Concrete Mixer Truck Operational Status Detection for Dispatch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing concrete mixer vehicles require manual operator input to indicate operational statuses, leading to inefficiencies in scheduling and dispatching.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-mounted sensor system that automatically detects operational states and generates timestamps, coupled with a control system to communicate with a fleet management system, eliminating the need for manual input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual operator input is used to indicate operational statuses, then the system complexity is reduced, but the productivity and scheduling efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The concrete mixer vehicle performs self-monitoring of operational statuses through onboard sensors (engine hours, drum rotation, chute position) without requiring manual operator input. The vehicle's own systems generate and transmit the data automatically to the fleet management system, eliminating the need for operator intervention while improving scheduling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical input methods with automated electronic sensing and communication systems. Sensors electronically detect operational parameters and transmit data via wireless communication to the fleet management system, substituting the manual mechanical process of operator input with an automated electromechanical system.
2Productivity
If automatic sensor detection is implemented, then the productivity improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The onboard control system serves multiple functions: it monitors engine hours, tracks drum rotation counts, detects chute position, and manages data transmission to the fleet management system. By consolidating these various monitoring and control functions into a single multi-functional system, the patent reduces the overall complexity that would otherwise result from separate dedicated systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The onboard control system acts as an intermediary between the various vehicle systems (engine, drum, chute) and the fleet management system. It collects data from different sensors, processes the information, and transmits it centrally, simplifying the architecture by providing a single interface point rather than requiring direct connections from all vehicle components to the management system.
3Loss of time
If manual status indication is used, then the device complexity is minimized, but the loss of time in scheduling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system continuously monitors operational statuses and automatically transmits data to the fleet management system without interruption. This continuous data collection eliminates the need for periodic manual status reports, ensuring that scheduling decisions are always based on up-to-date information and reducing the time loss associated with manual status indication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically records and transmits operational status data in advance before scheduling decisions are needed. By continuously capturing engine hours, drum rotation counts, and chute position information, the system prepares ready-to-use data that eliminates the need for last-minute manual status queries, thereby reducing scheduling time.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a chassis, a cab, a drum coupled to the chassis and configured to mix a concrete mixture received therein and selectively dispense the concrete mixture, a chute configured to be operable between a raised position and a lowered position such that, when in the lowered position, the chute is configured to receive the concrete mixture from the drum and provide the concrete mixture to a work location, a sensor configured to detect an operational characteristic and provide signals relating to the operational characteristics, and a control system. The control system is configured to receive the signals relating to the operational characteristic from the sensor, determine, based on signals relating to the operational characteristic, when the vehicle entered an operational state, generate a timestamp indicating when the vehicle entered the operational state, provide the timestamp and the operational state to a fleet management system.