SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING A LIFT ASSEMBLY OF A WORK VEHICLE

• US 20160053460A1
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Singh, Aditya, Gulati, Navneet, WU, Duqiang
• Granted Patent: US 9,580,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3414 the arms being pivoted at the rear of the vehicle chassis, e.g. skid steer loader
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/434 providing automatic sequences of movements, e.g. automatic dumping or loading, automatic return-to-dig
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2041 Automatic repositioning of implements, i.e. memorising determined positions of the implement for dipper-arms or bucket-arms E02F3/434, E02F3/437, E02F3/438, E02F3/439 take precedence

Abstract

In one aspect, a method for automatically controlling the operation of a work vehicle during the performance of a material moving operation may generally include monitoring cycle times for moving the work vehicle between a first location and a second location as the material moving operation is being performed and determining a work cycle time for moving the work vehicle between the first and second locations based on the monitored cycle times. In addition, the method may include automatically controlling the operation of a lift assembly of the work vehicle based on the work cycle time such that loader arms and an implement of the lift assembly are moved to a pre-defined loading position as the work vehicle is moved from the first location to the second location and to a pre-defined unloading position as the work vehicle is moved from the second location to the first location.

Claims

1. A method for automatically controlling the operation of a work vehicle during the performance of a material moving operation, the work vehicle include a lift assembly having a pair of loader arms coupled to an implement, the method comprising:

monitoring, with a computing device, cycle times for moving the work vehicle between a first location and a second location as the material moving operation is being performed;

determining, with the computing device, a work cycle time for moving the work vehicle between the first and second locations based on the monitored cycle times; and

automatically controlling, with the computing device, the operation of the lift assembly based on the work cycle time such that the loader arms and the implement are moved to a pre-defined loading position as the work vehicle is moved from the first location to the second location and to a pre-defined unloading position as the work vehicle is moved from the second location to the first location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the work cycle time comprises determining an average cycle time based on the monitored cycle times.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically controlling the operation of the lift assembly comprises controlling an operational speed of the lift assembly as the work vehicle is moved from the first location to the second location such that the loader arms and the implement are moved from their current position to the pre-defined unloading position within the work cycle time.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving an operator input instructing the computing device to control the operation of the lift assembly in a manner so that the loader arms and the implement are moved from their current position to the pre-defined unloading position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically controlling the operation of the lift assembly comprises controlling an operational speed of the lift assembly as the work vehicle is moved from the second location to the first location such that the loader arms and the implement are moved from their current position to the pre-defined loading position within the work cycle time.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving an operator input instructing the computing device to control the operation of the lift assembly in a manner so that the loader arms and the implement are moved from their current position to the pre-defined loading position.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an operator input instructing the computing device to monitor the cycle times for moving the work vehicle between the first and second locations as the material moving operation is being performed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location is defined at or adjacent to a source of material to be moved and the second location is defined at or adjacent to where the material is being moved.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a horizontal travel distance is defined between the first and second locations.

10. A system for automatically controlling the operation of a work vehicle during the performance of a material moving operation, the system comprising:

a drive unit configured to move the work vehicle between a first location and a second location;

a lift assembly including a pair of loader arms and an implement coupled to the loader arms; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the drive unit and the lift assembly, the controller being configured to monitor cycle times for moving the work vehicle between the first and second locations as the material moving operation is being performed, the controller being further configured to determine a work cycle time for moving the work vehicle between the first and second locations based on the monitored cycle times,

wherein the controller is configured to automatically control the operation of the lift assembly based on the work cycle time such that the loader arms and the implement are moved to a pre-defined loading position as the work vehicle is moved from the first location to the second location and to a pre-defined unloading position as the work vehicle is moved from the second location to the first location.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the work cycle time corresponds to an average cycle time determined based on the monitored cycle times.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to control an operational speed of the lift assembly as the work vehicle is moved from the first location to the second location such that the loader arms and the implement are moved from their current position to the pre-defined unloading position within the work cycle time.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to receive an operator input instructing it to control the operation of the lift assembly in a manner so that the loader arms and the implement are moved from their current position to the pre-defined unloading position.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to control an operational speed of the lift assembly as the work vehicle is moved from the second location to the first location such that the loader arms and the implement are moved from their current position to the pre-defined loading position within the work cycle time.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to receive an operator input instructing it to control the operation of the lift assembly in a manner so that the loader arms and the implement are moved from their current position to the pre-defined loading position.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to receive an operator input instructing it to monitor the cycle times for moving the work vehicle between the first and second locations as the material moving operation is being performed.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the first location is defined at or adjacent to a source of material to be moved and the second location is defined at or adjacent to where the material is being moved.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein a horizontal travel distance is defined between the first and second locations.