Method for remote monitoring equipment for an agricultural machine

Abstract

A method of providing information from a plurality of fleet machines located at a plurality of locations for purposes of permitting a manager of fleet equipment to make management decisions pertaining to a fleet comprised of such equipment, monitoring functional operational data from individual machines in a fleet of machines, conveying the monitored data to a remote server, converting the monitored data into a first group pertaining to current existing operational data, and into a second group comprised of past historical data, and transmitting by wirelss means to a person having responsibility for the fleet information at least one of the groups of data.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of providing information from a plurality of fleet machines located at a plurality of locations for purposes of permitting a manager of fleet equipment to make management decisions pertaining to a fleet comprised of such equipment, comprising, 
 monitoring functional operational data from individual machines in a fleet of machines,    conveying the monitored data to a remote server,    converting the monitored data into a first summary group comprised of past historical data, and into a second snapshot group pertaining to current existing operational data,    and transmitting to a person having responsibility for the fleet information at least one of the groups of data.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the transmitted data is conveyed by wireless means.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first summary group of data includes historical data at least from one of the machine functions related to machine location, area covered by the machine, engine hours, ground speed, engine speed, fuel used, fuel used/hour, load functions, current machine locations, engine coolant temperature, and rear PTO speed.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the first summary group of data includes one or more of the past historical data relating to the machine functions of the second snapshot group.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein data of the second snapshot group is automatically transmitted whenever the step of monitoring senses operational data predetermined to be an emergency condition.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein data of the second snapshot group is automatically transmitted whenever the step of monitoring senses operational data predetermined to be an emergency condition.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the second snapshot group includes current and instantaneous data at least from one of the machine functions related to fuel tank level, ground speed, engine speed, hydraulic oil temperatures, engine coolant temperature wheel slips and gears, whether the machine is currently working, idling, or in a transport mode.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein an information retrievable system is used with the machine composed of remote monitoring equipment comprising a communications controller/computer on the machine and connected to data buses on the machine, and secondary controllers on the machine are connected to further buses on the machine and to further sensors which pass emergency information to the communications controller computer.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein an information retrievable system is used with the machine composed of remote monitoring equipment comprising a communications controller/computer on the machine and connected to data buses on the machine, and secondary controllers on the machine are connected to further buses on the machine and to further sensors which pass emergency information to the communications controller computer.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein an information retrievable system is used with the machine composed of remote monitoring equipment comprising a communications controller/computer on the machine and connected to data buses on the machine, and secondary controllers on the machine are connected to further buses on the machine and to further sensors which pass emergency information to the communications controller computer.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3  wherein an information retrievable system is used with the machine composed of remote monitoring equipment comprising a communications controller/computer on the machine and connected to data buses on the machine, and secondary controllers on the machine are connected to further buses on the machine and to further sensors which pass emergency information to the communications controller computer.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the informational system further comprises a central information and communications server which handles over-the-air information transmission to a remote machine communications controller/computer and to a network communications system, and to a data server.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the data server accepts operational data predetermined to be emergency conditions and reports the same to a plurality of predetermined destinations.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the data pertaining to emergency conditions is sent to a customer service destination.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the data concerning the emergency conditions is sent to the person having responsibility for fleet information along with any report from the customer service destination.