Method and system for predictive maintenance and replacement planning of batteries in on-board lights

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a system for predictive maintenance and replacement planning of batteries in on-board lights, in which each light acquires measured values ​​at specific intervals or continuously and transmits them to an evaluation unit via a suitable communication network. There, a self-learning predictive algorithm processes the incoming data and assesses whether the respective battery is likely to reach the next scheduled maintenance appointment without failure or whether premature failure is to be expected. If the system indicates a significantly increased risk, the affected batteries are not replaced individually, but rather grouped together in a common maintenance window to minimize unplanned downtime and make maintenance operations more efficient.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a system for predictive maintenance and replacement planning of batteries in on-board lights, in which each light acquires measured values ​​at specific intervals or continuously and transmits them to an evaluation unit via a suitable communication network. There, a self-learning predictive algorithm processes the incoming data and assesses whether the respective battery is likely to reach the next scheduled maintenance appointment without failure or whether premature failure is to be expected. If the system indicates a significantly increased risk, the affected batteries are not replaced individually, but rather grouped together in a common maintenance window to minimize unplanned downtime and make maintenance operations more efficient.

[0002] Relevant state-of-the-art technology shows that conventional maintenance procedures are often based solely on rigid replacement intervals or purely visual inspections, without incorporating additional factors such as temperature or vibration loads into the decision-making process. While some solutions allow for the collection of further environmental data, they do not employ a machine learning algorithm that evaluates deviations between predicted and actual battery failure and continuously improves its parameters. Furthermore, the concept of replacing multiple potentially defective batteries within a single timeframe is not common in the known state of the art, which is why numerous individual maintenance interventions are frequently required.

[0003] DE 102 35 525 A1 discloses a component data analysis comprising the following: providing a version of a behavioral model of the component; predicting the component behavior based on the first model version; acquiring component data; comparing the predicted behavior with the acquired data; identifying any deviations between the two; determining whether the deviation is due to a component failure; and, if not, modifying the first model version. Independent claims are also made for a component data analysis system, a method for monitoring the lifetime of components, and a diagnostic method for application to motor vehicle components to estimate their lifetime.

[0004] DE 10 2015 010 181 A1 relates to a loading platform light for mounting on a loading platform, comprising an electrically operated light source and a housing, wherein the electrically operated light source is at least partially stored detachably or permanently in a storage compartment of the housing, wherein the housing has a top surface and a mounting surface, and the mounting surface is designed and intended to be detachably or permanently mounted on the loading platform, and the top surface is connected to the mounting surface via at least one side surface, wherein the side surface has at least one opening through which electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electrically operated light source can be at least partially discharged from the housing, wherein the light source (2) has a power consumption of at most 3 W and / or a current consumption of at most 300 mA at a supply voltage of at least 10 V and at most 30 V.

[0005] DE 20 2007 006 772 U1 shows a loading platform for raising and lowering cargo, which can be placed on a platform which has at least one lighting device, characterized in that the lighting device is assigned to the platform as an independent unit.

[0006] According to the invention, a method for predictive maintenance and replacement planning of batteries in charging station lights is described, in which each charging station light has a control unit with sensors that transmit measured values ​​via a communication network to an evaluation unit, which uses a learning predictive algorithm to determine for each battery whether it is likely to survive the next scheduled maintenance appointment, and in the event of imminent premature failure, initiates a joint replacement action in the same maintenance window.

[0007] According to the invention, the control unit records not only voltage values ​​but also temperature or vibration data, so that external influences such as heat, cold or vibrations can be factored into the probability of failure and a stress index can be derived, which enables an early warning.

[0008] According to the invention, a self-learning model evaluates deviations between predicted and actual failures and continuously optimizes its parameters to increase the accuracy of the predictions.

[0009] According to the invention, each charging station light in a master-slave configuration sends measured values ​​to a master unit, which combines all incoming data using the learning predictive algorithm and jointly replaces critical batteries.

[0010] According to at least one embodiment, in the event of an interrupted connection, the measured values ​​are buffered locally and gradually uploaded after reconnection, so that the forecasting system retains a comprehensive data basis.

[0011] According to at least one embodiment, an adjustable threshold for the probability of failure is set, and any battery that reaches or exceeds this value is included in the same maintenance window, even if its current voltage values ​​are not clearly critical.

[0012] According to at least one embodiment, a control unit is provided which includes sensors for battery charge, temperature and / or vibration, as well as a communication module that sends the measured values ​​to an evaluation unit which uses a learning predictive algorithm to assess the risk of premature failure and initiates a joint exchange if necessary.

[0013] According to at least one embodiment, an alarm condition is generated as soon as an excessive load index is detected, in order to enable an early replacement measure in the event of a significant increase in the risk of failure.

[0014] According to at least one embodiment, the system comprises several charging station lights and an evaluation unit with a learning predictive algorithm, wherein the probability of failure of each battery is determined permanently or at fixed intervals and a joint battery replacement is provided if a critical value is exceeded, while functioning batteries are not replaced prematurely.

[0015] According to at least one embodiment, the evaluation unit stores all received data records in a database, which can be queried via a user interface and calibrates the learning-capable forecasting algorithm based on real events in order to reduce misjudgments and ensure a needs-based maintenance plan for all charging station lights.

[0016] According to at least one embodiment, each charging station light has a control unit with sensors whose measured values ​​(e.g., voltage, temperature, vibration) are transmitted to an evaluation unit. In this unit, a self-learning predictive algorithm calculates whether the respective battery will reach its next maintenance appointment. If the algorithm detects a high probability of failure, the battery is not replaced individually, but rather grouped with other similarly affected batteries within the same maintenance window.

[0017] According to at least one embodiment, communication can take place in a master-slave-like structure. Each charging station light acts as a slave, reporting data to a central or decentralized master unit. This master unit receives all measured values, aggregates them in a self-learning predictive system, and determines whether batteries should be replaced together at the next service event when a defined threshold is reached.

[0018] According to at least one embodiment, not only stress data is recorded, but also temperature and / or vibration information is taken into account so that external influences such as extreme cold, intense heat, or shocks are included in the forecast. The control unit can derive a load index for this purpose, with increasing values ​​indicating increased wear and enabling early warning.

[0019] According to at least one embodiment, the method uses a self-learning model that continuously analyzes deviations between predicted and actual failures. If it turns out that batteries age faster in certain environments, the system increases its caution. Conversely, if nominally critical batteries remain stable for longer, it lowers the alarm thresholds. In this way, the system gradually adapts to the actual conditions during operation and increases its accuracy in the long term.

[0020] According to at least one embodiment, measured values ​​are buffered locally when the connection is interrupted in order to maintain a largely complete data basis even in patchy network infrastructure. After the connection is re-established, the data is uploaded gradually so that the adaptive forecasting system does not lose any relevant information.

[0021] According to at least one embodiment, a threshold value for the probability of failure is also defined. If the risk exceeds this value, the affected battery is included in the same maintenance window, even if the current voltage appears normal. In this way, future defects can be grouped together and individual service calls avoided.

[0022] The loading platform light described here for mounting on a loading platform comprises an electrically operated light source and a housing, wherein the electrically operated light source is at least partially stored in a storage compartment of the housing, either detachably or permanently, wherein the housing has a top surface and a mounting surface, and the mounting surface is designed and intended to be detachably or permanently mounted on the loading platform.

[0023] The top surface is connected to the mounting surface via at least one side surface, the side surface having at least one opening through which electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electrically operated light source can be at least partially vented from the housing.

[0024] Therefore, in order to provide a cargo light with minimized power consumption, the present invention makes use, among other things, of the idea of ​​using a light source in the cargo light which has a power consumption of at most 3W and / or a current consumption of at most 300 mA at a supply voltage of at least 10 volts and at most 30 volts. For example, the light source has a current consumption of at least 100 mA and at most 125 mA at a supply voltage of 24 volts.

[0025] A lower current draw and therefore also a lower power consumption of the light source ensures that, on the one hand, the entire charging station light heats up less during operation and, on the other hand, has a minimized energy consumption.

[0026] According to at least one embodiment, the loading platform light for mounting on a loading platform comprises an electrically operated light source and a housing, wherein the electrically operated light source is at least partially detachably or permanently stowed in a storage compartment of the housing, wherein the housing has a top surface and a mounting surface, and the mounting surface is designed and intended to be detachably or permanently mounted on the loading platform, and the top surface is connected to the mounting surface via at least one side surface, wherein the side surface has at least one opening through which electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electrically operated light source can be at least partially discharged from the housing.According to at least one embodiment, the light source has a power consumption of at most 3W and / or a current consumption of at most 300 mA at a supply voltage of at least 10 volts and at most 30 volts.

[0027] According to at least one embodiment, electromagnetic radiation escapes only through the opening in the housing, wherein the opening in the side surface comprises at least 20% of the total surface area of ​​the side surface and the light source is at least partially exposed through the opening. In other words, a user can visually identify, for example, a side surface of the light source and, in particular, also a light-emitting surface of the light source from the outside.

[0028] According to at least one embodiment, the housing is frustoconical in shape such that the top surface has a smaller area than the mounting surface, and preferably, one side surface is inclined at least 10° to a surface normal of the top surface and / or the mounting surface. This ensures that the projection of the side surface in the direction of the surface normal of the top surface is always large enough that a user looking at the loading platform light in the direction of the surface normal of the top surface and / or the mounting surface will still perceive the illumination of a light source. In other words, this inclination of the side surface to the surface normal of the top surface and / or the mounting surface ensures that such a projection area is large enough to be adequately perceived at all times by an observer standing behind the loading platform light.

[0029] According to at least one embodiment, the electrically operated light source comprises at least one planar light guide and at least one light source, preferably an LED, wherein the light source is arranged on the light guide such that electromagnetic radiation emitted by the light source is at least partially coupled into the planar light guide. For example, the light source, and in particular an emission surface of the light source, is arranged without a gap on the planar light guide. Alternatively, however, a gap, for example at least partially filled with an ambient medium (e.g., air), can also be formed between the LED and the light guide. The distance, and thus the gap dimension, between the LED and the light guide can be between 0.2 and 5 mm, preferably between 0.8 and 1.2 mm, for example 1 mm.Furthermore, a light-guiding and / or light-refracting medium can be placed in the gap between the LED and the light guide. The flat light guide can be a translucent and / or light-guiding plastic element.

[0030] According to at least one embodiment, the loading platform light described here comprises control and / or regulation electronics, which are at least partially integrated into the housing and are configured and intended to operate the light source. In this respect, these control and regulation electronics are "on-board" control and regulation electronics, which, instead of being located separately from the loading platform light, are installed particularly compactly within the loading platform light.

[0031] According to at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic radiation generated by the light source is coupled out of the cargo light only via at least one side surface of the planar light guide. This ensures that the electromagnetic radiation generated by the light source is guided out of the cargo light in a leak-free and targeted manner.

[0032] According to at least one embodiment, at least one seal is arranged between the flat optical fiber and an inner wall of the housing, either detachably or permanently, preferably on the flat optical fiber itself, wherein the seal provides a watertight seal for a cavity formed between the flat optical fiber and the inner wall of the housing. For example, the light source and / or the control and / or regulation electronics and / or the aforementioned sensors are arranged in this cavity.

[0033] According to at least one embodiment, cavities between the housing, the planar light guide, and / or connection points for the power supply of the light source are preferably filled, at least partially, with a potting compound, preferably without bubbles. "Bubble-free" in this context means that, within the manufacturing tolerances, the potting compound has no bubbles in its cured state.

[0034] Furthermore, the application described herein relates to a tail lift system comprising at least one tail lift and at least one tail lift light according to at least one of the preceding claims. This means that all features disclosed for the tail lift described above are also disclosed for the tail lift system described herein, and vice versa.

[0035] In particular, the liftgate system described here has a central control unit which is connected to the control and / or regulation electronics of the liftgate light by cable and / or by means of radio communication and wherein the central control unit controls and / or regulates the liftgate light depending on an inclination angle of the liftgate relative to the horizontal according to an operating program which is stored and / or programmed in the central control unit.

[0036] The term "horizontal" therefore refers to a direction that is parallel to a circumferential direction of the Earth.

[0037] Furthermore, the registration described here concerns a procedure for controlling and / or regulating a loading platform system.

[0038] The method described here for controlling and / or regulating, for example, a loading platform system according to the above embodiment includes the central control unit, which controls and / or regulates the loading platform light depending on the inclination angle of the loading platform relative to the horizontal, according to an operating program that is stored and / or programmed in the central control unit.

[0039] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment and the accompanying figures. Fig. Figure 1 shows several charging station lights 10 that transmit their measured values ​​to a master unit 30 via a network 40. A self-learning forecasting system 50 in the master unit collects the data, calculates a probability of failure for each battery, and initiates a joint replacement in cases of high risk. This eliminates the need for multiple individual service calls in quick succession; instead, all potentially defective batteries are replaced within a single maintenance period. In the Fig. 2A - 2D are schematic perspective views of individual elements of the loading platform light or the finished loading platform light (see Fig. 2C) shown in schematic figures. In the Fig. Figure 3 shows a block diagram of a loading platform system described herein, which is operated by means of a method described herein.

[0040] In the figures, identical or equivalent components are each marked with the same reference symbols. The elements shown here are not to scale; rather, individual elements may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0041] In the Fig. Figure 2A shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a loading platform light 100 described here for mounting on a loading platform 1.

[0042] As from the Fig. 2A, the loading platform light 100 described therein comprises an electrically operated light source 2 and a preferably radiation-impermeable and further preferably metallic housing 3, wherein the electrically operated light source 2 is detachably stowed in a storage compartment 31 of the housing 3.

[0043] In particular, the housing 3 has a cover surface 32 and a mounting surface 33, wherein the mounting surface 33 is designed and intended to be detachably or indetachably mounted on the loading platform 1, and the cover surface 32 is connected to the mounting surface 33 via at least one side surface 34, wherein the side surface 34 has at least one opening 340 through which electromagnetic radiation emitted by the electrically operated light source 2 can be at least partially discharged from the housing 3.

[0044] Therefore, it can be easily seen that the electromagnetic radiation escapes only through the opening 340 in the housing 3.

[0045] Furthermore, the area of ​​the opening 340 in the side surface 34 is at least 20% of the total area of ​​the side surface 34, wherein the inclination of the side surface 34 to a surface normal N of the cover surface 32 and the mounting surface 33 is at least 10°.

[0046] In other words, a side surface 210 of the planar light guide 21 is at least partially visible from the outside and emits the electromagnetic radiation generated by a light source 22 of the light source 2 via its lateral light coupling surface.

[0047] In particular, the opening 340 in the housing 3 is formed into two separate openings separated from each other by a central web M340. The central web M340 is therefore part of the side surface 340 and extends continuously from the top surface 32 obliquely towards the mounting surface 33, thus dividing the opening 340 as seen in its entirety into the two partial openings.

[0048] The central web M340 therefore enables, in a particularly simple manner, both the protection of the side surface 210 of the planar light guide 21 and the possibility of extending the opening 340 to a particularly large area without compromising the mechanical stability of the housing 3. In this respect, an opening 340 designed in this way, subdivided only by a web M340 as described above, ensures that the side surface 34 is otherwise free of any further openings for the emission of electromagnetic radiation.

[0049] Furthermore, it should also be noted that both the top surface 32 and the mounting surface 33 are likewise free of such openings through which electromagnetic radiation can pass.

[0050] In the Fig. Figure 2B shows a schematic view of an inner wall of the housing 3. The inner wall of the housing 3 therefore forms a cavity H within the housing 3, within which a control and / or regulation electronics 4 for operating the light source 22 of the planar optical fiber is arranged.

[0051] Furthermore, the cavity H is sufficiently large to accommodate at least part of the planar optical fiber 21. For example, the cavity H is essentially rectangular and has lateral dimensions of at least 45 mm and at most 65 mm.

[0052] Furthermore, it can be seen that the cavity H has further recesses A1 to A4, which extend from an inner edge H1 of the cavity H in a direction away from a center point M of the cavity H. These recesses A1 to A4 are therefore elongated and thus form depressions in the inner wall of the housing 3.

[0053] The Fig. 2C shows a corresponding front view of the one in the Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B shown housing 3. In the Fig. 2D are respective lateral sectional views of the objects in the Fig. Section lines shown in 2C.

[0054] In the Fig. Figure 2D shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of an electrically operated light source 2 described herein. The electrically operated light source 2 has a planar light guide 21 and a light source 22, which is in the form of an LED and whose light is coupled into the light guide 21. The light source 22 is supplied with electrical energy via a power cable 35.

[0055] According to the Fig. The cutouts shown in 2B, A1 to A4, show the Fig. 2C and the flat-shaped light guide 21 described therein, with projections V1 to V4 that fit precisely and can be uniquely assigned to the respective recesses A1 to A4, which can preferably be pressed into the respective recesses A1 to A4 of the housing 3 by hand or mounted in another way.

[0056] A seal 5 circumferentially runs along the edge of the flat light guide 21, thus creating a watertight connection between the flat light guide 21 and the inner wall of the housing 3 during the pressing of the projections V1 to V4 into the respective recesses A1 to A4.

[0057] In the Fig. Figure 3 shows a schematic drawing of a control system for a loading platform system 200, wherein the loading platform system 200 comprises at least one loading platform 1, and the loading platform light 100 is detachably attached to the loading platform 1 via the mounting surface 33 of the loading platform light 100. According to at least one embodiment, the loading platform system 200 comprises the Fig.3 a central control unit 220, which is connected to the control and / or regulation electronics 4 of the tailgate light 100 by means of wired and / or wireless communication, and wherein the central control unit 220 controls and / or locks the tailgate light 100 depending on an inclination angle of the tailgate relative to the horizontal according to an operating program which is stored and / or programmed in the central control unit 220. In this respect, a method 300 for controlling and / or regulating a tailgate system 200 is also described. Reference symbol list 10 Loading platform light 30 Master Unit 40 Network 50 Forecasting system A1 - A4 cutouts V1 - V4 Advantages H cavity H1 inner boundary 1 loading ramp 2 light bulbs 3 cases 4 Control electronics 5 Seal 6 connection points 21 fiber optic cables 22 Light source 31 storage space 32 Cover area 33 Mounting area 34 side surface 35 power cables 100 Loading platform light 200 tail lift system 210 side area 220 Central control 300 procedures 340 opening M340 Bridge

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