Automatic connection to work site equipment groupings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11924716-B2
Application number	US-202318124274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2023
Priority date	Jan 15, 2021
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

A work site equipment grouping system includes a plurality of work machines including a first work machine and a second work machine. Each work machine is configured to wirelessly communicate with other work machines. The system further includes a local area network including a plurality of communicatively connected nodes, the nodes including the first work machine and the second work machine. The system further includes a third work machine configured to detect one of the first work machine or the second work machine within a signal range of the third work machine and, upon detecting one of the first work machine or the second work machine, automatically join the local area network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A work site equipment grouping system, the system comprising:
a plurality of work machines including a first work machine and a second work machine, each work machine configured to wirelessly communicate with other work machines;
a local area network including a plurality of communicatively connected nodes, the nodes comprising the first work machine and the second work machine,
a third work machine configured to:
detect one of the first work machine or the second work machine within a signal range of the third work machine; and
upon detecting one of the first work machine or the second work machine, automatically join the local area network.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each machine is configured to transmit, via the local area network, machine-specific data to the other machines.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the machine-specific data comprises at least one of a location of a work machine, an operational height of a lifting implement of a work machine, a location of the lifting implement, a speed of a work machine, a direction of travel of a work machine, or environmental sensor readings.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the local area network is a mesh network, wherein each node in the mesh network is configured to simultaneously connect with each other node within a signal range of the respective node.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a user device, wherein at least one node is communicatively connected to the user device, and wherein the user device is configured to display a list o(Original) f machines connected to the local area network as a group.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the user device is configured to receive a notification when a machine joins or leaves the local area network.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein machines are configured to be removed from the local area network based on inputs from the user device or based on predefined criteria.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein automatically joining the local area network comprises transmitting an access code to at least one machine connected to the local area network.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein each work machine is communicatively connected to the local area network via a connectivity module coupled to each respective work machine.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nodes includes a connectivity hub configured to broadcast a work site identification signal.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the connectivity hub is communicatively connected to a remote computing system configured to process data from the local area network.

12. A first work machine comprising:
a chassis;
a lifting implement coupled to the chassis;
a connectivity module coupled to the chassis, the connectivity module configured to wirelessly communicate with nodes in a network;
one or more processing circuits coupled to the connectivity module, the one or more processing circuits comprising one or more memory devices coupled to one or more processors, the one or more memory devices configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
detect, via the connectivity module, a second work machine within a signal radius of the connectivity module, the second work machine being communicatively coupled to a third work machine in a local area network;
upon detecting the second work machine, automatically join the local area network; and
after joining the local area network, communicate with the third work machine.

13. The first work machine of claim 12 , wherein communicating with the third work machine comprises communicating with the third work machine via a communicative connection to the second work machine when the third work machine is outside the signal radius of the connectivity module of the first work machine.

14. The first work machine of claim 12 , wherein the connectivity module comprises a beacon, and wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
instruct, in response to the first work machine joining the local area network, the beacon to provide an audible or visual indication that the first work machine has joined the local area network.

15. The first work machine of claim 14 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
instruct, in response to detecting that the first work machine has been disconnected from the local area network, the beacon to provide an indication that the first work machine has left the local area network.

16. The first work machine of claim 12 , wherein automatically joining the local area network comprises:
receiving, via the connectivity module, a message from the second work machine inviting the first work machine to join the local area network; and
sending, via the connectivity module, a confirmatory message to the second work machine.

17. The first work machine of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to send, via the connectivity module, a notification to a user device communicatively coupled to the local area network that the first work machine has been added to the local area network.

18. The first work machine of claim 17 , wherein the connectivity module is configured to connect to the user device via a connectivity hub of the local area network.

19. The first work machine of claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
detect, via the connectivity module that one of the second work machine or the third work machine has been disconnected from the local area network;
send, via the connectivity module in response to detecting that the second work machine has been disconnected the local area network, a notification to a user device communicatively coupled to the local area network that the second work machine has left the local area network; and
send, via the connectivity module in response to detecting that the third work machine has left the local area network, a notification to the user device that the third work machine has left the local area network.

20. The first work machine of claim 12 , wherein the connectivity module is configured to simultaneously connect with each work machine in the local area network within the signal radius.

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp
• Oskhosh Corp

Inventors

• Kobel Korry D
• Yutzy Fredric L
• Adamson Dan
• Eshleman Stefan
• Booth Patrick

Classifications

• H04L67/125

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title

• H04L67/56

  Provisioning of proxy services (store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54) · CPC title

• H04W4/44

  for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H] · CPC title

• H04W4/46

  for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V] · CPC title

• H04W4/38

  for collecting sensor information · CPC title