APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MEASURING OPERATIONAL DATA FOR EQUIPMENT USING SENSOR BREACH DURATIONS

• US 20090015422A1
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ram, Satish N., Sixt, Fred Warner JR.
• Granted Patent: US 9,235,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/679
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A wireless equipment management system that is configured to track sensors for work measurement for predetermined events. The sensors are configured to measure event durations of a specific piece of equipment as defined by a user and sent to a Network Management Center. This enables the user to measure work times by configuring work events as sensor input events. The event durations can be displayed and reports can be produced at the Network Management Center.

Claims

1. A management system for equipment comprising:

a processor located remotely from said equipment;

at least one sensor for sensing predetermined equipment operating data pertaining to said equipment; and

a wireless communication system for providing communications among said processor, said at least one sensor, and said equipment, said processor being operable to generate multiple work durations for predetermined operations of said equipment in connection with said processor receiving the predetermined equipment operating data from said at least one sensor.

2. The management system for equipment of claim 1 further comprising a display for displaying the generated multiple work durations.

3. The management system for equipment of claim 1 further comprising a report compiler for compiling reports of the generated multiple work durations.

4. The management system for equipment of claim 3 wherein said compiled report further comprises equipment identification information and chronological information.

5. The management, system for equipment of claim 1 wherein said equipment Is selected from the group consisting of heavy equipment, office equipment and surface, land and air vehicles.

6. The management system for equipment:

of claim 1 further comprising an alert signal generated by the processor when a predetermined generated work duration is exceeded.

7. The management system of claim 1 wherein said predetermined operating data comprises at least one member from the group consisting of engine gear position, engine revolutions per minute (RPMs), driver seat position and engine activation.

8. The management system of claim 1 wherein said at least one sensor comprises a remotely configured sensor.

9. The management system of claim 8 wherein said remotely configured sensor comprises a sensor configured for alerts or duration.

10. A method of remotely monitoring work durations of a piece of equipment, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing at least one predetermined equipment operating condition from by least one sensor disposed on the piece of equipment;

transmitting the at least one sensed predetermined equipment operating condition to a computer system in a remote location;

generating at least one work duration for predetermined operations of the equipment from transmitted at least one sensed predetermined equipment operating condition.

11. The method, of claim 10 further comprising the step of displaying the at least one work duration.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of compiling a report of the at least one work duration.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of compiling comprises providing equipment identification information and chronological information.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of transmitting comprises using a wireless communication system.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said wireless communications system is a mobile communications system selected from, the group consisting of a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communications system, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) system, a Frequency Division Multiple Access System (FDMA), a satellite commutations system and a two-way radio communications system.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the piece of equipment is selected from the group consisting of heavy equipment, office equipment and surface, land and air vehicles, engines, consumer electronics, automobiles, trucks, construction, agricultural and earthmoving equipment.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of generating an alert if a predetermined at least one work duration is exceeded.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of sensing at least one predetermined equipment operating condition comprises sensing at least one member from the group consisting of engine gear position, engine revolutions per minute (RPMs), driver seat position and engine activation.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of sensing further comprises remotely configuring at least one sensor.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein die step of remotely configuring further comprises remotely configuring the at least one sensor for alerts or duration.

21. A computer program product, comprising:

computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to obtain sensed date via a wireless communication system, from at least one sensor disposed on a piece of equipment;

code for causing at least one computer to compute at least one work duration for predetermined operations of the equipment based on the sensed data; and

code for causing at least one computer to generate a report of the at least one work duration.