Monitoring and annunciation device for equipment maintenance

• US 20040002798A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oem Controls
• Original Assignee: Oem Controls
• Inventors: Simons, S. Brian, Frost, Kenneth R., Pontbriant, Kenneth J., Simons, Samuel R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,968,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system (10) that can be used to retrofit any machine (15) for indicating when to perform maintenance service tasks for the machine (15). It includes a service tracker (12) connected to the machine (15), and also a maintenance manager (14) typically hosted by a hand-held device and coupled to the service tracker (12) by a wireless link (12a 14a 16), so as to allow providing a service interval for each of typically several tasks. For each of the tasks, a timer (42a), preferably resettable via the maintenance manager (14), is provided as part of the service tracker (12), allowing direct comparison of a service interval for a task with the reading of the corresponding resettable timer (42a). Based on the direct comparison of service interval and resettable timer reading for a task, the service tracker (12) provides a service warning via a display (12d) when it is time to perform the task again.

Claims

1. A service tracking system (10) for use with a machine (15) having an engine or motor assembly (18), the service tracking system (10) for warning when a maintenance procedure for a service maintenance task is to be performed, comprising:

a maintenance manager (14), responsive to a service interval setting command, for providing a corresponding service interval setting signal indicating a service interval for the service maintenance task; and

a service tracker (12), retrofittably attached to the machine (15), responsive to the service interval setting signal, and further responsive to a machine operating status signal provided by a coupling to the engine or motor assembly (18), for issuing a service warning urging that the service maintenance task be performed as soon as possible;

wherein the service tracker (12) includes a resettable timer (42a) having a timer count value indicating a timer reading useable for determining when to issue the service warning, and the service tracker (12) is responsive to a timer reset signal for resetting the resettable timer so as to allow comparing the resettable timer reading with the service interval.

2. The service tracking system (10) of claim 1, wherein the resettable timer resets to a value of zero in response to the timer reset signal so as to allow directly comparing the resettable timer reading with the service interval.

3. The service tracking system (10) of claim 1, further comprising a non-resetting total timer (40) adapted to advance whenever the resettable timer (42a) advances and providing a total timer reading, and further wherein the resettable timer is reset to the total timer reading in response to the timer reset signal at the time the reset signal is received so as to allow comparing the resettable timer reading at a current time with the service interval after subtracting the resettable timer reading from the total timer reading at the current time.

4. The service tracking system (10) of claim 1, wherein the maintenance manager (14) and service tracker (12) are coupled by a wireless link (12a 14a 16).

5. The service tracking system (10) of claim 4, wherein the wireless link (12a 14a 16) conveys an infrared signal.

6. The service tracking system (10) of claim 4, wherein the wireless link (12a 14a 16) conveys a radio frequency signal.

7. The service tracking system (10) of claim 1, wherein the maintenance manager (14) is hosted by a hand-held device.

8. The service tracking system (10) of claim 7, wherein the hand-held device is a personal digital assistant type of device.

9. The service tracking system (10) of claim 1, wherein the machine operating status signal conveys information about the speed of operation of a component of the engine or motor assembly (18), and the service tracker module (12) is adapted so that the resettable timer (42a) advances its timer count value only when the speed of operation is at least a predetermined minimum speed setting.

10. The service tracking system (10) of claim 1, wherein the machine operating status signal conveys information indicating whether a component of the engine or motor assembly (18) is on, and the service tracker module (12) is adapted so that the resettable timer (42a) advances its timer count value whenever the component of the engine or motor assembly (18) is indicated as being on.

11. The service tracking system (10) of claim 1, wherein the maintenance manager (14) is responsive to a timer reset command corresponding to the timer reset signal provided via a user interface (14b), and provides the corresponding timer reset signal.

12. The service tracking system (10) of claim 1, wherein the service tracker (12) comprises a direct timer reset means (12c), responsive to a direct timer reset command, for providing the timer reset signal.

13. The service tracking system (10) of claim 1, wherein the service tracker (12) comprises a data store (12b) for storing a log of maintenance service.

14. The service tracking system (10) of claim 13, wherein the maintenance manager (14) includes means for responding to a request for providing the log of maintenance service provided via a user interface (14b) and for providing a corresponding request to the service tracker (12), and for responding to a signal from the service tracker conveying the maintenance log and for then providing the maintenance log.

15. The service tracking system (10) of claim 14, wherein the maintenance manager (14) provides the maintenance log so as to be downloadable to a personal computer database.

16. The service tracking system (10) of claim 1, wherein the service tracker (12) includes a display (12d) for indicating all or part of the service warning.

17. The service tracking system (10) of claim 16, wherein the service tracker (12) provides at least two service warning signals simultaneously, corresponding to at least two service interval settings, and further alternately displays on the display (12d) at least two service warning code numbers, said at least two warning code numbers corresponding to the at least two service warning signals.

18. A method for monitoring maintenance service for a machine (15) having an engine or motor assembly (18), the method characterized by:

a step (22) of using a hand-held device (14) to provide at least one service interval via a wireless link (16) to a service tracking module (12) retrofittably attached to the machine (15) and electrically coupled to a component of the engine or motor assembly (18); and

a step (26) of issuing at least one service warning signal based on comparing the service interval with a reading of a resettable timer (42a) included in the service tracking module (12).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the hand-held device (14) is a personal digital assistant type of device.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

a step (35) in which the resettable timer (42a) is reset via a user interface (14b) hosted by the hand-held device (14).

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

a step (35) in which the resettable timer (42a) is reset via a direct reset means (12c) hosted by the service tracking module (12).