Alarm aggregation system

Abstract

To provide an alarm aggregation system that appropriately controls the frequency (number of times) of alarms to be notified to a mobile terminal.SOLUTION: An alarm aggregation system 1 of the present invention includes a work machine 100, a server 500 that acquires alarm data from the work machine, and a terminal 600 that receives alarm notifications from the server. The work machine creates daily report data that records daily operation details and sends it to the server. If the server has not previously retrieved alarm data with the same content, or has previously acquired alarm data with the same content and there is daily report data created after the time of acquisition, the server notifies the terminal of an alarm (S250). If alarm data with the same content was previously acquired, it does not notify the terminal of the alarm if there is no daily report data created after the time (S240).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an alarm aggregation system.

Background Art

[0002] As shown in Patent Document 1 below, conventionally, when a failure occurs in the vehicle body of a working machine, a system has been proposed that detects the failure with a sensor in the vehicle body, generates alarm information, and transmits it to a server located remotely using a communication terminal. Then, in the server that receives this alarm information, the alarm information is transmitted to the mobile terminal of a service technician who is responsible for inspecting the working machine, and a technique for enabling the service technician to execute appropriate measures, maintenance, etc. is described.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above system, every time the server acquires detection data that exceeds a threshold value from the sensor in the vehicle body, it derives the corresponding alarm information from the detection data and transmits the corresponding alarm information to the mobile terminal of the service technician, and the alarm is reported from the mobile terminal. The service technician checks his own mobile terminal, aggregates the number of alarm reports, and compares it with the number of alarm reports (average occurrence rate) of a plurality of alarms including other working machines to determine the priority (order of response). That is, based on the number of alarm reports, if it is higher than the average value of other working machines, adjustments such as increasing the priority of response are made. Thus, an event in which alarm reporting is repeated is regarded as having a high priority of response, but there are also events with a high priority even if the number of reports is small.

[0005] Thus, since it is not practical to distinguish between the two, one solution is to notify users until the issue is resolved. However, if malfunctions occur in multiple parts, the number of alarms displayed on mobile devices will become enormous as each part repeatedly issues alarms, potentially causing important alarms to be overlooked. This could prevent service technicians from performing their intended tasks.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention was devised to solve these problems and provides an alarm aggregation system that optimizes the frequency (number of times) of alarms notified to service technicians' mobile terminals, thereby preventing important alarms from being overlooked. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The alarm aggregation system of the present invention, which solves the above problems, acquires data from vehicle sensors that exceeds a threshold due to component failure or the like, and triggers an alarm on the server as it occurs. However, if there is an alarm with the same content as an alarm that has already been received, only the first alarm will be displayed as a notification on the service technician's mobile terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, alarms that occur during the operating time of the work machine are aggregated and sent to the server each time. However, if it is determined that the alarm is the same as a previous one, only the first one is notified, thereby reducing the number of alarm notifications and optimizing the system. This prevents important alarms from being overlooked and reduces the burden on inspectors who go to the site. Further features related to the present invention will become apparent from the description herein and the accompanying drawings. In addition, problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] An overall configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the alarm aggregation system according to the present invention. [Figure 2]Hardware block diagram of the vehicle body and server. [Figure 3] A functional block diagram showing the communication between the vehicle and the server. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating the alarm data notification and judgment process performed by the server's control unit. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of daily report data for a work machine. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of an alarm data list. [Figure 7] A diagram showing a data table that displays alarm names. [Figure 8] A hardware block diagram showing the communication between the server and the terminal. [Figure 9] A diagram showing an example of a mobile device display. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the alarm aggregation system according to the present invention. The alarm aggregation system 1 of this embodiment is a system that acquires and aggregates alarm data from the work machine 100 and notifies users such as service personnel and customers. In this embodiment, the case in which the work machine 100 is a hydraulic excavator will be described as an example.

[0011] The alarm aggregation system 1 comprises a work machine 100, a communication satellite 200, a base station 300, a network 400, a server 500, and a mobile terminal 600. In this embodiment, the case where there is one work machine 100, one base station 300, one server 500, and one mobile terminal 600 is described as an example, but there may be multiple. Furthermore, communication with the work machine 100 is not limited to communication with the communication satellite 200, and the system may be configured to communicate directly with the base station 300.

[0012] Network 400 is connected to a server 500, as well as a base station 300 and a mobile terminal 600, enabling bidirectional information communication. The mobile terminal 600 is a digital device capable of communicating with Network 400 and is used by service personnel and customers. The mobile terminal 600 is equipped with a touch panel display that can display information and allow touch input, and examples include tablets and smartphones. Server 500 can exchange data with these nodes connected to Network 400, namely the base station 300 and the mobile terminal 600.

[0013] Figure 2 is a hardware block diagram of the vehicle body and server. The work machine 100 includes a sensor group 110, a display device 120, a controller 130, a storage device 140, and a communication device 150.

[0014] The sensor group 110 consists of multiple sensors. For example, if the work machine 100 is a hydraulic excavator, it detects the status of various parts necessary for operating the hydraulic excavator, such as the engine's operating status and temperature, the discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump, and the pilot pressure. Generally, a sensor group 110 is installed in units of tens to hundreds or more for a single hydraulic excavator. The signals from these various sensor groups 110 are input to the controller 130 in real time via dedicated signal lines.

[0015] The controller 130 has a CPU, memory, and input / output interfaces, and processes input signals from various sensor groups 110 according to a predetermined control program, and outputs the data and control signals to the storage device 140, communication device 150, and display device 120.

[0016] The memory device 140 is an external memory device such as a hard disk drive or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and mainly stores and saves alarm data, aggregated data, etc. output from the controller 130 so that they can be read out at any time. The communication device 150 performs data communication with a remote server 500 via a network such as a satellite communication network or a mobile phone network. The communication device 150 is equipped with an antenna for wireless communication and a GPS function for sending the current location information.

[0017] The server 500 is connected to the network 400 and is installed at a remote location far from the work site. As shown in FIG. 2, the server 500 has a display device 510, a communication device 520, a control device 530, and a memory device 540. The communication device 520 acquires alarm data from the work machine 100 via the network 400, and the control device 530 performs arithmetic processing based on the alarm data acquired by the communication device 52. The memory device 540 stores the alarm data and the arithmetic result obtained by the arithmetic processing by the control device 530, and the display device 510 displays the alarm data, the arithmetic result, etc.

[0018] The portable terminal 600 can be connected to the server 500 via the network 400, and data can be downloaded from the server 500 to the portable terminal 600 or transmitted from the portable terminal 600 to the server 500.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the interaction between the vehicle body and the server. FIG. 3 schematically shows the flow of information from the interaction between the work machine 100 and the server 500 to the portable terminal 600.

[0020] The controller 130 of the work machine 100 receives detection information from the sensor group 110 for each part of the work machine 100, performs calculation processing using the detection information, and stores the calculation result data in the storage device 140. The controller 130 has an alarm data determination unit that compares the data with a threshold and determines that data exceeding the threshold is alarm data. The controller 130 determines that the threshold has been exceeded when the sensor detection value of the sensor group 110 exceeds the upper limit, when the number of times the sensor detection value has exceeded the upper limit is greater than or equal to a specified number of times, or when the cumulative time during which the sensor detection value has exceeded the upper limit is greater than or equal to a predetermined time.

[0021] The controller 130 has a daily report data creation unit that creates daily report data for the work machine 100. The daily report data creation unit creates daily report data, for example, each time the work for the day is completed. The daily report data records the day's operations of the work machine 100. The daily report data is transmitted from the work machine 100 to the server 500 and stored on a daily basis in the server 500's storage device 540. The communication device 150 of the work machine 100 constitutes a data transmission unit that transmits daily report data and alarm data to the server 500.

[0022] When the server 500 receives alarm data from the work machine 100 via the communication device 520, the control device 530 performs a process to determine whether or not to notify the mobile terminal 600 of the alarm. The data used to determine whether or not to notify the alarm is recorded in the storage device 540 within the server 500 and will be used the next time the same alarm data is received.

[0023] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the contents of the alarm notification and determination process performed by the control device 530 of the server 500.

[0024] In step S210, alarm data transmitted from the work machine 100 is acquired. In step S220, it is determined whether alarm data with the same content as the alarm data acquired in step S210 has been acquired previously (data acquisition determination unit). This determination is made by comparing the data with the data recorded in the storage device 540 in the server 500. If alarm data with the same content has been acquired previously, the process proceeds to step S230.

[0025] In step S230, it is determined whether or not daily report data exists that was created between the time when alarm data with the same content was previously obtained and the time when the current alarm data was obtained, that is, whether or not daily report data exists that was created after the time when alarm data with the same content was previously obtained (daily report data determination unit). Daily report data is data that records the operation of the work machine 100 on a daily basis, and is always created if the work machine 100 was in operation on any given day. For example, daily report data is created by the work machine 100 each time the work for the day is completed, transmitted from the work machine 100 to the server 500, and stored on a daily basis in the storage device 540 of the server 500. If daily report data exists on a predetermined date, it can be determined that normal work was performed by the work machine 100 on that day, that is, the state of the work machine 100 was normal, and no alarm data was received from the work machine 100.

[0026] The determination in step S230 regarding the presence or absence of this daily report data determines whether the alarm data acquired this time is a result of acquiring the same alarm data consecutively because the cause of the previous alarm has not been resolved, or whether the cause was resolved but new alarm data with the same content has been acquired.

[0027] For example, the controller 130 of the work machine 100 may create alarm data indicating an anomaly in a part of the work machine 100 and send it to the server 500. However, if the anomaly is not resolved, the controller may create the same alarm data again and send it to the server 500 repeatedly. On the other hand, after a service technician receives an alarm notification and resolves the anomaly, a new anomaly may occur in the same part, creating alarm data and sending it to the server 500. In such cases, the server 500 cannot distinguish whether the alarm data it has received is from an anomaly that has been repeatedly sent because it has not been resolved, or from an anomaly that has occurred after the previous one was resolved.

[0028] Therefore, server 500 determines whether or not there is any daily report data created between the time when alarm data with the same content was previously obtained and the time when the current alarm data was obtained, that is, whether or not there is any daily report data created after the time when alarm data with the same content was previously obtained. Based on the presence or absence of daily report data, it determines whether the alarm data received this time was sent repeatedly because the anomaly had not been resolved, or whether it was sent for an anomaly that occurred after the anomaly had been resolved.

[0029] For example, if no daily report data exists within a specified period, that is, if no daily report data has been created since the last time alarm data with the same content was obtained, it is determined that the alarm data obtained this time is a result of the same alarm data being obtained consecutively because the cause of the previous alarm has not been resolved. In this way, if no daily report data exists within a specified period, the process proceeds to step S240, and the alarm data is not notified to the mobile terminal 600, but is stored in the server 500.

[0030] Furthermore, if daily report data exists that was created within a specified period, it is determined that after the anomaly was resolved, a new anomaly occurred in the same area, creating alarm data that was sent to server 500. In other words, the alarm data acquired this time is determined to be a separate alarm with the same content, even though the cause of the previous alarm was resolved. For example, it can be determined that the same alarm was previously reported, and at that time, some kind of repair was performed by a service technician, allowing the alarm to be dismissed, thus determining that it is a separate alarm and not a continuous alarm.

[0031] If it is determined in step S220 that alarm data with the same content has not been obtained previously, and if it is determined in step S230 that daily report data exists for a predetermined period, the process proceeds to step S250. In step S250, a process is performed to notify the mobile terminal 600 of the alarm.

[0032] Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in the work machine 100, only the first alarm can be sent to the mobile terminal 600, which optimizes the system and prevents the same alarm from being repeatedly sent if the abnormality is not resolved. This prevents service personnel from overlooking important alarms and directs them to the appropriate location.

[0033] Figure 5 shows an example of the structure of daily report data for a work machine. The daily report data includes at least the model code of the work machine 100, the machine number (individual number), the date and time the daily report data was generated, and information identifying the machine number (last digit of the machine number). Although not shown in the figure, some machines also have information such as engine operating time and the time spent in each engine mode used on that day. In the example shown in Figure 5, the date and time of generation of the daily report data is recorded as September 20, 2021.

[0034] Figure 6 shows an example of a list of alarm data transmitted from a work machine. The model code, unit number, alarm code, and date and time of occurrence are shown in chronological order. Note that the alarm code column actually consists of multiple strings, but in Figure 6, it is simplified and represented as "A, B, C". Also, the alarm codes are not limited to A, B, and C; many are available depending on the alarm pattern and type.

[0035] For example, if model code a, unit number 000001, and alarm code A are acquired by server 500 at 18:04 on September 4, 2021, they will be compared with previous alarm data recorded within server 500.

[0036] Furthermore, the alarm data acquired by server 500 at 13:04 on September 3, 2021, which is earlier than 18:04 on September 4, 2021, is model code a, unit number 000001, and alarm code A. Since this is exactly the same as the alarm data acquired at 18:04 on September 4, 2021, it can be concluded that the alarm data acquired at 18:04 on September 4, 2021, is the same alarm data as the previously acquired alarm data.

[0037] Server 500 checks whether there is daily report data for a specified period, that is, whether there is daily report data created between 13:04 on September 3, 2021 and 18:04 on September 4, 2021. If there is no daily report data, it is considered a continuous alarm, and Server 500 does not send an alarm notification to the mobile terminal 600. If there is daily report data, it is not considered a continuous alarm, and an alarm notification is sent to the mobile terminal 600 as a separate alarm.

[0038] Figure 7 shows a data table indicating alarm names, illustrating the specific meaning of the alarm codes in Figure 6. There are multiple alarm codes, such as "warning" and "abnormal," depending on the part of the system being warned and the nature of the alarm. These warning and abnormal alarms are issued when sensor values ​​exceed a threshold, such as for overheating warnings or engine oil pressure warnings.

[0039] Figure 8 is a hardware block diagram showing the communication between the server and the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal 600 includes a communication device 610, a control device 620, a storage device 630, an operating device 640, an imaging device 650, and a display device 660.

[0040] When the mobile terminal 600 receives an alarm notification from the server 500 via the communication device 610, it displays the alarm code and alarm name corresponding to the alarm data on the display device 660. By viewing the display on the display device 660, the service technician can then take action such as repair or maintenance.

[0041] Figure 9 shows an example of the display on the mobile terminal 600, specifically the screen displaying alarm data notified to the mobile terminal.

[0042] The display device 660 of the mobile terminal 600 has a display monitor 661 that displays alarm data on the screen. At the top of the screen of the display monitor 661, the model 671, serial number 672, customer name 673, engine operating hours 674, years of use 675, and address 676 of the work machine 100 are displayed.

[0043] The alarm history 677 is displayed in the center of the display monitor 661 screen, with alarm data arranged chronologically from top to bottom. Only one alarm data entry is displayed in the alarm history for each alarm data entry that is repeatedly transmitted from the work machine 100 to the server 500. Therefore, service technicians can recognize the importance or priority of the alarms displayed chronologically on the mobile terminal 600 and proceed with repairs and maintenance accordingly.

[0044] Furthermore, the method of displaying alarm data on the mobile terminal 600 is not limited to chronological order. The display device 660 may display alarm data in different colors according to the nature of the alarm data, such as its urgency or priority. Specifically, even if an alarm appears later in the chronological display, the background color of the display area for alarm data that requires urgent attention may be red, while alarms with normal priority may be displayed in blue. The background color is not limited to red or blue and can be set arbitrarily. By indicating the urgency, service personnel can identify alarms that should be prioritized.

[0045] In another embodiment, a portion of the screen area may display an image of the entire vehicle body, with the relevant part where the alarm is being notified indicated by a circle or arrow pointer. By viewing this display, service personnel can visually and intuitively understand the areas that require inspection.

[0046] According to the alarm aggregation system 1 of this embodiment, alarm data from the work machine 100 is acquired by the server 500. If the same alarm data has been acquired previously within the server 500, only the first instance is displayed as a notification to the mobile terminal 600. This reduces and optimizes the number of alarm notifications sent to the mobile terminal 600, preventing a huge number of alarms from being sent to the mobile terminal 600 and reducing the burden on service technicians who go to the site. Therefore, service technicians can avoid overlooking important alarms and go to the work machine 100 that requires maintenance or repair.

[0047] The alarm aggregation method of this embodiment includes the steps of: the server 500 receiving alarm data from the work machine 100 that exceeds a threshold, and the control device 530 of the server 500 determining whether the same alarm data has been received before. If the same alarm data has been received before, the method includes the step of determining whether there is any daily report data created between the time the same alarm data was previously received and the time the current alarm data is received. If the server 500 has not received the same alarm data from the work machine 100, and if daily report data exists, the method includes the step of notifying the mobile terminal 600 of the alarm; and if there is no daily report data, the method includes the step of notifying the mobile terminal 600 of the alarm.

[0048] According to the alarm aggregation method of this embodiment, when the same alarm data is received from the work machine 100 as before, only the first item is notified to the mobile terminal 600 as an alarm. Therefore, the number of alarm notifications to the mobile terminal 600 is reduced, the chances of service personnel overlooking alarms are reduced, and even alarms that do not require immediate attention are addressed without being forgotten, which helps to prevent machine downtime for customers.

[0049] (Other embodiments) In relation to the explanation in Figure 6, the list of alarm data may also include "location information". Prior to the alarm notification, only terminals belonging to the notification area are specified. Mobile devices can be configured to receive alarm data only for work machines within their current location's area, rather than receiving all alarm notifications, while excluding work machines located far away outside the area, thus enabling more efficient responses. Alternatively, if there are multiple service technicians within a given area, the system may be configured to prioritize notification to the service technician closest to the location information of the machine that is triggering the alarm.

[0050] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as described in the claims. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Moreover, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 100...Working machinery (hydraulic excavator), 200...Communication satellite, 300...Base station, 400...Network, 500...Server, 600...Mobile terminal, 110...Sensor group, 120...Display device, 130...Controller, 140...Storage device, 150...Communication device, 510...Display device, 520...Communication device, 530...Control device, 540...Storage device, 610...Communication device, 620...Control device, 630...Storage device, 640...Operating device, 650...Imaging device, 660...Display device

Claims

1. An alarm aggregation system having a server that acquires alarm data from work machines and sends alarm notifications to terminals, The aforementioned server, The system includes a communication device that receives daily report data recording the day's operations from the aforementioned work machine and alarm data, and a control device. The control device is Determine whether alarm data with the same content has been obtained previously, and determine whether there is any daily report data created after the time when alarm data with the same content was previously obtained among the daily report data. If alarm data with the same content has not been previously obtained, or if alarm data with the same content has been previously obtained and daily report data created after the time of such acquisition exists, the alarm will be notified to the terminal via the communication device; however, if no daily report data created after the time of previously obtained alarm data with the same content exists, the alarm will not be notified to the terminal. An alarm aggregation system characterized by having the following features.

2. The alarm aggregation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device displays the alarm data in chronological order on the display device of the terminal as an alarm to be notified to the terminal.

3. The alarm aggregation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device selects the terminal to notify the alarm based on the location information of the work machine and the terminal.

Images