JP7465755B2 - Fault diagnosis system for work vehicle and computer program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a fault diagnosis system for a work vehicle and a computer program for operating a terminal device of the fault diagnosis system.

Conventional work vehicles include dump trucks for transporting soil and sand, crane trucks for lifting cargo, and refuse collection vehicles for collecting refuse. When a malfunction occurs in a movable device of a work vehicle, it is often difficult for the user of the work vehicle to handle the malfunction, so the user generally requests a repair company to repair it. The repair company that receives the request actually operates the movable device where the malfunction has occurred and checks it to identify the cause of the malfunction. As a method for identifying malfunctions in work vehicles, for example, as in Patent Document 1, a fault diagnosis support computer is connected to the target vehicle to perform the operation. In Patent Document 1, a fault diagnosis support computer is connected to the target vehicle and operated, and a command to reproduce the operation of the movable device is input from the fault diagnosis support computer to the controller of the target vehicle. The input/output signal data at that time is compared with input/output signal data related to normal operation to identify the cause of the malfunction.

Patent No. 5391090

Typically, work vehicles are equipped with various options according to the user's requests, and the specifications of each vehicle are different. For this reason, when inputting an operation reproduction command using a fault diagnosis support computer, as in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to accurately grasp the specifications of the target vehicle and select and input an operation reproduction command that matches those specifications. Furthermore, with the method in Patent Document 1, if the structure of the target vehicle is not understood, it is difficult to identify the cause of the malfunction even if the input/output signal data is compared with input/output signal data related to normal operation.

Therefore, conventionally, in order to identify the cause of a malfunction, a repairman who is familiar with the specifications and structure of the work vehicle must travel to the site of the target vehicle, or the work vehicle must be transported to the repairman's repair shop. At the time of such travel, the cause of the malfunction cannot be identified, and naturally the cause must be identified after arriving at the site, and the necessary replacement parts and work equipment must be prepared after identification. In particular, there may be cases where the repairman travels back and forth between the site and the repair shop just to make these preparations. Therefore, there is an issue of time loss from the time the user notices a malfunction to the time it is identified and the time it takes to start dealing with the identified cause of the malfunction.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a fault diagnosis system and computer program for a work vehicle that efficiently identifies the cause of a malfunction in a work vehicle while minimizing time loss.

The fault diagnosis system for a work vehicle according to the present invention includes a control unit used to operate a plurality of equipment provided on the work vehicle, a mobile terminal connected to the control unit for communication, and a server connected to the mobile terminal by wireless communication. The server has a list generation unit that generates a fault diagnosis list for the equipment, and a server-side communication unit that transmits the fault diagnosis list to the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal has an acquisition unit that acquires identification information of the work vehicle, a first communication unit that transmits a diagnostic signal based on the fault diagnosis list to the control unit and receives from the control unit operation information obtained by operating the control unit based on the diagnostic signal, a judgment unit that judges a fault in the equipment based on the operation information, and a second communication unit that is connected to the acquisition unit and the judgment unit and transmits the information obtained by each to the server. The fault diagnosis list is generated based on the identification information. Here, "equipment" broadly includes devices that are standardly installed on a work vehicle, and additional equipment, parts, etc., and for example, in a garbage collection vehicle, a garbage loading device, a garbage discharge device, etc. are standard movable devices installed. In addition, options for waste collection trucks include a waste container inversion device, on-board weighing scale, an in-work sign, and an entanglement injury reduction device.

According to the above-mentioned fault diagnosis system for a work vehicle, identification information for identifying each work vehicle is transmitted from the mobile terminal to the server, and the server generates a fault diagnosis list based on the identification information. In addition, in the judgment unit of the mobile terminal, a diagnosis signal based on the fault diagnosis list is used to operate the control unit, and a fault in the equipment is judged based on the operation information. Furthermore, judgment information regarding the fault is transmitted from the mobile terminal to the server. If the user of the work vehicle uses this mobile terminal, the user can judge the fault of the equipment without waiting for the arrival of a repairman at the site of the work vehicle, and the time loss until the fault of the equipment is judged can be reduced. In addition, since the fault diagnosis list is generated based on the identification information for identifying the work vehicle, a fault diagnosis list for each work vehicle, which has different specifications, can be accurately created, and the fault diagnosis of the work vehicle can be accurately performed based on the fault diagnosis list. Furthermore, for example, if a repairman accesses the server before moving to the site of the work vehicle and checks the information (information regarding the fault of the equipment and operation information) transmitted from the second communication unit, he or she can move to the site after preparing replacement parts, work equipment, etc.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, an identifier containing the identification information is attached to the work vehicle. The mobile terminal includes a reading unit that reads the identifier. The acquisition unit is configured to acquire the identification information based on the identifier read by bringing the reading unit close to the identifier.

According to the above aspect, when a user carrying a mobile terminal obtains identification information of a work vehicle, the user moves close to the identifier of the work vehicle and brings the reading unit of the mobile terminal close to the identifier. This allows the user to actually see and confirm the work vehicle from which identification information is to be obtained, thereby preventing the user from erroneously obtaining identification information of an unintended work vehicle.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mobile terminal has a display unit that displays the judgment information of the judgment unit.

According to the above embodiment, the information on the equipment malfunction (e.g., "There is a problem with the opening and closing device") is displayed on the display of the mobile device, so the user can see whether there is a malfunction and where the malfunction is by looking at the display.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the equipment is selected from a plurality of equipment candidates and provided on the work vehicle. The server includes a storage unit that stores individual diagnosis lists for diagnosing the equipment candidates in correspondence with each of the equipment candidates. The list generation unit is configured to combine the individual diagnosis lists based on the identification information to generate the fault diagnosis list.

According to the above aspect, individual diagnosis lists corresponding to each equipment candidate are stored in the memory unit of the server, and a fault diagnosis list is generated by combining the individual diagnosis lists based on the identification information. Therefore, a fault diagnosis list can be generated that corresponds to work vehicles, each of which is equipped with different equipment.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fault diagnosis list includes signal input/output information indicating the relationship between an output signal that the control unit outputs to the accessory based on the diagnostic signal and a normal input signal that is input to the control unit based on the output of the output signal.

According to the above aspect, for example, when operation information for activating a control unit based on a diagnostic signal is obtained as the relationship between an output signal from the control unit to an equipment and an input signal to the control unit, this operation information can be compared with signal input/output information to easily and accurately grasp a malfunction of the equipment.

The computer program according to the present invention is a computer program for causing a mobile terminal having a first communication unit, a second communication unit, and a calculation unit to function as a terminal device of a fault diagnosis system that communicates between a server having data on multiple equipment items in a work vehicle and a control unit of the work vehicle. The calculation unit of the mobile terminal is caused to function as a judgment unit that judges a fault in the equipment items based on operation information of the control unit, and an acquisition unit that acquires identification information of the work vehicle, and the calculation unit is caused to function to transmit a diagnostic signal based on the data to the control unit via the first communication unit, receive from the control unit the result of the operation of the control unit based on the diagnostic signal as the operation information, and transmit information of the judgment unit and the acquisition unit to the server via the second communication unit. Here, "data" refers to data for diagnosing faults in equipment items.

According to the above computer program, the calculation unit of the mobile terminal causes the judgment unit to function to judge whether or not an equipment malfunctions based on the operation information of the control unit. The calculation unit is then caused to function to transmit information related to the judgment of the judgment unit to a server via the second communication unit. In this way, since the mobile terminal judges whether or not an equipment malfunctions, there is no need to wait for a repair person to arrive at the site of the work vehicle to judge whether or not the malfunction occurs, and the time lost until the malfunction is judged can be reduced. In addition, for example, a repair person can access the server and check the information transmitted via the second communication unit (information related to the judgment of the judgment unit), so that the repair person can prepare replacement parts, work equipment, etc. before moving to the site.

As described above, according to the present invention, a user can determine whether an equipment malfunction has occurred without waiting for a repairman to arrive at the work vehicle site, thereby reducing the time lost while determining whether an equipment malfunction has occurred.

1 is a configuration diagram of a fault diagnosis system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic diagram of a control system of the work vehicle. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a fault diagnosis system according to an embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing how to perform a fault diagnosis on a work vehicle using the fault diagnosis method according to the embodiment. 4A is a front view of a mobile terminal before being connected to a control unit of a work vehicle, and FIG. 4B is a front view of the mobile terminal after being connected to the control unit of the work vehicle. 1A is a diagram conceptually showing an individual diagnosis list, and FIG. 1B is a diagram conceptually showing a fault diagnosis list. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing operation information obtained by performing a fault diagnosis. FIG. 2 is a front view of the mobile terminal, showing a skeleton diagram of the work vehicle and operation information displayed thereon.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a fault diagnosis system 1 according to this embodiment is composed of a control unit 10 provided in a work vehicle 5, a mobile terminal 20 held in the hand of a user 3, and a server 30 capable of wireless communication (capable of sending and receiving data) with the mobile terminal 20 via the Internet 2. There are no limitations on the type of work vehicle 5, but here, a garbage collection vehicle that collects garbage will be used as an example for description.

As shown in FIG. 1, the work vehicle 5 (refuse collection vehicle 5) according to this embodiment includes a driver's cab 41, a refuse input box 42 into which refuse is input, a refuse storage box 43 that is connected to the refuse input box 42 and stores the refuse, and a refuse loading device 44 provided in the refuse input box 42. The refuse input into the refuse input box 42 is loaded into the refuse storage box 43 by the refuse loading device 44 and transported. The refuse loading device 44 includes a slider (not shown) that can slide up and down, and a compression plate (not shown) that is provided at the lower end of the slider so as to be rotatable back and forth. One end of a slide cylinder 441 is attached to the slider. The other end of the slide cylinder 441 is attached to the side wall of the refuse input box 42. When the slide cylinder 441 is extended, the slider and the compression plate rise, and when the slide cylinder 441 is retracted, the slider and the compression plate descend. The retracted state of the slide cylinder 441 is detected by a retraction detection sensor 442, and the extended state is detected by an extension detection sensor 443. A press cylinder 446 is provided between the slider and the compression plate, and the compression plate rotates back and forth relative to the slider by the extension and contraction of the press cylinder 446. When the loading button 444 provided on the garbage input box 42 is pressed, the compression plate is first reversed toward the rear by the retraction of the press cylinder 446, and then the compression plate descends by the retraction of the slide cylinder 441, and the garbage in the garbage input box 42 is primarily compressed. Next, the press cylinder 446 extends, causing the compression plate to rotate forward and compress the garbage a second time, and then the slide cylinder 441 extends, causing the compression plate to rise, scooping up the garbage and loading it into the garbage storage box 43.

This garbage collection vehicle 5 is designed to collect garbage in a specified garbage container, and is equipped with a garbage container inverting device (not shown) that inverts the garbage container to dump the garbage into a garbage dump box 42. The garbage container inverting device is driven by an inverting cylinder 445 (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, not only the garbage loading device 44 and the garbage container inverting device, but also other devices and parts (e.g., work lights) mounted on the work vehicle 5 correspond to "equipment".

As shown in FIG. 2, the control system of the garbage collection vehicle 5 includes the control unit 10 and the control valve unit 45. The control unit 10 receives operation signals from the loading button 444, detection signals from the contraction detection sensor 442 and the extension detection sensor 443, and outputs an operation signal to the control valve unit 45 based on these signals so that the garbage loading device 44 and the garbage container inversion device operate as desired. The control valve unit 45 operates in response to the operation signal from the control unit 10, and supplies and discharges hydraulic oil to the slide cylinder 441 and the inversion cylinder 445.

The control unit 10 includes a box-shaped case and an electronic circuit board provided inside the case. A sticker on which a matrix-type two-dimensional code (hereinafter referred to as a two-dimensional code) 15 such as a QR code (registered trademark) is printed is attached to the case. A serial number is registered at the manufacturing site for the work vehicle 5 before shipping. The serial number is registered for each work vehicle 5, and each work vehicle 5 has a unique registration number. The two-dimensional code includes the serial number of the work vehicle 5 coded as identification information for identifying the work vehicle 5. In this embodiment, the two-dimensional code corresponds to the "identifier" and the serial number corresponds to the "identification information." The serial number may be registered not only before shipping, but also after shipping. The location of registration is not limited to the manufacturing site. Since registration may be performed after shipping, the present invention is not limited to new work vehicles 5, and can be applied to work vehicles 5 that have already been used.

Figure 3 is a block diagram of the fault diagnosis system 1. The control unit 10 includes a communication device 11 that wirelessly communicates with the mobile terminal 20, a calculation device 12, an identification data memory 13, and a vehicle data memory 14. The identification data memory 13 stores data (hereinafter referred to as identification data) related to identification information (here, the serial number of the work vehicle 5) for identifying the work vehicle 5. Based on this identification data, the work vehicle 5 can be distinguished from other work vehicles, and the work vehicle 5 can be uniquely identified. The vehicle data memory 14 stores vehicle data of the work vehicle 5. The identification data memory 13 and the vehicle data memory 14 may be physically configured by the same memory, or may be configured by different memories. Note that the vehicle data is various data related to the work vehicle 5 (for example, data related to the specifications, driving state, driving history, maintenance, etc. of the work vehicle 5). The work vehicle 5 according to this embodiment includes multiple sensors (not shown) in addition to the contraction detection sensor 442 and the extension detection sensor 443. For example, various data detected by these sensors and data obtained by combining these data constitute the vehicle data. Based on the vehicle data, it is possible to check the driving history of the work vehicle 5, etc.

The mobile terminal 20 is a portable terminal device that can be operated by the user directly by hand. Here, the portable terminal device refers to an information terminal device that can be carried by the user 3. The portable terminal device may be, for example, a general-purpose portable terminal device such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a notebook computer, or may be a dedicated portable terminal device for the fault diagnosis system 1. The mobile terminal 20 has a first communication unit 21A that performs wireless communication with the control unit 10, a second communication unit 21B that performs wireless communication with the server 30, a calculation unit 25, an input unit 22, a display unit 23, a camera 24 as an imaging device, and a memory 26. The calculation unit 25 has an acquisition unit 27 and a judgment unit 28. Each of the acquisition unit 27 and the judgment unit 28 is connected to the second communication unit 21B so as to be able to transmit and receive information (signals). The input unit 22 has a function used by the user 3 to input information, and is, for example, a button or a touch panel display. It is also possible to use a device with a voice input function as the input unit 22. The display unit 23 is a device that displays characters, figures, images, etc., and is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc. Note that instead of connecting the mobile terminal 20 and the control unit 10 via wireless communication, they may be connected with a communication cable for wired communication.

In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 20 is configured by a smartphone. The memory 26 stores application software (computer program) that causes the smartphone to function as a terminal device of the fault diagnosis system 1 that communicates between the server 30 and the control unit 10 of the work vehicle 5. By starting this application software, a general-purpose smartphone can function as a terminal device of the fault diagnosis system 1 of the work vehicle. By starting the application software, the calculation unit 25 functions as a judgment unit 28 that judges a malfunction of an accessory based on the operation information of the control unit 10 (operation information 38 described later). The calculation unit 25 also functions as an acquisition unit 27 that acquires identification information of the work vehicle 5. Furthermore, the calculation unit 25 functions to transmit a diagnosis signal based on data to the control unit 10 via the first communication unit 21A, and to receive from the control unit 10 the result of the operation of the control unit 10 based on the diagnosis signal as operation information. The calculation unit 25 also functions to transmit information of the judgment unit 28 and the acquisition unit 27 to the server 30 via the second communication unit 21B.

The server 30 is, for example, a computer that manages the work vehicle 5 based on the vehicle data of the work vehicle 5. The server 30 is installed, for example, on the premises of a manufacturer that manufactures the work vehicle 5, a repair shop that maintains the work vehicle 5, or a company to which the user 3 of the work vehicle 5 belongs. The server 30 has a server-side communication unit 31 that wirelessly communicates with the second communication unit 21B via the Internet 2, a calculation unit 32, a list generation unit 33, and a memory unit 36. The list generation unit 33 generates a fault diagnosis list 34 for performing fault diagnosis of the work vehicle 5. The fault diagnosis list 34 includes signal input/output information 35 that indicates the relationship between an input signal input to the control unit 10 and a normal output signal when the input signal is input. The memory unit 36 stores an individual diagnosis list 37 for performing fault diagnosis of the equipment candidate corresponding to each equipment candidate (including equipment mounted on other work vehicles in addition to equipment mounted on the work vehicle 5), operation information 38, and judgment information 39. The list generation unit 33 combines the individual diagnosis lists 37 based on the identification information to generate the fault diagnosis list 34.

Next, a method for performing fault diagnosis on a work vehicle 5 using the fault diagnosis system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 4. Here, it is assumed that the first communication unit 21A of the mobile terminal 20 and the communication device 11 of the control unit 10 of the work vehicle 5 perform wireless communication via Bluetooth (registered trademark). It is assumed that the serial number of the work vehicle 5 that the user 3 is about to use is "222222".

The user 3 operates the mobile terminal 20 carried by the user to start the application software described above (step S1 in FIG. 4). Here, data (identification data) including the serial number of the work vehicle 5 is transmitted from the control unit 10 (step S2). The first communication unit 21A of the mobile terminal 20 receives a signal transmitted from the control unit 10 of the work vehicle 5 in order to perform pairing (step S3). The signal transmitted from the control unit 10 includes the data of the serial number of the work vehicle 5. The serial number of the work vehicle 5 is input to the calculation unit 25 of the mobile terminal 20. Then, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the display unit 23 of the mobile terminal 20 displays the serial number "222222" of the work vehicle 5 to be connected. At this time, if other work vehicles 5 are also parked in the vicinity, the serial numbers of these work vehicles (for example, "111111", "333333") are also displayed in a list. The strength of the signal depends on the distance between the mobile terminal 20 and the control unit of each work vehicle. Furthermore, the strength of the signal received by the mobile terminal 20 also changes depending on the location of the user 3. Therefore, depending on the location of the user 3 holding the mobile terminal 20, the strength of the signal received from the control unit of another work vehicle may be greater than the signal received from the control unit 10 of the work vehicle 5.

When the aforementioned application software is started, as shown in FIG. 5(a), an image 233 is displayed on the display unit 23 of the mobile terminal 20, prompting the user to read the two-dimensional code of the work vehicle. A sticker with a two-dimensional code 15 printed on it is affixed to the case of the control unit 10 of the work vehicle 5 used by the user 3. Therefore, upon seeing the image 233, the user 3 moves to the front of the case of the control unit 10.

Next, the user 3 aims the camera 24 of the mobile terminal 20 at the two-dimensional code 15 and uses the camera 24 to read the two-dimensional code (step S4). The display unit 23 displays an image 234 captured by the camera 24. The user 3 adjusts the position of the mobile terminal 20 so that the two-dimensional code 15 is included in the captured image 234, allowing the mobile terminal 20 to easily read the two-dimensional code 15.

The two-dimensional code 15 contains data related to the serial number of the work vehicle 5. The calculation unit 25 of the mobile terminal 20 causes the acquisition unit 27 to acquire the serial number from the two-dimensional code 15 of the work vehicle 5 read by the camera 24. At this time, the calculation unit 25 functions as an acquisition unit. Then, the calculation unit 25 causes the display unit 23 to display an image 235 representing the serial number, as shown in FIG. 5(b).

While looking at the display unit 23, the user 3 determines whether or not this serial number is included in the pairing candidates (step S5). That is, the user 3 determines whether or not the identification information included in the data transmitted from the communication device 11 of the control unit 10 (in other words, the identification information included in the identification data received by the first communication unit 21A) matches the identification information read by the camera 24.

When the user 3 determines that the two pieces of identification information match, the user 3 selects the control unit 10 that has received the identification data including the serial number as the partner for wireless connection. In other words, the user 3 selects the control unit 10 of the work vehicle 5 from among multiple work vehicles as the partner for pairing. The calculation unit 25 then approves the control unit 10 as the partner for pairing (step S6).

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5(a) and FIG. 5(b), when the serial numbers "111111", "222222", and "333333" are listed as candidates for pairing, the serial number "222222" read from the two-dimensional code 15 is included, and therefore the control unit 10 of the work vehicle 5 with this serial number "222222" is approved as the pairing partner. For example, the user 3 taps with his finger on "222222" displayed on the display unit 23 (see FIG. 5(a)) to select the serial number "222222". As a result, the control unit 10 of the work vehicle 5 with the serial number "222222" is approved as the pairing partner. As a result, the calculation unit 25 performs pairing with the control unit 10 of the work vehicle 5. That is, the mobile terminal 20 and the control unit 10 of the work vehicle 5 perform an authentication operation to allow wireless communication with each other. When pairing is complete, the mobile terminal 20 is connected to the control unit 10 (see FIG. 5(b)), and one-to-one wireless communication is performed between the mobile terminal 20 and the control unit 10.

After the pairing between the mobile terminal 20 and the control unit 10 is completed, the second communication unit 21B of the mobile terminal 20 accesses the communication unit of the server 30 via the Internet 2. At this time, the input unit 22 of the mobile terminal 20 is used to input an ID and password required for security into the display unit 23. This connects the mobile terminal 20 and the server 30 so that they can communicate with each other via wireless communication (step S7). Note that in this embodiment, a case has been described in which the mobile terminal 20 and the server 30 are connected after the pairing between the mobile terminal 20 and the control unit 10 is completed, but conversely, the pairing between the mobile terminal 20 and the control unit 10 may be performed after the mobile terminal 20 and the server 30 are connected.

When the user 3 operates the mobile terminal 20, the calculation device 12 of the control unit 10 transmits the vehicle data stored in the vehicle data memory 14 from the communication device 11, and the first communication unit 21A of the mobile terminal 20 receives the vehicle data. As a result, the vehicle data is collected from the control unit 10 of the work vehicle 5 to the mobile terminal 20. The vehicle data collected by the mobile terminal 20 is transmitted to the server 30 via the Internet 2. The server 30 then manages the driving history of the work vehicle 5 based on the vehicle data.

As described above, fault diagnosis according to this embodiment is performed using the mobile terminal 20 that is communicatively connected to the work vehicle 5 and the server 30 via wireless communication. When the user 3 finds a malfunction in the work vehicle 5 and requests a repair from a repairer, the user 3 first taps "Fault Diagnosis" displayed on the display unit 23 of the mobile terminal 20 to start fault diagnosis. When fault diagnosis is started, the second communication unit 21B of the mobile terminal 20 transmits the identification information of the currently paired work vehicle 5 (here, the serial number "222222") to the server-side communication unit 31 of the server 30 (step S8). The server 30 then receives the identification information transmitted from the second communication unit 21B (step S9).

The server 30 generates a fault diagnosis list for the work vehicle 5 based on the received identification information. The generation of the fault diagnosis list will be specifically described. The storage unit 36 of the server 30 stores an equipment installation list 361. This equipment installation list 361 is a compilation of serial numbers of multiple work vehicles 5 manufactured in the past, and the body type, chassis type, manufacturing date, user name, equipment item, etc. corresponding to each serial number. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the storage unit 36 of the server 30 stores individual diagnosis lists 37 (371 to 375, ...). This individual diagnosis list 37 exists in the same number as the number of multiple equipment candidates that may be equipped on various work vehicles. One individual diagnosis list 37 corresponds to one equipment. The individual diagnosis list 37 includes signal input/output information indicating the relationship between an output signal (e.g., an output signal to a solenoid of a control valve unit) output from the control unit of the work vehicle and a regular input signal (e.g., a detection signal input from a sensor) input to the control unit when the output signal is output. For example, the work vehicle 5 of this embodiment is equipped with a garbage loading device 44 and a garbage container inverting device selected from a plurality of equipment candidates. Then, individual diagnosis lists corresponding to each equipment are stored in the storage unit 36, such as an individual diagnosis list 371 for diagnosing a fault in the garbage loading device 44 and an individual diagnosis list 372 for diagnosing a fault in the garbage container inverting device. The individual diagnosis list 371 indicates with a circle mark that when the control unit 10 outputs an output signal of "output 1" to perform "operation A" to diagnose a fault in the garbage loading device 44, if there is no fault in the garbage loading device 44, an input signal of "input 1" (normal input signal) is obtained. In other words, the signal input/output information 351 of outputs 1 to 3 indicates the relationship between the output signal output from the control unit 10 and the normal input signal when the output signal is output. Similarly, the individual diagnosis list 372 indicates the signal input/output information 352 when "operation a" is performed, and the individual diagnosis list 373 indicates the signal input/output information 353 when "operation b" is performed.

As described above, the storage unit of the server 30 stores the equipment loading list 361 and multiple individual diagnosis lists 37 in advance. Since the individual diagnosis lists 37 are stored in the storage unit 36 of the server 30, the risk of information leakage due to loss of the mobile terminal 20, etc., is reduced compared to when the individual diagnosis lists 37 are stored in the mobile terminal 20.

The server 30 uses the received identification information (serial number) as a key to extract the equipment item for the corresponding serial number from the equipment mounting list 361. The server 30 then selects the individual diagnosis lists 371, 372, 372 of the equipment corresponding to the extracted equipment item from among the multiple individual diagnosis lists 37. The list generation unit 33 generates a fault diagnosis list 34 corresponding to the work vehicle 5 by combining all the individual diagnosis lists selected by the calculation unit 32. For example, if the individual diagnosis lists corresponding to each equipment of the work vehicle 5 are the individual diagnosis lists 371 to 373, the list generation unit 33 generates the fault diagnosis list 34 shown in FIG. 6(b) by combining the individual diagnosis lists 371 to 373. The fault diagnosis list 34 includes signal input/output information 35 when each of the operations A, a, b, ... is performed.

In this way, a configuration in which equipment items are extracted using identification information (serial number) as a key to generate a fault diagnosis list has the following advantages over a configuration in which fault diagnosis lists corresponding to identification numbers are stored and a fault diagnosis list is selected using the identification information as a key. For example, with regard to equipment A, which rarely breaks down when the equipment has been in use for a short period of time and is more likely to break down as the equipment is used for a long period of time, a fault diagnosis list is generated for a work vehicle that has been in use for a short period of time without extracting an individual diagnosis list corresponding to equipment A. On the other hand, for work vehicles that have been in use for a long period of time, an individual diagnosis list corresponding to equipment A is extracted to generate a fault diagnosis list. In this way, an accurate fault diagnosis list can be generated according to the number of years the work vehicle has been in use.

The generated fault diagnosis list 34 is transmitted from the server-side communication unit 31 of the server 30 to the second communication unit 21B of the mobile terminal 20 (step S10). Then, the fault diagnosis list 34 transmitted from the server-side communication unit 31 of the server 30 is received by the second communication unit 21B of the mobile terminal 20 (step S11).

The calculation unit 25 of the mobile terminal 20 causes the work vehicle 5 to perform operations A, a, b, ... according to the fault diagnosis list 34, and receives the operation information 38 at that time. Specifically, based on the fault diagnosis list 34, a diagnostic signal for performing operation A is transmitted from the first communication unit 21A to the control unit 10 (communication device 11) (step S12). When the control unit 10 receives a diagnostic signal for performing operation A, it outputs an output signal (output 1) corresponding to operation A to, for example, the control valve unit 45, and operates the corresponding equipment (step S13). An input signal (for example, a sensor detection signal) when the equipment operates according to the output signal of output 1 is input to the control unit 10. The output signal and the detection result of the input signal related to this operation A are stored in the vehicle data memory 14. Similarly, for the remaining operations a, b, ..., a diagnostic signal is transmitted to the control unit 10, and the output signal output from the control unit 10 and the input signal input to the control unit 10 at that time are stored in the vehicle data memory 14. In the above steps S12 and S13, it is difficult to detect, for example, a break in the signal line between the loading button 444 and the control unit 10. Therefore, when detecting a break in the signal line, a display is displayed on the display unit 23 of the mobile terminal 20 to prompt the user to press the loading button 444. When the loading button 444 is pressed, the presence or absence of an input signal from the loading button 444 to the control unit 10 is detected, thereby making it possible to detect a break in the signal line.

When all the operations listed in the fault diagnosis list 34 have been performed, the communication device 11 transmits operation information 38 (detection results of output signals and input signals) for each operation as shown in FIG. 7 to the second communication unit 21B (step S14). When the mobile terminal 20 receives the operation information 38 from the communication device 11, it first displays a skeleton diagram of the work vehicle 5 on the display unit 23 as shown in FIG. 8 in order to display the operation information 38 in a visually easy-to-understand manner. Then, for each of the operations A, a, b, ..., the device to which the control unit 10 output an output signal and the device that input an input signal to the control unit 10 are surrounded by color-coded frames (e.g., blue and red frames), allowing the installation position of the device as well as the detection results of the output and input signals to be visually grasped (step S15).

The judgment unit 28 of the mobile terminal 20 compares the fault diagnosis list 34 (see FIG. 6B) including the regular signal input/output information 35 with the operation information 38 (see FIG. 7) for each operation, and identifies the parts where the state of the input/output signal (position and presence or absence of the circle mark) differs, thereby judging a fault in the work vehicle 5. At this time, the calculation unit 25 functions as the judgment unit 28 that judges a fault in the work vehicle 5 based on the operation information when the control unit 10 is operated based on the fault diagnosis list 34. If there is no fault in the work vehicle 5, the circle mark in the operation information 38 should match the circle mark in the fault diagnosis list 34. However, in the case of the operation information 38, the input signal of "Input 3" is not detected when operation b is performed (hatched part 38A), and a fault in the device that outputs this input 3 or a break in the wiring leading to the device may be considered. In this case, the display unit 23 of the work vehicle 20 displays judgment information 39, for example, "XX device or its wiring is abnormal" (step S16).

The second communication unit 21B of the mobile terminal 20 transmits the operation information 38 and the judgment information 39 "There is an abnormality in the XX device or its wiring" to the server-side communication unit 31 of the server 30 (step S17). When the server-side communication unit 31 of the server 30 receives the operation information 38 and the judgment information 39 (step S18), they are stored in the memory unit 36 of the server 30 (step S19).

Therefore, the repairer who receives a repair request from the user 3 can identify the cause of the malfunction and immediately know the replacement parts required to solve the malfunction by accessing the server 30 and checking the operation information 38 and judgment information 39 of the work vehicle 5 without actually operating the work vehicle 5 to diagnose the malfunction. Therefore, when the repairer moves to the site of the work vehicle 5 to perform the repair, the repairer can bring the replacement parts with him/her and move to the site of the work vehicle 5 in advance, so that the repairer can efficiently solve the malfunction of the work vehicle 5 without having to go back and forth between the site and the site just to identify the cause of the malfunction. Also, when the work vehicle 5 is brought to the repair shop of the repairer to perform the repair, the cause of the malfunction can be identified before the work vehicle 5 arrives at the repair shop, and the replacement parts can be arranged in advance. Therefore, the period from the arrival of the work vehicle 5 at the repair shop to the start of part replacement can be shortened, and the malfunction can be efficiently solved.

In this embodiment, when pairing the work vehicle 5 with the mobile terminal 20, the user 3 determines whether the identification information included in the data transmitted from the communication device 11 of the control unit 10 matches the identification information read by the camera 24, and selects the pairing partner. Alternatively, the above determination may be automatically performed by the calculation unit 25 of the mobile terminal 20, etc. Approval of the wireless connection may be performed automatically. In addition, without reading the two-dimensional code 15 by the camera 24, the control unit (work vehicle) that transmits the signal with the highest signal strength among the signals transmitted from the work vehicle and received by the mobile terminal 20 may be automatically selected as the pairing partner. In this case, since the serial number is included in the signal transmitted from the work vehicle, this serial number is transmitted to the server 30 as identification information in step S8 of FIG. 4.

The reading unit that reads the identification information of the identifying object is not limited to the camera 24 built into the mobile terminal 20, but may be a device that reads the identification information when brought close to the identifying object. For example, NFC (Near Field Communication) may be used. The identifying object may be a contactless IC tag that has the identification information as electronic data, and the reading unit (acquisition unit) may be a reader that wirelessly communicates with the contactless IC tag. The identifying object may be configured to output sound waves such as ultrasound, and the reading unit may be configured to receive the sound waves. When the identifying object and the reading unit perform short-range wireless communication, approval of the wireless communication may be performed automatically.

The fault diagnosis system described above can also be used, for example, in pre-shipment inspections of work vehicles. This can reduce the amount of inspection work that was previously done manually by inspectors.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the above embodiment is merely an example, and various other embodiments are possible. For example, the work vehicle may be a container detachment vehicle configured to load and unload containers (packing boxes), or a vehicle equipped with a loading platform lifting device at the rear, in addition to the waste collection vehicle illustrated.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Fault diagnosis system 5 Work vehicle 10 Control unit 11 Communication device 12 Arithmetic unit 13 Identification data memory 14 Vehicle data memory 15 Matrix type two-dimensional code (identification body)
20 Portable terminal 21A First communication unit 21B Second communication unit 22 Input unit 23 Display unit 24 Camera (reading unit)
25 Calculation unit 26 Memory 27 Acquisition unit 28 Determination unit 30 Server 31 Server side communication unit 32 Calculation unit 33 List generation unit 34 Fault diagnosis list 35 Signal input/output information 36 Storage unit 37 Individual diagnosis list 38 Operation information 39 Determination information 44 Garbage loading device (equipment)
361 Equipment Loading List

Claims (6)

A control unit used to operate a plurality of equipment provided in the work vehicle;
A mobile terminal communicatively connected to the control unit;
a server connected to the mobile terminal via wireless communication;
The server includes a list generating unit that generates a fault diagnosis list of the equipment, and a server-side communication unit that transmits the fault diagnosis list to the mobile terminal,
The mobile terminal includes:
An acquisition unit that acquires identification information of the work vehicle;
a first communication unit that transmits a diagnostic signal based on the fault diagnosis list to the control unit and receives operation information obtained by operating the control unit based on the diagnostic signal from the control unit;
a determination unit for determining a malfunction of the equipment based on the operation information;
a second communication unit connected to the acquisition unit and the determination unit and configured to transmit to the server the information acquired by each of the acquisition unit and the determination unit, and the operation information received from the control unit by the first communication unit ;
The fault diagnosis list is generated based on the identification information ,
The operation information transmitted to the server by the second communication unit can be confirmed by accessing the server.
A fault diagnosis system for a work vehicle. An identification body including the identification information is attached to the work vehicle,
The portable terminal includes a reading unit that reads the identifier,
2. The fault diagnosis system for a work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit is configured to acquire the identification information based on the identifier read by bringing the reading unit close to the identifier. 3. A fault diagnosis system for a work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal has a display unit for displaying information determined by the determination unit. The equipment is selected from a plurality of equipment candidates and provided on the work vehicle,
The server includes a storage unit that stores an individual diagnosis list for diagnosing the equipment candidate in correspondence with each of the equipment candidates,
A fault diagnosis system for a work vehicle as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the list generation unit is configured to combine the individual diagnosis lists based on the identification information to generate the fault diagnosis list. A fault diagnosis system for a work vehicle as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the fault diagnosis list includes signal input/output information indicating the relationship between an output signal that the control unit outputs to the equipment based on the diagnostic signal and a normal input signal that is input to the control unit based on the output of the output signal. A computer program for causing a mobile terminal having a first communication unit, a second communication unit, and a calculation unit to function as a terminal device of a fault diagnosis system that communicates between a server having data on a plurality of accessories in a work vehicle and a control unit of the work vehicle,
The calculation unit of the mobile terminal,
a determination unit that determines a malfunction of the equipment based on operation information of the control unit;
an acquisition unit that acquires identification information of the work vehicle;
The calculation unit,
a diagnostic signal based on the data is transmitted to the control unit via the first communication unit, and a result of the control unit operating based on the diagnostic signal is received from the control unit as the operation information;
transmitting, via the second communication unit, information of the determination unit and the acquisition unit , and the operation information received from the control unit by the first communication unit, to the server ;
By accessing the server, the server is made to function so as to be able to confirm the operation information transmitted to the server by the second communication unit.
A computer program comprising:

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