Process for updating the scheduling of a service stop for a machine

• US 8,731,766 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Renault Trucks (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Artus, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US12/747,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,342 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/25, 701/29.1, 701/29.3, 701/29.4, 701/31.4, 701/34.3, 701/34.4, 701/117, 701/422, 701/423, 701/424, 701/465, 705/7.12, 705/7.13, 705/7.25, 705/7.26, 705/7.37, 705/7.38, 705/305, 702/182, 702/183, 702/184
• US Class Current: 701/29.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance

Abstract

A process for updating the scheduling of a service stop for a machine includes determining, for at least one service operation, a service occurrence specification, monitoring the machine'"'"'s usage severity, and setting an earliest occurrence point and a latest occurrence point for the service occurrence specification which are determined according to the machine usage severity monitored during a monitoring interval.

Claims

1. A system for updating scheduling of a service stop for a machine, comprising

an electronic control device on the machine for monitoring, over a monitoring interval, a usage severity of the machine by monitoring at least one machine parameter,

a remote server, and

communication means for transferring data from the electronic control device to the remote server,

wherein the remote server is configured for:

receiving information which has been gathered by the electronic control device,

determining, for at least one service operation, a service occurrence specification, and

determining a window for an occurrence point for the service operation, a width of the window being dependent on a distribution of the usage severity,

wherein the server is configured for establishing a value distribution for the parameter during the monitoring interval, establishment of the value distribution comprising determining a plurality of severity classes, and determining a proportional frequency of presence of the parameter within each severity class.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server is configured for determining and setting an earliest occurrence point and a latest occurrence point for the service occurrence specification, and wherein the determination of the earliest and the latest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification includes calculating a mean occurrence point as a weighted value comprising a sum of, for each severity class, a theoretical specification corresponding to the severity class weighted according a proportional frequency of presence of the parameter within the severity class.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server is further configured for determining an earliest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification as a function of a frequency of presence of the parameter in a most severe class of the severity classes.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server is further configured for determining an earliest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification as a function of a frequency of presence of the parameter in a most severe class of the severity classes, and determining the earliest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification based on a predefined specification for the most severe class, weighted according to frequency of presence of the parameter in the most severe class, and on a mean value weighted according to frequency of presence of the parameter in other ones of the classes.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server is further configured for determining a latest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification as a function of a frequency of presence of the parameter in the least severe class of the severity classes, or in a subset of least severe classes.

6. The system according to 1, wherein the server is further configured for determining a latest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification depending on a predefined specification for the least severe class, weighted according to frequency of presence of the parameter in the least severe class.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server is further configured for determining a latest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification based on a predefined specification for the least severe class, weighted according to frequency of presence of the parameter in the least severe class, and comprising determining the latest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification as a function of a predefined specification for the least severe class, weighted according to frequency of presence of the parameter in the least severe class, and as a function of a mean value weighted according to frequency of presence of the parameter in the other classes.

8. A system for updating scheduling of a service stop for a machine, comprising

an electronic control device on the machine for monitoring, over a monitoring interval, a usage severity of the machine by monitoring at least one machine parameter,

a remote server, and

communication means for transferring data from the electronic control device to the remote server,

wherein the remote server comprises a computer programmed for

receiving information which has been gathered by the electronic control device

determining, for at least one service operation, a service occurrence specification,

establishing a value distribution for the at least one parameter during the monitoring interval by determining a plurality of severity classes, each severity class being defined by a range of values for the at least one parameter, and by determining a proportional frequency of presence of the parameter within each severity class, and

determining a mean occurrence point for each service operation as a weighted value comprising a sum of, for each severity class, a mean value corresponding to the severity class weighted according a proportional frequency of presence of the parameter within the severity class.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the computer is further configured for determining and setting an earliest occurrence point and a latest occurrence point for the service occurrence specification, the earliest occurrence point and the latest occurrence point being determined such that an occurrence window between the earliest and latest occurrence points is fixed.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the computer is further configured for determining and setting an earliest occurrence point and a latest occurrence point for the service occurrence specification, the earliest occurrence point and the latest occurrence point being determined such that an occurrence window between the earliest and latest occurrence points is variable, depending on a mean usage severity of the vehicle during the monitoring interval.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the computer is further configured for determining the earliest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification as a function of a frequency of presence of the parameter in a most severe class of the severity classes.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer is further configured for determining the earliest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification as a function of a frequency of presence of the parameter in a most severe class of the severity classes, and determining the earliest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification based on a predefined specification for the most severe class, weighted according to frequency of presence of the parameter in the most severe class, and on a mean value weighted according to frequency of presence of the parameter in other ones of the classes.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the computer is further configured for determining the latest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification as a function of a frequency of presence of the parameter in the least severe class of the severity classes, or in a subset of least severe classes.

14. The system according to 10, wherein the computer is further configured for determining the latest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification depending on a predefined specification for the least severe class, weighted according to frequency of presence of the parameter in the least severe class.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the computer is further configured for determining the latest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification based on a predefined specification for the least severe class, weighted according to frequency of presence of the parameter in the least severe class, and comprising determining the latest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification as a function of a predefined specification for the least severe class, weighted according to frequency of presence of the parameter in the least severe class, and as a function of a mean value weighted according to frequency of presence of the parameter in the other classes.

16. The system according. to claim 8, wherein the mean value corresponding to the severity class comprises a theoretical service interval specification, the theoretical service interval specification being at least one of a recommended time, distance, and operation interval for performing the service operation based on a hypothesis that the vehicle will always be operated during a theoretical service interval within the severity class.

17. A system for updating scheduling of a service stop for a machine, comprising

an electronic control device on the machine for monitoring, over a monitoring interval, a usage severity of the machine by monitoring at least one machine parameter,

a remote server, and

communication means for transferring data from the electronic control device to the remote server,

wherein the remote server is configured for

receiving information which has been gathered by the electronic control device,

determining, for at least one service operation, a service occurrence specification,

setting an earliest occurrence point and a latest occurrence point for the service occurrence specification which are determined according to the machine usage severity monitored during the monitoring interval, and

establishing a value distribution for the parameter during the monitoring interval, which comprises determining a number of severity classes, and determining a proportional frequency of presence of the parameter within each severity class,

wherein the step of setting the earliest and latest occurrence points takes into account the distribution of usage severity during the monitoring interval.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the computer is further configured for determining the earliest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification as a function of a frequency of presence of the parameter in a most severe class of the severity classes.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the computer is further configured for determining the latest occurrence point for a service occurrence specification as a function of a frequency of presence of the parameter in the least severe class of the severity classes, or in a subset of least severe classes.