Control systems and methods to optimize machine placement for additive construction operations

• US 10,377,125 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Friend, Paul, Chen, Qi, Clar, Jean-Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Minskey, Jacob T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Cedrick S
• Application Number:
  US15/373,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20180162065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/20 Drives; Control devices gearings in general F16H; controlling in general G05; electric multi-motor drives H02K, H02P
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2037 Coordinating the movements of the implement and of the frame
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/262 with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/021 in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/402 characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/42217 Time optimal position control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49019 Machine 3-D slices, to build 3-D model, stratified object manufacturing SOM
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49068 Minimum cost adaptive
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/00 Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00

Abstract

A control system for a machine, operating on a worksite is associated with an implement, which perform additive construction operations in accordance with a pre-determined implement control plan. The system includes a positioning system, one or more implement control actuators, and a controller. The positioning system is configured to determine positioning signals associated with, at least, a terrain of the worksite and any worksite objects existing thereon. The controller determine an available zone, in which the machine and implement are capable of executing the additive construction operations within the available zone, based on the positioning signals and the pre-determined implement control plan, and determine an operation zone, relative to a desired additive construction site on the worksite, within the available zone, wherein parameters of the operation zone are based, at least in part, on the available zone, the machine configuration, and the pre-determined implement control plan.

Claims

1. A control system for a machine operating on a worksite, the machine associated with an implement configured to perform an additive construction operation in accordance with a pre-determined implement control plan, the system including:

a positioning system configured to determine positioning signals associated with, at least, a terrain of the worksite and any worksite objects existing thereon;

one or more control actuators operatively associated with the implement and the machine, each of the one or more actuators configured to position the implement, with respect to the machine, the one or more control actuators being capable of positioning the implement based on a machine configuration for the machine, the machine configuration including an implement range of motion and a machine footprint; and

a controller, including a processor, configured to;

receive the positioning signals from the positioning system;

determine an available zone, within the worksite, in which the machine and implement are capable of executing the additive construction operations within the available zone, based, at least, on the positioning signals and the pre-determined implement control plan;

determine an operation zone, relative to a desired additive construction site on the worksite, within the available zone, parameters of the operation zone based, at least in part, on the available zone, the machine configuration, and the pre-determined implement control plan; and

direct the implement to perform the additive construction operation in accordance with the pre-determined implement control plan.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine instructions for directing the machine to move into the operation zone prior to or during performance of the additive construction operations.

3. The control system of claim 2, further comprising an operator output operatively associated with the controller and configured to

receive the instructions for directing the machine from the controller, and

present the instructions for directing the machine to an operator of the machine.

4. The control system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to autonomously control propulsion and steering of the machine based on the instructions for directing the machine.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine an optimum construction position for the machine, within the operation zone, based, at least in part, on the pre-determined implement control plan.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to determine instructions for directing the machine to move to a location proximate to the optimum construction position prior to or during performance of the additive construction operations.

7. The control system of claim 5, wherein determining the optimum construction position for the machine, by the controller, includes determining the optimum construction position such that the machine and implement, when positioned at the optimum construction position, would be capable of performing the additive construction operations from the optimum construction position using a minimum number of machine movements.

8. The control system of claim 5, wherein determining the optimum construction position for the machine, by the controller, includes configuring the optimum construction position for cost effectiveness based on a cost analysis of costs assigned to movements, by the machine and implement, necessary to perform the additive construction operation from the optimum construction position.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect any obstructions within the available zone, based on the positioning signals, and

determine, if an obstruction is detected, positioning of the obstruction based on the positioning signals, and

wherein determining the operation zone, by the controller, includes configuring the parameters of the operation zone based, further, on the positioning of the obstruction.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein the machine includes a housing and a crane and wherein at least one of the one or more actuators is configured to move the crane, with respect to the housing, when positioning the implement with respect to the worksite, and

wherein the implement positioning range of motion is constrained by, at least a range of motion for the crane.

11. A method for optimizing positioning of a machine and an implement associated with the machine, the implement configured for performing an additive construction operation, at a worksite, in accordance with a pre-determined implement control plan, the machine having a machine configuration, the machine configuration including an implement range of motion and a machine footprint, the method comprising:

determining positioning signals associated with, at least, a terrain of the worksite and any worksite objects existing thereon;

determining an available zone, within the worksite, in which the machine and implement are capable of executing the additive construction operations within the available zone, and determining of the available zone is based, at least, on the positioning signals and the pre-determined implement control plan;

determining an operation zone, relative to a desired additive construction site on the worksite, within the available zone, parameters of the operation zone being configured based, at least in part, on the available zone, the machine configuration, and the pre-determined implement control plan; and

directing the implement to perform the additive construction operation in accordance with the pre-determined implement control plan.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining instructions for directing the machine to move into the operation zone prior to or during performance of the additive construction operations; and

directing the machine to move into the operation zone, prior to or during performance of the additive construction operations, based on the instructions.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining an optimum construction position for the machine, within the operation zone, based, at least in part, on the pre-determined implement control plan.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising directing the machine to move to a location proximate to the optimum construction position, prior to or during performance of the additive construction operations.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting any obstructions within the available zone, based on the positioning signals; and

determining, if an obstruction is detected, positioning of the obstruction based on the positioning signals, and

wherein determining the operation zone includes configuring the parameters of the operation zone based, further, on the positioning of the obstruction.

16. A system for performing additive construction operations on a worksite, the additive construction operations associated with a pre-determined implement control plan, the system comprising:

an implement configured to additively construct a structure in accordance with the pre-determined implement control plan;

a machine including;

one or more control actuators operatively associated with the implement, each of the one or more actuators configured to position the additive construction implement, with respect to the machine, the one or more implement control actuators being capable of positioning the additive construction implement based on a machine configuration for the machine, the machine configuration including an implement range of motion and a machine footprint;

one or more ground engaging devices configured to propel the machine upon the worksite; and

a power source providing power to at least one of the one or more implement control actuators and the one or more ground engaging devices, to perform functions of the machine;

a positioning system configured to determine positioning signals associated with, at least, a terrain of the worksite and any worksite objects existing thereon;

a controller, including a processor, operatively associated with the machine and the implement, and configured to;

receive the positioning signals and machine positioning signals from the positioning system;

determine an available zone, within the worksite, in which the machine and additive construction implement are capable of executing the additive construction operations within the available zone, based, at least, on the positioning signals and the pre-determined implement control plans;

determine an operation zone, relative to a desired additive construction site on the worksite, within the available zone, parameters of the operation zone based, at least in part, on the available zone, the machine configuration and the pre-determined implement control plan;

direct the one or more ground engaging devices of the machine to position the machine within the operation zone prior to executing the pre-determined implement control plan; and

direct the one or more control actuators of the machine to control the implement for performing the additive construction operations in accordance with the pre-determined implement control plan.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to determine an optimum construction position for the machine, within the operation zone, based, at least in part, on the pre-determined implement control plan, and

wherein directing the one or more ground engaging devices of the machine to position the machine within the operation zone, prior to executing the pre-determined implement control plan, is further based on the optimum construction position for the machine.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect any obstructions within the available zone, based on the worksite positioning signals, and

determine, if an obstruction is detected, positioning of the obstruction based on the worksite positioning signals, and

wherein determining the operation zone, by the controller, includes configuring the parameters of the operation zone based, further, on the positioning of the obstruction.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein directing the one or more ground engaging devices of the machine, by the controller, to position the machine within the operation zone prior to executing the pre-determined implement control plan is performed by autonomously controlling propulsion of the ground engaging devices, by the controller.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein directing the one or more implement control actuators of the machine, by the controller, to control the implement for performing the additive construction operations in accordance with the pre-determined implement control plan further includes directing the implement to deposit materials along a toolpath of the pre-determined implement control plan.