US 12,239,047 B2
Machine operational state and material movement tracking
Ian Robert Meier, Saskatoon (CA); and Michael David Lockerbie, Saskatoon (CA)
Assigned to Bitstrata Systems Inc., Saskatoon (CA)
Filed by Bitstrata Systems Inc., Saskatoon (CA)
Filed on Jun. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/212,463.
Application 18/212,463 is a continuation of application No. 17/226,320, filed on Apr. 9, 2021, granted, now 11,723,307.
Application 17/226,320 is a continuation of application No. 16/937,150, filed on Jul. 23, 2020, granted, now 10,999,971, issued on May 11, 2021.
Application 16/937,150 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CA2019/051509, filed on Oct. 24, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/749,860, filed on Oct. 24, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0354745 A1, Nov. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. A01D 41/127 (2006.01); G01C 21/16 (2006.01); G01G 11/04 (2006.01); G01H 1/00 (2006.01); G01M 7/00 (2006.01); G06Q 10/067 (2023.01); G07C 3/08 (2006.01); G07C 5/00 (2006.01); G07C 5/02 (2006.01); H04W 4/029 (2018.01)
CPC A01D 41/127 (2013.01) [G01C 21/188 (2020.08); G01G 11/04 (2013.01); G06Q 10/067 (2013.01); G07C 5/008 (2013.01); G07C 5/02 (2013.01); H04W 4/029 (2018.02)] 35 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer implemented method for determining one or more locations of bulk material where the bulk material is conveyed from a source to a destination via intermediate transfers between two or more machines of a plurality of machines, each of which is configured to convey the bulk material between different physical locations, the method comprising:
receiving, periodically by a processor electronically from each of at least a subset of the plurality of machines located remote therefrom, data indicative of a current or past operational state thereof;
determining, automatically by the processor based on the received data, that an operational state of a first machine of the plurality of machines has changed indicative that a first transfer event is occurring, or has occurred, comprising an unloading of a first amount of the bulk material from the first machine and that an operational state of a second machine of the plurality of machines has changed indicative that a second transfer event is occurring, or has occurred, comprising a loading of the second machine of another amount of the bulk material;
determining, automatically by the processor based on the first and second transfer events, whether the first transfer event is correlated with the second transfer event; and
wherein when the first and the second transfer event are determined to be correlated, further determining, based thereon, at least the second amount of the bulk material that has been transferred from the first machine to the second machine; and
wherein when the first transfer event is determined not to be correlated with the second transfer event, determining that the first machine has not unloaded the first amount of the bulk material to the second machine, the method further comprising:
generating, automatically by the processor based on the determination, data indicative of an amount of bulk material transferred between the first machine and the second machine, a location of the bulk material transferred between the first machine and the second machine or a combination thereof.