Systems, apparatus, computer program products, and methods for determining track pitch distance measurements

Abstract

The system, apparatus, computer program product, and method can use imagery captured by a camera (212) of a mobile electronic device (114) to determine the distance between a pair of markers (300) removably coupled to a pair of non-adjacent joints (117) on a track assembly (116) of a track-type machine (110). The determined distance between the pair of markers (300) can represent a track pitch extension that can be used to determine wear on the track assembly (116).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to systems, apparatus, computer program products, and methods for determining track assembly pitch extension for a track-type machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Track-type machines, such as track-type tractors, have track assemblies with track links and other components that are subjected to forces when the track-type machine moves materials on a work site. Such forces can cause wear on the track assembly over time. For example, as the tracks rotate during operation of the track-type machine, wear can occur at one or more joints in the track assembly, i.e., the inside of the joint's pins and bushings. Wear can cause the inner diameter of the bushing to expand, which can result in the track assembly expanding at the joint. As wear continues to occur at the joint due to operation of the track-type machine, the track assembly will continue to expand to the point where the track assembly needs to be replaced.

[0003] It may be desirable to know the degree of wear of a track assembly. In this regard, a change in track assembly expansion may indicate internal undercarriage wear of the track assembly. An accurate determination of the change in track assembly expansion may be difficult to obtain manually, for example, using a tape measure. Moreover, manually recording track assembly expansion may be tedious.

[0004] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0105481 ("the '481 patent publication") describes a method and system for determining wear on a part based on a digital image of the part. The '481 patent publication describes that a user may orient a mobile device so that a wear part (e.g., a link of a track of a track assembly) is within the field of view of the mobile device's camera and then provide input to an input device of the mobile device to capture a digital image of the wear part. According to the '481 patent publication, the mobile device and / or a part image processing system, depending on the embodiment, may then process the digital image to determine the extent of wear on the part. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One aspect of the disclosure relates to a method including: removably disposing a first magnetic marker on a first joint of a track assembly of a track-type machine; removably disposing a second magnetic marker on a second joint of the track assembly of the track-type machine, the second joint being spaced from the first joint by at least two intervening track segments of the track assembly of the track-type machine; imaging a portion of the track assembly having the first and second magnetic markers using a camera of a mobile electronic device; determining a distance between the first and second magnetic markers using a processor of the mobile electronic device, wherein determining the distance between the first and second magnetic markers includes performing a calibration process to determine how far the camera is from the first and second magnetic markers; and determining track assembly wear of the track assembly based on the determined distances between the first and second markers on the first and second joints, respectively.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system for determining wear on a track assembly of a track-type machine. The system may include a pair of self-centering magnetic markers of known dimensions removably coupled to non-adjacent joints of the track assembly, and a mobile electronic device having a processor, a memory operably coupled to the processor, and a digital camera operably coupled to the processor for taking digital images of a portion of the track assembly having the pair of self-centering magnetic markers removably coupled to the non-adjacent joints of the track assembly. The processor, when executing the mobile or web application, can be configured to: detect, based on digital imaging with the digital camera, a center of each of the self-centering magnetic markers removably coupled to non-adjacent joints of the track assembly, where a portion of the track assembly has a pair of self-centering magnetic markers removably coupled to non-adjacent joints of the track assembly; determine a distance between the centers of the self-centering magnetic markers, where determining the distance includes performing a calibration process to determine how far the digital camera is from the pair of self-centering magnetic markers; determine track assembly wear of the track assembly based on the determined distance between the centers of the markers; and output an indication of track assembly wear based on the determined track assembly wear.

[0007] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method including capturing an image of a portion of a track assembly of a track-type machine having a pair of markers removably coupled to a pair of pins of the track assembly, the pair of pins of the track assembly being spaced apart from one another by a plurality of intermediate pins of the track assembly, determining a distance between the pair of markers removably coupled to the pair of pins, determining track assembly wear of the track assembly based on the determined distance between the pair of markers removably coupled to the pair of pins, and outputting wear information indicative of the determined wear of the track assembly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a representation of an exemplary environment for an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates a partial side view of a track assembly of a track-type machine having markers in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates an exemplary marker, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates an exemplary marker, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a representation of an exemplary graphical user interface (GUI) display of a mobile device, consistent with one or more embodiments of the disclosed embodiments. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart of a method according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present disclosure relates generally to systems, apparatus, computer program products, and methods for determining track assembly pitch expansion measurements for track-type machines. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the systems, apparatus, computer program products, and methods can automatically determine track assembly wear based on the determined track assembly pitch expansion.

[0010] 1, as described above, is a representation of an exemplary environment 100 of an embodiment of the present disclosure. The environment 100 may be or may include a machine site 102. The machine site 102 may be a work site such as a construction or mining site, a repair shop, a dealership, an owner's residence, a highway or road, etc.

[0011] The environment 100 may also include a mobile electronic device 114 and a machine 110. The mobile electronic device 114 may embody any type of portable computing device with camera capabilities. The mobile electronic device 114 may also be configured to communicate data over the network 109. For example, the mobile electronic device 114 may be a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a network-enabled digital camera, or other such portable computing device. The machine 110 may be a track-type machine, such as a track-type tractor (e.g., a bulldozer) or an excavator. In one or more embodiments, the machine 110 may be considered or characterized as an off-highway machine. The mobile electronic device 114 and the machine 110 may be located at the machine site 102. Furthermore, the mobile electronic device 114 may be operated by a user, such as the owner or owner's representative (including a contractor) of the machine 110.

[0012] Network 109 may wirelessly communicatively couple mobile electronic device 114 to machine 110 and / or other systems, including, but not limited to, a part image processing system, an application store, and / or a dealer system. Network 109 may represent any type or combination of electronic communication networks configured to communicate data between nodes connected to network 109. For example, network 109 may represent the Internet, Ethernet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a personal area network (PAN), a cellular network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, network 109 may include a mobile network and associated infrastructure operable to provide Internet connectivity to mobile electronic device 114, such as a fourth-generation (4G) or fifth-generation (5G) cellular communication network. Network 109 may be considered an electronic communication network.

[0013] 1, and now also referring to Figures 2 and 3, machine 110 can have relatively highly stressed parts such as a track assembly 116 made up of individual track assembly links or segments 117 connected by pins 118 through respective bushings. Track assembly 116 can also include other components, including one or more top rollers, a shoe plate, one or more idler wheels, one or more bottom rollers, one or more gearbox sprockets, one or more track motor gearboxes, and one or more idler wheel bracket mountings.

[0014] 1, according to an exemplary embodiment of the mobile electronic device 114, the mobile electronic device 114 may include computing components that enable it to send / receive, process, and store data. For example, the mobile electronic device 114 may have, among other components, a processor 200 (which may represent one or more processors), a main memory 202, a read-only memory (ROM) 204, input devices 206, output devices 208, a wireless network communication interface 210, a camera 212, and a storage device 214.

[0015] Processor 200 may embody any general-purpose or special-purpose computer microprocessor configured to execute computer program instructions, applications, or programs stored in main memory 202 and / or storage device 214. When programmed to operate in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, i.e., configured to perform various functions or operations, processor 200 may be considered a special-purpose processor. Main memory 202 may include, for example, random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic or volatile storage devices. Main memory 202 may store information, instructions, programs, or applications loaded from ROM 204 or storage device 214 for execution by processor 200.

[0016] ROM 204 may be any static or non-volatile memory storage device configured to store computer program instructions, programs, or applications for loading into main memory 202 and execution by processor 200. For example, ROM 204 may be a programmable read-only memory (PROM), such as an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a one-time programmable read-only memory (OTP NVM), a field programmable read-only memory (FPROM), or a flash memory device.

[0017] The input device 206 may embody one or more mechanisms that allow a user to input information or commands into the mobile electronic device 114. For example, the input device 206 may include a keyboard, a touch screen, a touch pad, a mouse, a stylus, a voice recognition device, a biometric recognition device, an accelerometer, a microphone, or any other type of device for allowing user input into a computing device.

[0018] The output device(s) 208 may include one or more mechanisms for outputting information to a user of the mobile electronic device 114. For example, the output device(s) 208 may include a display device, a speaker, a vibrating device, a lighting device or lamp, or any other type of device for providing output to a user of a computing device.

[0019] The wireless network communication interface 210 may include any device or system that enables the mobile electronic device 114 to communicate voice and / or data over the network 109. For example, the wireless network communication interface 210 may include one or more wireless antennas, transceivers, and / or other components for wireless communication. Such wireless networks may include, for example, a cellular network such as a fourth-generation (4G) or fifth-generation (5G) network, a local area network (LAN) such as a Wi-Fi network (e.g., IEEE 802.11 protocol), or a WiMAX™ network (e.g., IEEE 802.16 protocol), a picocell or femtocell network (e.g., Bluetooth™ or other unlicensed radio spectrum network), or other type of network 109. The wireless network communication interface 210 may include any components known in the art necessary to communicate over such networks.

[0020] The camera 212 may embody any image sensing device attached to or otherwise associated with the mobile electronic device 114 that captures an image within the view of the mobile electronic device 114. For example, the camera 212 may be a visual light spectrum camera device attached to the mobile electronic device 114 and operable to capture and store a digital image in response to a user providing appropriate input to the input device 206, such as pressing a "soft" camera button displayed on a touchscreen. The camera 212 may have an embedded image sensor comprising sensor pixels, such as a charge-coupled device (CCD). The sensor pixels may convert incident electromagnetic radiation focused thereon by a lens into electrical charges for storage as a digital image. In other embodiments, the camera 212 may be an infrared camera device or an X-ray camera device. Indeed, the camera 212 may embody any type of device configured to capture electromagnetic radiation as a digital image, where the captured image can be in a static or non-static form. Thus, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, camera 212 may display a live image and processor 200 may perform processing to determine the track assembly pitch distance, and in particular the extension, in real time. Alternatively, a still image may be captured and processed by processor 200 to determine the track assembly pitch extension, for example, in response to another user input to input device 206.

[0021] The storage device 214 may include any type of mass data storage device on the mobile device 114. For example, the storage device 214 may embody a solid-state drive (SSD) such as a hard drive or a magnetic data storage device. When a user captures a digital image with the camera 212, the processor 200 may store the image in the storage device 214. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 1 , in the “client-side” environment 100, the storage device 214 may store a mobile operating platform 216, as well as a wear part application 218 and an associated wear part library 220.

[0022] The mobile operating platform 216 may embody any type of software operating environment for a mobile computing device on which one or more mobile applications execute. For example, the mobile operating platform 216 may embody the Apple IOS™ operating environment, the Google Android™ operating environment, the Windows Mobile™ operating environment, or another graphical operating environment configured to run on a mobile computing device and support the execution of mobile applications.

[0023] Wear parts application 218 may embody an application configured to execute on mobile operating platform 216 to perform functions for determining the extent of wear on track assembly 116 of machine 110 based on one or more digital images captured by camera 212. In one embodiment, mobile electronic device 114 may download wear parts application 218 (and wear parts library 220) from an application store via network 109. Such downloading may or may not require prior user registration.

[0024] The wear part library 220 may include wear information for the track assembly 116 corresponding to the machine 110. Optionally, the wear part library 220 may include wear information for track assemblies of multiple different machines, including the machine 110. The wear information may include track assembly pitch distance measurements (in mm or inches) corresponding to different degrees of wear, for example, from 0% wear to 120% wear. For example, such track assembly pitch distance measurements (in mm or inches) corresponding to different degrees of wear may be stored in the wear part library 220 in wear tables, although embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to wear tables and may be in the form of equations, formulas, mathematical models, or other means for calculating the degree of wear as a function of the measured dimensions of the track assembly pitch distance measurements. Here, the track assembly pitch distance may be considered as the track assembly pitch extension. In one embodiment, each wear table may define the degree of wear of the track assembly 116 as a function of the measured dimensions between a predetermined set number (e.g., four) of track assembly links 117. Optionally, the wear parts library 220 may indicate a predetermined wear threshold, i.e., percentage of wear, for replacing the track assembly 116 or a portion thereof.

[0025] 2 and 3, a pair of markers 300 may be provided at the machine site 102. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the markers 300 may be secured to the track assembly 116 of the machine 110. In particular, the markers 300 may be secured to the outer edges or surfaces of a pair of non-adjacent joints, for example, to the outer edges or surfaces of a corresponding pair of pins 118 of the non-adjacent joints. In this regard, the markers 300 may be magnetic and thus removably secured or coupled to the pair of pins 118, which may be made of metal. Thus, the markers 300 may be considered magnetic markers 300. Additionally or alternatively, the markers 300 may be secured to the outer edges or surfaces of the pair of non-adjacent joints by press fitting, adhesive, or the like.

[0026] Notably, the pins 118 having the markers 300 do not have to be adjacent to one another. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , three pins 118 can separate a pair of pins 118 having the markers 300. Thus, the markers 300 can be associated with four track assembly links 117 and thus identify the combined length of the four track assembly links 117 between the markers 300 and the pair of pins 118. Such combined length can represent, for example, the average track assembly pitch for each individual track assembly link 117 throughout the track assembly 116. As also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the markers 300 can be on a straight segment of the track assembly 116, in this case, on the top or upper section of the track assembly 116, as opposed to a curved or bent section of the track assembly 116, such as the front or rear of the track assembly 116. As an example, the measured distance A between two markers 300 (and therefore corresponding pins 118) compared to the 0% wear condition may be 1.05 inches or less greater than the 0% wear condition, depending on the size of the track assembly 116. In this regard, the 100% wear condition may be 0.5 inches or about 0.5 inches to 1.05 inches or about 1.05 inches greater than the length of the 0% wear condition, depending on the size of the track assembly 116.

[0027] For placement, the markers 300 can be centered on their respective pins 118 of the pair of pins. The centering can be achieved based on the geometry of the markers 300 relative to the geometry of the pins 118. For example, the geometry of the markers 300 can be symmetrical in a surface view, such as a square or a circle, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively, and the geometry of the pins 118 can be circular in a surface view (i.e., a side view of the track assembly 116). Here, the markers 300 can be sized based on the size of the pins 118 such that the edges of the markers 300 do not extend beyond the edges of the pins 118, i.e., the outer diameter or periphery of the pins 118, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Such placement can indicate that the markers 300 are centered on the pins 118. In this regard, the markers 300 can be considered self-centering markers 300. Thus, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the marker 300 used for a particular machine 110 can be sized to fit within the size (i.e., outer diameter or circumference) of the pin 118 for the particular machine 110. Optionally, one size (i.e., cross-section, diameter, etc.) of the marker 300 may be small enough to self-center on multiple sizes of pins 118.

[0028] With respect to the markers 300, the markers 300 may be configured to be relatively easily picked up by the camera 212 of the mobile electronic device 114. As one example, the markers 300 may have a unique identification in the form of their shape and / or indicia. For example, in one example, the markers 300 may be square, as opposed to the circular shape of the pins 118. Additionally or alternatively, the surface of the marker 300 may include indicia encoded with information to aid in marker identification by the mobile electronic device 114, for example. According to one or more embodiments, the indicia may represent bits or a simple quick response (QR) code. FIGS. 4 and 5 show example indicia on the marker 300.

[0029] During operation, a user (e.g., of a mobile electronic device 114) may visit the machine 110 to inspect the machine 110, and particularly its track assembly 116, for wear. The user may place a pair of markers 300 on each pair of pins 118 of the track assembly 116. According to one or more embodiments, the markers 300 may be placed on non-adjacent pins 118, such as those shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Furthermore, in that the markers 300 may be magnetic, the markers 300 may be considered to be removably coupled to the pins 118. Based on the geometric configuration of each marker 300 relative to the geometric configuration of the end face of the corresponding pin 118, for example, the markers 300 may be centered on the pins 118 so that one or more portions of the perimeter of the marker 300 extend up to, but not beyond, the perimeter of the pin 118's geometric shape. Such placement may be considered self-centering of the markers 300 (on the pins 118).

[0030] Using the camera 212 of the mobile electronic device 114, a user can simultaneously “image” both markers 300 on the track assembly 116, where imaging can include taking a still photograph of both markers 300 on the track assembly 116 and / or simply capturing an image of the track assembly 116 with both markers 300, such that the image is displayed in real time on the output device 208 of the mobile electronic device 114. Thus, according to one or more embodiments, imaging can involve a user providing input to the input device 206 to capture the image. Additionally or alternatively, a user may simply need to turn on the camera 212 and hold the camera 212 still to capture a real-time image of the track assembly 116 with both markers 300.

[0031] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a user interface 500 of a mobile electronic device 114 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The user interface 500, which may be considered in whole or in part a graphical user interface (GUI), may represent some or all of the input devices 206 of the mobile electronic device 114 and / or some or all of the output devices 208 of the mobile electronic device 114. The image 502 shown in FIG. 6, which may be output on the display of the mobile electronic device 114 (which may be on or part of the user interface 500), may represent a still image of the track assembly 116 with both markers 300 captured in response to a user providing input to the user interface 500, for example, in the form of an input selection "capture image" 504, or real-time imaging by the user can simply turn on the camera 212 and stabilize the camera 212 to capture a real-time image of the track assembly 116 with both markers 300. Optionally, the mobile electronic device 114 can identify whether one or both of the markers 300 are centered on their respective pins 118. If not, the mobile electronic device 114 may output an indication to the user that one or both of the markers 300 (and the particular marker 300, if only one marker 300) are not centered. According to one or more embodiments, an image (e.g., a red "X") may be overlaid on one or more markers 300 whose pins 118 are not centered.

[0032] The user can access input selection 508 to determine the amount of wear on track assembly 116 when capturing a still image using input selection 504, or when turning on camera 212 and holding camera 212 steady to capture a real-time image of track assembly 116 with both markers 300. Optionally, when capturing a real-time image of track assembly 116 with both markers 300, the user can use input selection 508 before or at the time of holding camera 212 still to capture a real-time image of track assembly 116 with both markers 300, and the mobile electronic device 114, and in particular its processor 200 in cooperation with camera 212, can automatically detect the markers 300.

[0033] In either case, whether a still or real-time image of the track assembly 116 with both markers 300, the mobile electronic device 114, and in particular its processor 200 in cooperation with the camera 212, can detect the markers 300 and identify the center of each of the markers 300. Such identification can be performed by or using computer vision processing performed by the mobile electronic device 114. For example, the processor 200 can know the geometry of the markers 300 as stored, for example, in the main memory 202 and / or the storage device 214, and can therefore identify the center of each marker 300.

[0034] The processor 200 may then determine or calculate the distance between the centers of the markers 300. Distance determination may involve a calibration process whereby the processor 200 knows the dimensions of the markers 300 (e.g., 1 inch diameter for a circular marker 300, or 1 inch on each side for a square marker 300) and determines how far the camera 212 is from the marker 300 for the known dimensions of the marker 300. Knowing the distance of the camera 212 from the marker 300 and the centers of the markers 300, the processor 200 can then determine the distance A between the centers of the two markers 300. Such a distance calculation may be responsive to an input to input selection 508 "Determine Wear."

[0035] Once the processor 200 determines the distance A between the two markers 300, the processor 200 can compare the determined distance to a predetermined distance, such as a 0% wear distance between track assembly links 117 of the same amount. As described above, track assembly distances of various amounts of wear can be stored in the storage device 214, such as in a wear table. In one or more embodiments, the comparison can indicate that the determined distance A is greater than the 0% wear distance. The amount of difference, i.e., how greater the determined distance A is compared to the 0% wear distance, can indicate the amount of wear of the track assembly 116. Alternatively, the processor 200 can compare the distance A to a representative value stored in the storage device 214 and a value corresponding to a previously measured amount of wear (e.g., %) for a track assembly 116 of the same or similar size.

[0036] Once the amount of wear on track assembly 116 is determined compared to 0% wear or another percentage of wear stored in storage device 214, processor 200 may output the amount of wear on output device 208, for example, on wear indicator 510 of user interface 500, such as shown in FIG. 6 . Additionally or alternatively, based on the amount of wear compared to a predetermined threshold amount (e.g., 75% wear, 90% wear, or 100% wear), processor 200 may trigger output of a warning or recommendation on output device 208 recommending that track assembly 116, or a portion thereof, be replaced. The amount of wear may be stored in memory of mobile electronic device 114, such as storage device 214, and / or output to an off-board mobile electronic device via network 109. Once the amount of wear is determined, marker 300 may be removed from machine 110.

[0037] Industrial Applicability Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations set forth in the following description of exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. Instead, they are merely examples of systems and methods consistent with aspects of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

[0038] As noted above, the present disclosure generally relates to systems, apparatus, computer program products, and methods for determining a track assembly pitch expansion measurement for a track-type machine. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the systems, apparatus, computer program products, and methods can automatically determine track assembly wear based on a determined track assembly pitch expansion, where the determined track assembly pitch distance, which can represent the track assembly pitch expansion, can be compared to or can be compared to an initial track assembly pitch expansion, e.g., a factory specification value for the distance when the machine left the factory.

[0039] Generally speaking, embodiments of the present disclosure can enable a user to relatively easily determine the extent of wear on a machine's track assembly by simply capturing a digital image of the track assembly having two removable markers using a mobile electronic device. Consistent with disclosed embodiments, a user can orient a mobile electronic device having a camera, such as mobile electronic device 114 having camera 212, such that a portion of track assembly 116 having a pair of spaced-apart markers, such as marker 300, removably secured at a particular portion of track assembly 116, is within the field of view of camera 212 and images the portion of track assembly 116 having pair of spaced-apart markers 300. Mobile electronic device 114 can then process the digital image to determine the extent of wear on track assembly 116.

[0040] As an example, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the pitch distance of a track assembly can be measured using a camera of a mobile electronic device, such as the mobile electronic device 114. Two self-centering magnetic markers of known dimensions, such as markers 300, can be removably attached to the ends of track pins 118 on opposite ends of a track assembly section consisting of multiple consecutive track assembly links 117. A mobile or web application running on the mobile electronic device 114 can use the camera 212 to detect the two markers in two-dimensional space and convert it into an image that accounts for some distortion. Furthermore, knowing the dimensions of each marker 300, the camera 212 can calibrate the distance in the image and calculate the distance between the two markers 300, particularly the distance from the center of the two markers 300. The calculated distance measurements can then be automatically captured or recorded by the mobile or web application. Furthermore, the automatically captured or recorded distances can be compared to one or more predetermined distance values ​​to determine wear on the track assembly 116.

[0041] 5 is a flowchart of a method 700 according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter. At least a portion of method 700 may be performed via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (or media) storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, such as processor 200, cause the one or more processors 200 to perform at least a portion of method 700. According to one or more embodiments, method 700 may be referred to or characterized as a method for determining a pitch distance or extension measurement of a track assembly and / or a method for determining wear of a track assembly of a machine.

[0042] At 702 of method 700, a pair of markers, such as markers 300, may be placed on a pair of joints, for example, on a pair of pins 118 of track assembly 116. As described above, markers 300 may be held to pins 118 via magnetic forces, although embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to holding markers 300 at joints via magnetic forces. Additionally, markers 300 may be placed on non-adjacent joints, for example, two joints, four pins 118 (i.e., three intermediate pins 118), or at greater distances.

[0043] At 704, the camera 112 of the mobile electronic device 114 may image a portion of the track assembly 116 at the marker 300. Such imaging may include capturing a still image of the portion of the track assembly 116 at the marker 300 or capturing a real-time image of the portion of the track assembly 116 at the marker 300.

[0044] At 706 of the method 700, the processor 200 of the mobile electronic device 114 may determine the distance between the two markers 300. Such determination may first involve calibration to determine the distance of the camera 212 from the markers 300. The calibration process may be based on known dimensions (e.g., diameter) of the markers 300.

[0045] At 708 of method 700, the processor 200 may use the determined distance from 706 to determine an amount of wear on the track assembly 116. The determination of the amount of wear may be based on a comparison of the determined distance to one or more predetermined wear values ​​for the track assembly 116, for example, 0% wear on the track assembly.

[0046] At 710, the wear information may be output. Such wear information may be output via the network 109 to the storage device 214 of the mobile electronic device 114, to the output device 208 of the mobile electronic device (e.g., the user interface 500), and / or to an off-board mobile electronic device 114. Optionally, the distance between the two markers 300 may be output. After obtaining the wear information, the markers 300 may be removed from the machine 110.

[0047] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied as a system, method, or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects, all of which may be referred to generally herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system." Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable medium(s) having computer-readable program code embodied therein.

[0048] The functions of the elements disclosed herein may be implemented using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, integrated circuits, ASICs ("application-specific integrated circuits"), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it contains transistors and other circuits therein. A processor may be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in a memory. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs or is programmed to perform the described functions. The hardware may be any hardware disclosed herein or otherwise known that is programmed or configured to perform the described functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which may be considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0049] Additionally, the term "circuitry" as used herein may refer to any or all of the following: (a) a hardware-only circuit implementation (e.g., an implementation using only analog and / or digital circuitry); (b) (where applicable) a combination of (i) a processor(s) or (ii) a combination of circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as a processor(s) / software (including digital signal processor(s)), software and portions of memory(s) that work together to cause a device such as a cell phone or server to perform various functions; and (c) a circuit such as a microprocessor(s) or portion of a microprocessor(s) that requires software or firmware for operation, even when the software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of "circuitry" may apply to all uses of the term in this application, including any claims. As a further example, the term "circuitry" as used in this application may also cover implementations of simply a processor(s) or portion of a processor and its(their) accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0050] Use of the terms "data," "content," "information," and similar terms may be utilized interchangeably to refer to data that may be transmitted, received, operated on, and / or stored, according to certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The term "network" may refer to a group of interconnected computers or other computing devices. Within a network, these computers or other computing devices may be interconnected directly or indirectly by various means, including through one or more switches, routers, gateways, access points, etc.

[0051] Aspects of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to flowchart diagrams and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, the flowcharts and block diagrams in the drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur in an order different from that noted in the drawings. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It should also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified functions or acts, or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0052] It will also be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to create a machine, whereby the instructions, executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the function(s) / act(s) specified in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagram block(s).

[0053] These computer program instructions may also be stored on a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored on the computer-readable medium create an article of manufacture including instructions that implement the function(s) / act(s) specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block(s). These computer program instructions may also be loaded into a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to form a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executing on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide a process for realizing the function(s) / act(s) specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block(s).

[0054] Embodiments of the disclosed subject matter can also be described according to the following brackets: (1) A system for determining wear on a track assembly of a track-type machine, comprising: a pair of self-centering magnetic markers of known dimensions removably coupled to non-adjacent joints of the track assembly; and a mobile electronic device having a processor, memory operably coupled to the processor, and a digital camera operably coupled to the processor for taking digital images of a portion of the track assembly having the pair of self-centering magnetic markers removably coupled to the non-adjacent joints of the track assembly, wherein the processor, when executing a mobile or web application, determines the wear of the self-centering magnetic markers removably coupled to the non-adjacent joints of the track assembly based on the digital images of the digital camera. A system configured to: detect the center of each of the centering magnetic markers, wherein a portion of a track assembly has a pair of self-centering magnetic markers removably coupled to non-adjacent joints of the track assembly; determine a distance between the centers of the self-centering magnetic markers, wherein determining the distance includes performing a calibration process to determine how far a digital camera is from the pair of self-centering magnetic markers; determine track assembly wear of the track assembly based on the determined distance between the centers of the markers; and output an indication of the track assembly wear based on the determined track assembly wear. (2) The system described in (1), wherein the self-centering magnetic marker is circular or square. (3) A system as described in (1) or (2), wherein the self-centering magnetic marker includes information embedded in its surface. (4) A system described in any one of (1) to (3), wherein the known dimensions of the self-centering magnetic marker are such that when the self-centering magnetic marker is removably coupled to a joint, no portion of its perimeter extends beyond the diameter of the corresponding joint. (5) A system described in any one of (1) to (4), wherein the processor is configured to automatically store the determined distance in the memory of the mobile electronic device. (6) A system described in any one of (1) to (5), wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the self-centering magnetic markers removably coupled to non-adjacent joints of the track assembly are centered on their respective joints before detecting the centers of each of the self-centering magnetic markers. (7) A system described in any one of (1) to (6), wherein the digital imaging of the digital camera is performed in response to an input selection from an operator of the mobile electronic device to a graphical user interface (GUI) on the mobile electronic device. (8) A system described in any one of (1) to (7), wherein digital imaging of the digital camera is performed automatically when the camera is pointed at a portion of the track assembly having a pair of self-centering magnetic markers and held stably, the processor automatically determines the distance between the centers of the self-centering magnetic markers when the camera is pointed at a portion of the track assembly having a pair of self-centering magnetic markers and held stably, and the processor automatically determines track assembly wear of the track assembly when the digital camera is pointed at a portion of the track assembly having a pair of self-centering magnetic markers and held stably without the user providing an input selection to the mobile electronic device. (9) A system described in any one of (1) to (8), wherein the processor automatically stores the determined distance and the determined track assembly wear in memory when the camera is pointed at a portion of the track assembly having a pair of self-centering magnetic markers and held stably, without the user providing an input selection to the mobile electronic device. (10) A method including: removably disposing a first magnetic marker on a first joint of a track assembly of a track-type machine; removably disposing a second magnetic marker on a second joint of the track assembly of the track-type machine, the second joint being spaced from the first joint by at least two intervening track segments of the track assembly of the track-type machine; imaging a portion of the track assembly having the first and second magnetic markers using a camera of a mobile electronic device; determining a distance between the first and second magnetic markers using a processor of the mobile electronic device, wherein determining the distance between the first and second magnetic markers includes performing a calibration process to determine how far the camera is from the first and second magnetic markers; and determining track assembly wear of the track assembly based on the determined distances between the first and second markers on the first and second joints, respectively. (11) The method of (10), further comprising outputting an indication of track assembly wear of the track assembly on or from an output device of the mobile electronic device based on the determined track assembly wear. (12) The method of (10) or (11), wherein determining the distance between the first magnetic marker and the second magnetic marker includes determining the center of each of the magnetic markers. (13) A method according to any one of (10) to (12), wherein determining the distance between the first magnetic marker and the second magnetic marker includes comparing the determined distance with one or more predetermined distances for the same separation as the separation between the first joint and the second joint. (14) The method of any one of (10) to (13), wherein the comparison indicates that the determined distance is between 0 inches and 1.05 inches greater than one or more predetermined distances for the same separation. (15) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method including capturing an image of a portion of a track assembly of a track-type machine having a pair of markers removably coupled to a pair of pins of the track assembly, the pair of pins of the track assembly being spaced from one another by a plurality of intermediate pins of the track assembly; determining a distance between the pair of magnetic markers removably coupled to the pair of pins; determining track assembly wear of the track assembly based on the determined distance between the pair of markers removably coupled to the pair of pins; and outputting wear information indicative of the determined wear of the track assembly. (16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of (15), wherein determining the distance between a pair of magnetic markers removably coupled to a pair of pins includes detecting the center of each of the markers removably coupled to the pair of pins. (17) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to (15) or (16), wherein determining the distance between the pair of markers includes comparing the determined distance with one or more predetermined distances for the same separation as the separation between the pair of pins. (18) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of (15) to (17), wherein the comparison indicates that the determined distance is between 0 inches and 1.05 inches greater than one or more predetermined distances for the same separation. (19) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of (15) to (18), wherein the method further comprises storing the determined distance between the pair of magnetic markers removably coupled to the pair of pins in a memory of the mobile electronic device. (20) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to any one of (15) to (19), wherein the method further comprises determining whether each of the markers of the pair of markers is centered on its respective pin before determining the distance between the pair of markers removably coupled to the pair of pins.

[0055] It should be noted that, as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. That is, as used herein, the words "a" and "an," etc., have the meaning "one or more" unless clearly specified otherwise. The use of the term "at least one" followed by a list of one or more items (e.g., "at least one of A and B" or "one or more of A and B") should be interpreted to mean one item selected from the listed items (A or B) or any combination of two or more of the listed items (A and B; A, A and B; A, B and B) unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Similarly, the word "or" as used herein refers to any possible permutation of a set of items. For example, the phrase "A, B, or C" refers to at least one of A, B, C, or any combination thereof, such as any of a plurality of any items such as A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C; or A and A; B, B, and C; A, A, B, C, and C.

[0056] Additionally, it should be understood that terms such as "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "front," "rear," "side," "height," "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "internal," "external," "inside," "outside," and the like that may be used herein merely describe points of reference and do not necessarily limit embodiments of the disclosed subject matter to any particular orientation or configuration. Further, terms such as "first," "second," "third," and the like merely identify one of numerous parts, components, points of reference, operations, and / or functions as described herein and similarly do not necessarily limit embodiments of the disclosed subject matter to any particular configuration or orientation.

[0057] While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by modification of the disclosed machines, assemblies, systems, and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed subject matter. Such embodiments are to be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based on the claims and any equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A system (100) for determining wear on a track assembly (116) of a track-type machine (110), comprising: a pair of self-centering magnetic markers (300) of known dimensions removably coupled to non-adjacent joints (117) of said track assembly (116); a mobile electronic device (114) having a processor (200), a memory (202) operably coupled to the processor (200), and a digital camera (212) operably coupled to the processor (200) for taking digital images of a portion of the track assembly (116) having the pair of self-centering magnetic markers (300) removably coupled to the non-adjacent joints (117) of the track assembly (116), wherein when the processor (200) executes a mobile or web application, detecting, based on the digital imaging by the digital camera (212), a center of each of the self-centering magnetic markers (300) removably coupled to the non-adjacent joints (117) of the track assembly (116), wherein the portion of the track assembly (116) has the pair of self-centering magnetic markers (300) removably coupled to the non-adjacent joints (117) of the track assembly (116); determining a distance between the centers of the self-centering magnetic markers (300), wherein determining the distance includes performing a calibration process to determine how far the digital camera (212) is from the pair of self-centering magnetic markers (300); determining track assembly wear of the track assembly (116) based on the determined distance between the centers of the self-centering magnetic markers (300); and outputting an indication of wear of the track assembly (116) based on the determined track assembly wear.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the self-centering magnetic marker (300) is circular or square.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the self-centering magnetic marker (300) includes information embedded in a surface thereof.

4. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the known dimensions of the self-centering magnetic marker (300) are such that when the self-centering magnetic marker (300) is removably coupled to the joint (117), no portion of the perimeter extends beyond the diameter of the corresponding joint (117).

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor (200) is configured to automatically store the determined distance in the memory (202) of the mobile electronic device (114).

6. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor (200) is configured to determine whether the self-centering magnetic markers (300) are centered on their respective joints (117) before detecting the centers of each of the self-centering magnetic markers (300) removably coupled to the non-adjacent joints (117) of the track assembly (116).

7. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital capture of the digital camera (212) is performed in response to an input selection from an operator of the mobile electronic device (114) into a graphical user interface (GUI) on the mobile electronic device (114).

8. the digital imaging of the digital camera (212) is performed automatically when the digital camera (212) is pointed at and stably held at the portion of the track assembly (116) having the pair of self-centering magnetic markers (300); 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor (200) automatically determines the distance between the centers of the self-centering magnetic markers (300) while the digital camera (212) is pointed at and steadily held at the portion of the track assembly (116) having the pair of self-centering magnetic markers (300), and automatically determines the track assembly wear of the track assembly (116) without a user providing an input selection to the mobile electronic device (114) when the digital camera (212) is pointed at and steadily held at the portion of the track assembly (116) having the pair of self-centering magnetic markers (300).

9. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor (200) automatically stores the determined distance and the determined track assembly wear in the memory (202) when the digital camera (212) is pointed at the portion of the track assembly (116) having the pair of self-centering magnetic markers (300) and held steady, without the user providing an input selection to the mobile electronic device (114).

10. 1. A method (700) comprising: Removably placing (702) a first magnetic marker (300) on a first joint (117) of a track assembly (116) of a track-type machine (110); removably placing (702) a second magnetic marker (300) on a second joint (117) of the track assembly (116) of the track-type machine (110), the second joint (117) being spaced from the first joint (117) by at least two intervening track segments (117) of the track assembly (116) of the track-type machine (110); imaging (704) a portion of the track assembly (116) having the first magnetic marker (300) and the second magnetic marker (300) using a camera (212) of a mobile electronic device (114); determining (706) a distance between the first magnetic marker (300) and the second magnetic marker (300) using a processor (200) of the mobile electronic device (114), wherein determining the distance between the first magnetic marker (300) and the second magnetic marker (300) includes performing a calibration process to determine how far the camera (212) is from the first magnetic marker (300) and the second magnetic marker (300); and determining (708) track assembly wear of the track assembly (116) based on the determined distance between the first marker (300) and second marker (300) on the first joint (117) and second joint (117), respectively.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising outputting (710) an indication of track assembly wear of the track assembly (116) on or from an output device of the mobile electronic device (114) based on the determined track assembly wear.

12. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the distance between the first magnetic marker (300) and the second magnetic marker (300) comprises determining (706) a center of each of the magnetic markers (300).

13. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the distance between the first magnetic marker (300) and the second magnetic marker (300) includes comparing the distance to one or more predetermined distances for the same separation as the separation between the first joint (117) and the second joint (117).

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the comparison indicates that the determined distance is between 0 inches and 1.05 inches greater than the one or more predetermined distances for the same separation.

Images