Method, system and apparatus for passively monitoring the maintenance and distribution of fluid products to heavy work vehicles

• US 7,343,252 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scientronix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Scientronix Incorporated
• Inventors: Wiens, Jack A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sun; Xiuqin
• Application Number:
  US11/061,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20050199312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 702/54, 702/188, 235/381, 235/450, 700/231
• US Class Current: 702/54
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery

Abstract

A method and apparatus for passively monitoring the distribution of fuel and lubrication fluids to track vehicles and other heavy duty work equipment, such as bulldozers, draglines, scrapers, loaders, etc. The system includes means for identifying and recording the identity of the dispensing vehicle, the dispensing operator, the location of the dispensing vehicle, the receiving vehicle, the receiving port on the receiving vehicle, the type of fluid dispensed, the quantity of fluid dispensed, and the time of the dispensing. The system also includes means for verifying that the proper fluid is dispensed to the appropriate port. Use of the system does not in any way interfere with the servicing operations.

Claims

1. A system for passively monitoring distribution of fluid products from a mobile service vehicle to fill ports on work equipment to be serviced, comprising:

(a) a plurality of passive, magnetically encoded indicia means each adapted to be attached a work equipment to be serviced at a point proximate an associated fill port of the work equipment, each said indicia means being magnetically readable to provide a first set of data uniquely associated with the corresponding fill port;

(b) a run time logger including

i) a vibration sensor adapted to be attached to the body of a work equipment to be serviced, said sensor being responsive to vibration of said work equipment caused by operation of its engine and operative during the time the engine is running to generate an oscillating electrical signal having a fixed frequency,

ii) a microprocessor responsive to said oscillating electrical signal and operative to generate and store a digital run time signal proportional to the number of cycles of said oscillating electrical signal occurring during operation of the engine, and

iii) a first pair of capacitive output plates; and

iv) a modulator for modulating stored run time signals and coupling the modulated run time signals to said first pair of capacitive output plates;

(c) a reader/transmitter means for reading said magnetically encoded indicia maims to obtain said first set of data, and including a second pair of capacitor plates for capacitively coupling said modulated run time signals from said first pair of capacitive plates and into said reader/transmitter means, said reader/transmitter means being operative to transmit the first set of data and the modulated run time signals;

(d) apparatus for generating a second set of data associated with a fluid product carried by the service vehicle and made ready for distribution to a selected fill port on a work equipment; and

(e) an operator panel adapted to be mounted on a service vehicle, said panel including a receiver for receiving the transmitted first set of data and run time signal, logic for comparing said first set of data to said second set of data and for determining whether or not said first set of data identifies a particular fill port intended to be serviced with fluid product associated with said second set of data, and for generating an alarm signal commensurate therewith, and logic for logging the first set of data, the second set of data, the run time signal and the alarm signal.

2. A system for passively monitoring distribution of fluid products from a mobile service vehicle to fill ports on work equipment to be serviced, as recited in claim 1, and further comprising a horn that is actuated by said alarm signal to validate selection of the port as the intended port to be serviced.

3. A system for passively monitoring distribution of fluid products from a mobile service vehicle to fill ports on work equipment to be serviced, as recited in claim 1, wherein said alarm signal is used to sound an alarm warning of any improper distribution of the products.

4. A system and apparatus for passively monitoring distribution of fluid products from distribution sources to fill ports on a work equipment, comprising:

(a) a magnetically encoded port identifying means associated with each fill port on a work equipment to be serviced, said port identifying means containing port data relating to the identity of the work equipment, the identity of the fill port, and the type of material to he dispensed to the fill port;

(b) a run time logger including

i) a vibration sensor adapted to be attached to the body of the work equipment to be serviced, said sensor being responsive to vibration of said work equipment caused by operation of its engine and operative during the time the engine is running to generate an oscillating electrical signal having a fixed frequency,

ii) a microprocessor responsive to said oscillating electrical signal and operative to generate and store a digital run time signal proportional to the number of cycles of said oscillating electrical signal occurring during operation of the engine;

iii) a first pair of capacitive output plates; and

iv) a modulator for modulating stored run time signals and coupling the modulated run time signals to said first pair of capacitive output plates;

(c) a remote receiver associated with the distribution sources of said fluid products;

magnetic reader means for reading said port data and including;

i) a second pair of capacitor plates for capacitively, coupling said modulated run time signals from said first pair of capacitive plates and into said reader means, and for transmitting said port data and said modulated run time signals to said remote receiver;

(d) flow monitoring means associated with said remote receiver and the distribution sources and operative to generate flow data indicating a particular distribution source, the type of fluid to be dispensed from said particular distribution source, and the volume of fluid actually dispensed from said particular distribution sources in servicing a fill port;

(e) means associated with said receiver and said flow monitoring means for comparing said port data to said flow data, and operative to generate an alarm in the event that any aspect of said port data is incompatible with any aspect of said flow data; and

(f) means for producing a record of said run time signal, said port data, said flow data and the fact that an alarm was generated.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said port data includes information relating to the type of material to be distributed to a particular fill port.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said port identifying means includes an array of magnetic indicators respectively polarized and organized so that when inspected, a set of code terms are developed uniquely identifying the work equipment, a particular fill port thereof and the type of material to be distributed to said particular fill port.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said reader means is further operative to generate operator data identifying the operator responsible for servicing said vehicle and for transmitting said operator data to said remote receiver.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the flow monitoring means includes a lookup table identifying the type of material to be put into a particular fill port.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said reader means is further operative to generate operator data identifying the operator responsible for servicing said vehicle and for transmitting said operator data to said remote receiver.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, and further comprising means for determining the location of a work equipment to be serviced and the time of servicing, and for reporting same to said means for producing a record, whereby such location and time of servicing is included in said record.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said port identifying means includes an array of indicators organized so that when inspected, a set of code terms can be developed uniquely identifying a particular work equipment, a particular fill port of said particular work equipment and the type of material to be distributed to said particular fill port.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said reader means is further operative to generate operator data identifying the operator responsible for servicing the work equipment, and to transmit said operator data to said remote receiver.