Connected Services Module for Work Vehicle Run Time Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Work vehicle fleet managers face challenges in tracking the hours of operation and maintenance schedules due to the diversity of manufacturers and telemetry systems, which often require manual checking and reporting or connection to the CAN bus.
Innovation Solution
A connected services module that includes a voltage sensor and a controller to determine the run time of a work vehicle based on voltage output, without requiring a connection to the CAN bus, enabling universal tracking across different manufacturers' systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual checking and reporting is used to track work vehicle run time, then compatibility with diverse telemetry systems is improved, but labor intensity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connected services module automatically monitors voltage output and calculates run time without human intervention. The system self-services by continuously tracking the voltage signal from the electrical system, determining operational modes, and accumulating run time data, thereby eliminating manual checking and reporting while maintaining compatibility with diverse telemetry systems through universal voltage-based monitoring
Solution Approach 2:
The connected services module acts as an intermediary between the electrical system and the fleet management system. It interfaces with the voltage sensor to capture electrical parameters and translates them into standardized run time data, serving as a universal mediator that works across different manufacturers' telemetry systems without requiring manufacturer-specific protocols
2Loss of information
If connection to CAN bus is required for telemetry, then access to detailed vehicle data is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connected services module extracts the essential run time monitoring function from the complex CAN bus telemetry system. By taking out only the voltage monitoring aspect, the system obtains sufficient operational data without requiring integration with the entire vehicle's digital network, thereby reducing installation complexity while maintaining data accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses simple, inexpensive voltage sensing components rather than complex CAN bus interface hardware. The voltage sensor and basic controller constitute a simpler, more easily installed alternative that achieves the core monitoring function without the overhead of sophisticated vehicle network integration
3Adaptability or versatility
If different brands of telemetry solutions are used across the fleet, then manufacturer-specific features are improved, but system interoperability and unified management deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The connected services module provides universal run time monitoring capability that works across all work vehicle manufacturers. By using the common voltage output from any vehicle's electrical system as its sensing input, the module achieves multi-vehicle compatibility and unified fleet management while allowing operators to retain their preferred manufacturer-specific telemetry solutions for other functions
Data Source
AI summary
Present embodiments disclose a connected services module that removably couples to a work vehicle. The connected services module includes a voltage sensor configured to output a voltage signal indicative of a voltage output of an electrical system of the work vehicle and a controller communicatively coupled to the voltage sensor. The controller includes a processer and a memory, and the controller is configured to receive the voltage signal from the voltage sensor, determine whether the work vehicle is operating in a first or second mode of operation based on the voltage output, determine a run time corresponding to a duration the work vehicle is operating in the second mode of operation, and output a run time signal indicative of the run time of the work vehicle.