Data collection system for driving machine

• US 5,555,171 A
• Filed: 07/07/1994
• Issued: 09/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
• Inventors: Toba, Akira, Shitaya, Yoshiyuki, Akushichi, Shuki, Sonehara, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): PARK, COLLIN
• Application Number:
  US08/271,490
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.01, 364/424.03, 364/424.04, 364/424.05, 364/550, 364/550.01, 340/438, 340/459, 340/425.5, 371/15.1, 371/29.1, 371/20.6
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A data collection system for a driving machine for collecting data obtained at a plurality of controllers disposed within the driving machine, in which one of the plurality of controllers is used as a master controller to perform sequential polling operation over the other controllers including an external controller through a communication line. The other controller subjected to the polling transmits data obtained at its own controller to the controllers other than its own controller. The master controller continues its polling operation so long as the master controller fails to receive a response to the polling from the external controller. The master controller, when receiving the response to the polling from the external controller, judges that the external controller was connected to a connector for connection with the external controller and stops its polling operation. The external controller responded to the polling, after responding to the polling, perform sequential polling operation over the other controllers and collects data obtained at the other controllers in place of the master controller.

Claims

1. A data collection system for a driving machine which includes a plurality of controllers for controlling driving of said driving machine disposed within the driving machine to collect data obtained at each controller and to perform predetermined operations, said data collection system comprising:

communication means comprised of said plurality controllers which are interconnected for mutual communication therebetween by means of a communication line,

an external controller connection connector provided on the communication line for mutual communication between an external controller diposed externally of said driving machine and said plurality of controllers,

first control means for controlling the operation of one master controller among the plurality of controllers to perform sequential polling operation over all of the controllers including said master controller and said external controller through said communication line,

second control means for controlling the operation of one of the controllers which has received the polling from said master controller to transmit data obtained at said one of the controllers to the controllers other than said one of the controllers,

third control means operative when said master controller receives a response to the polling from said external controller for judging that the external controller is connected to said connector and stopping the polling operation being performed by the master controller,

fourth control means operative after the external controller responded to the polling from the master controller for controlling the operation of the external controller to perform a sequential polling operation over all of the controllers including the external controller and the master controller throuqh said communication line,

fifth control means for controlling the operation of one of the controllers which has received the polling from the external controller to transmit data obtained at said one of the controllers to the controllers other than said one of the controllers, and

sixth control means operative when data obtained at the controllers other than the external controller are collected at the external controller by the control of the fifth control means for controlling the operation of the external controller to perform the predetermined operations based on the collected data.

2. A data collection system for a driving machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when said external controller does not perform next polling operation even though a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the polling operation was performed, said first control means is activated to control the operation of said master controller to perform the polling operation.

3. A data collection system for a driving machine is set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of controllers include a measurement exclusive controller for measuring a driving state of said driving machine and wherein said sixth control means collects measured data obtained at said measurement exclusive controller and processes the collected measured data to judge an abnormality in the driving machine.

4. A data collection system for a driving machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said driving machine is a hydraulic shoveling machine and said predetermined operations include fault diagnosing operation of said hydraulic shoveling machine.

5. A data collection system for a driving machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said external controller is a personal computer.

6. A data collection system for a driving machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said external controller is provided with a display unit for displaying a result of execution of said predetermined operations.