System and method for monitoring a machine

• US 9,605,415 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Edara, Thandava K., Taylor, Michael, Wei, Mo, Becicka, Troy K., Stanek, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US14/484,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20160076226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2066 of the type combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/005 Testing of complete machines, e.g. washing-machines or mobile phones testing of machine parts G01M13/00; testing of electric apparatus or components G01R31/50
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

A system for monitoring a machine at a work site includes a prime mover, a ground-engaging drive mechanism to propel the machine, and a plurality of sensors. A controller generates propulsion commands to propel the machine about the work site in an autonomous or semi-autonomous manner and determines a plurality of performance characteristics of the machine. The controller further determines whether the plurality of performance characteristics meet a plurality of performance thresholds and generates an alert command if any of the plurality of performance characteristics do not meet the plurality of performance thresholds.

Claims

1. A system for operating a machine at a work site, comprising;

a prime mover;

a ground-engaging drive mechanism operatively connected to the prime mover to propel the machine about the work site;

a plurality of sensors associated with the machine for generating signals indicative of operating conditions of the machine; and

a controller configured to;

store a plurality of performance thresholds of the machine;

establish a path for the machine;

autonomously generate propulsion commands to propel the machine along the path in an autonomous or semi-autonomous manner;

receive a plurality of signals from the plurality of sensors;

determine a plurality of performance characteristics of the machine based upon the plurality of signals;

determine whether the plurality of performance characteristics meet the plurality of performance thresholds;

generate an alert command if any of the plurality of performance characteristics do not meet the plurality of performance thresholds; and

terminate the autonomous generation of propulsion commands to propel the machine along the path in an autonomous or semi-autonomous manner upon receipt of instructions from an operator to operate the machine manually.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of performance thresholds is movement of the machine along a predetermined distance over a predetermined time period.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of performance thresholds is slip of the ground-engaging drive mechanism over a predetermined time period.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to divide the path into a plurality of waypoints and one of the plurality of performance thresholds is whether the machine has reached one of the waypoints within a predetermined time period.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of performance thresholds is an efficiency of machine operation.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a ground-engaging work implement, and wherein the controller is configured to determine a desired path of the ground-engaging work implement, determine an actual path of the ground-engaging work implement, determine an extent of under digging based upon a difference between the desired path and the actual path, and one of the plurality of performance thresholds is the extent of under digging.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a ground-engaging work implement, and wherein the controller is configured to determine a desired path of the ground-engaging work implement, determine an actual path of the ground-engaging work implement, and determine an extent of over digging based a difference between the desired path and the actual path, and one of the plurality of performance thresholds is the extent of over digging.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of sensors is a position sensor associated with the machine for generating position signals indicative of a position of the machine at the work site.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to store an electronic map of the work site including a topography of the work site and whether the alert command is generated is dependent upon the topography at which the machine is operating.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to store an electronic map of the work site including material characteristics of the work site and whether the alert command is generated is dependent upon the material characteristics at which the machine is operating.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to operate a plurality of machines, each machine including:

a machine controller configured to;

store a plurality of performance thresholds of the machine;

establish a path for the machine;

autonomously generate propulsion commands to propel the machine along the path in an autonomous or semi-autonomous manner;

receive a plurality of signals from a plurality of sensors;

determine a plurality of performance characteristics of the machine based upon the plurality of signals;

determine whether the plurality of performance characteristics meet the plurality of performance thresholds; and

generate an alert command if any of the plurality of performance characteristics do not meet the plurality of performance thresholds.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the alert command identifies the machine that does not meet the plurality of performance thresholds.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine controller is farther configured to store a priority with respect to each performance threshold and the alert command includes the priority of a performance threshold that has not been met.

14. A method of operating a machine at a work site, comprising:

storing, by a controller, a plurality of performance thresholds of the machine;

establishing, by the controller, a path for the machine;

generating, by the controller, autonomous propulsion commands to propel the machine along the path in an autonomous or semi-autonomous manner;

receiving, within the controller, a plurality of signals from a plurality of sensors associated with the machine;

determining, with the controller, a plurality of performance characteristics of the machine based upon the plurality of signals;

determining, within the controller, whether the plurality of performance characteristics meet the plurality of performance thresholds;

generating, by the controller, an alert command if any of the plurality of performance characteristics do not meet the plurality of performance thresholds;

terminating, by the controller, the generation of the autonomous propulsion commands to propel the machine along the path in an autonomous or semi-autonomous manner; and

generating, manual propulsion commands to propel the machine in a manual manner.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein one of the plurality of performance thresholds is movement of the machine along a predetermined distance over a predetermined time period.

16. The method of claim 14, further including dividing the path into a plurality of waypoints and wherein one of the plurality of performance thresholds is whether the machine has reached one the waypoints within a predetermined time period.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein one of the plurality of performance thresholds is an efficiency of machine operation.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein one of the plurality of performance thresholds is an extent to which a work implement is over digging.

20. The method of claim 14, further including operating a plurality of machines at the work site, each machine being operated by:

storing, by a machine controller, a plurality of performance thresholds of the machine;

establishing, by the machine controller, a path for the machine;

generating, by the machine controller, autonomous propulsion commands to propel the machine about the work site in an autonomous or semi-autonomous manner;

receiving, within the machine controller, a plurality of signals from a plurality of sensors associated with the machine;

determining, within the machine controller, a plurality of performance characteristics of the machine based upon the plurality of signals;

determining, within the machine controller, whether the plurality of performance characteristics meet the plurality of performance thresholds; and

generating, by the controller, an alert command if any of the plurality of performance characteristics do not meet the plurality of performance thresholds; and

terminating, by the controller, the generation of the autonomous propulsion commands for only one of the machines to terminate propulsion of the only one of the machines about the work site in an autonomous or semi-autonomous manner; and

generating manual propulsion commands to propel the only one of the machines about the work site a manual manner.

19. A machine comprising:

a prime mover;

a ground-engaging work implement for moving material at a work site;

a ground-engaging drive mechanism operatively connected to the prime mover to propel the machine about the work site;

a plurality of sensors associated with the machine for generating signals indicative of operating conditions of the machine; and

a controller configured to;

store a plurality of performance thresholds of the machine;

establish a path for the machine;

autonomously generate propulsion commands to propel the machine along the path in an autonomous or semi-autonomous manner;

receive a plurality of signals from the plurality of sensors;

determine a plurality of performance characteristics of the machine based upon the plurality of signals;

determine whether the plurality of performance characteristics meet the plurality of performance thresholds;

generate an alert command if any of the plurality of performance characteristics do not meet the plurality of performance thresholds; and

terminate the autonomous generation of propulsion commands to propel the machine along the path in an autonomous or semi-autonomous manner upon receipt of instructions from an operator to operate the machine manually.