Worksite data management system

• US 9,014,873 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Braunstein, Michael D., Donnelli, Aaron M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Application Number:
  US13/752,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/23, 701/24, 701/28, 701/30.5, 701/30.9, 701/31.1, 701/31.3, 700/245, 700/248, 700/249, 700/258, 700/259
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A data management system is disclosed for use with a plurality of machines operating at a worksite. The data management system may have a plurality of onboard sensory devices, each configured to generate data regarding at least one of machine performance and worksite conditions. The data management system may also have a plurality of onboard locating devices, each configured to generate a machine location signal. The data management system may further have a plurality of onboard communication devices, and a worksite controller. The worksite controller may be configured to receive the data and the machine location signals from onboard the plurality of machines via the plurality of communication devices, trigger an event based on the data received from onboard at least a first of the plurality of machines, and selectively retrieve data from at least a second of the plurality of machines based on event triggering.

Claims

1. A data management system for use with a plurality of machines operating at a common worksite, the data management system comprising:

a plurality of sensory devices, each located onboard a different one of the plurality of machines and configured to generate data regarding at least one of machine performance and worksite conditions, wherein the plurality of sensory devices are configured to capture the data continuously during operation of the plurality of machines;

a plurality of locating devices, each located onboard a different one of the plurality of machines and configured to generate a machine location signal;

a plurality of communication devices, each located onboard a different one of the plurality of machines;

a plurality of memory modules, each located onboard a different one of the plurality of machines, wherein the data is stored for a predetermined period of time within the plurality of memory modules; and

a worksite controller configured to;

receive the data and the machine location signals from onboard the plurality of machines via the plurality of communication devices;

determine an event triggering based on the data received from onboard at least a first of the plurality of machines; and

selectively retrieve data from at least a second of the plurality of machines based on the event triggering.

2. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the worksite controller is located offboard the plurality of machines.

3. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the data is time-stamped within the plurality of memory modules.

4. The data management system of claim 1,

wherein the data is location-stamped within the plurality of memory modules based on the machine location signal.

5. The data management system of claim 1,

wherein a machine identity associated with a source of the data is linked to the data within the plurality of memory modules.

6. The data management system of claim 1,

wherein an environmental condition occurring at the same time as capture of the data is linked to the data within the plurality of memory modules.

7. The data management system of claim 1,

wherein a machine operation associated with a source of the data is linked to the data within the plurality of memory modules.

8. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the at least a second of the plurality of machines includes at least one of a machine traveling in front of or a machine traveling behind the at least a first of the plurality of machines during capture of data used to trigger the event.

9. The data management system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least a second of the plurality of machines includes at least one machine having traveled through a same location from which the data used to trigger the event was captured; and

the data selectively retrieved from the at least a second of the plurality of machines was captured at a time different than a time of the event triggering.

10. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the data retrieved from the at least a first of the plurality of machines includes data of a same type as was used to trigger the event.

11. The data management system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least a second of the plurality of machines includes at least one machine having traveled through a different location from which the data used to trigger the event was captured at a time of the event triggering; and

the data selectively retrieved from the at least a second of the plurality of machines was captured at the time of the event triggering.

12. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the data selectively retrieved from the at least a second of the plurality of machines includes data captured by multiple sensory devices mounted on the at least a second of the plurality of machines.

13. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the worksite controller is further configured to dispatch the at least a second of the plurality of machines to a same location at which data was captured that was used to trigger the event.

14. The data management system of claim 13, wherein the worksite controller is further configured to instruct the at least a second of the plurality of machines dispatched to the same location to capture additional data from the same location.

15. The data management system of claim 14, wherein the worksite controller is further configured to instruct the at least a second of the plurality of machines to capture the additional data from the same location during travel of the at least a second of the plurality of machines in a manner different than travel of the at least a first of the plurality of machines during the event triggering.

16. The data management system of claim 15, wherein the travel includes at least one of a different heading and a different speed.

17. The data management system of claim 14, wherein the at least a second of the plurality of machines is a different type of machine than the at least a first of the plurality of machines.

18. The data management system of claim 17, wherein the worksite controller is further configured to:

make a comparison of the data received from the first of the plurality of machines with the data selectively retrieved from the second of the plurality of machines; and

determine a response to the event based on the comparison.

19. The data management system of claim 18, wherein the response includes dispatching a cleanup machine to a location of the event.

20. The data management system of claim 19, wherein the worksite controller is further configured to transmit the data selectively retrieved from the at least a second of the plurality of machines to the cleanup machine dispatched by the worksite controller.

21. The data management system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of sensory devices includes a camera; and

the data selectively retrieved from the at least a second of the plurality of machines includes at least one of still pictures and video of an environment of the at least a second of the plurality of machines.

22. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensory devices includes:

a first type of sensory devices used to trigger events; and

a second type of sensory devices used to capture data selectively retrieved from the at least a second of the plurality of machines.

23. The data management system of claim 22, wherein:

the first type of sensory device is a machine performance sensor; and

the second type of sensory device is a camera configured to capture at least one of still pictures and video of an environment at the worksite.

24. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the event includes at least one of a detected obstacle, a roadway condition, and a machine malfunction.

25. The data management system of claim 1, wherein the worksite controller is further configured to transmit instructions indicative of evasive actions that should be taken by the plurality of machines based on the data selectively retrieved from the at least a second of the plurality of machines.

26. A data management system for use with a plurality of machines operating at a common worksite, the data management system comprising:

a plurality of imaging devices, each located onboard a different one of the plurality of machines and configured to continuously generate image data of the worksite;

a plurality of locating devices, each located onboard a different one of the plurality of machines and configured to generate a machine location signal;

a plurality of communication devices, each located onboard a different one of the plurality of machines;

a plurality of memory modules, each located onboard a different one of the plurality of machines, wherein the image data is stored for a predetermined period of time within the plurality of memory modules; and

an offboard worksite controller configured to;

receive the image data and the machine location signals from onboard the plurality of machines via the plurality of communication devices;

determine an event triggering associated with operation of a first of the plurality of machines at a first location of the worksite;

retrieve image data from the first of the plurality of machines captured at a time of the event triggering; and

selectively retrieve from an offboard data base image data previously captured from at least a second of the plurality of machines associated with the first location.

27. A method of worksite data management, comprising:

capturing data from onboard a plurality of machines regarding at least one of machine performance and worksite conditions;

determining a location of each of the plurality of machines;

selectively triggering an event based on the data captured from onboard at least a first of the plurality of machines;

storing the data for a predetermined period of time in a plurality of memory modules, each located onboard a different one of the plurality of machines; and

selectively retrieving data from at least a second of the plurality of machines based on the event triggering.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein capturing data includes continuously capturing the data during operation of the plurality of machines.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least a second of the plurality of machines includes at least one of a machine traveling in front of or a machine traveling behind the at least a first of the plurality of machines during capturing of data used to trigger the event.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the at least a second of the plurality of machines includes at least one machine having traveled through a same location from which the data used to trigger the event was captured; and

the data selectively retrieved from the at least a second of the plurality of machines was captured at a time different than a time of the event triggering.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the at least a second of the plurality of machines includes at least one machine having traveled through a different location from which the data used to trigger the event was captured at a time of the event triggering; and

the data selectively retrieved from the at least a second of the plurality of machines was captured at the time of the event triggering.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein selectively retrieving data includes dispatching the at least a second of the plurality of machines to a same location at which data was captured that was used to trigger the event.

33. The method of claim 32, further including instructing the at least a second of the plurality of machines dispatched to the same location to capture additional data from the same location.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein instructing the at least a second of the plurality of machines includes instructing the at least a second of the plurality of machines to capture the additional data from the same location during travel of the at least a second of the plurality of machines in a manner different than travel of the at least a first of the plurality of machines during the event triggering.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the travel includes at least one of a different heading and a different speed.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the at least one of the plurality of machines is a different type of machine than the at least a first of the plurality of machines.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein the data includes at least one of still pictures and video of a worksite environment.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein the event includes at least one of a detected obstacle, a roadway condition, and a machine malfunction.

39. The method of claim 27, further including transmitting instructions indicative of evasive actions that should be taken by the plurality of machines based on the data selectively retrieved from the at least a second of the plurality of machines.

40. The method of claim 27, wherein selectively retrieving data from at least a second of the plurality of machines includes locally retrieving the data from a control module previously removed from a host machine.