Patent Publication Number: US-2007101017-A1

Title: System and method for routing information

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
      This application relates generally to an information control and distribution system and, more particularly, to a system and method for routing information between a work machine and back-end systems.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Work machines, such as excavators, track type tractors, loaders, dozers, motor graders, and other types of heavy machinery, typically include equipment to collect and transmit information associated with the operation and status of the machine in a work environment. The work machines may be connected to a communication network that interfaces with back-end systems, such as a communication platform that includes a centralized information server for gathering and storing data received from one or more of the work machines. This common communication platform provides a mechanism for users to access operational, status, and/or productivity data associated with one or more of the work machines.  
      In large work machine fleets, however, the flow of information on the network can be substantial, as each work machine provides a considerable amount of raw data to the server. As a result, additional resources are required that enable users and/or computer executed processes to analyze the large amount of received data. For example, a user may access the central server to obtain data corresponding to the operation of a particular type of work machine within a fleet of work machines. Because, however, the central server collects data from each of the work machines within the fleet, the user may be forced to sort through vast amounts of information to locate data associated with the particular work machine. Not only is such a practice cumbersome, it may also lead to the oversight of critical operational information, which could result in damage to a monitored work machine within the fleet. Furthermore, as work machines are added to the fleet, bandwidth and network management costs may increase, as additional infrastructure may be required to accommodate the size of the growing network.  
      One attempt to control the flow of information between a work machine and back-end systems is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0021245 (“the &#39;245 publication”) to Furuno et al. The &#39;245 publication describes an information providing system including a server that collects data regarding machine operations of a plurality of construction machines. The server also directs the collected data to other systems over a communication network. In one instance, the server sends the data to a computer terminal for access by a user associated with the machine. In another instance, the server may provide the data to an intermediate server that subsequently distributes information to one or more users associated with the construction machine. An administrator (e.g., a dealer or owner) may optionally select the type of information that is distributed by the intermediate server, thus controlling access to the collected data by each user on the network.  
      Although the information providing system of the &#39;245 publication may provide a platform for selectively configuring access to work machine information, it still suffers from the same efficiency problems experienced by other conventional systems. For example, the system only allows an administrator to control each user&#39;s access to the information maintained by the server, but does nothing to manage the congestion of information experienced by the server. Thus, the congestion of information at the server may lead to increased communication costs associated with managing and processing the information at the server and network. Furthermore, the information providing system of the &#39;245 publication does not allow the end-users to define parameters that control how the server processes and delivers information. Thus, end-user systems may receive unneeded information. As a result, business processes that rely on real-time information provided by the work machines become inefficient because the end-users or end-user systems must sort and extract relevant data from the information received from the server.  
      The disclosed system and method for routing work machine information are directed towards overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Systems and methods are disclosed that perform information routing in a work machine environment. In one embodiment, an information routing system is disclosed that may include a work machine operating in the work machine environment configured to transmit operation data associated with operations of the work machine over a first communication network. The routing system may also include an information router configured to receive the operation data over the communication network, the information router including a database storing information routing rules that each govern how the information router is to collect and deliver information received from the work machine. The routing system may further include a first subscriber connected to the information router and associated with a first of the information routing rules, wherein the information router analyzes the received operation data based on each of the information routing rules, packages a first portion of the received operation data based on the first information routing rule, and sends the first portion of operation data to the first subscriber.  
      In another embodiment, a method for routing information in work machine environment is disclosed. The method may include receiving, at a information router, operation data from a work machine reflecting operations of the work machine in the work machine environment. The method may also include analyzing the received operation data based on a first information routing rule defined by a first subscriber. The method may further include packaging at least a portion of the received operation data in a predetermined format if the portion of the received operation data conforms to the first information routing rule. The method may also include transmitting the packaged operation data to the first subscriber based on the first information routing rule such that the subscriber only receives operation data identified in the information routing rule.  
      In yet another embodiment, a work machine environment is disclosed that includes at least one work machine and an information router configured to receive operation data from the at least one work machine. The information router associated with the work machine environment may include a database configured to store a plurality of rules and a processor configured to execute program code stored on a computer readable medium. The program code, when executed by the processor, may analyze the received operation data based on each of the plurality of rules, transmit a first portion of the operation data to a first subscriber when the first portion of the operation data includes information conforming to at least one of the plurality of rules associated with the first subscriber, and transmit a second portion of the operation data to a second subscriber when the second portion of the operation data includes information conforming to at least one of the plurality of rules associated with the second subscriber.  
      In another embodiment, an information routing system is disclosed that includes a set of subscribers and an information router. The information router may be configured to store a set of parameter data received from a set of work machines operating in the work machine environment. The parameter data may reflect data associated with operation of each respective work machine. Further, the information router may filter the set of parameter data into subsets of parameter data based on information routing rules defined by each of the subscribers in the set of subscribers. Also, the information router may transmit the filtered subsets of parameter data to respective subscribers such that each subscriber only receives a portion of the set of parameter data based on each subscriber&#39;s corresponding information routing rule. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary work machine environment consistent with certain disclosed embodiments;  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a flowchart depicting an exemplary disclosed information routing process, consistent with certain disclosed embodiments;  
       FIG. 3  illustrates a flowchart depicting an exemplary disclosed results analysis process, consistent with certain disclosed embodiments;  
       FIG. 4  illustrates a flowchart depicting an exemplary rule defining process, consistent with certain disclosed embodiments; and  
       FIG. 5  illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary process associated with a rule database, consistent with certain disclosed embodiments. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary work machine environment  10  consistent with certain disclosed embodiments. Work machine environment  10  may include components that perform individual tasks that contribute to a work machine environment task, such as mining, construction, transportation, agriculture, manufacturing, or any other type of task associated with other types of industries. For example, work machine environment  10  may include one or more work machines  12  coupled to an information router  14  via a communication network  13 . The work machine environment  10  may be configured to monitor, collect, and filter information associated with operation of one or more work machines  12  and distribute the information to one or more back-end systems, such as information router  14 , subscribers  17   a - 17   d , and second level information router  21 . It is contemplated that additional and/or different components than those listed above may be included in work machine environment  10 .  
      Work machines  12  may each be a fixed or mobile machine configured to perform an operation associated with work machine environment  10 . Thus, work machine, as the term is used herein, refers to a fixed or mobile machine that performs some type of operation associated with a particular industry, such as mining, construction, farming, etc. and operates between or within work environments (e.g., construction site, mine site, power plants, etc.) A non-limiting example of a fixed machine includes an engine system operating in a plant or off-shore environment (e.g., off-shore drilling platform). Non-limiting examples of mobile machines include commercial machines, such as trucks, cranes, earth moving vehicles, mining vehicles, backhoes, material handling equipment, farming equipment, marine vessels, aircraft, and any type of movable machine that operates in a work environment. A work machine may be driven by a combustion engine or an electric motor. The types of work machines listed above are exemplary and not intended to be limiting. It is contemplated that work machine environment  10  may implement any type of work machine. Accordingly, although  FIG. 1  shows work machines  12  as track type tractor machines, each work machine  12  may be any type of work machine operable to perform a particular function within work machine environment  10 . For instance, a first set of work machines  11  may include one or more work machines for performing a first function associated with work machine environment  10  and a second set of work machines  11 ′ may include one or more work machines for performing a second function associated with work machine environment  10 . Although first and second set of work machines are illustrated as track-type tractors, it is contemplated that first and second set of work machines may include additional and/or different types of work machines than those illustrated.  
      In one embodiment, each work machine  12  may include on-board data collection and communication equipment to monitor, collect, and/or transmit information associated with an operation of one or more components of work machine  12 . For example, work machine  12  may include, among other things, one or more monitoring devices, such as sensors, electronic control modules, etc. (not shown), one or more data collection devices (not shown), one or more transceiver devices (not shown), and/or any other such components for monitoring, collecting, and communicating information associated with the operation of work machine  12 . Each work machine  12  may also be configured to receive information from off-board systems, such as information router  14 , a back-end communication system, etc. The components described above are exemplary and not intended to be limiting. Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments contemplate each work machine  12  including additional and/or different components than those listed above.  
      Communication network  13  may be a network that provides communications between each work machine  12  and an off-board system, such as information router  14 . For example, communication network  13  may communicatively couple work machines  12  to information router  14  across a wireless networking platform such as, for example, a satellite communication system. Alternatively and/or additionally, communication network  13  may include one or more broadband communication platforms appropriate for communicatively coupling one or more work machines  12  to information router  14  such as, for example, cellular, Bluetooth, microwave, point-to-point wireless, point-to-multipoint wireless, multipoint-to-multipoint wireless, or any other appropriate communication platform for networking a number of components. Although communication network  13  is illustrated as a satellite wireless communication network, it is contemplated that communication network  13  may include wireline networks such as, for example, Ethernet, fiber optic, waveguide, or any other type of wired communication network.  
      Information router  14  may be a system configured to receive, analyze, and distribute operational information from one or more work machines  12  via communication network  13 . Operational information may include data reflecting one or more parameters associated with the operation of a respective work machine  12 , such as, for example, status data (e.g., engine on/off, parked, stationary, etc.), load weight, engine speed, engine temperature, oil pressure, location, engine hours, tire wear, component fatigue, fluid levels, pressure data, work machine position information, and any other parameter associated with the operation of a work machine.  
      In one embodiment, information router  14  may include hardware and/or software components that perform processes consistent with certain disclosed embodiments. For example, information router  14  may include one or more databases  15   a  and  15   b , a central processor unit (CPU)  16 , one or more computer-readable memory devices  19 , and one or more input/output (I/O) devices  22 .  
      Databases  15   a  and  15   b  may be memory devices that store data used by information router  14  to perform processes consistent with certain embodiments. For example, database  15   a  may store raw operational data received from one or more work machines  12 . Database  15   b  may store one or more rules used by information router  14  to sort, filter, and process data stored in database  15   a . In one embodiment, the rules may be provided by one or more subscriber terminals  17   a - 17   d  and/or by a user or software process associated with information router  14 . Further, rules database  15   b  may include one or more rule templates for developing new rules or modifying existing rules that govern the gathering and distribution of information stored in information database  15   a . Although databases  15   a  and  15   b  are each illustrated as a single database, it is contemplated that databases  15   a  and  15   b  may each include one or more databases, each accessible by a processor device, such as CPU  16 . Further, databases  15   a  and  15   b  may each include one or more memory management processors that manage reading, writing, and deleting data stored in database  15   a . Alternatively, databases  15   a  and  15   b  may be configured as a single database having memory locations logically or physically partitioned or segmented for storing work machine operational data and rules.  
      In certain embodiments, the rules stored in rules database  15   b  may include hardware logic, software definitions, or a combination of hardware and software configured to gather and sort the information received from one or more work machines  12 . For example, the rules may include computer executable scripts that, when executed by a processor, may search data stored in a memory device within information router  14  (e.g., information database  15   a ) and evaluate the data based on a conditional logic defined by the script. If the information (or portion of information) conforms to the rule, the information is identified and collected as being associated with that particular rule. Operational data may be associated with more than one rule. Also, operational data may be associated with no rules.  
      In addition to the type of information that is collected, rules may also include formatting instructions, packaging details, frequency of operation, transmission instructions, storing instructions, and other types of information related to the handling of the collected information. For example, a rule may contain instructions to further package operational data according to certain criteria, such as timestamp information (e.g., when the data was collected or received), source identifiers (e.g., identification of the component associated with the operational data), work machine identifiers (e.g., work machine identification number), etc. Alternatively and/or additionally, a rule may specify how often to transmit operational data to a target system, such as one or more subscribers  17   a - 17   d . Each rule may be defined or modified by information router  14  and/or by external systems, such as one or more subscribers  17   a - 17   d . Further, each rule may be selected and/or modified from a list of commonly used rule templates.  
      CPU  16  may be one or more processors that execute instructions and process data to perform one or more processes consistent with certain disclosed embodiments. For instance, CPU  16  may execute software that enables information router  14  to request and/or receive operational data from one or more work machines  12 . CPU  16  may also execute software that stores collected operational data in database  15   a  according to storage rules. Further, CPU  16  may execute software that analyzes received operational data based on one or more rules stored in rules database  15   b . Moreover, CPU  16  may execute software that distributes analyzed operational data according to one or more rules stored in rules database  15   b.    
      Memory  19  may be one or more memory devices that store data or executable code used by CPU  16  to perform processes consistent with certain embodiments. For example, memory  19  may be one or more random access memory devices (RAM) that temporarily store operational data or software code used by CPU  16  when receiving, analyzing, storing, and distributing operation data associated with one or more work machines  12 .  
      Input/output devices  22  may include one or more components for communicating information between information router  14  and other back-end systems. Input/output devices  22  may include, for example, a wireless transceiver, a wired network device, an optical communication device, or any other appropriate device for communicating data signals to and from information router.  
      Information router  14  may also include other components that perform functions consistent with certain disclosed embodiments. For instance, information router  14  may include a memory device configured to store software applications, such as one or more database programs, a graphical user interface, data acquisition and analysis software, or any other appropriate software applications for operating and/or monitoring work machine environment  10 .  
      Information router  14  may further include one or more components to analyze operational information from work machines  12  using a plurality of rules stored in database  15   b . For example, in addition to CPU  16 , information router  14  may be configured with on-board logic circuitry that analyzes operational data received from work machines  12 .  
      Information router  14  may also communicate with other systems (e.g., subscribers  17   a - 17   d  and second level information router  21 ) via communication links  24 . For example, communication link  24  may include one or more data links that directly connect information router  14  to another system (e.g., subscribers  17   a - 17   d ) as part of a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint network. Alternatively and/or additionally, communication link  24  may be include a common access communication platform, such as the Internet, a private intranet, a corporate workgroup, or any other communication platform. Communication link  24  may include electrical wires, twisted pair cables, optical fiber cables, wireless links (e.g., infrared links, Bluetooth connections, satellite communication links, etc.), or any other media appropriate for transmitting data. Further, communication link  24  may be configured with hardware and/or software components that enable data to be transmitted using an analog format, a digital format, a combination thereof, or any other form of data communication.  
      Subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may each be a computer system that is configured to receive data from information router  14  in a manner consistent with the disclosed embodiments. For example, subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may each include one or more computer terminals. Alternatively and/or additionally, subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may each include personal data assistant systems (PDA), wireless communication devices (e.g., pagers, phones, etc.), notebook computers, diagnostic computer systems, data analyzers, or any other such computing devices configured to receive and process information, such as operational data. In one embodiment, subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may each be associated with one or more sections of a business entity. For instance, each of subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may be associated with a particular division of a business entity associated with work machine environment  10 , such as sales and marketing, design and maintenance, procurement, financial and insurance, supply chain management, production, and/or any other type of business entity that may be associated with work machine environment  10 . The business entity may be the same entity associated with information router  14  and/or one or more work machines  12 . In one embodiment, subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may be associated with a business entity that is affiliated with one or more sets of work machines  12 , such as first set  11 . Alternatively, different subscribers may be associated with different business entities and/or work machines  12 . Accordingly, the above descriptions are exemplary and not intended to be limiting. The disclosed embodiments contemplate any correlation (or none at all) between one or more business entities, and/or sections thereof, and the components of work machine environment  10 .  
      Subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may be configured to communicate with information router  14 . Thus, subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may request operational data from information router  14 . In one embodiment, subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may each receive the operational data in response to the request and analyze the received data according to the needs of the particular business entity associated with the respective subscriber. For example, subscriber  17   a  may be associated with a maintenance division responsible for maintaining and repairing one or more work machines  12 . Thus, subscriber  17   a  may receive operational data from information router  14  associated with particular components of a particular work machine  12  or a set of work machines  12 . In this example, subscriber  17   a  may be configured to analyze the received operational data to determine if any action needs to be taken on a particular work machine  12  (e.g., repair, optimization, adjustment, etc.).  
      Subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may each be configured to transmit results of any analysis to one or more of information router  14  and second level information router  21  for storage and/or future access by subscribers  17   a - 17   d  and/or routers  14 ,  21 . For instance, following the above example, subscriber  17   a  may transmit maintenance analysis information to information router  14  or second level information router  21  for storage in a memory device. Subscriber  17   c , which may be associated with a procurement division of a business entity, may subsequently access and analyze the maintenance analysis information to determine whether work machine parts are required by the maintenance division.  
      Subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may also each be configured to define one or more rules to filter and collect information based on the needs of one or more associated business divisions or users. Subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may each upload the one or more rules to rules database  15   b  of information router  14 . For example, subscriber  17   a  being associated with maintenance division may require all information related to the operational status of certain components of selected work machines  12 . Accordingly, subscriber  17   a  may define a rule to collect all information related to the operational status of an engine component of one or more work machines  12 . Further, subscriber  17   a  may define an additional rule (or sub-rule) to sort the collected information according to a certain component type or work machine type. The above description is exemplary and not intended to be limiting. The disclosed embodiments contemplate each subscriber  17   a - 17   d  being configured to define one or more rules that are associated with different aspects of work machine environment  10 . For example, a first subscriber  17   a - 17   d  may define a rule that requires information router to  14  to send only a small set of operational data (e.g., positional information only) associated with certain work machines  12 , while a second subscriber defines a rule that requires a large set of operation data from one or more work machines  12 .  
      Second level information router  21  may be communicatively coupled to information router  14  and subscribers  17   a - 17   d  via communication link  24  and may include one or more components configured to receive and store result data. For example, second level information router  21  may include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) (not shown), a computer-readable memory (not shown), a random access memory (RAM), input/output (I/O) devices (not shown), etc. Further, second level information router  21  may include a results database  23  that stores result data received from, for example, subscribers  17   a - 17   d . As explained, although second level information router  21  is illustrated as a standalone unit, it is contemplated that second level information router  21  may be included in as an additional component associated with information router  14 .  
      In certain embodiments, second level information router  21  may be configured to perform processes, when executed by a processor, that sort result data in response to a request from one or more subscribers  17   a - 17   d  or information router  14 . For instance, second level information router  21  may receive a request from subscriber  17   b , which may be associated with a design and manufacturing division of a business entity, for result data associated with the maintenance analysis performed by another subscriber (e.g., subscriber  17   a ) for a particular work machine component. In response to the request, second level information router  21  may search results database  23 , collect the requested result data, and provide the result data to subscriber  17   b  over communication link  24 . Alternatively, second level information router  21  may perform analysis processes based on a request from a subscriber  17   a - 17   d . For example, subscriber  17   b , associated with a design and manufacturing division, may request that second level information router  21  perform an analysis on result data associated with the maintenance result data received by the other subscriber  17   a  for the particular work machine component over a predetermined period of time (e.g., the past week, month, etc.). In response, second level information router  21  may analyze the result data in the results database and supply the results of its analysis to subscriber  17   b.    
      As explained, methods and systems consistent with the disclosed embodiments provide an environment that allows work machine operational data to be collected and routed to particular back-end systems for subsequent processing.  FIG. 2  shows a flowchart  30  of an exemplary information routing process consistent with certain disclosed embodiments. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , initially, information router  14  receives operation data from one or more work machines  12  (Step  31 ). For example, information router  14  may receive operation data associated with a particular work machine  12  or associated with a set of one or more work machines  12 , such as first and/or second work machine sets  11  and  11 ′. As mentioned above, operational data may include information associated with an operation, function, and/or status of one or more components of a respective work machine  12 . For example, operation data may include information relating to, among other things, information reflecting an operational status of work machine  12  or one or more components thereof, productivity information associated with operation of work machine  12  (e.g., load capacity, actual load, etc.), component health information (i.e., temperature, pressure, vibration, noise, etc.), operator information, or any other such information relevant to work machine operation. Information router  14  may store the received operation data in information database  15   a  and/or memory  19  for subsequent analysis.  
      Upon receipt of operational information, information router  14  may analyze the data based on one or more rules stored in rules database  15   b  to determine conformance of the received information to the rule(s) (Step  32 ). For example, CPU  16  may execute software that compares the operation data or portions thereof (e.g., one or more parameters) to a rule stored in rules database  15   b  to determine whether the operation data meets a particular criteria defined by the rule. For instance, a first rule defined by a first subscriber  17   a - 17   b  may request selected parameters (P 1 , P 2 , and P 3 ) associated with a particular type of work machine  12  (e.g., Type 1) be delivered to the first subscriber at a particular time period. Thus, in this example, if the operation data received by information router  14  includes a parameter set including parameters [P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , P 10 , P 14 , and P 20 ] from a first type of work machine  12 , CPU  16  may determine that parameters P 1 , P 2 , and P 3  meet the criteria of the first rule. If, however, the parameter set was sent from a work machine  12  of a second type, the parameters P 1 , P 2 , and P 3  included in the received parameter set may not meet the criteria of the first rule.  
      If the operation data conforms to the rule (Step  32 ; Yes), CPU  16  may execute software that packages the relevant operation data (e.g., certain parameters included in the operation data) according to a predetermined format (Step  33   a ). For example, the relevant operation data may be packaged according to one or more packaging guidelines specified in the rule, such as predetermined formatting guidelines defined by a subscriber  17   a - 17   d  associated with the rule. Thus, in certain embodiments, information router  14  may be configured to package operation data in a format appropriate and/or compatible with the subscriber associated with the given rule. For instance, a subscriber  17   a - 17   d  may define a package format to ensure that the received information is ready for further dissemination or analysis. For example, subscriber  17   a  may request to have operation data packaged according to a first format (e.g., according to work machine ID number), while subscriber  17   b  may request to have operation data provided in a second format (e.g., according to component type).  
      Alternatively and/or additionally, in one exemplary embodiment, CPU  16  may execute software that stores the operation data (either packaged or unpackaged) in a memory device, such as computer readable memory device  19  and/or information database  15   a  (Step  33   b ). In one embodiment, CPU  16  may execute software that stores the operation data in a format and/or structure according to one or more predefined storage rules.  
      At some point, information router  14  may receive a request for operation data (Step  33   c ). The request may be a request from a subscriber  17   a - 17   d  for particular operation data. Alternatively, information router  14  may execute software according to a rule defined by one or more subscribers  17   a - 17   d  that initiates the request for operation data based on another rule. For example, CPU  16  may execute a software program that periodically generates a request for certain operation data for a first subscriber  17   a - 17   d . The request may be received and processed by other software executed by CPU  16  (or another processor device) that performs rule analysis processes consistent with those described above in connection with Step  32 .  
      Based on the request, CPU  16  executes software that accesses the memory device storing the operation data (e.g., information database  15   a ) to search for the operation data indicated in the request and a corresponding one or more rules. CPU  16  may collect the requested operation data from the memory device for subsequent transmission to an appropriate target element (e.g., subscriber  17   a - 17   d ) based on the request and/or rule(s) (Step  33   d ). For example, a subscriber  17   c  associated with a design and manufacturing division may require all parameter data associated with a set of work machines  12  to determine whether certain components of a work machine may need modification due to reliability problems. In this example, the exemplary subscriber  17   c  may provide the request to information router  14 , which, in turn, filters the received and/or stored operation data for parameter data corresponding to those identified by a rule defined by the design and manufacturing division. Once located, the appropriate parameter data is collected and packaged for subsequent transmission to subscriber  17   c  in accordance with its specified rule(s).  
      Once the relevant operation data is packaged (e.g., Steps  33   a  and  33   d ), information router  14  may transmit the packaged data to a target subscriber  17   a - d  associated with a corresponding rule (Step  34 ). In one embodiment, information router  14  may transmit the packaged operation data to particular subscribers  17   a - 17   d  according to reporting rules affiliated with each operation data collecting rule defined by the subscribers  17   a - 17   d . For instance, CPU  16  may execute software that recognizes one or more reporting rules affiliated with each subscriber  17   a - 17   d  based on the type of collected operation data. Thus, information router  14  may transmit a first set of packaged operation data to subscriber  17   a  according to a first reporting rule (e.g., immediate transmission, periodic transmission, delayed transmission, conditional transmissions, etc.). Further, information router  14  may transmit a second set of packaged operation data to subscriber  17   b  according to a second reporting rule. Therefore, in certain embodiments, information router  14  may be configured to execute rule analysis processes for collecting, storing, packaging, and disseminating operation data.  
      As explained, subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may process operation data received from information router  14  based on each subscriber&#39;s affiliation with a particular section of a business entity. For example, subscriber  17   a  may be associated with a maintenance division of a business entity, and thus performs diagnostic analysis on received operation data. Subscriber  17   b , on the other hand, may be associated with a leasing division of a business entity, and thus performs analysis associated with its business goals and requirements. In certain embodiments, the results of the analysis and processing performed by one or more of subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may be shared with other components of work machine environment  10 . For example, a user operating subscriber  17   a  may have a need for reviewing analysis performed by a different user or business section associated with subscriber  17   d . As such, methods and systems consistent with certain disclosed embodiments enable results of analysis performed by subscribers  17   a - 17   d  to be shared through information router  14  and/or second level information router  21 .  FIG. 3  illustrates a flowchart  40  of an exemplary result analysis process consistent with certain disclosed embodiments.  
      Initially, second level information router  21  may receive results of operation data analysis performed by one or more subscribers  17   a - 17   d  (Step  41 ). It should be noted, although  FIG. 3  is described in connection with processes performed by second level information router  21 , the processes described in connection with  FIG. 3  may also be performed by information router  14 . Upon receipt of the analysis results, second level information router  21  may store the analysis results in results database  23  (Step  42 ). In certain embodiments, second level information router  21  may store the analysis results in database  23  according to selected arrangement and array formats to allow more efficient retrieval of the stored data. Any type of storing and configuration techniques may be implemented to facilitate the storing of the analysis result data by second level information router  21 .  
      In one embodiment, second level information router  21  may receive an analysis results query from one or more subscribers  17   a - 17   d  (Step  43 ). The analysis results query may identify a particular subscriber  17   a - 17   d , type of analysis performed, business division, etc. For example, a first subscriber (e.g., subscriber  17   a ) may provide an analysis results query requesting the results of a diagnostic analysis process performed by a particular subscriber and/or business division (e.g., subscriber  17   b ) for a particular work machine component. Other information may be included in the analysis result query that identifies the particular type of result data being requested by a subscriber  17   a - 17   d.    
      Based on the received query, second level information router  21  may search, locate, and collect the requested analysis result data (Step  44 ). As a result, second level information router  21  may transmit the collected analysis result data to the requesting subscriber  17   a - 17   d  (Step  45 ). For example, a subscriber  17   a  associated with the maintenance division may request the analysis results related to maintenance costs associated with maintenance analysis processes performed by the sales and marketing division. Accordingly, second level information router  21  may locate the analysis results supplied by the sales and marketing division and transmit the information to the maintenance division&#39;s associated subscriber.  
      As previously described, methods and systems consistent with certain embodiments enable subscribers  17   a - 17   d  to define one or more rules that govern how information router  14  collects, stores, packages, and/or transmits operation data to respective subscribers  17   a - 17   d .  FIG. 4  illustrates a flowchart  50  of an exemplary rule defining process consistent with these embodiments. Each subscriber  17   a - 17   d  may define, via a user or a software process, one or more rules that govern the type of operation data a respective subscriber is to receive from information router  14 , when the data is to be received, and/or what format the data is to be received (Step  51 ). Each subscriber  17   a - 17   d  may define different criteria for each rule. For instance,  FIG. 5  shows a block diagram of exemplary rules that may be defined by two exemplary subscribers and stored by information router  14  in database  15   b . As shown as an example, database  15   b  may store a first subscriber rule set  510  and a second subscriber rule set  520  based on rules defined by the first and second subscribers, respectively. First rule set  510  defines criteria that instructs information router  14  to collect, store, and send parameter data (e.g., parameters P 1 , P 2 , and P 3 ) associated with a first type of work machine (WM Type 1, i.e., work machine  12 - 1 ), immediately to the first subscriber  515 . As such, when information router  14  receives operation data from work machine  12 - 1 , it determines whether the received information includes parameter data associated with parameters P 1 , P 2 , and P 3 , and if so, sends this information to first subscriber  515 . Further, first subscriber rule set  510  may also define a rule for a second type of work machine (WM Type 2, work machine  12 - 2 ). Thus, rule set  510  instructs information router  14  to send parameter P 7  associated with the second type of work machine  12 - 2  on a weekly basis to first subscriber  515 . Second subscriber rule set  520  includes respective rule criteria rules for both first and second types of work machines  12 - 1  and  12 - 2 , respectively. Accordingly, information router  14  may be configured to store one or more rules defined by subscribers  17   a - 17   d  that govern what operation data is collected and stored, and how it is reported to the respective subscribers. Subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may provide a rule to information router  14  over communication link  24 .  
      In the example shown in  FIG. 5 , work machine  12 - 1  provides parameters P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , P 10 , and P 20  to information router  14 , and work machine  12 - 2  provides parameters P 1 , P 2 , P 7 , and P 15  to information router  14 . Based on the exemplary rules sets  510  and  520 , information router  14  provides first subscriber  515  with parameters P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , and P 7  associated with first work machine  12 - 1  and parameter P 7  associated with work machine  12 - 2 . Further, information router  14  provides second subscriber  525  with parameter P 10  from first work machine  12 - 1  and parameter P 7  from second work machine  12 - 2 . It should be noted that the rules described above and shown in  FIG. 5  are exemplary, and are not intended to be limiting. Additional criteria may be implemented in the disclosed embodiments. For example, a subscriber  17   a - 17   d  may further define rule criteria to include component types of a particular work machine type. Thus, first subscriber rule set  510  may further include another criterion that directs information router  14  to provide certain parameter data associated with a particular component of first work machine  12 - 1 , but not the same type of parameter data of a different component on first work machine  12 - 1 .  
      In another embodiment, information router  14  may not include a rule that is associated with a received request for certain operation data from a subscriber. In such instance, embodiments are disclosed that enable information router  14  to receive new rules (or modify existing rules) based on criteria provided by a subscriber. For instance, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , information router  14  may receive an operation data request from one or more subscribers  17   a - 17   d  (Step  52 ). Based on the request, information router  14  may access and search the existing rules stored in rules database  15   b  to determine whether a given rule is defined that provides the requested operation data identified in the request to the given subscriber that generated the request (Step  53 ). Accordingly, information router  14  determines whether the data search request corresponds to an existing rule in rules database  15   b  (Step  54 ). For example, a subscriber associated with a maintenance division of a business entity may require information related to the operation of a new component recently installed on one or more work machines  12 . In this example, information router  14  may determine that rules database  15   b  does not include an existing rule that matches the requested operation data associated with the new component.  
      If information router  14  determines that a corresponding rule does exist in rules database  15   b  (Step  54 ; Yes), information router  14  may collect and package the operation data identified in the request and transmit the packaged data to the requesting subscriber, in a manner similar to that described above in connection with Steps  33   a  and  34  of  FIG. 2  (Step  59 ). On the other hand, if information router  14  determines the request does not include information that matches an existing rule (Step  54 ; No), information router  13  may prompt the requesting subscriber to define a new rule associated with the information request (Step  55 ). In response to the prompt, the requesting subscriber  17   a - 17   d  may define, via a user or software process executed by a processor, a new rule associated with the requested operation information, and provide the new rule to information router (Step  57 ). Alternatively, subscriber  17   a - 17   d  may provide information router  14  with instructions for modifying an existing rule stored in rules database  15   b . Based on the information received from the requesting subscriber  17   a - 17   d , information router  14  may store the new rule, or modify an existing rule, in database  15   b  (Step  58 ). Once the new rule has been defined or an existing rule modified, information router  14  may package the relevant operation data and transmit the packaged data to the requesting subscriber  17   a - 17   d  in a manner consistent with the processes described above in connection with Steps  33   a  and  34  of  FIG. 2 .  
      In one exemplary embodiment, if information router determines the request does not match an existing rule (Step  54 ; No), information router  14  may execute software that is configured to automatically generate a new rule, or modify an existing rule (Step  56 ), thus replacing the need for the requesting subscriber to perform these functions.  
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY  
      Methods and systems consistent with the disclosed embodiments enable vast amounts of work machine-related data to be filtered and intelligently routed to back-end systems that have a need for the selected information. Work machine environments that employ processes and elements consistent with certain disclosed embodiments allow a subscriber to define one or more rules that govern how a central information router feeds work machine operation data to the subscriber. Additionally, certain embodiments enable the subscriber to provide results of analysis performed on received operation data to a second level operation router that is accessible by other back-end systems, such as other subscribers.  
      Although the disclosed embodiments are described in association with work machine environment  10 , the disclosed information routing system functions described herein may be applicable to any environment where it may be desirable to distribute information to various entities associated with the environment. Specifically, the disclosed information routing system may collect, filter, and distribute information from a single server to one or more subscribers of an information distribution environment to reduce information overload on the server.  
      The information routing system described above enables a computer system, such as a back-end server system, to transmit “real-time” operation data from a work machine to an end-user as it is being received or on a periodic basis. Thus, problems associated with information overload may be significantly reduced as a subscriber is no longer required to utilize resources to filter and sort large amounts of operation data to locate the information needed to perform its analysis. Instead, the disclosed embodiments enable the subscriber to direct an information router to send only the information it requires, and thus reducing the amount of data that is received by the subscriber, as well as the amount of information transmitted on the back-end network (e.g., communication link  24 ). As a result, embodiments associated with information routing system  14  may reduce or eliminate the time and productivity losses associated with end-users sorting through large amounts of raw data. “Real-time” as the term is used herein, describes a respective time associated with a current operation of a work machine  12 . For example, real-time may include time adjusted by some delay, such as, communication and/or propagation delays associated with processing data and/or signals within the work machine  12  and/or communication network  13 . For instance, a work machine  12  may collect operation data in real-time during a current operation within work machine environment  10 . Further, work machine  12  may transmit this operation data off-board in real-time over communication network  13 . Information router  14  may receive the operation data sent by work machine  12  in real-time that may include any delays associated with the transmission over communication network  13 .  
      Furthermore, the disclosed embodiments associated with information routing system  14  may increase the reliability of a work machine environment  10 . For example, because each subscriber  17   a - 17   d  receives customized, packaged, and filtered information in a format based on their specifications, subscribers  17   a - 17   d  do not have to spend resources in reformatting the received operation data to locate certain information. Thus, for example, adjustments or repairs can be scheduled for a particular work machine  12  quicker, business reports may be generated faster, etc. allowing a business entity or entities to manage the information received from work machines  12  more efficiently and effectively.  
      In addition, personnel and equipment productiveness may be increased as business entities associated with subscribers  17   a - 17   d  receive up-to-the-minute pre-packaged information that is ready for further analysis, based on the specifications or priorities of the work machine environment. For example, because each of subscribers  17   a - 17   d  determine the manner in which the information is packaged and formatted, integration of real-time data into existing software programs may be configured through the definition and storage of application specific rules within rules database  15   b.    
      It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed system and method for information routing without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments. For example, although certain embodiments are disclosed with regard to a single business entity, multiple business entities may be involved in performing the information routing aspects associated with the disclosed embodiments. For example, information router  14  may be associated with a first business entity, and one or more subscribers  17   a - 17   d  may be associated with a second business entity. Further, second level information router  21  may be associated with the same or different business entity associated with information router  14  and/or one or more subscribers  17   a - 17   d.    
      In another embodiment, second level information router  21  may be configured with a rules database that stores one or more rules that govern the dissemination of result data received from subscribers  17   a - 17   d . Each of the second level information routing rules may be defined and provided by each of the subscribers  17   a - 17   d . In this embodiment, second level information router  21  may execute a software process that automatically transmits result data originating from one or more subscribers  17   a - 17   d  to one or more target subscribers  17   a - 17   d , based on each target subscriber&#39;s second level information routing rules. For example, subscriber  17   a  may define a rule in second level information router  21  that directs router  21  to send any result data provided by subscriber  17   b  that is associated with certain types of operation data (e.g., certain parameters) and/or certain types of analysis (e.g., maintenance reports for certain work machines  12 , work machine components, etc.)  
      Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the present disclosure. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the present disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.