DYNAMIC TRACTION ADJUSTMENT

• US 20130054078A1
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Anderson, Noel Wayne
• Application Number:
  US13/212,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20130054078A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/002 by monitoring conditions other than tyre pressure or deformation

Abstract

Systems and techniques are provided for managing an interface between a machine or work vehicle and a surface that the machine/work vehicle travels on in order to provide an optimum work performance level that balances fuel efficiency and surface adversity. Fleet management and reporting capabilities pertaining to such interface management are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for managing fuel consumption of a vehicle, comprising steps of:

sensing operating characteristics of the vehicle; and

responsive to sensing an operating characteristic of the vehicle, adjusting fuel consumption of the vehicle by varying at least one virtual foot parameter of the vehicle, wherein the at least one virtual foot parameter is associated with a virtual foot of the vehicle comprising at least one of a wheel, a track, a track wheel, an inflatable tire, a tire with shape adjustment using magneto-rheological materials, a tire with shape adjustment using electro-rheological materials and a wheel which change footprint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the at least one virtual foot parameter causes at least one of changing a tire pressure, changing a shape of a ground contacting element contacting a surface, and changing a number of ground contacting elements contacting the surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein varying the at least one virtual foot parameter changes a shape of a ground contacting element that comprises at least one of magneto-rheological and electro-rheological materials.

4. The method of claim 3, where the shape is changed to one of wider and narrower.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a plurality of the virtual foot that is each independently controlled when improving stabilization of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one v-foot parameter is varied for a given v-foot in response to sensing a physical proximity of the vehicle to a pile of material.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel consumption is varied by varying virtual foot parameters associated with two or more virtual feet of a single machine.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel consumption is varied by varying (i) at least one virtual foot parameter associated with at least one virtual foot of the vehicle and (ii) at least one virtual foot parameter associated with at least one virtual foot of an implement attached to the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel consumption is varied by varying (i) at least one virtual foot parameter associated with at least one powered virtual foot of the vehicle and (ii) at least one virtual foot parameter associated with at least one powered virtual foot of a second vehicle attached to the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating characteristics of the vehicle that are sensed comprise at least two of locally sensed data, real-time data received from a communication interface, historic data maintained in a storage device of the vehicle, and predicted data.

11. A fuel consumption management system comprising a data processor coupled to a memory comprising instructions for performing steps of:

sensing operating characteristics of a vehicle; and

responsive to sensing an operating characteristic of the vehicle, adjusting fuel consumption of the vehicle by varying at least one virtual foot parameter of the vehicle, wherein the at least one virtual foot parameter is associated with a virtual foot of the vehicle comprising at least one of a wheel, a track, a track wheel, an inflatable tire, a tire with shape adjustment using magneto-rheological materials, a tire with shape adjustment using electro-rheological materials and a wheel which change footprint.

12. The fuel consumption management system of claim 11, wherein varying the at least one virtual foot parameter causes at least one of changing a tire pressure, changing a shape of a ground contacting element contacting a surface, and changing a number of ground contacting elements contacting the surface.

13. The fuel consumption management system of claim 11, wherein varying the at least one virtual foot parameter changes a shape of a ground contacting element that comprises at least one of magneto-rheological and electro-rheological materials.

14. The fuel consumption management system of claim 13, where the shape is changed to one of wider and narrower.

15. The fuel consumption management system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle comprises a plurality of the virtual foot that is each independently controlled when improving stabilization of the vehicle.

16. The fuel consumption management system of claim 15, wherein at least one v-foot parameter is varied for a given v-foot in response to sensing a physical proximity of the vehicle to a pile of material.

17. The fuel consumption management system of claim 11, wherein the fuel consumption is varied by varying virtual foot parameters associated with two or more virtual feet of a single machine.

18. The fuel consumption management system of claim 11, wherein the fuel consumption is varied by varying (i) at least one virtual foot parameter associated with at least one virtual foot of the vehicle and (ii) at least one virtual foot parameter associated with at least one virtual foot of an implement attached to the vehicle.

19. The fuel consumption management system of claim 11, wherein the fuel consumption is varied by varying (i) at least one virtual foot parameter associated with at least one powered virtual foot of the vehicle and (ii) at least one virtual foot parameter associated with at least one powered virtual foot of a second vehicle attached to the vehicle.

20. The fuel consumption management system of claim 11, wherein the operating characteristics of the vehicle that are sensed comprise at least two of locally sensed data, real-time data received from a communication interface, historic data maintained in a storage device of the vehicle, and predicted data.