Grade Control Cleanup Pass Using Splines

• US 20160040397A1
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Kontz, Matthew E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,506,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/262 with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/04 involving the use of models or simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/11 for solving equations , e.g. nonlinear equations, general mathematical optimization problems optimization specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for determining a cleanup pass profile is provided. The method may include identifying a pass target extending from a first end to a second end along a work surface, generating a plurality of primitives between the first end and the second end such that each primitive has endpoints configured to approximate at least one of the pass target, the work surface, and an endpoint of an adjoining primitive, and adjoining the primitives at the endpoints to form a substantially continuous cleanup pass profile.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a cleanup pass profile, comprising:

identifying a pass target extending from a first end to a second end along a work surface;

generating a plurality of primitives between the first end and the second end, each primitive having endpoints configured to approximate at least one of the pass target, the work surface, and an endpoint of an adjoining primitive; and

adjoining the primitives at the endpoints to form a substantially continuous cleanup pass profile.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first end of the pass target corresponds to an alignment gap and the second end of the pass target corresponds to a crest, the primitive at the first end sharing at least a common slope and a common elevation with one of the work surface and the pass target, and the primitive at the second end sharing at least a common slope and a common elevation with the crest.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first end of the pass target corresponds to an alignment gap and the second end of the pass target corresponds to a crest, the primitive at the first end sharing at least a common slope and a common elevation with one of the work surface and the pass target, and the primitive at the second end sharing a common slope with the crest but having a floating elevation relative thereto.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the endpoints of each primitive are configured to approximate at least one of the pass target, the work surface, and another endpoint in at least slope and elevation.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the cleanup pass profile is defined by a spline of two or more primitives, each primitive corresponding to at least one of a polynomial, a line, a parabola, a cubic, an exponential function, and a Gaussian curve.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the cleanup pass profile is defined by a spline of two or more primitives, each primitive being defined by one or more nodes positioned along the pass target between the first end and the second end, at least one of a length of each primitive and a number of primitives being predefined.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the cleanup pass profile is defined by a spline of two or more primitives, each primitive being defined by one or more nodes positioned along the pass target between the first end and the second end, the nodes being configured to segment the pass target into primitives according to one or more of volume differentials in the work surface in relation to the pass target and curvature inflection points in the work surface.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the cleanup pass profile is one of multiple groups of primitives generated for a given cut profile with multiple regions, each region being associated with at least one group of primitives and corresponding to one of a loading region, a carry region, a design elevation, the pass target and any intermediary pass targets.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the primitives are configured to form cleanup pass profiles compatible for use with one or more of negative volume regions, shave cuts, and snake cuts for multiple cut and fill regions.

10. A control system for determining a cleanup pass profile, comprising:

a memory configured to retrievably store one or more algorithms; and

a controller in communication with the memory and, based on the one or more algorithms, configured to at least;

identify a pass target extending from a first end to a second end along a work surface,

generate a plurality of primitives between the first end and the second end such that each primitive has endpoints configured to approximate at least one of the pass target, the work surface, and an endpoint of an adjoining primitive, and

adjoin the primitives at the endpoints to form a substantially continuous cleanup pass profile.

11. The control system of claim 10, wherein the controller configures the endpoints of each primitive to approximate at least one of the pass target, the work surface, and another endpoint in at least slope and elevation.

12. The control system of claim 10, wherein the controller defines the cleanup pass profile based on a spline of two or more primitives, each primitive corresponding to at least one of a polynomial, a line, a parabola, a cubic, an exponential function, and a Gaussian curve.

13. The control system of claim 10, wherein the controller defines the cleanup pass profile based on a spline of two or more primitives, each primitive being defined by one or more nodes positioned along the pass target between the first end and the second end, at least one of a length of each primitive and a number of primitives being predefined.

14. The control system of claim 10, wherein the controller defines the cleanup pass profile based on a spline of two or more primitives, each primitive being defined by one or more nodes positioned along the pass target between the first end and the second end, the nodes being configured to segment the pass target into primitives according to one or more of volume differentials in the work surface in relation to the pass target and curvature inflection points in the work surface.

15. The control system of claim 10, wherein the cleanup pass profile is one of multiple groups of primitives generated for a given cut profile with multiple regions, each region being associated with at least one group of primitives and corresponding to one of a loading region, a carry region, a design elevation, the pass target and any intermediary pass targets.

16. A controller for determining a cleanup pass profile, comprising:

a pass target identification module configured to identify a pass target extending from a first end to a second end along a work surface;

a primitive generation module configured to generate a plurality of primitives between the first end and the second end such that each primitive has endpoints configured to approximate at least one of the pass target, the work surface, and an endpoint of an adjoining primitive; and

a cleanup pass profile module configured to adjoin the primitives at the endpoints to form a substantially continuous cleanup pass profile.

17. The controller of claim 16, wherein the controller configures the endpoints of each primitive to approximate at least one of the pass target, the work surface, and another endpoint in at least slope and elevation.

18. The controller of claim 16, wherein the controller defines the cleanup pass profile based on a spline of two or more primitives, each primitive corresponding to at least one of a polynomial, a line, a parabola, a cubic, an exponential function, and a Gaussian curve.

19. The controller of claim 16, wherein the controller defines the cleanup pass profile based on a spline of two or more primitives, each primitive being defined by one or more nodes positioned along the pass target between the first end and the second end, the position of each node being determined based on one or more of predefined primitive lengths, predefined number of primitives, volume differentials in the work surface in relation to the pass target, and curvature inflection points in the work surface.

20. The controller of claim 19, wherein the cleanup pass profile is one of multiple groups of primitives generated for a given cut profile with multiple regions, each region being associated with at least one group of primitives and corresponding to one of a loading region, a carry region, a design elevation, the pass target and any intermediary pass.