Sonic ranging grade level controller

• US 5,365,442 A
• Filed: 10/21/1991
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thermedics, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Thermedics, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Douglas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAY, JULIE
• Application Number:
  US07/780,149
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424.07, 56/D15, 37/348, 37/382
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/114 to achieve a constant working depth
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/006 by laser or ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2007/52014 involving a reference reflector integrated in the sensor or transducer configuration

Abstract

An implement position control device including a central processing unit (6) coupled to an ultrasonic transducer (17) and receiver/amplifier (20) adapted to calculate the distance to a reference target (12 and a relatively more distant surface (9). Control pulses are initiated by the CPU (6) to manipulate a solenoid (25) by means of a valve driver (24) in response to the calculated distance measurements. An autotune task (26) causes a series of precise pulses to manipulate the solenoid, thereby permitting calculation of the transfer function (52) defining the relationship between pulse width and implement position.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the position of an implement in relationship to a surface, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a desired relationship between the implement and the surface;

(b) emitting a sonic wave;

(c) detecting echoes produced by the reflection of the sonic wave from the surface; and

(d) generating a correction signal which causes the implement to alter its relationship to the surface if a difference between a desired distance and a measured distance exceeds a certain amount, wherein a transfer function defining a relationship between the difference and the correction signal magnitude is linear.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring the distance between the implement and the surface further comprises the steps of:

(a) detecting the echoes of the sonic wave from a reference target;

(b) calculating a distance to the reference target;

(c) comparing the calculated distance to the reference target to the known distance to the reference target;

(d) calculating a compensation factor based on any discrepancy between the calculated distance and the actual distance to the reference target; and

(e) applying the compensation factor to the calculated distance to the surface, thereby generating a corrected measurement of the distance between the implement and the surface.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring the rate of change of echo delays received from the reference target;

(b) monitoring the rate of change of echo delays received from the surface;

(c) comparing the rate of change between the reference target echo delays and the surface echo delays; and

(d) recalculating the speed of sound based on reference target echo data only if the reference target echo data changed at a rate that was less than or equal to changes in the measured surface echo delay.

3. A method of controlling the position of an implement in relation to a surface comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a desired relationship between the implement and the surface;

(b) emitting a sonic wave;

(c) detecting echoes produced by the reflection of the sonic wave from the surface;

(d) detecting the echoes of the sonic wave from a reference target;

(e) monitoring the rate of change of echo delays received from the reference target;

(f) monitoring the rate of echo delays received from the surface;

(g) comparing the rate of change of between the reference target echo delays and the surface echo delays;

(h) recalculating the speed of sound based on reference target echo data only if the reference target echo data changed at a rate that was less than or equal to changes in the measured surface echo delay;

(i) calculating a compensation factor based on any discrepancy between the calculated distance and the actual distance to the reference target;

(j) applying the compensation factor to the calculated distance to the surface, thereby generating a corrected measurement of the distance between the implement and the surface;

(k) generating a signal which causes the implement to alter its relationship to the surface if the difference between the desired distance and the measured distance exceeds a certain amount; and

(l) generating a signal causing a solenoid operatively connected to the instrument to be continuously oscillated if the difference between the desired distance and the measured distance is less than a predetermined value.

5. A method of controlling the position of an implement in relation to a surface, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a desired relationship between the implement and the surface;

(b) emitting a sonic wave;

(c) detecting echoes produced by the reflection of the sonic wave from the surface;

(d) detecting the echoes of the sonic wave from a reference target;

(e) calculating a distance to the reference target;

(f) comparing the calculated distance to the reference target to the known distance to the reference target;

(g) calculating a compensation factor based on any discrepancy between the calculated distance and the actual distance to the reference target;

(h) applying the compensation factor to the calculated distance to the surface, thereby generating a corrected measurement of the distance between the implement and the surface;

(i) generating a correction pulse which causes the implement to alter its relationship to the surface if the difference between the desired distance and the measured distance exceeds a certain amount, wherein a transfer function defining a relationship between the error and the pulse magnitude is linear; and

(j) generating a signal causing a solenoid operatively connected to the instrument to be continuously oscillated if the difference between the desired distance and the measured distance is less than a predetermined value.

6. A method of determining the response characteristic of an implement control system for positioning an implement with respect to a surface, comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring a distance to the surface;

(b) manipulating the implement with respect to the surface;

(c) measuring any resulting variation in distance between the implement and the surface; and

(d) calculating the relationship between the manipulation and the resulting variation of the implement relative to the surface, thereby determining the response characteristic of the implement control system.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of defining an exclusive time period during which the response characteristic of the implement control system is determined, thereby disabling the implement control system for use in other tasks.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of measuring a distance to the surface further comprises the steps of:

(a) emitting an ultrasonic wavefront;

(b) detecting reflections of the ultrasonic wavefront from a reference target, the reference target being positioned in a known location;

(c) measuring ancient temperature;

(d) calculating the distance to the reference target;

(e) determining the distance to the reference target based on an ambient temperature assumption;

(f) comparing the calculated distance to the reference target with the known distance to the reference target;

(g) comparing any discrepancy between the known distance and the calculated distance to the reference target; and

(h) choosing to omit further measurement of the calculated distance to the reference target if the discrepancy is in excess of the predetermined acceptable limits.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of manipulating the implement with respect to the surface further comprises the steps of:

(a) sending a single control pulses of a predetermined and fixed time duration to an "up" solenoid, the "up" solenoid controlling the upward movement of the implement;

(b) analyzing any resulting change in implement height, thereby determining a preliminary relationship between the "up" control pulse duration and the distance of upward movement of the implement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of manipulating the implement with respect to the surface further comprises the steps of:

(a) sending a single control pulses of a predetermined and fixed time duration to an "down" solenoid, the "down" solenoid controlling the downward movement of the implement;

(b) analyzing any resulting change in implement height, thereby determining a preliminary relationship between the "down" control pulse duration and the distance of downward movement of the implement.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of returning the implement to a position near a central point of the range of position of the implement subsequent to determining the initial estimates of the characteristics of the "up" and "down" solenoids.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

(a) utilizing the initial estimate of the relationship between "up" control pulse duration and the distance of upward movement of the implement determined by the steps described in claim 9 to compute an "up" control pulse width required to give a relatively large distance of upward movement of the implement, typically between 0.4" and 1.5";

(b) emitting the computed control pulse to the "up" solenoid;

(c) measuring the finite change in implement height resulting therefrom;

(d) computing a transfer function defining a relationship between control pulse duration and distance of upward movement of nine implement for a large implement motion.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising steps of:

(a) utilizing the initial estimate of the relationship between "down" control pulse duration and the distance of upward movement of the implement determined by the steps described in claim 10 to compute a "down" control pulse width required to give a relatively large distance of downward movement of the implement, typically between 0.4" and 1.5";

(b) emitting the computed control pulse to the "down" solenoid;

(c) measuring the finite change in implement height resulting therefrom;

(d) computing a transfer function defining a relationship between control pulse duration and distance of downward movement of the implement for a large implement motion.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of returning the implement to a position near central point of the range of position of the implement subsequent to determining the initial estimates of the characteristics of the "up" and "down" solenoids.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

(a) utilizing the initial estimate of the relationship between "up" control pulse duration and distance of upward movement of the implement determined by the steps described in claim 12 to compute an "up" control pulse width required to give a relatively small distance of upward movement of the implement, typically between 0.1" and 0.4";

(b) emitting the computed control pulse to the "up" solenoid;

(c) measuring the finite change in implement height resulting therefrom;

(d) computing a transfer function defining a relationship between control pulse duration and distance of upward movement of the implement for a small implement motion.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

(a) utilizing the initial estimate of the relationship between "down" control pulse duration and the distance of upward movement of the implement determined by the steps described in claim 13 to compute a "down" control pulse width required to give a relatively small distance of downward movement of the implement, typically between 0.1" and 0.4";

(b) emitting the computed control pulse to the "down" solenoid;

(c) measuring the finite change in implement height resulting therefrom;

(d) computing a transfer function defining a relationship between control pulse duration and distance of downward movement of the implement for a small implement motion.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

(a) computing the slope dH/dTp for the "up" control transfer function;

(b) computing a Y-axis intercept Ho for the "up" control transfer function; and

(c) computing the "dither" control pulse period for the "up" control transfer function.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

(a) computing the slope dH/dTp for the "down" control transfer function;

(b) computing a Y-axis intercept Ho for the "down" control transfer function;

(c) computing the "dither" control pulse period for the "down" control transfer function.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

(a) storing all values related to both the "up" and "down" transfer functions and the desired height of the implement relative to the surface in non-volatile memory;

(b) terminating the determination of the transfer function; and

(c) enabling automatic control of the position of the implement, thus maintaining the desired relationship between the implement and the surface.