Systems and methods for electronically assessing operator performance when operating a machine based on machine-related data associated with the machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11746498-B2
Application number	US-202017105903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2020
Priority date	Nov 27, 2020
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A system and method for electronically assessing operator performance when operating a working machine adapted to handle or process ground material. The system and method can identify compliance with operating instructions for operating the working machine and/or can uniquely characterize functions of the working machine based on external factors.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for managing work projects for haul trucks comprising:
a work project management module of a first entity, including memory and processing circuitry, configured to receive and process work project information for a work project to be performed by one or more haul trucks of a second entity different from the first entity, the work project information including worksite data regarding one or more worksites associated with the work project, haul truck data regarding the one or more haul trucks, and operator data regarding one or more operators for the one or more haul trucks; and
a routing module of a third entity different from the first and second entities, which is accessible by the second entity, configured to receive the work project information from the work project module, determine job-specific route information for the work project for each of the one or more haul trucks based on the work project information, and provide the determined job-specific route information in the context of a map to each of the one or more haul trucks for display on a display device in the haul truck,
wherein the work project management module is configured to, for each of the one or more haul trucks, receive actual route information regarding an actual route taken for the work project by the haul truck, compare the actual route information to the job-specific route information, and determine route deviation, if any, regarding the comparison,
wherein the work project management module is configured to electronically output feedback to the second entity regarding the determined route deviation,
wherein the feedback electronically output by the work project management module includes compliance information for each of the one or more haul trucks pertaining to the route deviation for the work project,
wherein the compliance information includes a scaled compliance score based on an adjusted operating point of the one or more haul trucks, the adjustment of the operating point being a reduction of the operating point based on the collected road surface-related information, and
wherein the scaled compliance score is within compliance even with the route deviation for the work project and the reduction of the operating point.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the determined route deviation includes deviation in terms of actual time versus estimated time to complete a job-specific route of the job-specific route information and/or in terms of actual path compared to path of the job-specific route of the job-specific route information.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the haul truck data includes data regarding capacity, height, and/or width of the one or more haul trucks, and the of the job-specific route information is determined for each of the one or more haul trucks based on the capacity, height, and/or width of the haul truck.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the job-specific route information includes a shortest path for the haul truck in terms of time and/or distance to reach a final destination for the work project.

5. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a back office telematics module of a fourth entity different from the first, second, and third entities, having memory and processing circuitry, the back office telematics module being configured to provide at least the worksite data of the work project information to the work project management module.

6. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein a job-specific route of the job-specific route information includes multiple segments, including a first segment for the haul truck to arrive at a loading site and a second segment for the haul truck for leaving the loading site with hauling material, and
wherein the job-specific route is provided or updated at least at a beginning of each of the multiple segments.

7. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein a job-specific route of the job-specific route information includes multiple segments, including a first segment for the haul truck to arrive at a loading site and a second segment for the haul truck to arrive at a dump site after being loaded at the loading site, and
wherein the job-specific route indicates, as part of the second segment, a time or time window at which the haul truck must arrive at the loading site in order to be loaded with hauling material to ensure the hauling material is provided to the dump site within a predetermined amount of time based on characteristics of the hauling material, a time at which the hauling material is expected to be ready for loading, and/or operations to be performed at the dump site that require the hauling material.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the scaled compliance score is based on the adjusted operating point of the one or more haul trucks determined by the one or more haul trucks collecting road surface-related information in real time and a back office telematics module correlating the collected road surface-related information to a segment of a job-specific route of the job-specific route information.

9. A method for electronically assessing operator performance when operating ground material moving machines, the method comprising:
providing, to a routing module, work project information for a work project, the work project information including at least worksite data regarding one or more worksites associated with the work project and ground material moving machine data regarding one or more ground material moving machines identified to perform the work project;
determining, using a work project management module, for each of the one or more ground material moving machines, route deviation for the work project based on comparison of actual route information regarding an actual route taken by the ground material moving machine with instructed route information for the work project produced by the routing module prior to commencement of the actual route taken by the ground material moving machine; and
electronically outputting, by the work project management module, feedback regarding the determined route deviation,
wherein the feedback regarding the determined route deviation for said electronically outputting includes compliance information for each of the one or more ground material moving machines pertaining to the determined route deviation,
wherein the compliance information includes a scaled compliance score based on an adjusted operating point of the one or more ground material moving machines determined by the one or more ground material moving machines collecting road surface-related information in real time,
wherein the adjustment of the operating point is a reduction of the operating point based on the collected road surface-related information, and
wherein the scaled compliance score is within compliance even with the route deviation for the work project and the reduction of the operating point.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the determined route deviation includes deviation in terms of actual time versus estimated time to complete a job-specific route of the instructed route information and/or in terms of actual path compared to path of the job-specific route of the instructed route information.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the ground material moving machine data includes data regarding capacity, height, and/or width of the one or more ground material moving machines, and the instructed route information is determined for each of the ground material moving machines based on the capacity, height, and/or width of the ground moving machine.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the ins

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Subramanian Gautham
• Bomer Bradley K
• Mcbride Shane C
• Declerk Allen J

Classifications

• E02F9/2045 Primary

  Guiding machines along a predetermined path (for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004) · CPC title

• E02F9/2054

  Fleet management · CPC title

• G07C5/008

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title

• G07C5/0808

  Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005) · CPC title

• G06Q50/02 Primary

  Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining · CPC title