Mobile Sensor Tracking Legacy Fleet Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fleet management systems rely on hardware and software of machines to track their location and operation, which is not feasible for legacy and third-party machines lacking these components, resulting in incomplete data collection for fleet operators.
Innovation Solution
A method using a mobile device with sensors to collect and transmit machine operation data wirelessly to an external computing platform, allowing for the estimation of machine location and behavior without relying on the machine's hardware or software, enabling the tracking of machines that are otherwise incompatible.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fleet management systems use on-board telemetric systems with GPS receivers in machines, then real-time location and operation data can be collected, but legacy and third-party machines without the requisite hardware and software cannot be tracked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a mobile device (smartphone, tablet, or laptop) as an intermediary carrier that bridges the gap between legacy/third-party machines and the fleet management system. The mobile device runs a fleet management application that collects sensor data and communicates with the external computing platform, enabling tracking of machines that would otherwise be incompatible with the system
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring the machine itself to have telemetric capabilities, the system creates a virtual representation of the machine's operation data through the mobile device. The mobile device acts as a proxy that captures and transmits machine operation data, effectively copying the machine's operational state to the fleet management system
2Reliability
If fleet management systems require common software and hardware interfaces on machines, then reliable data communication is achieved, but many legacy and third-party machines cannot be integrated
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device serves multiple functions: it acts as a sensor carrier, data processing unit, communication interface, and machine identification device. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for machine-specific hardware or software interfaces, allowing the same mobile device to track various types of machines including legacy and third-party equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of data collection by using a mobile device with sensors (accelerometer, GPS, magnetometer, barometer) instead of requiring standardized machine interfaces. The mobile device captures operational parameters through its sensors and transmits them to the fleet management system, enabling compatibility across different machine types
3Measurement precision
If machines are equipped with dedicated GPS receivers and telemetric systems, then accurate location tracking is achieved, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the GPS receiver, sensors, processor, and communication capabilities into a single mobile device that the operator already possesses. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate dedicated tracking hardware on each machine, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining location tracking accuracy through the mobile device's integrated components
Data Source
AI summary
A method for collecting machine operation data of a machine is disclosed. Initially, first and second sensor data is determined by a mobile sensor of a mobile device processor located on or within a machine. A first dynamic characteristic is determined based on at least one of the first and second sensor data. Next, the mobile device connects wirelessly to an external computing platform and the first dynamic characteristic is transmitted from the mobile device to the external computing platform. Third and fourth sensor data are determined by the mobile sensor. A second dynamic characteristic is determined based on at least one of the third and fourth sensor data. The second dynamic characteristic is transmitted to the external computing platform. A first dynamic change is determined based on the first and second dynamic characteristics. A first operation performed by the machine is determined based on the first dynamic change.