Working machine, trouble diagnosis system of working machine, and maintenance system of working machine

• US 7,079,982 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Miura, Shuichi, Umeno, Yoshiyuki, Ogura, Hiroshi, Watanabe, Hiroshi, Karasawa, Hideo, Ochiai, Yasushi, Sugiyama, Genroku, Ono, Kiyoshi, Tomikawa, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick J.
• Application Number:
  US10/476,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20040186687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 702/185
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/24 Safety devices , e.g. for preventing overload E02F9/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/268 with failure correction follow-up actions
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4063 Monitoring general control system G05B19/4062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31454 Keep track of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33284 Remote diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45012 Excavator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A working machine failure diagnosis method for performing a failure diagnosis by transmitting and receiving signals through communication devices provided at a working machine and at an information management center, according to the present invention, includes: a first step in which a first signal related to a failure of the working machine is generated at the working machine and the first signal is transmitted to the information management center from the working machine via the communication devices; a second step in which, after the first signal is transmitted, the information management center generates a second signal for identifying a location of the failure based upon the first signal and the second signal is then transmitted from the information management center to the working machine via the communication devices; and a third step in which failure information corresponding to the first signal and the second signal is provided to an operator.

Claims

1. A working machine failure diagnosis method for performing a failure diagnosis by transmitting and receiving signals through communication devices provided at a working machine and at an information management center comprising:

a failure diagnosis signal transmission step in which a failure diagnosis signal is transmitted from the working machine to the information management center via the communication devices as a signal for a failure diagnosis is input by an input operation at the working machine when a problem has occurred at the working machine;

a problem condition inquiry signal transmission step in which, after the failure diagnosis signal is transmitted, a problem condition inquiry signal for inquiring a problem condition of the working machine is transmitted to the working machine from the information management center via the communication devices;

a problem condition signal transmission step in which, when a condition of the problem having occurred at the working machine is selected at the working machine as an answer to a problem condition inquiry in response to the problem condition inquiry signal, a problem condition signal representing the problem condition is transmitted to the information management center from the working machine via the communication devices;

an operation guide step in which an operation guide signal for prompting to perform an operation corresponding to the problem condition is generated at the information management center based upon the problem condition signal after the problem condition signal is transmitted, and the operation guide signal is then transmitted to the working machine from the information management center via the communication devices;

an information transmission step in which a state signal representing a state of the working machine when the working machine is operated in response to the operation guide signal is transmitted to the information management center from the working machine via the communication devices;

a failure identifying signal transmission step in which, after the state signal is transmitted, the information management center generates a failure identifying signal for identifying a location of a failure based upon the state signal and the failure identifying signal is then transmitted from the information management center to the working machine via the communication devices; and

an informing step in which failure information based on the failure identifying signal is provided to an operator.

10. A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.

2. A working machine failure diagnosis method for performing a failure diagnosis by transmitting and receiving signals through communication devices provided at a working machine and at an information management center comprising:

a first step in which a first signal related to a failure of the working machine is generated at the working machine and the first signal is transmitted to the information management center from the working machine via the communication devices;

a second step in which, after the first signal is transmitted, the information management center generates a second signal for identifying a location of the failure based upon the first signal and the second signal is then transmitted from the information management center to the working machine via the communication devices;

a third step in which failure information corresponding to the first signal and the second signal is provided to an operator;

a fourth step in which a signal related to a service request for the identified failure location is transmitted from the working machine to the information management center; and

a fifth step in which a servicing cost and a length of servicing time are calculated at the information management center based upon the signal related to the service request and information indicating the cost and the length of time is transmitted to the working machine.

11. A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 2.

3. A working machine failure diagnosis method for performing a failure diagnosis by transmitting and receiving signals through communication devices provided at a working machine and at an information management center comprising:

a first step in which a first signal related to a failure of the working machine is generated at the working machine and the first signal is transmitted to the information management center from the working machine via the communication devices;

a second step in which, after the first signal is transmitted, the information management center generates a second signal for identifying a location of the failure based upon the first signal and the second signal is then transmitted from the information management center to the working machine via the communication devices;

a third step in which failure information corresponding to the first signal and the second signal is provided to an operator;

a fourth step in which a signal related to a service request for the identified failure location is transmitted from the working machine to the information management center; and

a fifth step in which a time point at which a service person is expected to arrive at a site is calculated at the information management center based upon the signal related to the service request and information indicating the time point is transmitted to the working machine.

12. A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 3.

4. A working machine failure diagnosis system, comprising:

an input unit provided at a working machine, that is operated when a problem has occurred at the working machine;

a failure diagnosis signal transmission device that transmits a failure diagnosis signal from the working machine to an information management center as a signal for a failure diagnosis is input from the input unit when the problem has occurred;

a problem condition inquiry signal transmission device that transmits a problem condition inquiry signal for inquiring a problem condition of the working machine to the working machine from the information management center after receiving the failure diagnosis signal;

a problem condition signal generating device that generates a problem condition signal representing the problem condition when a condition of the problem having occurred at the working machine is selected at the working machine as an answer to a problem condition inquiry in response to the problem condition inquiry signal;

a problem condition signal transmission device that transmits the problem condition signal to the information management center from the working machine;

an operation guide signal generating device that generates at the information management center an operation guide signal for prompting to perform an operation corresponding to the problem condition based upon the problem condition signal after receiving the problem condition signal;

an operation guide signal transmission device that transmits the operation guide signal to the working machine from the information management center;

an information transmission device that transmits a state signal representing a state of the working machine when the working machine is operated in response to the operation guide signal to the information management center from the working machine;

a failure identifying signal generating device that generates at the information management center a failure identifying signal for identifying a location of a failure based upon the state signal after receiving the state signal;

a failure identifying signal transmission device that transmits the failure identifying signal from the information management center to the working machine; and

an informing device that provides an operator with failure information based on the failure identifying signal.

7. A working machine used in a working machine failure diagnosis system according to claim 4, comprising:

the input unit;

the failure diagnosis signal transmission device;

the problem condition signal generating device;

the problem condition signal transmission device;

an operation guide signal receiving device that receives the operation guide signal from the information management center;

the information transmission device;

a failure identifying signal receiving device that receives the failure identifying signal from the information management center; and

the informing device.

5. A working machine failure diagnosis system comprising:

a first signal generating device that generates at a working machine a first signal related to a failure of the working machine;

a first transmission device that transmits the first signal from the working machine to an information management center;

a second signal generating device that generates at the information management center a second signal for identifying a location of the failure based upon the first signal after the first signal is transmitted thereto;

a second transmission device that transmits the second signal from the information management center to the working machine; and

an informing device that provides an operator with failure information corresponding to the first signal and the second signal, wherein;

the second signal contains information for identifying the failure location;

the informing device informs the operator of the identified failure location;

the information management center includes a service management device that calculates a servicing cost and a length of servicing time after a signal related to a service request is transmitted from the working machine following identification of the failure location; and

the second signal generating device generates the second signal that contains information indicating the servicing cost and length of servicing time.

8. A working machine used in a working machine failure diagnosis system according to claim 5, comprising:

the first signal generating device;

the first transmission device; and

the informing device.

6. A working machine failure diagnosis system comprising:

a first signal generating device that generates at a working machine a first signal related to a failure of the working machine;

a first transmission device that transmits the first signal from the working machine to an information management center;

a second signal generating device that generates at the information management center a second signal for identifying a location of the failure based upon the first signal after the first signal is transmitted thereto;

a second transmission device that transmits the second signal from the information management center to the working machine; and

an informing device that provides an operator with failure information corresponding to the first signal and the second signal, wherein;

the second signal contains information for identifying the failure location;

the informing device informs the operator of the identified failure location;

the information management center includes a schedule management device that calculates a time point at which a service person is expected to arrive at a site after a signal related to a service request is transmitted from the working machine following identification of the failure location; and

the second signal generating device generates the second signal that contains information indicating the arrival time point.

9. A working machine used in a working machine failure diagnosis system according to claim 6, comprising:

the first signal generating device;

the first transmission device; and

the informing device.