System for collection and distribution of machine data via a cellular device

• US 8,195,231 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Ring, Paul Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bush, Michael S
• Application Number:
  US11/981,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20090111520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/423, 731/140.1, 701/29, 370/241
• US Class Current: 455/557
• 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

Abstract

A data collection and distribution system associated with a machine comprises an electronic control module located on a machine. The electronic control module is configured to collect operation data associated with the machine. The system also comprises a personal area network (PAN) control module communicatively coupled to the electronic control module. The PAN control module is configured to detect a PAN-compatible cellular communication device proximate the PAN control module. The PAN control module is also configured to transmit the operation data to the PAN-compatible cellular communication device using a PAN connection between the PAN control module and the PAN-compatible cellular device, wherein the PAN-compatible cellular communication device is configured to transmit the operation data to a condition monitoring system via a cellular network.

Claims

1. A system for collection and distribution of machine data via a cellular communication device, comprising:

an electronic control module located on a machine, the electronic control module configured to;

collect operation data associated with the machine, wherein the electronic control module includes a serial communication port; and

generate one or more text messages containing the operation data;

a personal area network (PAN) control adapter removably coupled to the electronic control module via the serial communication port and configured to;

wirelessly detect a mobile PAN-compatible cellular communication device carried by an operator of the machine and proximate the PAN control module; and

transmit the one or more text messages containing the operation data to the mobile PAN-compatible cellular communication device such that the mobile the PAN-compatible cellular communication device carried by the operator of the machine forwards the operation data to a condition monitoring system via a cellular network,

wherein the PAN-compatible cellular communication device is configured to forward the operation data by forwarding the one or more text messages containing the operation data to the condition monitoring system over the cellular network using a text messaging service.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the PAN control module is further configured to:

identify the PAN-compatible cellular communication device;

authenticate the identity of the PAN-compatible cellular communication device; and

establish a secure PAN communication channel with the PAN-compatible cellular communication device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the PAN control module includes a removable Bluetooth dongle adapted to interface with a serial communication port of the electronic control module.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the PAN-compatible cellular communication device includes a GSM-compatible cellular communication device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the PAN-compatible cellular communication device includes a COMA-compatible cellular communication device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the PAN-compatible cellular communication device is configured to:

store the operation data in memory associated with the PAN-compatible cellular communication device;

detect availability of the cellular network; and

transmit the operation data to the condition monitoring system when the cellular network is available.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the condition monitoring system is further configured to:

receive operation data associated with the machine; and

output the received operation data on a display.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein to forward the one or more text messages containing the operation data, the PAN-compatible cellular communication device is configured to:

receive the one or more text messages containing the operation data;

store the received one or more text messages containing the operation data in a messaging queue associated with the electronic control module;

determine whether the cellular network is available; and

when it is determined that the cellular network is available, transmit the queued one or more text messages to the condition monitoring system over the cellular network using the text messaging service.

9. A method for collection and distribution of machine data via a cellular communication device, comprising:

collecting, by an electronic control module of a machine, operation data associated with the machine;

detecting, by a personal area network (PAN) control module communicatively coupled to the electronic control module, a mobile PAN-compatible cellular communication device carried by an operator of the machine and proximate the PAN control module;

generating, by the electronic control module, one or more text messages containing the operation data; and

transmitting, by the PAN control module, the one or more text messages containing the operation data to the mobile PAN-compatible cellular communication device, such that the mobile PAN-compatible cellular communication device carried by the operator of the machine forwards the operation data to a condition monitoring system via a cellular network using a text messaging service of the cellular network.

10. The method of claim 9, further wherein detecting the PAN-compatible cellular communication device includes:

identifying the PAN-compatible cellular communication device;

authenticating the identity of the PAN-compatible cellular communication device; and

establishing a secure PAN communication channel with the PAN-compatible cellular communication device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the PAN control module includes a removable Bluetooth dongle adapted to interface with a serial communication port of the electronic control module.

12. The method of claim 9, further including:

storing the operation data in memory associated with the PAN-compatible cellular communication device;

detecting, by the PAN-compatible cellular communication device, availability of the cellular network; and

transmitting the operation data to the condition monitoring system when the cellular network is available.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the PAN-compatible cellular communication device includes a GSM-compatible cellular communication device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the PAN-compatible cellular communication device includes a COMA-compatible cellular communication device.

15. A project environment, comprising:

at least one monitoring device configured to monitor at least one operational aspect associated with a machine operating in the project environment;

an electronic control module communicatively coupled to the at least one monitoring device, the electronic control module configured to collect data indicative of the at least one operational aspect from the at least one monitoring device, wherein the electronic control module includes a serial communication port;

a Bluetooth control adapter removably coupled to the electronic control module via the serial communication port and configured to;

wirelessly detect a mobile Bluetooth-compatible cellular communication device carried by an operator of the machine and proximate the Bluetooth control module; and

generate, by the electronic control module, one or more text messages containing the operation data; and

transmit the one or more text messages containing the data indicative of the at least one operational aspect to the mobile Bluetooth-compatible cellular communication device such that the mobile Bluetooth-compatible cellular communication device carried by the operator of the machine forwards the data indicative of the at least one operational aspect to a condition monitoring system via a cellular network using a text messaging service of the cellular network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein forwarding includes:

receiving, at the PAN-compatible cellular communication device, the one or more text messages containing the operation data;

storing, by the PAN-compatible cellular communication device, the received one or more text messages containing the operation data in a messaging queue associated with the electronic control module;

determining, by the PAN-compatible cellular communication device, whether the cellular network is available; and

when it is determined that the cellular network is available, transmitting, by the PAN-compatible cellular communication device, the queued one or more text messages to the condition monitoring system over the cellular network using the text messaging service.

17. The project environment of claim 15, wherein the Bluetooth control module is further configured to:

identify the Bluetooth-compatible cellular communication device;

authenticate the identity of the Bluetooth-compatible cellular communication device; and

establish a secure Bluetooth communication channel with the Bluetooth-compatible cellular communication device.

18. The project environment of claim 15, wherein the electronic control module includes a serial communication port and the Bluetooth control a removable Bluetooth dongle adapted to interface with the serial communication port of the electronic control module.

19. The project environment of claim 15, wherein the Bluetooth-compatible cellular communication device is configured to:

store the data indicative of the at least one operational aspect in memory associated with the Bluetooth-compatible cellular communication device;

detect availability of the cellular network; and

transmit the data indicative of the at least one operational aspect to the condition monitoring system when the cellular network is available.

20. The project environment of claim 15, wherein to forward the one or more text messages containing the data indicative of the at least one operational aspect, the Bluetooth-compatible cellular communication device is configured to:

receive the one or more text messages containing the data indicative of the at least one operational aspect from the electronic control module;

store the received one or more text messages in a messaging queue associated with the electronic control module;

determine whether the cellular network is available; and

when it is determined that the cellular network is available, transmit the queued one or more text messages to the condition monitoring system over the cellular network.