Self-Propelled Civil Engineering Machine And Method Of Controlling A Self-Propelled Civil Engineering Machine

• US 20110150572A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH (Deere & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH (Deere & Company)
• Inventors: Fritz, Matthias, Barimani, Cyrus, Haehn, Guenter
• Granted Patent: US 8,388,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 404/72
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/002 computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels B62D7/159 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/004 Devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path for graders or bulldozers E02F3/841; for other soil-shifting machines E02F9/2045
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/48 for laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface , e.g. slip forms therefor, forming kerbs or gutters in a continuous operation in situ E01C19/002, E01C23/065 take precedence; devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/088 Rotary tools, e.g. milling drums for forming recesses to receive marking materials E01C23/0946
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/127 rotary, e.g. rotary hammers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a self-propelled civil engineering machine, and in particular to a slipform paver, road paver or road milling machine, and to a method of controlling a self-propelled civil engineering machine. The civil engineering machine according to the invention has a control unit 7 which has means for determining data which defines the position and/or orientation of a reference point R on the civil engineering machine in relation to a reference system (X, Y, Z) independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine. The reference system (X, Y, Z) independent of the machine-related reference system (x, y, z) may be selected as desired, and there is thus no need for the positions of various reference points to be plotted on the ground.

Claims

1. A self-propelled civil engineering machine, comprising:

a chassis;

a working unit arranged on the chassis and operable to produce a structure on the ground or to make changes to the ground;

a drive unit operable to perform movements of the civil engineering machine in translation and/or rotation on the ground; and

a control unit operable to control movements of the civil engineering machine in translation and/or rotation on the ground, the control unit having;

a shape selection component operable to preset a geometrical shape for the structure to be produced or for the ground to which changes are made;

a position data determination component operable to determine position data to define the position and/or orientation of a reference point on the civil engineering machine in relation to a reference system which is independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine;

a curve data determination component operable to determine curve data to define a desired curve based on the present geometrical shape of the structure to be produced or the ground to which changes are to be made and based on the position and orientation of the reference point on the civil engineering machine in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine, the desired curve being that curve along which the reference point on the civil engineering machine is to move in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine; and

a drive control component operable to control the drive unit, as a function of the curve data defining the desired curve, in such a way that the reference point on the civil engineering machine moves along the desired curve starting from a preset starting point at which the civil engineering machine is in a preset position and orientation on the ground.

2. Civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the curve data defining the desired curve defines the distance travelled along the desired curve and/or its curvature.

3. Civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the drive control component is operable to control the drive unit, as a function of the position and/or orientation of the reference point in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine, such that the distance between a desired position of the reference point, as defined by the desired curve, and an actual position of the reference point, and/or a difference in direction defined by the desired curve between a desired direction of the civil engineering machine and an actual direction of the civil engineering machine, is minimal.

4. Civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the position data determination component includes a first and a second DGPS receiver for decoding GPS satellite signals from a satellite-based global positioning systems and correcting signals from a reference station for determining the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine, the first and second DGPS receivers being arranged in different positions on the civil engineering machine.

5. Civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the position data determination component includes a first and a second receiver belonging to a non-satellite measuring system for determining the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine, the first and second receivers being arranged in different positions on the civil engineering machine.

6. Civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the shape selection component includes an input unit operable for the input of parameters to define the geometrical shape of the structure to be produced or the ground to which changes are to be made.

7. Civil engineering machine according to claim 6, characterised in that the parameters are parameters which define the length of a straight line and/or the radius of an arc of a circle.

8. Civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the shape selection component includes an input unit operable to select one geometrical shape from a plurality of pre-defined geometrical shapes.

9. Civil engineering machine according to claim 8, characterised in that the control unit has a storage unit which co-operates with the input unit and in which the plurality of pre-defined geometrical shapes are stored.

10. Civil engineering machine according to claim 8, characterised in that the input unit is operable to modify a pre-determined geometrical shape.

11. Civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the control unit is operable to start the movement of the civil engineering machine at a preset starting point on the ground at which the civil engineering machine is in a preset position and orientation.

12. Civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the control unit is operable to stop the movement of the civil engineering machine along the desired curve.

13. Civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the civil engineering machine is a road milling machine, the working unit having a milling arrangement having a milling drum.

14. Civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the civil engineering machine is a slipform paver, the working unit having an arrangement for moulding flowable material.

15. Civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the civil engineering machine is a road paver, the working unit having a screed for shaping material.

16. Method of controlling a self-propelled civil engineering machine, the method comprising:

presetting of a geometrical shape for a structure to be produced or the ground to which changes are to be made;

determining of data which defines a position and/or orientation of a reference point on the civil engineering machine in relation to a reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine;

determining of data defining a desired curve, on the basis of the preset geometrical shape for the structure to be produced or the ground to which changes are to be made and on the basis of the position and orientation of the reference point on the civil engineering machine in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine, the desired curve being that curve along which the reference point on the civil engineering machine is to move in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine; and

controlling of the civil engineering machine, as a function of the data defining the desired curve, in such a way that that the reference point on the civil engineering machine moves along the desired curve starting from a preset starting point at which the civil engineering machine is in a preset position and orientation on the ground.

17. Method according to claim 16, characterised in that the data defining the desired curve defines the distance travelled along the desired curve and/or its curvature.

18. Method according to claim 16, characterised in that the civil engineering machine is so controlled, as a function of the position and/or orientation of the reference point in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine, that a distance between a desired position of the reference point, as defined by the desired curve, and an actual position of the reference point, and/or a difference in direction defined by the desired curve between a desired direction of the civil engineering machine and an actual direction of the civil engineering machine is reduced.

19. Method according to claim 16, characterised in that the step of the presetting of a geometrical shape for the structure to be produced or the ground to which changes are to be made comprises the input of parameters defining the geometrical shape.

20. Method according to claim 16, characterised in that the step of the presetting of a geometrical shape comprises the selection of one geometrical shape from a plurality of geometrical shapes.

21. Method of producing a structure on ground, or of making changes to the ground, with a self-propelled civil engineering machine, the method comprising:

selecting a starting point for the movement of the civil engineering machine on the ground and selecting the orientation of the civil engineering machine at the starting point;

moving the civil engineering machine to the selected starting point and aligning the civil engineering machine at the starting point, in the orientation which has been selected;

determining a desired curve for the movement of the civil engineering machine; and

moving the civil engineering machine along the desired curve to produce a structure on the ground and/or to make changes to the ground.