System and method for remote configuration of asphalt plant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11403114-B2
Application number	US-201916702401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2019
Priority date	Dec 3, 2019
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

An onsite computer system can be located at a material production facility and used to generate tickets associated with the transfer of bulk materials such as asphalt or concrete. A remote computer system can communicate with the onsite computer system and can be used to generate ticket templates and configuration files that may be uploaded to the onsite computer system. In addition, the remote computer system can access the onsite computer system to edit system software or perform other corrective actions in the event there are any errors with the onsite computer system.

First claim

We claim:

1. A ticket processing system for configuring an onsite computer system from a remote computer system comprising:
an onsite computer system including an onsite processor and non-transitory onsite memory, the onsite computer system configured to receive and store a configuration file for configuring the onsite computer and to store raw ticket data in the onsite memory; and
a remote computer system including a remote processor and non-transitory remote memory, the remote computer system configured generate and upload the configuration file to the onsite computer system and to communicate with the onsite computer system to capture and download the raw ticket data from onsite memory.

2. The ticket processing system of claim 1 , the remote computer system is further configured to generate and upload a ticket template from the raw ticket data to the onsite computer system; and the onsite computer system is configured to generate a ticket from the ticket template.

3. The ticket processing system of claim 2 , wherein the remote computer system is configured to remotely reboot the onsite computer system after uploading the configuration file to the onsite computer system to replace an existing configuration file on the onsite computer system.

4. The ticket processing system of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the onsite computer system and the remote computer system are configured to perform diagnostic analysis of the onsite computer system.

5. The ticket processing system of claim 4 , wherein the onsite computer system is configured to store a log file in the onsite non-transitory memory, and the remote computer system is configured to capture and download the log file.

6. The ticket processing system of claim 5 , wherein the onsite computer system is a client and the remote computer system is a server.

7. The ticket processing system of claim 1 , wherein the onsite computer system is a dedicated embedded system.

8. The ticket processing system of claim 1 , wherein the onsite computer system includes a printer for printing the ticket.

9. The ticket processing system of claim 1 , wherein the raw ticket data captures ticket information printed on the ticket.

10. The ticket processing system of claim 1 , wherein the ticket template is a markup file written in a markup language.

11. The ticket processing system of claim 1 , wherein the ticket is a paperless ticket and the onsite computer system includes a transmitter/receiver to transmit the paperless ticket to a road truck.

12. The ticket processing system of claim 1 , wherein the remote computer system includes a user interface adapted to allow a user to manually generate the ticket template and to manually generate the configuration file.

13. A method for enabling the generation of a ticket associated with a material transfer at a material production facility comprising:
generating at a remote computer system a configuration file for configuring operational settings on an onsite computer system operatively associated with the material production facility and uploading the configuration file to the onsite computer system;
rebooting the onsite computer system from the remote computer system to load and read the configuration file;
capturing and downloading raw ticket data from the onsite computer system to a remote computer system; and
generating at the remote computer system a ticket template from the raw ticket data for generation of a ticket and uploading the ticket template to the onsite computer system.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising diagnostically analyzing the onsite computer system and downloading a diagnostic analysis to the remote computer system.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising conducing error detection on the onsite computer and communicating an error signal to the remote computer system in the event an error is detected.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising remotely accessing the onsite computer system from the remote computer system to edit the system software.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the onsite computer system is a client and the remote computer system is a server.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the onsite computer system is a dedicated embedded system.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the remote computer system includes a user interface adapted to allow a user to manually generate the ticket template and to manually generate the configuration file.

20. A ticket processing system comprising:
an onsite computer system operationally configured by a configuration file to store raw ticket data in the onsite memory and to generate a ticket from a ticket template stored in wherein the ticket is associated with a material transfer; and
a remote computer system configured to generate and upload the configuration file to the onsite computer system, to communicate with the onsite computer system to capture and download the raw ticket data from onsite memory, and to generate and upload a ticket template for generation of the ticket,
the remote computer system being further configured to access and edit system software on the onsite computer system in the event an error signal is transmitted from the onsite computer system to the remote computer system.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Subramanian Gautham
• Mcalpine Jacob J
• Marsolek John L

Classifications

• G05B19/4184

  characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system · CPC title

• G06F9/44505 Primary

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• G06Q10/063114 Primary

  Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group · CPC title

• E01C19/1009

  Plant wherein type or construction of the mixer are irrelevant (E01C19/1004 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B2219/32356

  For diagnostics · CPC title