System for Improving Safety in Use of a Machine of a Kind Comprising a Body and an Implement Movable Relative to the Body

• US 20160138249A1
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Conway, Simon, Britten-Austin, R. Neil, Abi-Karam, Elie, Smith, Sage
• Application Number:
  US14/940,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20160138249A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/96 with arrangements for alternate or simultaneous use of different digging elements E02F3/7604, E02F3/769, E02F3/78 take precedence; quick-acting devices to connect tools to arms or booms E02F3/3609, for arms to tractors or the like E02F3/627
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2033 Limiting the movement of frames or implements, e.g. to avoid collision between implements and the cabin sub-groups of E02F3/431 of E02F3/435 take precedence; for turntables E02F9/123
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2037 Coordinating the movements of the implement and of the frame
• 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 9/24 Safety devices , e.g. for preventing overload E02F9/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/261 Surveying the work-site to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/265 with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation

Abstract

A system for improving safety in use of a machine of a kind including a body and an implement movable relative to the body is disclosed. The system may use sensed data to define a safety zone around an implement to assist a user in avoiding an object of interest. The system may provide functionality to change control of the machine or implement in the event that an object of interest is detected.

Claims

1. A system for a machine of a kind comprising a body and an implement, wherein the system is configured to define a safety zone in the vicinity of the implement, the system comprising:

a processor configured to receive a plurality of system inputs and to deliver a system output comprising criteria that define a position and at least one dimension of the safety zone; and

wherein the plurality of system inputs comprises;

(e) first system input data relating to a type and/or a dimension of the implement;

(f) second system input data relating to a current position of the implement; and

one or both of;

(g) third system input data relating to user input control of a first type that governs ground propulsion of the machine; and

(h) fourth system input data relating to user input control of a second type that governs movement of the implement relative to the body and operation of the implement;

wherein the processor is configured to process the plurality of system inputs in order to determine the system output.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor configured for obtaining at least some of the plurality of input data.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one camera.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the at least one camera comprises a camera located so as to provide an image of an implement that may be connected to an implement coupling of the machine.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein at least one of the sensors is located on an implement configured to be couplable to a machine.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data library including data corresponding to values for each of the first, second and third system input data and, for each combination of input data values, a corresponding output data value, wherein the step of processing the plurality of inputs in order to determine the system output comprises searching the data library for an output data value that corresponds with the first, second and third system input data values.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to compute a function, the function having a plurality of function inputs and at least one function output and wherein the processor is configured to transfer the plurality of system inputs to the function inputs and to deliver as the system output the at least one function output.

8. The system of claim 1 and further comprising a display, wherein the display is configured to receive and display the criteria that define the position and at least one dimension of the safety zone.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the display is configured to show the position and at least one dimension of the safety zone in the context of a bird'"'"'s eye view representation of the machine and articles in the vicinity of the machine as determined from the data received by the at least one system input.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one sensor for detecting presence of at least one person and wherein the processor is configured to represent a position of the person thereby detected on the display.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the at least one sensor for detecting presence of at least one person includes an infra-red sensor.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the output represents guidance in relation to a future trajectory of the safety zone, wherein the future trajectory is calculated based on current system input data.

13. The system of claim 3 wherein the first input data relating to a type and/or a dimension of the implement are obtained by configuring the processor to:

obtain an image from one of the at least one camera wherein said image includes an area of interest on an implement connected to the machine, wherein the area of interest is an area that is expected to show at least one alphanumeric character;

use an alphanumeric recognition technique, to recognise the at least one alphanumeric character;

search for the combination of at least one alphanumeric character in a data library and obtaining from a part of the data library associated with the combination of at least one alphanumeric character data stored in the data library in relation to the implement including at least one of the following;

implement type;

implement dimension or dimensions;

degrees of freedom of implement or components of implement;

other data relating to the implement.

14. The system of claim 2 wherein the first input data relating to a type and/or a dimension of the implement are obtained by configuring the processor to:

obtain information for identifying the implement using at least one of the following technique;

image recognition;

bar code recognition;

QR code recognition;

RFID detection;

search in a data library and obtain from a part of the data library associated with the information obtained for data stored in the data library in relation to the implement including at least one of the following;

implement type;

implement dimension or dimensions;

degrees of freedom of implement or components of implement;

other data relating to the implement.

15. A machine comprising the system of claim 1.

16. The system of claim 2 further comprising a data library including data corresponding to values for each of the first, second and third system input data and, for each combination of input data values, a corresponding output data value, wherein the step of processing the plurality of inputs in order to determine the system output comprises searching the data library for an output data value that corresponds with the first, second and third system input data values.

17. The system of claim 2 wherein the processor is configured to compute a function, the function having a plurality of function inputs and at least one function output and wherein the processor is configured to transfer the plurality of system inputs to the function inputs and to deliver as the system output the at least one function output.

18. The system of claim 2 and further comprising a display, wherein the display is configured to receive and display the criteria that define the position and at least one dimension of the safety zone.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the display is configured to show the position and at least one dimension of the safety zone in the context of a bird'"'"'s eye view representation of the machine and articles in the vicinity of the machine as determined from the data received by the at least one system input.

20. The system of claim 2 wherein the output represents guidance in relation to a future trajectory of the safety zone, wherein the future trajectory is calculated based on current system input data.