Management of vehicles based on operational environment

• US 20060217993A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,415,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and system for managing fleet health of vehicles comprises gathering environmental data for potential mission locations. A data processing system collects vehicle data, including historical use data and maintenance data associated with corresponding vehicular components of vehicles within a fleet. A mission planner establishes a list of candidate missions for the fleet of vehicles. A stress module assigns a stress severity indicator to the established candidate missions based on the environmental data. The mission planner matches vehicles to corresponding missions based on the collected vehicle data and the stress severity indicator such that the matched vehicles are likely to complete the missions with a desired degree of reliability.

Claims

1. A method for managing fleet health of vehicles, the method comprising:

gathering environmental data for potential mission locations;

collecting vehicle data, including historical use data and maintenance data associated with corresponding vehicular components of vehicles within a fleet;

establishing a list of candidate missions for the fleet of vehicles;

assigning a stress severity indicator to the established candidate missions based on the environmental data; and

matching vehicles to one or more corresponding missions selected from the candidate missions based on the collected vehicle data and the stress severity indicator such that the matched vehicles are likely to complete the missions with a desired degree of reliability.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the matching comprises matching pairs of vehicles and drivers to one or more corresponding missions selected from the candidate missions based on the collected vehicle, the stress severity indicator, and driver experience such that the matched pairs are likely to complete the missions with a desired degree of reliability.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

scheduling maintenance on one or more vehicles prior to execution of the missions based on estimated vehicle component failures associated with environmental data for applicable mission locations.

4. The method according to claim 3 further comprising ranking missions based on the a stress indicator, the stress indicator representing a sum of stress severities for at least one of thermal stress, heat stress, cold stress, precipitation stress, moisture stress, salt stress, fog stress, dust stress, snow stress, driving rain stress, heavy rain stress, and icing stress.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising evaluating the ability of vehicles based on machine condition data to complete the ranked missions.

6. The method according to claim 3 further comprising ranking missions with a highest stress indicator associated with encountering extreme temperatures during respective missions, the extreme temperatures defines as a temperature below negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit or above 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the environmental data comprises weather forecasts.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

performing preventative maintenance at vehicle'"'"'s current location so that the vehicle will be less likely to fail in the environmental stressed area of the mission.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

deploying additional parts for components that may fail during or after a mission.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the stress indicator comprises a cumulative severity stress indicator.

11. A system for managing fleet health of vehicles, the system comprising:

an environmental data source for gathering environmental data for potential mission locations;

vehicular electronics for collecting vehicle data, including historical use data and maintenance data associated with corresponding vehicular components of vehicles within a fleet;

a stress module assigning a stress severity indicator to the established candidate missions based on the environmental data; and

a mission planner for establishing a list of candidate missions for the fleet of vehicles;

the mission planner matching vehicles to one or more corresponding missions selected from the candidate missions based on the collected vehicle data and the stress severity indicator such that the matched vehicles are likely to complete the missions with a desired degree of reliability.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the mission planner matches pairs of vehicles and drivers to one or more corresponding missions selected from the candidate missions based on the collected vehicle, the stress severity indicator, and driver experience such that the matched pairs are likely to complete the missions with a desired degree of reliability.

13. The system according to claim 11 further comprising:

a maintenance scheduler for scheduling maintenance on one or more vehicles prior to execution of the missions based on estimated vehicle component failures associated with environmental data for applicable mission locations.

14. The system according to claim 11 wherein the stress module ranks missions based on the a stress indicator, the stress indicator representing a sum of stress severities for at least one of thermal stress, heat stress, cold stress, precipitation stress, moisture stress, salt stress, fog stress, dust stress, snow stress, driving rain stress, heavy rain stress, and icing stress.

15. The system according to claim 11 wherein the mission planner evaluates the ability of vehicles based on machine condition data to complete the ranked missions.

16. The system according to claim 11 wherein the stress module ranks missions with a highest stress indicator associated with encountering extreme temperatures during respective missions, the extreme temperatures defines as a temperature below negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit or above 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

17. The system according to claim 11 wherein the environmental data comprises weather forecasts.

18. The system according to claim 11 further comprising:

a maintenance scheduler for performing preventative maintenance at vehicle'"'"'s current location so that the vehicle will be less likely to fail in the environmental stressed area of the mission.

19. The system according to claim 11 further comprising:

a maintenance scheduler for deploying additional parts for components that may fail during or after a mission.