Method and apparatus for controlling the spatial orientation of the blade on an earthmoving machine

• US 6,112,145 A
• Filed: 01/26/1999
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Spectra Precision Inc. (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Zachman, Mark Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Louis-Jacques, Jacques H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/237,786
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/300, 37/347, 37/348, 172/4.5, 172/9, 172/190, 172/811, 172/818, 172/820
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/844 for positioning the blade, e.g. hydraulically
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/845 using mechanical sensors to determine the blade position, e.g. inclinometers, gyroscopes, pendulums

Abstract

A blade control system is configured to control the spatial orientation of an earthmoving blade mounted on a frame of an earthmoving machine for working a surface of earth to a desired shape. The blade slope angle required to maintain a selected cross-slope angle is calculated and the blade slope is then controlled so that the sensed blade slope angle is substantially equal to the calculated blade slope angle. The method and apparatus of the present invention is capable of maintaining the desired cross-slope even when the motorgrader is steered through a turn. The control system includes an input circuit, a sensor system and a processor. The input circuit is arranged to generate an output signal representative of the desired shape of the surface of earth to be worked. The sensor system includes a first sensor coupled to the frame of the earthmoving machine to generate a first signal indicative of a longitudinal slope angle of the frame with respect to horizontal. The sensor system also includes a second sensor coupled to the frame to generate a second signal indicative of a turn angle of the frame relative to a direction of travel of the blade. The processor is electrically coupled to the input circuit and the sensor system and is programmed to control the spatial orientation of the blade in response to at least the output signal from the input circuit, the first signal from the first sensor and the second signal from said second sensor so as to maintain the selected cross-slope angle.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling the spatial orientation of an earthmoving blade mounted on a frame of an earthmoving machine and adjustably moveable by a blade actuating mechanism in order to control the working of a surface of earth to a desired shape, said control system comprising:

an input circuit arranged to generate an output signal representative of the desired shape of the surface of earth to be worked;

a sensor system comprising;

a first sensor generating a first signal indicative of a longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal;

a fourth sensor generating a fourth signal indicative of a side-shift angle of said blade with respect to said frame; and

a processor electrically coupled to said input circuit and said sensor system and programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor and at least said fourth signal from said fourth sensor.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein said first sensor comprises a gravity sensor.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein said gravity sensor is selected from the group consisting of a slope sensor, an inclinometer, an accelerometer and a pendulum sensor.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein said first sensor comprises a gyroscope.

5. The control system of claim 2, wherein said first sensor further comprises a rate sensor.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein said rate sensor is selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric rate sensor and a ring laser.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein said fourth sensor is selected from the group consisting of a gyroscope, a rate sensor and a heading sensor.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein said sensor system further comprises a third sensor generating a third signal indicative of a rotational angle of said blade, and wherein said processor is programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor, at least said fourth signal from said fourth sensor and at least said third signal from said third sensor.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein said third sensor is configured to generate said third signal indicative of said rotational angle of said blade with respect to an axis perpendicular to a blade frame supporting said blade.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein said sensor system further comprises a second sensor generating a second signal indicative of a turn angle between said frame and a direction of travel of said blade, and wherein said processor is programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor, at least said second signal from said second sensor and at least said fourth signal from said fourth sensor.

11. The control system of claim 1, wherein said sensor system further comprises a fifth sensor generating a fifth signal indicative of a lateral slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal, and wherein said processor is programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor, at least said fourth signal from said fourth sensor and at least said fifth signal from said fifth sensor.

12. The control system of claim 1, wherein said sensor system further comprises an elevation sensor arranged to determine a vertical position of said blade relative to the surface of earth being worked.

13. The control system of claim 1, wherein said sensor system further comprises a blade locating system for identifying a location of said blade on a work site.

14. The control system of claim 13, wherein said blade locating system comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) with at least one GPS antenna mounted on said blade for identifying the location of said blade on said work site.

15. The control system of claim 11, wherein said fifth sensor is a gravity sensor selected from the group consisting of a slope sensor, an inclinometer, an accelerometer and a pendulum sensor.

16. The control system of claim 1, wherein said sensor system further comprises a sixth sensor coupled to said blade generating a sixth signal indicative of said blade slope of said blade with respect to horizontal and wherein said processor is programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor, at least said fourth signal from said fourth sensor and at least said sixth signal from said sixth sensor.

17. A control system for controlling the spatial orientation of an earthmoving blade mounted on a frame of an earthmoving machine and adjustably moveable by a blade actuating mechanism in order to control the working of a surface of earth to a desired shape, said control system comprising:

an input circuit arranged to generate an output signal representative of the desired shape of the surface of earth to be worked;

a sensor system comprising;

a first sensor generating a first signal indicative of a longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal;

a second sensor generating a second signal indicative of a turn angle between said frame and a direction of travel of said blade;

a third sensor generating a third signal indicative of a rotational angle of said blade; and

a fourth sensor generating a fourth signal indicative of a side-shift angle of said blade with respect to said frame; and

a processor electrically coupled to said input circuit and said sensor system and programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor, at least said second signal from said second sensor, at least said third signal from said third sensor and at least said fourth signal from said fourth sensor.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein said sensor system further comprises a fifth sensor generating a fifth signal indicative of a lateral slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal, and wherein said processor is programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor, at least said second signal from said second sensor, at least said third signal from said third sensor, at least said fourth signal from said fourth sensor and at least said fifth signal from said fifth sensor.

19. The control system of claim 17, wherein said input circuit is used to select a desired cross-slope angle of the surface of earth to be worked by said blade, said control system controlling said spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade to obtain the desired cross-slope angle of said surface as said surface is being worked, and said processor being further programmed to calculate a blade slope angle used to obtain said desired cross-slope angle of said surface according to the equations:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(BS)=tan(CS)·

cos(T)+tan(R)·

sin(T);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(R)=tan(M)·

cos(B)-tan(CS)·

sin(B); and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">T=Θ

+σ

-B

where;

BS is the blade slope angle of said blade relative to horizontal;

CS is said desired cross-slope angle of said surface;

T is the rotational angle of said blade relative to said direction of travel of said blade;

R is an angle between said direction of travel of said blade and horizontal;

M is said longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal;

Θ

is said rotational angle of said blade;

σ

is said side-shift angle of said blade with respect to said frame; and

B is said turn angle between said frame and said direction of travel of said blade.

20. The control system of claim 18, wherein said input circuit is used to select a desired cross-slope angle of the surface of earth to be worked by said blade, said control system controlling said spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade to obtain the desired cross-slope angle of said surface as said surface is being worked, and said processor being further programmed to calculate a blade slope angle used to obtain said desired cross-slope angle of said surface according to the equations:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(BS)=tan(CS)·

cos(T)+tan(R)·

sin(T);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(R)=tan(M)·

cos(B)-tan(L)·

sin(B); and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">T=Θ

+σ

-B

where;

BS is the blade slope angle of said blade relative to horizontal;

CS is said desired cross-slope angle of said surface;

T is the rotational angle of said blade relative to said direction of travel of said blade;

R is an angle between said direction of travel of said blade and horizontal;

M is said longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal;

Θ

is said rotational angle of said blade;

σ

is said side-shift angle of said blade with respect to said frame;

B is said turn angle between said frame and said direction of travel of said blade; and

L is said lateral slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal.

21. The control system of claim 17, wherein said first sensor comprises a gravity sensor.

22. The control system of claim 21, wherein said gravity sensor is selected from the group consisting of a slope sensor, an inclinometer, an accelerometer and a pendulum sensor.

23. The control system of claim 17, wherein said first sensor comprises a gyroscope.

24. The control system of claim 17, wherein said second sensor is selected from the group consisting of a gyroscope, a rate sensor and a heading sensor.

25. The control system of claim 17, wherein said third sensor is selected from the group consisting of an encoder and a resistive potentiometer.

26. The control system of claim 17, wherein said fourth sensor is selected from the group consisting of a gyroscope, a rate sensor and a heading sensor.

27. The control system of claim 18, wherein said fifth sensor is a gravity sensor selected from the group consisting of a slope sensor, an inclinometer, an accelerometer and a pendulum sensor.

28. The control system of claim 17, wherein said third sensor is configured to generate said third signal indicative of said rotational angle of said blade with respect to an axis perpendicular to a blade frame supporting said blade.

29. The control system of claim 19, wherein said sensor further comprises a sixth sensor coupled to said blade generating a sixth signal indicative of said blade slope of said blade with respect to horizontal.

30. An earthmoving machine comprising:

a vehicle having a frame;

an earthmoving blade coupled to said frame and adjustably moveable with respect to said frame by a blade actuating mechanism; and

a control system arranged to control a spatial orientation of said blade in order to control the working of a surface of earth to a desired shape, said control system comprising;

an input circuit arranged to generate an output signal representative of the desired shape of the surface of earth to be worked;

a sensor system comprising;

a first sensor generating a first signal indicative of a longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal; and

a second sensor genera ting a second signal indicative of a turn angle between said frame and a direction of travel of said blade;

a fifth sensor generating a fifth signal indicative of a lateral slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal; and

a processor electrically coupled to said input circuit and said sensor system and programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor and at least said second signal from said second sensor, and at least said fifth signal from said fifth sensor.

31. The earthmoving machine of claim 30, further comprising a blade frame coupled to said frame of said vehicle with said blade being coupled to said blade frame, and wherein said sensor system further comprises a third sensor to generate a third signal indicative of a rotational angle of said blade, and wherein said processor is programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor, at least said second signal from said second sensor, and at least said fifth signal from said fifth sensor, and at least said third signal from said third sensor.

32. The earthmoving machine of claim 31, wherein said sensor system further comprises a fourth sensor generating a fourth signal indicative of a side-shift angle of said blade with respect to said frame, and wherein said processor is programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor, at least said second signal from said second sensor, at least said third signal from said third sensor and at least said fourth signal from said fourth sensor, and at least said fifth signal from said fifth sensor.

33. The earthmoving machine of claim 30, wherein said input circuit is used to select a desired cross-slope angle of the surface of earth to be worked by said blade, said control system controlling said spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade to obtain the desired cross-slope angle of said surface as said surface is being worked, and said processor being further programmed to calculate a blade slope angle used to obtain said desired cross-slope angle of said surface according to the equations:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(BS)=tan(CS)·

cos(B)-tan(R)·

sin(B); and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(R)=tan(M)·

cos(B)-tan(CS)·

sin(B)

where;

BS is the blade slope angle of said blade relative to horizontal;

CS is said desired cross-slope angle of said surface;

B is said turn angle between said frame and said direction of travel of said blade;

R is an angle between said direction of travel of said blade and horizontal; and

M is said longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal.

34. The earthmoving machine of claim 30, wherein said input circuit is used to select a desired cross-slope angle of the surface of earth to be worked by said blade, said control system controlling said spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade to obtain the desired cross-slope angle of said surface as said surface is being worked, and said processor being further programmed to calculate a blade slope angle used to obtain said desired cross-slope angle of said surface according to the equations:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(BS)=tan(CS)·

cos(B)-tan(R)·

sin(B); and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(R)=tan(M)·

cos(B)-tan(L)·

sin(B)

where;

BS is the blade slope angle of said blade relative to horizontal;

CS is said desired cross-slope angle of said surface;

B is said turn angle between said frame and said direction of travel of said blade;

R is an angle between said direction of travel of said blade and horizontal;

M is said longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal; and

L is said lateral slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal.

35. The earthmoving machine of claim 32, wherein said input circuit is used to select a desired cross-slope angle of the surface of earth to be worked by said blade, said control system controlling said spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade to obtain the desired cross-slope angle of said surface as said surface is being worked, and said processor being further programmed to calculate a blade slope angle used to obtain said desired cross-slope angle of said surface according to the equations:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(BS)=tan(CS)·

cos(T)+tan(R)·

sin(T);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(R)=tan(M)·

cos(B)-tan(CS)·

sin(B); and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">T=Θ

+σ

-B

where;

BS is the blade slope angle of said blade relative to horizontal;

CS is said desired cross-slope angle of said surface;

T is the rotational angle of said blade relative to said direction of travel of said blade;

R is an angle between said direction of travel of said blade and horizontal;

M is said longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal;

Θ

is said rotational angle of said blade;

σ

is said side-shift angle of said blade with respect to said frame; and

B is said turn angle between said frame and said direction of travel of said blade.

36. The earthmoving machine of claim 32, wherein said input circuit is used to select a desired cross-slope angle of the surface of earth to be worked by said blade, said control system controlling said spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade to obtain the desired cross-slope angle of said surface as said surface is being worked, and said processor being further programmed to calculate a blade slope angle used to obtain said desired cross-slope angle of said surface according to the equations:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(BS)=tan(CS)·

cos(T)+tan(R)·

sin(T);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(R)=tan(M)·

cos(B)-tan(L)·

sin(B); and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">T=Θ

+σ

-B

where;

BS is the blade slope angle of said blade relative to horizontal;

CS is said desired cross-slope angle of said surface;

T is the rotational angle of said blade relative to said direction of travel of said blade;

R is an angle between said direction of travel of said blade and horizontal;

M is said longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal;

Θ

is said rotational angle of said blade;

σ

is said side-shift angle of said blade with respect to said frame;

B is said turn angle between said frame and said direction of travel of said blade; and

L is said lateral slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal.

37. The earthmoving machine of claim 30, wherein said first sensor comprises a gravity sensor.

38. The earthmoving machine of claim 37, wherein said gravity sensor is selected from the group consisting of a slope sensor, an inclinometer, an accelerometer and a pendulum sensor.

39. The earthmoving machine of claim 30, wherein said first sensor comprises a gyroscope.

40. The earthmoving machine of claim 30, wherein said second sensor is selected from the group consisting of a gyroscope, a rate sensor and a heading sensor.

41. The earthmoving machine of claim 31, wherein said third sensor is selected from the group consisting of an encoder and a resistive potentiometer.

42. The earthmoving machine of claim 32, wherein said fourth sensor is selected from the group consisting of a gyroscope, a rate sensor and a heading sensor.

43. The earthmoving machine of claim 30, wherein said fifth sensor is a gravity sensor selected from the group consisting of a slope sensor, an inclinometer, an accelerometer and a pendulum sensor.

44. The earthmoving machine of claim 30, wherein said sensor system further comprises an elevation sensor arranged to determine a vertical position of said blade relative to the surface of earth being worked.

45. The earthmoving machine of claim 30, wherein said sensor system further comprises a blade locating system for identifying a location of said blade on a work site.

46. The earthmoving machine of claim 45, wherein said blade locating system comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) with at least one GPS antenna mounted on said blade for identifying the location of said blade on said work site.

47. The earthmoving machine of claim 31, wherein said third sensor is configured to generate said third signal indicative of said rotational angle of said blade relative to an axis perpendicular to an axis of said blade frame.

48. The earthmoving machine of claim 30, wherein said vehicle comprises a bulldozer.

49. The earthmoving machine of claim 30, wherein said vehicle comprises a motorgrader.

50. The earthmoving machine of claim 30, wherein said sensor further comprises a sixth sensor coupled to said blade generating a sixth signal indicative of said blade slope of said blade with respect to horizontal and wherein said processor is programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor, at least said second signal from said second sensor, at least said fifth signal from said fifth sensor, and at least said sixth signal from said sixth sensor.

51. A method of working a surface of earth to a desired shape, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a frame coupled to an adjustably moveable earthmoving blade for working said surface of earth to said desired shape;

working said surface of earth to the desired shape with said earthmoving blade;

detecting a change in a longitudinal slope of said frame with respect to horizontal as said earthmoving blade works said surface of earth;

detecting a change in a side-shift angle of said blade relative to said frame; and

controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope and said side-shift angle.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein said earthmoving blade is supported by a blade frame coupled to said frame, and further comprising the step of detecting a change in a rotational angle of said blade with respect to an axis perpendicular to said blade frame as said earthmoving blade works said surface of earth, and wherein said step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope and said side-shift angle comprises the step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope of said frame, said side-shift angle and said rotational angle of blade.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising the step of detecting a change in a turn angle between said frame and a direction of travel of said earthmoving blade as said earthmoving blade works said surface of earth, and wherein said step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope and said turn angle comprises the step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope of said frame, said turn angle, said rotational angle of blade and said side-shift angle of blade.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising the step of detecting a change in a lateral slope angle of frame relative to horizontal, and wherein said step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope and said turn angle comprises the step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope of said frame, said turn angle, said rotational angle of blade, said side-shift angle of blade and said lateral slope angle of frame.

55. The method of claim 51, further comprising the step of detecting a change in a turn angle between said frame and a direction of travel of said earthmoving blade as said earthmoving blade works said surface of earth, and wherein said step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope and said turn angle comprises the step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope of said frame, said turn angle and said side-shift angle of blade.

56. The method of claim 51, further comprising the step of detecting a change in a lateral slope angle of frame relative to horizontal, and wherein said step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope and said side-shift angle comprises the step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope of said frame, said side-shift angle and said lateral slope angle of frame.

57. The method of claim 51, further comprising the step of locating a vertical position of said earthmoving blade relative to said surface of earth being worked.

58. The method of claim 51, further comprising the step of identifying a location of said earthmoving blade on a work site containing said surface of earth being worked.

59. The method of claim 51, further comprising the step of selecting a desired cross-slope angle of said surface of earth to be worked.

60. The method of claim 55, wherein said step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope and said turn angle is for controlling the working of said surface of earth to a desired cross-slope angle, and said method includes the step of calculating a blade slope angle used to obtain said desired cross-slope angle of said surface according to the equations:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(BS)=tan(CS)·

cos(B)-tan(R)·

sin(B); and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(R)=tan(M)·

cos(B)-tan(CS)·

sin(B)

where;

BS is the blade slope angle of said blade relative to horizontal;

CS is said desired cross-slope angle of said surface;

B is said turn angle between said frame and said direction of travel of said blade;

R is an angle between said direction of travel of said blade and horizontal; and

M is said longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal.

61. The method of claim 53, wherein said step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope, said turn angle, said rotational angle and said side-shift angle is for controlling the working of said surface of earth to a desired cross-slope angle, and said method includes the step of calculating a blade slope angle used to obtain said de sired cross-slope angle of said surface according to the equations:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(BS)=tan(CS)·

cos(T)+tan(R)·

sin(T);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(R)=tan(M)·

cos(B)-tan(CS)·

sin(B); and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">T=Θ

+σ

-B

where;

BS is the blade slope angle of said blade relative to horizontal;

CS is said desired cross-slope angle of said surface;

T is the rotational angle of said blade relative to said direction of travel of said blade;

R is an angle between said direction of travel of said blade and horizontal;

M is said longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal;

Θ

is said rotational angle of said blade;

σ

is said side-shift angle of said blade with respect to said frame; and

B is said turn angle between said frame and said direction of travel of said blade.

62. The method of claim 54, wherein said step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected changes in said longitudinal slope, said turn angle, said rotational angle, said side-shift angle and said lateral slope is for controlling the working of said surface of earth to a desired cross-slope angle, and said method includes the step of calculating a blade slope angle used to obtain said desired cross-slope angle of said surface according to the equations:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(BS)=tan(CS)·

cos(T)+tan(R)·

sin(T);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(R)=tan(M)·

cos(B)-tan(L)·

sin(B); and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">T=Θ

+σ

-

where;

BS is the blade slope angle of said blade relative to horizontal;

CS is said desired cross-slope angle of said surface;

T is the rotational angle of said blade relative to said direction of travel of said blade;

R is an angle between said direction of travel of said blade and horizontal;

M is said longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal;

Θ

is said rotational angle of said blade;

σ

is said side-shift angle of said blade with respect to said frame;

B is said turn angle between said frame and said direction of travel of said blade; and

L is said lateral slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal.

63. The method of claim 54, wherein said step of controlling a spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade so as to control the working of said surface of earth to the desired shape, at least in part, in response to said detected in said longitudinal slope, said turn angle, and said lateral slope is for controlling the working of said surface of earth to a desired cross-slope angle, and said method includes the step of calculating a blade slope angle used to obtain said desired cross-slope angle of said surface according to the equations:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(BS)=tan(CS)·

cos(B)-tan(R)·

sin(B); and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(R)=tan(M)·

cos(B)-tan(L)·

sin(B)

where;

BS is the blade slope angle of said blade relative to horizontal;

CS is said desired cross-slope angle of said surface;

B is said turn angle between said frame and said direction of travel of said blade;

R is an angle between said direction of travel of said blade and horizontal;

M is said longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal; and

L is said lateral slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal.

64. A control system for controlling the spatial orientation of an earthmoving blade mounted on a frame of an earthmoving machine and adjustably moveable by a blade actuating mechanism in order to control the working of a surface of earth to a desired shape, said control system comprising:

an input circuit arranged to generate an output signal representative of the desired shape of the surface of earth to be worked;

a sensor system comprising;

a first sensor generating a first signal indicative of a longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal;

a second sensor generating a second signal indicative of a turn angle between said frame and a direction of travel of said blade; and

a processor electrically coupled to said input circuit and said sensor system and programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor and at least said second signal from said second sensor, wherein said input circuit is used to select a desired cross-slope angle of the surface of earth to be worked by said blade, said control system controlling said spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade to obtain the desired cross-slope angle of said surface as said surface is being worked, and said processor being further programmed to calculate a blade slope angle used to obtain said desired cross-slope angle of said surface according to the equations;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(BS)=tan(CS)·

cos(B)-tan(R)·

sin(B); and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(R)=tan(M)·

cos(B)-tan(CS)·

sin(B)

where;

BS is the blade slope angle of said blade relative to horizontal;

CS is said desired cross-slope angle of said surface;

B is said turn angle between said frame and said direction of travel of said blade;

R is an angle between said direction of travel of said blade and horizontal; and

M is said longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal.

65. A control system for controlling the spatial orientation of an earthmoving blade mounted on a frame of an earthmoving machine and adjustably moveable by a blade actuating mechanism in order to control the working of a surface of earth to a desired shape, said control system comprising:

an input circuit arranged to generate an output signal representative of the desired shape of the surface of earth to be worked;

a sensor system comprising;

a first sensor generating a first signal indicative of a longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal;

a second sensor generating a second signal indicative of a turn angle between said frame and a direction of travel of said blade;

a fifth sensor generating a fifth signal indicative of a lateral slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal; and

a processor electrically coupled to said input circuit and said sensor system and programmed to control said spatial orientation of said blade by controlling the activation of said blade actuating mechanism in response to at least said output signal from said input circuit, at least said first signal from said first sensor, at least said second signal from said second sensor and at least said fifth signal from said fifth sensor.

66. The control system of claim 65, wherein said input circuit is used to select a desired cross-slope angle of the surface of earth to be worked by said blade, said control system controlling said spatial orientation of said earthmoving blade to obtain the desired cross-slope angle of said surface as said surface is being worked, and said processor being further programmed to calculate a blade slope angle used to obtain said desired cross-slope angle of said surface according to the equations:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(BS)=tan(CS)·

cos(B)-tan(R)·

sin(B); and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">tan(R)=tan(M)·

cos(B)-tan(L)·

sin(B)

where;

BS is the blade slope angle of said blade relative to horizontal;

CS is said de sired cross-slope angle of said surface;

B is said turn angle between said frame and said direction of travel of said blade;

R is an angle between said direction of travel of said blade and horizontal;

M is said longitudinal slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal, and

L is said lateral slope angle of said frame with respect to horizontal.