Short Range Peer-to-Peer Communications System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016134995-A1
Application number	US-201414536844-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 10, 2014
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A short range peer-to-peer communications system for communicating between mobile machines includes a first machine having a first prime mover, a first ground engaging drive mechanism operatively connected to the first prime mover to propel the first machine about a work site, and a first peer-to-peer transmitter system on the first machine for transmitting a first signal indicative of a characteristic associated with operating of the first machine. A second machine has a second prime mover, a second ground engaging drive mechanism operatively connected to the second prime mover to propel the second machine about the work site, and a second peer-to-peer receiver system for receiving the first signal directly from the first peer-to-peer transmitter system.

First claim

1 . A short range peer-to-peer communications system for communicating between mobile machines, comprising:
a first machine including; a first prime mover;
a first ground engaging drive mechanism operatively connected to the first prime mover to propel the first machine about a work site;
a first peer-to-peer transmitter system on the first machine for transmitting a first signal indicative of a characteristic associated with operating of the first machine;
a second machine including;
a second prime mover;
a second ground engaging drive mechanism operatively connected to the second prime mover to propel the second machine about the work site;
a second peer-to-peer receiver system for receiving the first signal directly from the first peer-to-peer transmitter system.

2 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal includes a capacity of the second machine.

3 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal includes a characteristic of a load within the first machine.

4 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 3 , wherein the characteristic of the load is a temperature of the load.

5 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 3 , wherein the characteristic of the load is a type of material making up the load.

6 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal includes a speed of the first machine.

7 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal includes an amount of material within the first machine.

8 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal includes a position of the first machine at the work site.

9 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 1 , wherein the second machine further includes a second peer-to-peer transmitter system on the second machine for transmitting a second signal indicative of a characteristic and the first machine further includes a first peer-to-peer receiver system on the first machine for receiving the second signal directly from the second peer-to-peer transmitter system.

10 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 9 , wherein the second signal includes a load within the second machine.

11 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 10 , wherein the first signal includes an available capacity of the first machine.

12 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 10 , wherein the first signal includes an amount of material within the first machine.

13 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 10 , wherein the second signal includes a characteristic of a load within the second machine.

14 . The short range peer-to-peer communications system of claim 1 , wherein the second signal includes a desired speed of the first machine.

15 . A method of communication between mobile machines at a work site, comprising:
propelling a first machine about the work site with a first prime mover operatively connected to a first ground engaging drive mechanism; transmitting a first signal with a first peer-to-peer transmitter system on the first machine indicative of a characteristic associated with operating the first machine; propelling a second machine about the work site with a second prime mover operatively connected to a second ground engaging drive mechanism; and receiving the first signal directly from the first peer-to-peer transmitter system at a second peer-to-peer receiver system on the second machine.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further including transmitting a second signal with a second peer-to-peer transmitter system on the second machine indicative of a characteristic associated with operating the second machine and receiving the second signal directly from the second peer-to-peer transmitter system at a first peer-to-peer receiver system on the first machine.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further including determining a load within the first machine based upon operation of the second machine.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further including a load within the first machine and an available capacity within the second machine.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further including synchronizing a speed of the first machine and the second machine.

20 . The method of claim 16 , further including positioning the first machine relative to the second machine.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Mccoy Steven R
• Rector Stephen W

Classifications

• H04L67/104

  Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks · CPC title

• H04W4/008 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/023

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04W4/80 Primary

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title