Heavy-Duty Vehicle Workflow Monitoring with Asset State Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing management systems for heavy-duty vehicle workflows in infrastructure projects lack efficiency monitoring and continuous improvement capabilities, particularly in complex projects involving multiple equipment types and brands, requiring a solution that is easy to use and agnostic to equipment type and brand.
Innovation Solution
A production asset monitoring system using state machines on portable wireless devices or in-vehicle control units to detect and aggregate operating states, allowing for the identification of productive and unproductive states, and detecting interdependencies between assets through sensor systems, including V2X communication, to optimize workflow efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If management systems are implemented to monitor production assets, then productivity and efficiency monitoring is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses universal state machines that can be applied to any production asset regardless of type, brand, or age. The state machine framework provides a unified approach to monitoring excavators, dump trucks, conveyors, and other equipment through common state categories (productive, unproductive, idle), making the system multi-functional and equipment-agnostic while avoiding complex asset-specific implementations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces portable wireless devices as intermediary components between the production assets and the central management system. These devices run state machine logic locally and communicate asset states without requiring direct integration with the assets' control systems, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capabilities
2Ease of operation
If state machines are implemented on portable wireless devices, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the monitoring functionality by deploying independent state machines on portable wireless devices that operators carry. Each device independently monitors its associated asset's state transitions, allowing operators to track productivity locally without complex centralized control, simplifying both operation and implementation
3Measurement precision
If sensor systems are used to detect operating states, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables production assets to self-report their operating states through existing onboard sensors and control systems. Assets automatically generate state information (productive, unproductive, idle) without requiring external monitoring equipment, eliminating the need for complex sensor installations while maintaining high measurement precision through the assets' own diagnostic capabilities
4Adaptability or versatility
If the system is made agnostic to equipment type and brand, then adaptability is improved, but measurement precision worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal state machine framework that categorizes asset states into general categories (productive, unproductive, idle) applicable to any equipment type. This universal approach maintains adaptability across different manufacturers and equipment while achieving sufficient measurement precision by focusing on functional state categories rather than equipment-specific parameters
Data Source
AI summary
A production asset monitoring system, for monitoring current operating states of one or more production assets, associates a respective state machine which each asset in the one or more production assets, where each state machine implements a plurality of operating states, out of which operating states at least one state is categorized as a productive state and at least one state is categorized as an unproductive state. The production asset monitoring system further comprises a sensor system configured to detect a current operating state for each state machine, and the production asset monitoring system is configured to aggregate the states of a plurality of assets into a report indicative of production asset utilization.