OPERATOR PROFILE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A MACHINE

• US 20090143878A1
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Donnelli, Aaron M., Horkavi, Robert A., Spadin, Gary L., Staub, Michael D., O'Neal, Steven W., Ferguson, Alan L., McNealy, Anthony D.
• Application Number:
  US11/950,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143878A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/241 whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers

Abstract

A control system for a machine has an input device operable to receive an input indicative of an operator profile and to generate a signal related to the operator profile. The control system also has a controller in communication with the machine and the input device. The controller is configured to receive the signal and to change at least one operating parameter of the machine in response to the signal.

Claims

1. A control system for a machine, comprising:

a server remotely located from and in communication with the machine, the server including;

an operator profile input device; and

an operator profile database; and

a controller located on the machine and in communication with the server, the controller configured to receive an operator profile from the server and responsively change at least one machine operating parameter.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to generate a machine control signal based on the operator profile and the controller is configured to further receive a machine control signal from the server and responsively change the at least one machine operating parameter.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a machine control signal based on the operator profile and responsively change the at least one machine operating parameter.

4. The control system of claim 2, wherein the operator profile database includes one or more sets of machine control parameters associated with at least one stored operator profile, and the machine control signal is generated by locating the stored operator profile corresponding to an operator profile input and accessing the one or more sets of machine control parameters associated with the located, stored operator profile.

5. The control system of claim 1, further including:

a machine input device operable to receive an operator input and generate a machine control signal to change the at least one machine operating parameter.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the machine input device includes a keypad, card reader, scanner, or bio-metric device.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the operator profile is related to at least one of a purchased access level, a skill level, an experience level, or a physical ability of an operator of the machine.

8. The control system of claim 7, wherein the operator profile is updated when at least one of the at least one of the purchased access level, the skill level, the experience level, or the physical ability of an operator is changed;

and

the controller responsively changes the at least one operator parameter.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one operating parameter includes at least one of a machine travel speed limit, a machine travel acceleration limit, a machine torque level limit, a machine implement limit, an automated machine function, or a machine travel direction limit.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein the machine includes at least one of a power source, a transmission, and an implement in communication with the controller, and the at least one operating parameter includes at least one of a power sources output limit, a transmission output limit, an automated machine function, or an implement limit.

11. The control system of claim 1, wherein the server further includes:

a scheduling module, the scheduling module configured to update the operator profile at a predetermined time; and

the controller configured to receive the updated operator profile from the server and responsively change the at least one machine operating parameter.

12. The control system of claim 1, wherein the server is wirelessly connected to the machine.

13. A method of controlling a machine operation, comprising:

receiving an operator profile from an operator profile database in a remote server; and

changing at least one machine operating parameter in response to the operator profile.

14. The method of claim 13, further including:

generating in the remote server a machine control signal based on the operator profile;

receiving the machine control signal from the remote server; and

responsively changing the at least one machine operating parameter.

15. The method of claim 13, further including:

generating on the machine a machine control signal based on the operator profile; and

responsively changing the at least one machine operating parameter.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one machine operating parameter includes at least one of a machine travel speed limit, a machine travel acceleration limit, a machine torque level limit, a machine implement limit, an automated machine function, or a machine travel direction limit.

17. The method of claim 13, further including:

receiving an operator input from the machine;

comparing the operator input with the operator profiles stored in the operator profile database;

accessing one or more sets of machine control parameters associated with the operator profile; and

changing the at least one machine operating parameter according to the associated machine control parameters.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the operator profile is related to at least one of a purchased access level, a skill level, an experience level, or a physical ability of an operator.

19. The method of claim 18, further including:

updating the operator profile and the machine control signal as at least one of the purchased access level, the skill level, the experience level, or the physical ability of an operator changes;

communicating the updated machine control signal to the receiver; and

changing the at least one machine operating parameter in response to the updated machine control signal.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein changing the at least one machine operating parameter of the machine includes changing at least one of a power source output limit, transmission output limit, an implement limit, or an automated machine function.

21. The method of claim 13, further including:

updating the operator profile at a predetermined time; and

responsively changing the at least one machine operating parameter.

22. A control system for a machine, comprising:

a remote server having a database with at least one stored operator profile;

a transmitter connected to the server; and

a controller located on the machine and including;

a receiver in communication with the transmitter; and

an input device operable to receive an operator input;

the controller configured to compare the operator input and a corresponding stored operator profile and generate an associated machine control signal operable to change at least one machine operating parameter.

23. The control system of claim 22, wherein the database includes one or more sets of machine control parameters associated with the at least one stored operator profile, and the machine control signal is generated by locating the stored operator profile corresponding to the operator input and accessing the one or more sets of machine control parameters associated with the located, stored operator profile.

24. The control system of claim 22, wherein the stored operator profile is related to at least one of a purchased access level, a skill level, an experience level, or a physical ability of the operator of the machine.

25. The control system of claim 22, wherein the at least one machine operating parameter includes at least one of a machine travel speed limit, a machine travel acceleration limit, a machine torque level limit, a machine implement limit, an automated machine function, or a machine travel direction limit.