the number of construction machines to be renewed, the number of renewed construction machines being estimated from said estimation data.

2. A method for managing a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said second step includes a third step (S36-40, S60-72) of obtaining, as said estimation data, first correlation between the operation status of construction machines currently operated and the number of operated machines based on said operation data, and the number of renewed construction machines is estimated from said first correlation.

3. A method for managing a construction machine according to claim 2, wherein said second step further includes a fourth step (S44-47, S90-98) of obtaining, as said estimation data, second correlation between the operation status of construction machines, which have been renewed in the past, and the number of renewed machines based on both renewing data of the past construction machines and said operation data, and the number of renewed construction machines is estimated by comparing said first correlation with said second correlation.

4. A method for managing a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein said second step includes a fifth step (S36-40, S60-72) of determining, as said estimation data, the number of those ones among construction machines currently operated, in which the operation status exceeds a preset reference value, based on said operation data, and the number of renewed construction machines is estimated from the determined number of machines.

5. A method for managing a construction machine according to claim 4, wherein said reference value is an average operation status (T_A;

D_A) of construction machines that have been renewed in the past.

6. A method for managing a construction machine according to claim 5, wherein said second step further includes a sixth step (S44-47, S90-98) of obtaining correlation between the operation status of construction machines, which have been renewed in the past, and the number of renewed machines based on both renewing data of the past construction machines and said operation data, and said average operation status is represented by a value (T_A;

D_A) obtained from said correlation.

7. A method for managing a construction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said operation status is at least one of an operating time and a mileage.

8. A method for managing a construction machine according to claim 4, wherein said operation status is an operating time, and said reference value is a repurchase judgment time obtained from a crossed point (P) between a trade-in value curve (X1) and a repair cost curve (X2).

9. A method for managing a construction machine, the method comprising the steps of:

a first step (S9-14, S20-24, S30-32) of measuring an operation status for each section (12, 13, 15, 21a, 21b, 32) of each of a plurality of construction machines (1, 1a, 1b, lc) working in fields, transferring the measured operation status to a base station computer (3), and then storing and accumulating it as operation data in a database; and

a second step (S36-40, S50-56) of, in said base station computer, statistically processing said operation data, and then producing and outputting estimation data of the number of repaired/replaced parts belonging to each section, the number of repaired/replaced parts belonging to each section being estimated from said estimation data.

10. A method for managing a construction machine according to claim 9, wherein said second step includes a third step (S36-40, S81-87) of obtaining, as said estimation data, first correlation between the operation status for each section of construction machines currently operated and the number of operated machines based on said operation data, and the number of repaired/replaced parts belonging to each section is estimated from said first correlation.

11. A method for managing a construction machine according to claim 10, wherein said second step further includes a fourth step (S50-56, S100-114) of obtaining, as said estimation data, second correlation between the past operation status for each section, to which parts having been repaired and replaced in the past belong, and the number of repaired/replaced parts based on both repair/replacement data of the past parts and said operation data, and the number of repaired/replaced parts belonging to each section is estimated by comparing said first correlation with said second correlation.

12. A method for managing a construction machine according to claim 9, wherein said first step (S9-S18A, S20-24, S30A-32A) measures a load for each section in addition to the operation status for each section, and stores and accumulates it as operation data in the database (100) inside said base station computer (3), and

said second step further includes a fifth step (S42A, S430-442) of modifying said measured operation status depending on an amount of the measured load, and produces said estimation data by using, as said operation data, the operation status having been modified depending on load.

13. A method for managing a construction machine according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein said operation status is at least one of an operating time and the number of operations per section.

14. A method for managing a construction machine according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein said construction machine is a hydraulic excavator (1), and said section is any of a front (15), a swing body (13), a travel body (12), an engine (32), and a hydraulic pump (21a, 21b) of a hydraulic excavator.

16. A system for managing a construction machine according to claim 15, wherein said computing means includes first means (50, S36-40, S60-72) for obtaining, as said estimation data, first correlation between the operation status of construction machines currently operated and the number of operated machines based on said operation data, and the number of renewed construction machines is estimated from said first correlation.

17. A system for managing a construction machine according to claim 16, wherein said computing means further includes second means (51, S44-47, S90-98) for obtaining, as said estimation data, second correlation between the operation status of construction machines, which have been renewed in the past, and the number of renewed machines based on both renewing data of the past construction machines and said operation data, and the number of renewed construction machines is estimated by comparing said first correlation with said second correlation.

18. A system for managing a construction machine according to claim 15, wherein said computing means includes a third step (50, S36-40, S60-72) for determining, as said estimation data, the number of those ones among construction machines currently operated, in which the operation status exceeds a preset reference value, based on said operation data, and the number of renewed construction machines is estimated from the determined number of machines.

19. A system for managing a construction machine according to claim 18, wherein said reference value is an average operation status (T_A;

D_A) of construction machines that have been renewed in the past.

20. A system for managing a construction machine according to claim 19, wherein said computing step further includes a fourth step (51, S44-47, S90-98) for obtaining correlation between the operation status of construction machines, which have been renewed in the past, and the number of renewed machines based on both renewing data of the past construction machines and said operation data, and said average operation status is represented by a value (T_A;

D_A) obtained from said correlation.

22. A system for managing a construction machine according to claim 18, wherein said operation status is an operating time, and said reference value is a repurchase judgment time obtained from a crossed point (P) between a trade-in value curve (X1) and a repair cost curve (X2).

24. A system for managing a construction machine according to claim 23, wherein said computing means includes first means (50, S36-40, S81-87) for obtaining, as said estimation data, first correlation between the operation status for each section of construction machines currently operated and the number of operated machines based on said operation data, and the number of repaired/replaced parts belonging to each section is estimated from said first correlation.

25. A system for managing a construction machine according to claim 23, wherein said computing means further includes second means (51, S50-56, S100-114) for obtaining, as said estimation data, second correlation between the past operation status for each section, to which parts having been repaired and replaced in the past belong, and the number of repaired/replaced parts based on both repair/replacement data of the past parts and said operation data, and the number of repaired/replaced parts belonging to each section is estimated by comparing said first correlation with said second correlation.

26. A system for managing a construction machine according to claim 23, wherein said data measuring/-collecting means (2, 40-46, 48, S9-18A) measures a load for each section in addition to the operation status for each section,

said base station computer (3, S30A-32A) stores and accumulates the operation status and the load, which have been measured and collected per section, as operation data in the database (100), and said computing means includes third means (50, S42A, S430-442) for modifying said measured operation status depending on an amount of the measured load, and produces said estimation data by using, as said operation data, the operation status having been modified depending on load.

15. A system for managing a construction machine, the system comprising:

operation-data measuring/collecting means (2, 40-46, 48, S9-14) for measuring and collecting an operation status for each of a plurality of construction machines (1, 1a, 1b, 1c) working in fields; and

a base station computer (3) mounted in a base station and having a database (100) in which the operation status measured and collected for each construction machine is stored and accumulated as operation data,

said base station computer including computing means (50, 51, S36-40, S44-47) for statistically processing said operation data, and then producing and outputting estimation data of the number of construction machines to be renewed, the number of renewed construction machines being estimated from said estimation data.

21. A system for managing a construction machine according to any one of claims 15 to 20, wherein said operation status is at least one of an operating time and a mileage.

23. A system for managing a construction machine, the system comprising:

operation-data measuring/collecting means (2, 40-46, 48, S9-14) for measuring and collecting an operation status for each section (12, 13, 15, 21a, 21b, 32) of each of a plurality of construction machines (1, 1a, 1b, 1c) working in fields; and

a base station computer (3, S30-32) mounted in a base station and having a database (100) in which the operation status measured and collected for each section is stored and accumulated as operation data,

said base station computer including computing means (50, 51, S36-40, S50-56) for statistically processing said operation data, and then producing and outputting estimation data of the number of repaired/replaced parts belonging to each section, the number of repaired/replaced parts belonging to each section being estimated from said estimation data.

27. A system for managing a construction machine according to any one of claims 23 to 26, wherein said operation status is at least one of an operating time and the number of operations.

28. A system for managing a construction machine according to any one of claims 23 to 26, wherein said construction machine is a hydraulic excavator (1), and said section is any of a front (15), a swing body (13), a travel body (12), an engine (32), and a hydraulic pump (21a, 21b) of a hydraulic excavator.

29. A processing apparatus wherein an operation status for each of a plurality of construction machines (1, 1a, 1b, lc) working in fields is stored and accumulated as operation data, and said operation data is statistically processed to produce and output estimation data of the number of construction machines to be renewed.

30. A processing apparatus wherein an operation status for each section (12, 13, 15, 21a, 21b, 32) of each of a plurality of construction machines (1, 1a, 1b, 1c) working in fields is stored and accumulated as operation data, and said operation data is statistically processed to produce and output estimation data of the number of repaired/replaced parts belonging to each section.