System and method for remote machine data transfer

• US 7,711,842 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Donald Franklin Jr., Wilson, Larry James, Liu, Yang, Hasty, William Todd, Cole, Todd Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter; Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US11/824,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 709/232, 709/228, 709/227, 709/224, 709/230, 714/4, 714/43
• US Class Current: 709/232
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A method for data transfer between a client system and a server comprises receiving one or more user-defined file transfer specifications and establishing a communication channel between a client system and a server system based on the file transfer specifications. The method also includes initializing transfer of operation data between the client system and the server system via the communication channel. The method further includes providing an exception notification to one or more user-designated recipients if the transfer of the operation data between the client system and the server system is inconsistent with the file transfer specifications.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for data transfer between a client system and a server system comprising:

receiving, at a client system communicatively coupled to a machine, operation data associated with the machine, wherein the operation data comprises at least one aspect of a mechanical operation of the machine;

receiving, at a data transfer application associated with the client system, one or more user-defined file transfer specifications;

establishing, by the client system, a communication channel between the client system and a server system based on the file transfer specifications;

initializing, by the data transfer application, transfer of operation data between the client system and the server system via the communication channel, wherein initializing the transfer of operation data includes;

queuing the operation data for transfer according to a user-defined priority level associated with the at least one aspect of a mechanical operation of the machine; and

initiating transfer of the operation data in accordance with the user-defined priority level; and

providing an exception notification to one or more user-designated recipients if the transfer of the operation data between the client system and the server system is inconsistent with the file transfer specifications.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more file transfer specifications include one or more of a file transfer source address, a network address of the server system, a file transfer destination server, a file transfer communication port, a file transfer destination folder address, a time limit that data can remain in a communication queue, a data storage time limit, one or more alert email recipient addresses, or a data communication schedule.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further including:

queuing the operation data in accordance with the file transfer specifications.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further including:

receiving the operation data from the client system;

filter the operation data according to the user-defined priority; and

queue the operation data for analysis based on the user-defined priority.

5. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein providing the notification includes:

monitoring the transfer of operation data between the client system and the server system; and

detecting one or more of a failure of the client system to transmit the operation data or a failure of the server system to receive the operation data.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein providing the notification to one or more user-designated recipients includes:

automatically generating an electronic mail message upon detection of the failure; and

sending the electronic mail message to the one or more user-designated recipients.

7. A computer-readable medium for use on a computer system, the computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implemented method of claim 1.

8. A system for remote machine data transfer comprising:

a client system communicatively coupled to one or more machines operating in a work environment and configured to receive operation data associated with the one or more machines, wherein the operation data comprises at least one aspect of a mechanical operation of the one or more machines;

a data transfer application for facilitating communication between the client system and a server system communicatively coupled to the client system, the data transfer application configured to;

receive one or more user-defined file transfer specifications;

establish a communication channel between the client system and the server system based on the file transfer specifications;

initialize transfer of operation data between the client system and the server system via the communication channel, wherein initializing the transfer of operation data includes;

queuing the operation data for transfer according to a user-defined priority level associated with the at least one aspect of a mechanical operation of the one or more machines; and

initiating transfer of the operation data in accordance with the user-defined priority level; and

provide a notification to one or more user-designated recipients if the transfer of operation data between the client system and the server system is unsuccessful.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more file transfer specifications include one or more of a file transfer source address, a network address of the server system, a file transfer destination server, a file transfer communication port, a file transfer destination folder address, a time limit that data can remain in a communication queue, a data storage time limit, one or more alert email recipient addresses, or a data communication schedule.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the client system includes a data collection module communicatively coupled to one or more data monitoring devices associated with a machine, the data collection module being configured to:

receive operation data associated with the machine from the one or more data monitoring devices; and

transmit the operation data to the server system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the data collection module includes an electronic control module associated with the one or more machines.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the client system includes a computer system communicatively coupled to at least one data collection module associated with one or more machines operating in the work environment and configured to receive operation data associated with the one or more machines from the at least one data collection module.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein providing the notification includes:

monitoring the transfer of operation data between the client system and the server system; and

detecting one or more of a failure of the client system to transmit the operation data or a failure of the server system to receive the operation data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein providing the notification to one or more user-designated recipients includes:

automatically generating an electronic mail message upon detection of the failure; and

sending the electronic mail message to the one or more user-designated recipients.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the data transfer application includes a file management module configured to:

receive the operation data from the client system;

filter the operation data according to the user-defined priority; and

queue the operation data for analysis based on the user-defined priority.

16. The system of claim 15, further including a condition monitoring system configured to:

receive the operation data from the file management module;

analyze the operation data; and

generate a condition monitoring report based on the analysis of the operation data.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the data transfer application may be associated with a message oriented middleware software application.

18. A system for remote machine data transfer comprising:

a machine including at least one monitoring device communicatively coupled to at least one component of the machine, the monitoring device configured to monitor operation data associated with the machine;

a client system in data communication with the machine and configured to collect operation data from the at least one monitoring device; and

a data transfer application for facilitating communication between the client system and a server system communicatively coupled to the client system, the data transfer application configured to;

receive one or more user-defined file transfer specifications;

establish a communication channel between the client system and the server system based on the file transfer specifications;

initialize transfer of operation data between the client system and the server system via the communication channel, wherein initializing the transfer of operation data includes;

queuing the operation data for transfer according to a user-defined priority level associated with the at least one aspect of a mechanical operation of the one or more machines; and

initiating transfer of the operation data in accordance with the user-defined priority level; and

provide a notification to one or more user-designated recipients if the transfer of operation data between the client system and the server system is unsuccessful.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more file transfer specifications include one or more of a file transfer source address, a network address of the server system, a file transfer destination server, a file transfer communication port, a file transfer destination folder address, a time limit that data can remain in a communication queue, a data storage time limit, one or more alert email recipient addresses, or a data communication schedule.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the data transfer application is further configured to:

monitor the transfer of operation data between the client system and the server system; and

detect one or more of a failure of the client system to transmit the operation data or a failure of the server system to receive the operation data.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein providing a notification to one or more user-designated recipients includes:

automatically generating an electronic mail message upon detection of the failure; and

sending the electronic mail message to the one or more user-designated recipients.