Power Machine or Vehicle with Power Management

• US 20080250259A1
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clark Equipment Company (Doosan Enerbility Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Clark Equipment Company (Doosan Enerbility Company Limited)
• Inventors: Schuh, Scott N., Kraft, Troy D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/14 Adaptive cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2246 Control of prime movers, e.g. depending on the hydraulic load of work tools
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/431 Pump capacity control by electro-hydraulic control means, e.g. using solenoid valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/465 for achieving a target input speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/475 for achieving a target power, e.g. input power or output power

Abstract

Power management control for a power machine or vehicle is disclosed. In illustrated embodiments, a user interface of the power machine or vehicle includes a power management selection for activating and deactivating power management control. In illustrated embodiments, power management control is implemented through a power management control component based upon feedback from an RPM sensor. As disclosed in illustrative embodiments, the power management control component utilizes control methods and characteristics stored in system memory to determine control input to adjust hydrostatic parameters for power management.

Claims

1. A control assembly for a power machine comprising:

a controller configured to control a hydrostatic pump of a hydrostatic drive assembly;

a power management component configured to receive feedback from a sensing device and determine a control input to the controller to destroke the pump to manage power usage; and

a user interface including a power management selection and an no control selection to select a power management control mode and in the power management control mode the power management component provides the control input to the controller and in the no control mode no control input is provided to the controller based upon the feedback from the sensing device.

2. The control assembly of claim 1 wherein the sensing device measures engine RPMs and the power management component is configured to destroke the hydrostatic pump in response to a decrease in engine RPMs to manage power usage.

3. The control assembly of claim 1 wherein the user interface include a selector including indicia for the power management selection and indicia for the no control selection.

4. The control assembly of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a speed control selection to select a speed control mode and in the speed control mode, a speed control component provides control input to the controller to provide speed control.

5. The control assembly of claim 4 wherein the user interface includes a selector having indicia to select power management control, indicia to select no control and indicia to select speed control.

6. The control assembly of claim 1 wherein the power management component includes a process component and control methods and characteristics and the process component determines the control input based upon the control methods and characteristics stored in system memory.

7. The control assembly of claim 6 wherein the control methods and characteristics include at least one control curve or data that correlates engine speed relative to pump stroke.

8. The control assembly of claim 6 wherein the process component determines the control input based upon engine RPMs and idle engine speed using the control methods and characteristics.

9. The control assembly of claim 8 wherein the control methods and characteristics include a plurality of control curves that correlate pump stroke relative to engine RPMs for a plurality of idle engine speeds.

10. The control assembly of claim 9 wherein the plurality of control curves include a low, medium and high control curves corresponding to low, medium and high idle engine speeds.

11. A power management component to provide control input to a controller for a variable displacement pump comprising a process component configured to receive sensor feedback and interface with control methods or characteristics stored in system memory to determine the control input to the controller.

12. The power management component of claim 11 wherein the stored methods or characteristics includes at least one control curve or data that correlates engine speed from the sensor feedback relative to pump displacement or stroke.

13. The power management component of claim 12 wherein the control methods or characteristics include a plurality of control curves or data for a plurality of idle engine speeds.

14. The power management assembly of claim 13 wherein the plurality of idle engine speeds includes a low, medium and high idle engine speeds.

15. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving one of a power management selection or no control selection from a user interface on a power machine or vehicle to activate power management control or no control; and

processing feedback from a sensor to provide control input to a controller to manage power usage in response to selection of the power management control.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising the step of:

deactivating the power management control so that no control input is provided to the controller based upon sensor feedback in response to selection of the no control selection.

17. The method of claim 15 and comprising the step of:

determining the control input to the controller based upon stored methods and characteristics of a power management component.

18. The method of claim 15 and comprising the steps of:

receiving input of idle engine speed and engine RPMs; and

determining the control input based upon the idle engine speed and the engine RPMs.

19. The method of claim 15 and further comprising the steps of:

receiving one of a low, medium or high engine idle speed; and

determining the control input based upon the low, medium or high idle engine speed.

20. The method of claim 19 and further comprising the step of:

using a control curve corresponding to the low, medium or high idle engine speed to determine the control input.