Equipment management system and method

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to an equipment management system and method. The device management system comprises an intelligent label which is arranged on a device and is used for detecting the working state of the device, reporting the working state information to an Internet of Things platform and carrying out wireless interaction with a wireless base station so as to enable the wireless base station to determine wireless signal information of the intelligent label; the wireless base station is arranged at a preset position of an equipment working place and is used for wirelessly interacting with the intelligent label and reporting wireless signal information of the intelligent label to the Internet of Things platform; the Internet of Things platform is used for acquiring and storing the working state information of the equipment and the wireless signal information of the intelligent tag; the data management module is used for acquiring the wireless signal information of the intelligent tag stored by the Internet of Things platform through the interface, and determining the track of the equipment according to the position of the wireless base station, the wireless signal information and the binding relationship between the equipment and the intelligent tag; and determining the use efficiency of the equipment according to the scheduling duration, the working state information and the track of the equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of equipment management, and in particular to an equipment management system and method. Background Art

[0002] In the workshops and off-site warehouses of OEMs and other manufacturing plants, equipment such as forklifts, trailers, and tractors are required for operations. To optimize equipment management, it's necessary to determine the efficiency of these devices. This helps determine whether the current equipment allocation and shift schedule are appropriate.

[0003] There are two main methods for data collection in the existing technology. One is to modify and connect the equipment control system, and collect the equipment start / stop time data from the PLC supporting the equipment through the data interface to calculate the equipment utilization efficiency; the other is to use UWB high-precision positioning technology to collect the equipment's operation trajectory, and calculate the equipment's utilization efficiency by analyzing the operation trajectory.

[0004] While these two methods can obtain accurate data, they require electrical modifications and maintenance of the equipment. OEMs have strict safety and environmental requirements, which generally restrict such modifications. Furthermore, the time and labor costs of these modifications are high, impacting OEM operations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiment of the present invention provides a device management system and method, which aims to obtain device operating data and analyze device operating efficiency without performing power conversion on the device.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a device management system, including:

[0007] A smart tag, mounted on a device, configured to detect the device's operating status and report the operating status information to an IoT platform, and wirelessly interact with a wireless base station so that the wireless base station can determine the smart tag's wireless signal information; wherein the operating status information includes time;

[0008] A wireless base station is set at a preset location in the equipment workplace and is used to wirelessly interact with the smart tag and report the wireless signal information of the smart tag to the Internet of Things platform; wherein the wireless signal information includes time;

[0009] IoT platform, used to obtain and store the working status information of the device and the wireless signal information of the smart tag;

[0010] The data management module is used to obtain the wireless signal information of the smart tag stored in the Internet of Things platform through the interface, determine the trajectory of the device based on the location of the wireless base station, the wireless signal information and the binding relationship between the device and the smart tag; and determine the utilization efficiency of the device based on the device's scheduling time, working status information and trajectory.

[0011] Optionally, the data management module is further configured to set a binding relationship between the smart tag and the device according to a user operation.

[0012] Optionally, the wireless base station includes multiple wireless communication units, and the multiple wireless communication units are distributed at the top or bottom of the equipment workplace according to preset positions.

[0013] Optionally, the smart tag includes a vibration sensor, a wireless unit, a mobile communication unit and a processing unit, and the processing unit is connected to the vibration sensor, the wireless unit and the mobile communication unit respectively;

[0014] The vibration sensor is used to detect vibration when the device is in working state. The processing unit is used to send the vibration signal detected by the vibration sensor and the corresponding time to the Internet of Things platform through the mobile communication unit. The wireless unit is used to wirelessly interact with the wireless base station within the signal coverage range under the control of the processing unit.

[0015] Optionally, the smart tag further includes a fixing unit for fixing the smart tag to the device.

[0016] Optionally, the smart tag further includes a storage unit connected to the processing unit, for storing the vibration signal detected by the vibration sensor and the corresponding time and the interaction record of the wireless interaction between the wireless unit and the wireless base station.

[0017] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a device management method, including:

[0018] Report the working status information of the detected equipment to the IoT platform through smart tags;

[0019] Receive wireless signal information of smart tags reported by wireless base stations through the Internet of Things platform;

[0020] The data management module obtains the wireless signal information of the smart tag stored in the IoT platform and determines the device's trajectory based on the location of the wireless base station, the wireless signal information, and the binding relationship between the device and the smart tag.

[0021] The data management module determines the equipment's utilization efficiency based on the equipment's shift duration, working status information, and trajectory.

[0022] Optionally, the data management module determines the equipment's utilization efficiency based on the equipment's shift duration, working status information, and trajectory, including:

[0023] Determine the time distribution of the device in operation within the preset time period based on the device's operating status information within the preset time period;

[0024] According to the device's trajectory, the time period during which the device is in operation and the trajectory point does not change beyond the time threshold is selected as the device's residence time.

[0025] The equipment retention time is deducted from the time period during which the equipment is working to obtain the corrected working time of the equipment;

[0026] Determine the equipment utilization efficiency value based on the ratio of the equipment's corrected working hours to the scheduled hours.

[0027] Optionally, before determining the equipment utilization efficiency based on the equipment's shift duration, working status information, and trajectory through the data management module, the following steps are included:

[0028] Determine the work period scheduling combination for each device within a preset time period based on production needs; wherein the preset time period includes multiple work periods;

[0029] Determine the working hours that each device needs to work and the corresponding shift duration.

[0030] An embodiment of the present invention provides an equipment management system and method, which detects the working status of equipment through smart tags, obtains the trajectory of equipment through interaction between wireless base stations and smart tags, and determines the working efficiency of equipment based on the equipment's schedule, trajectory and working status. This solves the problems of high investment costs and limited usage conditions caused by power conversion of equipment, and achieves the goals of reducing costs, meeting safety environment requirements, and quickly and accurately collecting equipment usage efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a device management system provided in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a smart label provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a device management method provided in Example 2 of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It will be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are intended only to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings only illustrate portions relevant to the present invention, not all structures.

[0035] Example 1

[0036] This embodiment can be applied to the situation of determining the utilization efficiency of equipment in a production plant such as an automobile main engine plant, where the equipment can be a forklift, trailer, tractor, VGA vehicle, etc. Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the device management system shown in FIG. 1 provides a device management system 100, including:

[0037] Smart tag 110, installed on a device, is used to detect the device's operating status and report this information to the IoT platform. It also wirelessly interacts with a wireless base station, allowing the base station to determine the smart tag's wireless signal information. This operating status information includes time. Equipment such as forklifts moves while operating, or their lifting mechanisms move. This generates vibrations, which the smart tag can detect to determine whether the device is operating. Of course, when a device is not operating, shut down, or stationary, and other devices pass by, it can also generate vibrations. The frequency and amplitude of this passive vibration differ from the frequency and amplitude of the device's own operating vibrations. For example, when a device is not operating and another device passes by, the vibrations will increase in amplitude and then decrease, and increase in frequency and then decrease, as the passing device approaches and then moves away. This pattern of changes can identify whether the vibration signal is originating from the device's own operation or from the surrounding environment. The smart tag can also wirelessly interact with a wireless base station, which can detect the strength of the smart tag's wireless signal. This signal strength can be used to determine the smart tag's distance, enabling accurate positioning of the smart tag within the workplace. The smart tag corresponds to the device, so the device's location point in time can be determined. The location points are connected in series according to time to form the device's trajectory.

[0038] The wireless base station 120 is set at a preset position in the equipment workplace, and is used to wirelessly interact with the smart tag and report the wireless signal information of the smart tag to the Internet of Things platform; wherein the wireless signal information includes time. Optionally, the wireless base station includes multiple wireless communication units, and the multiple wireless communication units are distributed at the top or bottom of the equipment workplace according to preset positions. The equipment workplace is generally in a warehouse or workshop, and the wireless base station can be set at the top or bottom of the warehouse or workshop. Usually, the wireless base station has multiple wireless communication units, and the wireless signal of each wireless communication unit can cover the equipment workplace. For example, three wireless communication units are arranged on the top of the warehouse, and the three wireless communication units can be at the same height and distributed in a triangle.

[0039] IoT platform 130 is used to obtain and store device operating status information and wireless signal information from smart tags. The IoT platform primarily connects smart tags to wireless base stations and records the corresponding information. The operating status information sent by smart tags includes whether the device is operating or not, along with the time associated with each operating state. Wireless signal information sent by wireless base stations to smart tags includes wireless signal strength and the corresponding time.

[0040] The data management module 140 is configured to obtain wireless signal information from smart tags stored on the IoT platform through an interface. The module determines the device's trajectory based on the location of the wireless base station, the wireless signal information, and the binding relationship between the device and the smart tag. The module also determines the device's utilization efficiency based on the device's scheduled hours, operating status, and trajectory. The data management module can be implemented via software and / or hardware and can be integrated into a computer device. By obtaining the smart tag's wireless information and combining it with the location of the wireless communication unit in the wireless base station, the smart tag's location in the workplace can be located. The smart tag's locations are then chronologically linked to form trajectory information. The device's trajectory is then determined based on the binding relationship between the device and the smart tag recorded in the data management module. Users pre-set the scheduled hours in the data management module. The device's operating hours are determined based on the operating status. Combined with the trajectory, the module determines whether any device did not perform any work actions during the scheduled hours. The operating hours are then corrected. The corrected operating hours and the scheduled hours are then used to determine the device's utilization efficiency within the scheduled hours. Optionally, the data management module is further configured to set the binding relationship between the smart tag and the device based on user operations. Smart tags can be installed on devices. After determining which device a smart tag is installed on, the smart tag and the device can be bound. If the smart tag needs to be removed and replaced on another device, the binding relationship can be modified.

[0041] Optionally, the smart tag includes a vibration sensor, a wireless unit, a mobile communication unit and a processing unit, and the processing unit is connected to the vibration sensor, the wireless unit and the mobile communication unit respectively;

[0042] The vibration sensor is used to detect vibration when the device is in working state. The processing unit is used to send the vibration signal detected by the vibration sensor and the corresponding time to the Internet of Things platform through the mobile communication unit. The wireless unit is used to wirelessly interact with the wireless base station within the signal coverage range under the control of the processing unit.

[0043] For example, Figure 2 The smart tag 110 includes a vibration sensor 111, a wireless unit 112, a mobile communication unit 113, and a processing unit 114. The vibration sensor can be one or more of a velocity sensor, an acceleration sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, and a vibration switch. The wireless unit can be a Bluetooth communication module. Correspondingly, the wireless base station is also a Bluetooth base station. The wireless unit can also be WIFI or ZigBee, as long as the wireless base station supports the corresponding wireless communication method. The mobile communication unit uses a 5G communication module. The vibration sensor can sense subtle vibrations when the device is in operation, cache and store the vibration time point data, and report the vibration sequence data to the Internet of Things platform through the built-in 5G communication card. The processing unit can be an MCU. The smart tag can be designed as a small module for easy installation and removal. Optionally, the smart tag also includes a fixing unit for fixing the smart tag to the device. The fixing unit can be attached to the device using an adhesive sheet, can be adsorbed on the device using a magnet, or can be fixed to the device bracket or housing using screws using a through hole in the housing.

[0044] Optionally, the smart tag also includes a storage unit 115, which is connected to the processing unit and is used to store the vibration signal detected by the vibration sensor and the corresponding time and the interaction record of the wireless unit and the wireless base station. The storage unit can be a memory card. Optionally, the smart tag also includes a rechargeable battery 116, and a charging port 117 is provided on the smart tag housing. The battery can power the smart tag, and the battery has a BMS that can report the battery power to the processing unit. The processing unit of the smart tag can also be used to send a low-battery alarm to the data pipeline module using the mobile communication unit according to the battery power, so that the staff can charge and maintain the smart tag in time.

[0045] The sensors of the detection equipment are combined with mobile communication technology and assisted by wireless positioning technology to produce small-volume smart tags. They are installed on the test equipment to collect vibration data, and then the vibration data is processed and calculated using algorithms to complete the collection of equipment utilization efficiency, achieving the goal of low-cost, no environmental restrictions, fast and accurate collection of equipment utilization efficiency.

[0046] Example 2

[0047] Figure 3This is a flowchart of a device management method provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The device management method is applied to the above-mentioned device management system, including:

[0048] Report the working status information of the detected equipment to the IoT platform through smart tags;

[0049] Receive wireless signal information of smart tags reported by wireless base stations through the Internet of Things platform;

[0050] The data management module obtains the wireless signal information of the smart tag stored in the IoT platform and determines the device's trajectory based on the location of the wireless base station, the wireless signal information, and the binding relationship between the device and the smart tag.

[0051] The data management module determines the equipment's utilization efficiency based on the equipment's shift duration, working status information, and trajectory.

[0052] Among them, the wireless signal information of the smart tag stored in the Internet of Things platform is obtained through the data management module, and the trajectory of the device is determined according to the location of the wireless base station, the wireless signal information and the binding relationship between the device and the smart tag, including: determining the location of the device in the workplace according to the location distribution of the wireless communication unit and the wireless signal information of each wireless communication unit for the same smart tag through the data management module.

[0053] Optionally, the data management module determines the equipment's utilization efficiency based on the equipment's shift duration, working status information, and trajectory, including:

[0054] Based on the working status information of the equipment within the preset time period, the time distribution of the equipment being at work within the preset time period is determined; wherein the preset time period may be the shift scheduling cycle of the main engine manufacturer, and the shift scheduling cycle may be one day. For example, the shift scheduling within one day is divided into three working periods, yesterday's night shift (A), today's day shift (B), and today's night shift (C). The time distribution of the equipment being at work within the preset time period may be, based on the time being at work, matching the vibration duration of the equipment within the working time interval of shift A (a2), the vibration duration of the equipment within the working time interval of shift B (b2), and the vibration duration of the equipment within the working time interval of shift C (c2).

[0055] According to the device's trajectory, the time period during which the device is in operation and the trajectory point does not change beyond the time threshold is selected as the device's residence time.

[0056] Among them, after determining the time distribution of the device in operation, the device trajectory of the corresponding time period is searched according to the time period in the working state. The trajectory information is a series of positions connected in series, and a series of positions in the trajectory are trajectory points (device positioning points) arranged in chronological order. For the case where there is no position change at adjacent trajectory points (it can be understood that the position change does not exceed the preset range threshold and it is considered that the position has not changed), the time period corresponding to such trajectory points is selected as the to-be-confirmed detention time period, and the to-be-confirmed detention time period is compared with the time threshold. If the time threshold is exceeded, it is considered that the to-be-confirmed detention time period belongs to the device detention time. For example, the time threshold is set to 1-10 minutes. Preferably, the time threshold corresponding to the device is set according to the functional type of the device and the working area to which the trajectory belongs, which is used to determine whether the device is detained. Due to the different working content of the equipment, some equipment may also stay in a certain position during normal work. For example, when a forklift is transporting goods, it needs to lift the goods and place them on the shelf, and the process of lifting and placing the goods takes a certain amount of time. In the case of lifting operation in front of the shelf, the forklift equipment does not belong to the detention state. For trailers, when transporting goods, there will be time for loading goods and time for unloading goods. In this scenario, the trailer is still in working condition, so if the trajectory of the equipment appears in the loading area or unloading area, the corresponding time threshold should be set longer. If the trajectory of the equipment is in an area outside the loading area or unloading area, the corresponding time threshold should be set shorter. Therefore, the preferred solution uses a dynamically adjustable time threshold to judge the retention of equipment. The equipment can include forklifts, trailers and tractors. For forklifts, the time range of its fork arms lifting goods is obtained in advance, and the time range is added to the delay time to obtain the time threshold. For example, the time range of a certain forklift is 30-45 seconds. The upper limit of the time range is selected plus a delay time of 60 seconds (because the forklift operator needs to adjust the forklift position and operate the forklift, and these operating times need to be reserved), and the adjustable time threshold is 105 seconds. If a forklift truck is stuck at a shelf for a period of time (conditions for initiating time threshold adjustment can include the equipment's trajectory being within a preset range), the time threshold adjustment is initiated, and the original default time threshold is adjusted to an adjustable time threshold. This threshold is then compared with the time period of time of the forklift truck to determine whether the forklift truck is stuck during the time period of time of the forklift truck. Similarly, the estimated time for unloading / loading is determined based on the trailer's cargo capacity and the number of porters on duty that day. This estimated time is then added to the delay time to determine the time threshold. The delay time can be 120 seconds.

[0057] The equipment retention time is deducted from the time period during which the equipment is working to obtain the corrected working time of the equipment;

[0058] Determine the equipment utilization efficiency value based on the ratio of the equipment's corrected working hours to the scheduled hours.

[0059] Optionally, before determining the equipment utilization efficiency based on the equipment's shift duration, working status information, and trajectory through the data management module, the following steps are included:

[0060] Determine the work period scheduling combination for each device within a preset time period based on production needs; wherein the preset time period includes multiple work periods;

[0061] Determine the required operating hours for each device and the corresponding shift durations. Shift durations are determined based on the scheduling rules: the A shift duration (a1), the B shift duration (b1), and the C shift duration (c1). Equipment utilization efficiency = (a2 + b2 + c2) / (a1 + b1 + c1) * 100%. This calculates the daily utilization efficiency of each device.

[0062] Although the present invention has been described in detail above using general explanations, specific embodiments, and experiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and improvements may be made based on the present invention. Therefore, such modifications and improvements, which do not depart from the spirit of the present invention, are intended to be within the scope of protection claimed herein.

Claims

1. A device management system, characterized in that: include: A smart tag, mounted on a device, configured to detect the device's operating status and report the operating status information to an IoT platform, and wirelessly interact with a wireless base station so that the wireless base station can determine the smart tag's wireless signal information; wherein the operating status information includes time; A wireless base station is set at a preset location in the equipment workplace and is used to wirelessly interact with the smart tag and report the wireless signal information of the smart tag to the Internet of Things platform; wherein the wireless signal information includes time; IoT platform, used to obtain and store the working status information of the device and the wireless signal information of the smart tag; The data management module is used to obtain the wireless signal information of the smart tag stored in the Internet of Things platform through the interface, determine the trajectory of the device based on the location of the wireless base station, the wireless signal information and the binding relationship between the device and the smart tag; and determine the utilization efficiency of the device based on the device's scheduling time, working status information and trajectory.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The data management module is also used to set the binding relationship between the smart tag and the device according to the user's operation.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The wireless base station includes a plurality of wireless communication units, and the plurality of wireless communication units are distributed and arranged at the top or bottom of the equipment working place according to preset positions.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that The smart tag includes a vibration sensor, a wireless unit, a mobile communication unit and a processing unit, wherein the processing unit is connected to the vibration sensor, the wireless unit and the mobile communication unit respectively; The vibration sensor is used to detect vibration when the device is in working state. The processing unit is used to send the vibration signal detected by the vibration sensor and the corresponding time to the Internet of Things platform through the mobile communication unit. The wireless unit is used to wirelessly interact with the wireless base station within the signal coverage range under the control of the processing unit.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that The smart label also includes a fixing unit for fixing the smart label to the device.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that The smart tag also includes a storage unit connected to the processing unit, which is used to store the vibration signal detected by the vibration sensor and the corresponding time and the interaction record of the wireless unit and the wireless base station.

7. A device management method, characterized in that: The device management system according to claim 6 comprises: Report the working status information of the detected equipment to the IoT platform through smart tags; Receive wireless signal information of smart tags reported by wireless base stations through the Internet of Things platform; The data management module obtains the wireless signal information of the smart tag stored in the IoT platform and determines the device's trajectory based on the location of the wireless base station, the wireless signal information, and the binding relationship between the device and the smart tag. The data management module determines the equipment's utilization efficiency based on the equipment's shift duration, working status information, and trajectory.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The data management module determines the equipment's efficiency based on its shift schedule, working status information, and trajectory, including: Determine the time distribution of the device in operation within the preset time period based on the device's operating status information within the preset time period; According to the device's trajectory, the time period during which the device is in operation and the trajectory point does not change beyond the time threshold is selected as the device's residence time. The equipment retention time is deducted from the time period during which the equipment is working to obtain the corrected working time of the equipment; Determine the equipment utilization efficiency value based on the ratio of the equipment's corrected working hours to the scheduled hours.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that Before determining the equipment's efficiency based on the equipment's shift duration, working status information, and trajectory through the data management module, the following steps are included: Determine the work period scheduling combination for each device within a preset time period based on production needs; wherein the preset time period includes multiple work periods; Determine the working hours that each device needs to work and the corresponding shift duration.

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