Abstract:
A system for monitoring a piece of equipment is provided. The system comprises a monitoring device that is associated with the equipment and configured to detect data relating to the operation of the equipment. A communication network is adapted to communicate the data to a server based on a signal received from the monitoring device, and an access device is connected to the communication network and configured to provide the data to an end-user for determining whether the equipment is operating effectively. The monitoring device is adapted to detect when the equipment is moving.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/569,781 filed May 10, 2004, which is incorporated herein by this reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to a system and method for monitoring the use of equipment and more particularly to a system and method for monitoring the use of heavy construction equipment.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     To effectively manage heavy equipment and related machinery, it is essential that accurate information relating to the operation of such equipment be monitored, recorded and analyzed. More particularly, owners of such equipment must be able to track and record critical data relating to the operation of their equipment to effectively implement cost-effective decisions regarding the continued use of such equipment. Unfortunately, current equipment monitoring techniques and systems generally require that this information be gathered manually. However, these manual techniques are often inaccurate and inefficient from a data monitoring standpoint. Thus, it would be desirable to develop an equipment monitoring system which overcomes these and other shortcomings of the prior art.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention provides a system and method for monitoring equipment that enhances the timely and accurate monitoring of operational data associated with the use of heavy equipment.  
         [0005]     In one exemplary embodiment thereof, the present invention provides, a system for monitoring a piece of equipment. The system comprises a monitoring device that is associated with the equipment and configured to detect data relating to the operation of the equipment, a communication network adapted to communicate the data to a server based on a signal received from the monitoring device, and an access device connected to the communication network and configured to provide the data to an end-user for determining whether the equipment is operating effectively. The monitoring device is adapted to detect when the equipment is moving.  
         [0006]     In another exemplary embodiment, a method for monitoring a piece of equipment is provided. According to this method, data relating to the operation of the equipment is detected through a monitoring device associated with the equipment, wherein the monitoring device is adapted to detect when the equipment is moving. The data is communicated from the monitoring device to a server by way of a communication network and provided to an access device accessible by an end-user for determining whether the equipment is operating effectively. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0007]     The above-mentioned aspects of the present invention and the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of the embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  depicts a diagrammatic view of an equipment monitoring system having several pieces of heavy equipment, a communication network, a server receiving communications from the communication network, and a plurality of network access terminals communicating with the server in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  depicts a diagrammatic view of an exemplary monitoring device for use with one of the pieces of heavy equipment from  FIG. 1  showing a sensor coupled to an engine, a controller, a transmitter, and antenna;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  depicts an exemplary illustration of a daily report containing equipment monitoring information in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  depicts an exemplary illustration of a summary report containing equipment monitoring information in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
       [0012]     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a system  10  is provided for monitoring one or more pieces of heavy equipment  12  such as a bulldozer  14 , a backhoe  16 , and an excavator  18 . Although bulldozer  14 , backhoe  16 , and excavator  18  are shown in  FIG. 1 , it should be understood and appreciated that other pieces of heavy equipment may also be monitored such as bulldozers, articulated dump trucks, trenchers, rollers, track loaders, trackhoes, scrapers, curb machines, pavement grinders, coal scoops, coal haulers, or any other piece of heavy equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the art without straying from the scope of the present invention. Often, such pieces of heavy equipment are transported between job sites using an over-the-road trailer (not shown), do not include speedometers or odometers, and perform some type of work on their surrounding such as excavating dirt, coal, or other materials, laying pavement or concrete, digging trenches, etc.  
         [0014]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , system  10  includes an electronic monitoring device  20  that is located on each piece of equipment  12  being monitored (e.g.,  14 ,  16 ,  18 ). In one exemplary embodiment, each monitoring device  20  includes one or more sensors  22  that sense one or more data parameters of equipment  12  and one or more antennas or transmitters  24  that send data to a wireless communication network  26  shown in  FIG. 1 . According to this exemplary embodiment, system  10  uses the Internet  28  to communicate data from wireless communication network  26  to a server  30  and uses the data to generate reports  32  such as daily report  34 , shown in  FIG. 3 , and summary report  36 , shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0015]     According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an end-user, such as a construction company, accesses reports  32  using network access devices  38  such as PC&#39;s  40  to monitor the usage of one or more pieces of equipment  12 . According to alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, reports  32  may be accessed using PDA&#39;s, cell phones having computing capabilities, handheld devices, or any other portable or stationary access devices know to those of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0016]     Sensor  22  is positioned on equipment  12  to determine operational data, such as when engine  42  of a particular piece of equipment  12  is running. Device  20  includes a controller  44  having a microprocessor (not shown), memory (not shown), and software to determine when engine  42  is running based on a signal from sensor  22  and acts as an engine run timer that records how long engine  42  runs for a given period of time.  
         [0017]     According to one exemplary embodiment, sensor  22  is a switch located adjacent the ignition switch (not shown) or on/off button (not shown) of equipment  12 . When the ignition switch is moved to the “on” position, sensor  22  detects the movement and provides a signal (such as a predetermined voltage) to controller  44  indicating that engine  42  is running. When the ignition switch is moved to the “off” position, sensor  22  detects the movement and provides a signal (such as no voltage) to controller  44  indicating that engine  42  is not running. According to alternative exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, sensor  22  is positioned at other locations to detect other parameters indicative of engine  42  operating. For example, according to one illustration, sensor  22  is an rpm sensor that detects when the engine is rotating. According to another illustration, sensor  22  is a pressure sensor that detects when the engine oil is pressurized. According to yet another illustration, sensor  22  is a volt or other meter coupled to the alternator/generator of engine  42  to detect when the alternator is being driven by engine  42 . According to further exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, other mechanical, electrical, fluid, etc. parameters of equipment  12  are detected that indicate operation of engine  42 .  
         [0018]     According to one exemplary embodiment, device  20  is configured to determine the position and velocity of equipment  12 . According to this embodiment, device  20  includes a GPS antenna  46  that communicates with satellites (not shown). Based on the communications received from the satellites, controller  44  determines the location and velocity (speed and direction) of equipment  12 . Controller  44  uses triangulation to determine the location of equipment  12  based on the given signals from the satellites. According to an exemplary illustration of the present disclosure, controller  44  determines the location of the particular piece of equipment  12 , several times per second based on the given signals from the satellites.  
         [0019]     By comparing the determined positions over time, controller  44  can determine the velocity of equipment  12 . For example, if the position of the equipment changes by four feet to the north over a given period of time and controller  44  makes a position calculation four times per second, controller  44  can determine the rate at which the equipment  12  is moving in the northerly direction (for instance, 10.9 miles per hour (mph), etc.). If the determined position of equipment  12  does not change, controller  44  can calculate the speed of equipment  12  as zero mph. Using this information, controller  44  acts as an engine use timer that records the amount of time each day that equipment  12  is being used based on whether equipment  12  is moving (i.e. controller  44  determines equipment  12  has a speed greater than zero mph) rather than just idling (i.e. controller  44  determines equipment  12  has a speed of zero mph).  
         [0020]     According to one exemplary illustration, the first time an operator starts equipment  12  after midnight of each day, device  20  communicates the gathered information to server  30  through communication network  26  and the Internet  28  to server  30 . Antenna  24  of device  20  transmits the engine run time and the engine use time stored by controller  44  to communication network  26  which communicates the data to server  20  through the Internet  28 . According to alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, the data is transmitted at other intervals such as predetermined times throughout the day or continuously.  
         [0021]     In specific embodiments, antenna  24  and communication network  26  use cell phone technologies and protocols known to those of ordinary skill in the art. According to alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, other communications technologies, networks, and protocols are used such as satellite communications, land-line communications, radio communications, and other communications technologies, networks, and protocols known to those of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0022]     Server  30  receives the data from network  26  and stores the data in memory for the generation of reports  32 . Reports  32  are then accessed by a contractor, job scheduler, etc. through the Internet  28  using network access devices  38 , such as PC&#39;s  40  shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0023]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , each daily report  34  includes various fields indicating the customer or client name, project name, report description, and the date range. Daily report  34  is customized to include sub-reports  48  for specific pieces of equipment  12  located on a particular project. Each sub-report  48  includes a start time field  50  for each day, a run time field  52  indicating the engine run time for each day, an activity time field  54  indicating how long the equipment was moving or in use each day, and a run-time utilization field  56 . Run-time utilization field  56  is based on run time field  52  and activity time field  54 . Specifically, the run-time utilization equals the activity time divided by engine run time presented as a percentage.  
         [0024]     According to an exemplary illustration of the present invention, if the equipment utilization is high, this indicates that the particular piece of equipment  12  is being used efficiently while running. If the utilization is low, this indicates that equipment  12  is idling too much and wasting fuel. For example, if four articulated dump trucks are assigned to a job to move dirt from a loading site to a dump site and the average utilization for the dump trucks is below 70%, this is an indication that there is probably at least one too many dump trucks assigned to the job. Based on this information, the job site manager can remove one or more dump trucks from the job to reduce labor and equipment expenses without reducing the total amount of dirt hauled. Additionally, if the dump trucks have an unusually high utilization, this may indicate that the dump trucks have no down time and the loader is idling while waiting for the next empty dump truck to arrive from the dump site. Based on this information, the job site manager can assign additional dump trucks to the job to increase the utilization of the loader and increase the total amount of dirt hauled in a day.  
         [0025]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , summary report  36  includes various fields indicating the customer or client name, project name, report description, and the selected date range. Each report  48  includes a last start time field  58 , a total run hours field  60  indicating the engine run time for the selected date range, an activity timer field  62  indicating how long the equipment was moving or in use during the date range, a run-time utilization field  64 , and a mechanical meter field  66  indicating the total engine run time for the specific piece of equipment  12 . Similar to daily report  34 , a scheduler or job site manager can review the utilization for the various pieces of equipment  12  to determine if there are too many or too few pieces of equipment  12  on a particular job site.  
         [0026]     While exemplary embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention have been disclosed hereinabove, the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.