RANGING RADIO RELATIVE MACHINE POSITIONING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20180284219A1
• Filed: 03/29/2017
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Friend, Paul Russell
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/17 Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/408 Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/14 Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/412 Excavators
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2025 Particular purposes of control systems not otherwise provided for E02F3/16, E02F3/26, sub-groups of E02F3/43, E02F3/651, sub-groups of E02F3/84, E02F3/907, E02F5/145 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/765 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning

Abstract

A ranging radio relative machine positioning system for a first mobile machine and a second mobile machine is provided. The first mobile machine includes a platform rotatable relative to ground-engaging elements of the first mobile machine. A first set of ranging radios and at least one sensor are configured for attachment to the first mobile machine, and a second set of ranging radios are configured for attachment to the second mobile machine. The system also includes a controller programmed to identify a ground spotting location relative to the first mobile machine, track movement of the first mobile machine relative to the ground spotting location using the sensor to arrive at an offset, and provide a location, or pose, of the second mobile machine relative to the ground spotting location using the first and second sets of ranging radios and the offset.

Claims

1. A ranging radio relative machine positioning system for a first mobile machine and a second mobile machine, the first mobile machine including a platform rotatable relative to ground-engaging elements of the first mobile machine, the system including:

a first set of ranging radios and at least one sensor configured for attachment to the first mobile machine;

a second set of ranging radios configured for attachment to the second mobile machine; and

a controller programmed to;

identify a ground spotting location relative to the first mobile machine;

determine movement of the first mobile machine relative to the ground spotting location using the sensor to arrive at an offset; and

provide a location of the second mobile machine relative to the ground spotting location using the first and second sets of ranging radios and the offset.

2. The ranging radio relative machine positioning system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is a swing sensor configured to measure rotational movement of the platform of the first mobile machine relative to the ground-engaging elements.

3. The ranging radio relative machine positioning system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to identify a ground spotting pose relative to a known origin.

4. The ranging radio relative machine positioning system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to provide a pose of the second mobile machine relative to the ground spotting pose.

5. The ranging radio relative machine positioning system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to set the ground spotting location to a current bucket position of the first mobile machine relative to a known origin.

6. The ranging radio relative machine positioning system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to set the ground spotting location based on a current orientation of the first mobile machine and an ideal loading radius.

7. The ranging radio relative machine positioning system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further programmed to set the ground spotting location based on a heading of the first mobile machine and the ideal loading radius, wherein the ideal loading radius is adjustable.

8. The ranging radio relative machine positioning system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to set the ground spotting location based on an adjustable ideal loading radius.

9. The ranging radio relative machine positioning system of claim 2, further including an additional sensor supported on the first mobile machine and configured to measure translational movement of the first mobile machine, wherein the offset is based on rotational movement of the platform and translational movement of the first mobile machine.

10. The ranging radio relative machine positioning system of claim 2, further including a sensor supported on the second mobile machine and configured to measure translational movement of the second mobile machine.

11. A method of generating a ground spotting location relative to a first mobile machine using a ranging radio relative machine positioning system for the first mobile machine and a second mobile machine, the first mobile machine including a platform rotatable relative to ground-engaging elements of the first mobile machine, the method including steps of:

identifying an electronically stored ground spotting location relative to the first mobile machine;

determining movement of the first mobile machine relative to the electronically stored ground spotting location using a sensor supported on the first mobile machine to arrive at an offset; and

providing a location of the second mobile machine relative to the electronically stored ground spotting location using a first set of ranging radios supported on the first mobile machine, a second set of ranging radios supported on the second mobile machine, the offset, and a controller.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying step includes identifying an electronically stored ground spotting pose relative to the first mobile machine.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the providing step includes providing a pose of the second mobile machine relative to the ground spotting pose.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein rotational movement of the platform of the first mobile machine relative to the ground spotting pose is measured using a swing sensor.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying step includes setting the electronically stored ground spotting location to a current bucket position of the first mobile machine relative to a known origin.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying step includes setting the electronically stored ground spotting location based on a current orientation of the first mobile machine and an ideal loading radius.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifying step includes setting the electronically stored ground spotting location based on a heading of the first mobile machine and an ideal loading radius, wherein the ideal loading radius is adjustable.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifying step includes setting the electronically stored ground spotting location based on an adjustable ideal loading radius.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein an additional sensor supported on the first mobile machine measures translational movement of the first mobile machine, wherein the offset is based on rotational movement of the platform and translational movement of the first mobile machine.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein a sensor supported on the second mobile machine measures translational movement of the second mobile machine.