Patent Number: 06256594&
Section: claims

1. A machine fault monitoring apparatus having, for each of a plurality of machines, fault detection means for detecting various faults occurring during the operation of the machines, and remote monitoring station for monitoring operating status of the plurality of machines by collecting fault detection data locally detected by the fault detection means of the plurality of machines, wherein each machine comprises: operating parameter detection means for locally sequentially detecting various types of operating parameter values which change during the operation of said machine;  history data update means locally updating fault detection history data every time a fault is detected by said fault detection means during the operation of said machine;  determination means for locally determining, based on said history data and the value of the fault, whether or not to transmit to said monitoring station sequential values of the operating parameters within a specified period of time around a point in time at which the fault was detected, in cases where said fault was detected by said fault detection means during the operation of said machine;  transmission means for transmitting to said remote monitoring station, in cases where it has been determined locally by said determination means that a transmission should be made, a type of fault that was detected, a value detected by said operating parameter detection means at the point in time at which the fault was detected, as well as the sequential values of said operating parameters within the specified period of time around the point in time at which the fault was detected, and also for transmitting to said remote monitoring station, in cases where it has been determined by said determination means that no transmission should be made, the type of fault that was detected and the value detected by said operating parameter detection means at the point in time the fault was detected.  operating parameter detection means for locally sequentially detecting various types of operating parameter values which change during the operation of said vehicle;  history data update means for locally updating fault detection history data every time a fault is detected by said fault detection means during the operation of said vehicle;  transmission determination means for locally determining based on said history data and the value of the fault, whether or not to transmit to said remote monitoring stations sequential values of the operating parameters within a specified period of time around a point in time at which the fault was detected in cases where said fault was detected by said fault detentions means during the operation of said vehicle; and  fault data transmission means for transmitting to said remote monitoring stations, in cases where it has been determined by said transmission determination means that a transmission should be made, a type of fault that was detected, a value detected by said operating parameter detection means at the point in time at which the fault was detected, as well as the sequential values of said operating parameters within the specified period of time around the point in time at which the fault was detected, and also for transmitting to said remote monitoring station, in cases where it as been determined by said transmission determination means that no transmission should be made, the type of fault that was detected and the value detected by said operating parameter detection means at the point in time the fault was detected; and wherein said remote monitoring station comprises:  requested signal transmission means for transmitting to the vehicle, in cases where no relation was determined by said relation determination means, a signal requesting that values detected by said operating parameter detection means to be transmitted to said monitoring stations for a given period of time. 2. The machine fault monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means searches for a frequency of the detected fault based on said history data, and transmits data indicating the fault frequency to said remote monitoring stations. 3. A vehicle fault monitoring apparatus having, for each of a plurality of vehicles, fault detection means for locally detecting various faults occurring during the operation of the vehicles, and a remote monitoring stations for monitoring operating status of the plurality of vehicles by collecting fault detection data detected by the fault detection means of the plurality of vehicles, wherein each vehicle comprises: 4. The vehicle fault monitoring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said fault data transmission means searches for a frequency of the detected faults based on said history data, and transmits data indicating the fault frequency to said remote monitoring stations.