Work machine and communication monitoring method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9906967-B2
Application number	US-201414785974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2014
Priority date	Apr 30, 2013
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed are a work machine and a communication monitoring method that allow recording of work information even in the event of interruption of communication in a communication path between the work machine, a mobile communication terminal and a server. There is provided a control section ( 71 ) configured to transmit work information to a server (Z) via a communication section ( 68 ) and a smartphone (Y) if a monitoring section ( 69 ) detects that communication is possible between the communication section ( 68 ) and the smartphone (Y) and also to cause a storage section ( 70 ) to store the work information if the monitoring section ( 69 ) detects that communication is not possible between the communication section ( 68 ) and the smartphone (Y).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A work machine comprising:
a work section for effecting a ground work;
a communication section capable of communication with an external server via a mobile communication terminal, the mobile communication terminal comprising a GPS acquiring section and a terminal display; and
a control section operatively connected to the communication section and configured to:
receive GPS location information and field identification information of a field in which a work is to be effected from the mobile communication terminal, wherein the GPS location information is acquired by the GPS acquiring section of the mobile communication terminal and the field identification information is generated by the mobile communication terminal requesting a field map from the external server, displaying the field map on the terminal display of the mobile communication terminal, and selecting the field identification information of the field upon which the ground work is to be effected;
generate work information based on the ground work effected by the work section;
associate the work information with the GPS location information and the field identification information; and
transmit the work information, associated with the GPS location information and the field identification information, to the external server via the communication section and the mobile communication terminal.

2. The work machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a monitoring section for monitoring communication condition between the communication section and the mobile communication terminal; and
a storage section capable of storing information of the ground work effected by the work section.

3. The work machine of claim 2 , wherein the work information, associated with the GPS location information and the field identification information, is transmitted to the external server when the monitoring section detects that communication is possible between the mobile communication terminal and the external server.

4. The work machine of claim 3 , wherein the storage section or a terminal storage section of the mobile communication terminal stores the work information, associated with the GPS location information and the field identification information, when the monitoring section detects that no communication is possible between the mobile communication terminal and the external server.

5. The work machine of claim 2 , wherein the work information, associated with the GPS location information and the field identification information, is transmitted to the external server when the monitoring section detects that communication is possible between the communication section and the mobile communication terminal.

6. The work machine of claim 5 , wherein the storage section stores the work information, associated with the GPS location information and the field identification information, when the monitoring section detects that no communication is possible between the communication section and the mobile communication terminal.

7. The work machine of claim 2 , further comprising:
an alarming section to effect alarming to a driver when the monitoring section detects that the communication is not possible.

8. The work machine of claim 2 , wherein the control section links time information at time point of detection of communication impossibility by the monitoring section with the work information.

9. The work machine of claim 1 , wherein the communication section is configured to communicate with the mobile communication terminal via a short-range wireless communication protocol and the mobile communication terminal is configured to communicate with the external server via a long-range wireless communication protocol.

10. A communication method for communication information between a work machine that effects a ground work, an external server and a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:
acquiring GPS location information by a GPS acquiring section of the mobile communication terminal;
generating field identification information by the mobile communication terminal requesting a field map from the external server, displaying the field map on a terminal display of the mobile communication terminal, and selecting the field identification information of the field upon which the ground work is to be effected;
transmitting the GPS location information and the field identification information from the mobile communication terminal to a communication section of the work machine;
generating work information by a control section of the work machine based on the ground work effected by a work section of the work machine;
associating the work information with the GPS location information and the field identification information by the control section of the work machine; and
transmitting the work information, associated with the GPS location information and the field identification information, to the external server via the communication section and the mobile communication terminal.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Inoue Hirotsugu
• Takahara Kazuhiro
• Ikeda Hiroshi
• Matsufuji Kazunori

Classifications

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• E02F9/264

  Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool · CPC title

• H04W4/006

  Electricity · mapped topic

• A01D41/127 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines · CPC title

• E02F9/2054

  Fleet management · CPC title