Method and apparatus for determining a cross slope of a surface

• US 6,389,345 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2001
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Phelps, Stephen K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/866,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/200, 701/207, 701/213, 475/84, 475/86, 477/35, 180/235, 180/197, 180/13.L, 172/4.5, 172/1, 172/789, 172/45, 172/2, 172/751
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/845 using mechanical sensors to determine the blade position, e.g. inclinometers, gyroscopes, pendulums

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining the cross slope created by a work implement on a work machine operating in an articulated or non-articulated manner. The method includes the steps of determining a position of the work implement, determining a direction of travel of the machine, and responsively determining the cross slope.

Claims

1. A method for determining a cross slope created by a work implement on a work machine, the work machine comprised of movably connected front and rear frames, said work implement movably connected to at least one of said frames, comprising the steps of:

sensing a plurality of machine parameters, said machine parameters including at least a roll of said work machine, a pitch of said work machine, and an articulation angle;

sensing at least one work implement parameter, said work parameter including at least an angle of rotation of said work implement relative to said work machine;

determining a position of said work implement in response to said work machine parameters and said at least one work implement parameter;

determining a direction of travel of at least one of said frames of said work machine; and

determining a cross slope in response to said at least one direction of travel and said work implement position.

2. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of sensing said at least one work implement parameter includes the step of determining a pitch of said work implement relative to said work machine.

3. The method, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step of sensing said at least one work implement parameter includes the step of determining a roll of said work implement relative to said work machine.

4. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of sensing said at least one work implement parameter includes the steps of:

determining a pitch of said work implement relative to the earth'"'"'s gravitational field; and

determining a roll of said work implement relative to the earth'"'"'s gravitational field.

5. The method, as set forth in claim 4, wherein the step of determining a direction of travel includes the step of correlating said pitch of said work machine, said roll of said work machine, and said articulation angle to the direction of travel of at least one of said frames.

6. The method, as set forth in claim 5, including the steps of:

comparing said cross slope with a desired cross slope; and

determining a cross slope error in response to said comparison.

7. The method, as set forth in claim 6, including the step of controlling said work implement in response to said cross slope error.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 7, wherein the step of determining said work implement position includes the step of:

determining said work implement position in response to a sequence of theoretical work implement translations from a first work implement position to a second work implement position.

9. The method, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said sequence of theoretical work implement translations includes the steps of:

translating an angle of rotation of said work implement to account for rotation of said work implement;

translating said work implement to account for a roll of said work implement; and

translating said work implement to account for a pitch of said work implement.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 8, including the step of correlating said sensed machine parameters and said at least one sensed work implement parameter to variables associated with theoretical work implement translations.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of determining a direction of travel includes the step of correlating said pitch of said work machine, said roll of said work machine, and said articulation angle to the direction of travel of at least one of said frames.

12. A method for determining a cross slope created by a work implement on a work machine, the work machine comprised of movably connected front and rear frames, said work implement movably connected to at least one of said frames, comprising the steps of:

sensing a plurality of machine parameters, said machine parameters including a roll of said work machine, a pitch of said work machine, and an articulation angle;

sensing a plurality of work implement parameters, said work implement parameters including an angle of rotation of said work implement relative to said work machine; and

determining said cross slope in response to said machine parameters and said work implement parameters including said angle of rotation of said work implement.

13. The method, as set forth in claim 12, wherein said step of determining said cross slope includes the steps of:

determining a direction of travel of at least one of said frames in response to said roll of said work machine, said pitch of said work machine, and said articulation angle; and

determining said cross slope in response to said direction of travel.

14. The method, as set forth in claim 12, wherein the step of sensing a plurality of work implement parameters includes the steps of:

determining a pitch of the work implement relative to the earth'"'"'s gravitational field; and

determining a roll of the work implement relative to the earth'"'"'s gravitational field.

15. The method, as set forth in claim 14, wherein the step of sensing a plurality of work implement parameters includes the steps of:

determining a pitch of the work implement relative to the machine; and

determining a roll of the work implement relative to the machine.

16. The method, as set forth in claim 15, including the step of determining a direction of said machine, wherein said cross slope is determined in response to said direction of said machine, said machine parameters, said work implement parameters, and said angle of rotation of said work implement.

17. The method, as set forth in claim 16, wherein said step of determining said direction of said machine includes the step of:

determining said direction of said machine in response to said roll of said machine, said pitch of said machine, and said articulation angle.

18. The method, as set forth in claim 16, wherein the step of determining said work implement position includes the steps of:

determining said work implement position in response to a sequence of theoretical work implement translations from a first work implement position to a second work implement position.

19. The method, as set forth in claim 18, wherein said sequence of theoretical work implement translations includes the steps of:

translating said work implement angle of rotation to account for said work implement rotation;

translating said work implement to account for said work implement roll; and

translating said work implement to account for said work implement pitch.

20. An apparatus configured to determine a cross slope created by a work machine having a work implement, the work machine including front and rear frames movably connected, the work implement being movably connected to at least one of said frames of the work machine, comprising:

a machine sensor system configured to sense a plurality of machine parameters and responsively generate a plurality of machine parameter signals;

a work implement sensor system configured to determine a plurality of work implement parameters and responsively generate a plurality of work implement parameter signals; and

a controller configured to receive said machine parameter signals and said work implement parameter signals, determine a direction of travel of the machine in response to said machine and said work implement parameters, determine a position of said work implement in response to said machine and said work implement parameters, and determine the cross slope in response to said machine direction of travel and said work implement position.

21. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 20, wherein said machine sensor system includes:

a roll sensor configured to determine a roll of the machine;

a pitch sensor configured to determine a pitch of the machine; and

an articulation angle sensor to determine the articulation of the machine.

22. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 21, wherein said controller determines said direction of travel of said machine in response to said roll of the machine, said pitch of the machine and said articulation angle.

23. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 22, wherein said work implement sensor system includes:

a roll sensor configured to determine a roll of the work implement relative to the machine; and

a pitch sensor configured to determine a pitch of the work implement relative to the machine.

24. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 23, wherein said work implement sensor system includes:

a roll sensor configured to determine a roll of the work implement relative to the earth'"'"'s gravitational field; and

a pitch sensor configured to determine a pitch of the work implement relative to the earth'"'"'s gravitational field.

25. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 24, wherein said controller determines an angle of rotation of said work implement relative to the machine, and wherein said controller determines cross slope in response to said machine parameters, said work implement parameters and said angle of rotation.

26. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 24, wherein said work implement sensor system includes a rotation sensor configured to sense an angle of rotation of the work implement relative to the machine and responsively generate an angle of rotation signal, said work implement parameter signals including said angle of rotation signal.

27. A method for determining a cross slope created by a work implement on a work machine, the work machine including front and rear frames movably connected, the work implement being movably connected to at least one of said frames of the work machine, comprising the steps of:

determining a position of said work implement;

determining a direction of travel of at least one of said frames;

establishing an angle of rotation of the work implement relative to the machine; and

determining a cross slope in response to said direction of travel of at least one of said frames and said work implement position.

28. The method, as set forth in claim 27, including the steps of:

sensing a plurality of machine parameters, said machine parameters including a roll of said machine, a pitch of said machine, and an articulation angle of said machine;

sensing at least one work implement parameter, said at least one work implement parameter including an implement angle of rotation; and

wherein, the step of determining said work implement position includes the step of determining said work implement position in response to said machine parameters and said at least one work implement parameter, including said implement angle of rotation.

29. The method, as set forth in claim 28, wherein the step of determining said at least one work implement parameter includes the step of determining a pitch of said work implement relative to said machine.

30. The method, as set forth in claim 29, wherein the step of determining said direction of travel includes the step of:

determining said direction of at least one of said frames in response to said roll of said machine, said pitch of said machine, and said articulation angle.

31. The method, as set forth in claim 27, including the steps of:

comparing said cross slope with a desired cross slope; and

determining a cross slope error in response to said comparison.

32. The method, as set forth in claim 31, including the step of controlling said work implement in response to said cross slope error.

33. An apparatus configured to determine a cross slope created by a work machine having a work implement, the machine having front and rear frames movably connected, the work implement being movably connected to at least one of said frames of the work machine, comprising:

a machine sensor system configured to sense a plurality of machine parameters, including a roll of said machine, a pitch of said machine, and an articulation of said machine, and responsively generate a plurality of machine parameter signals, said signals corresponding to said roll of said machine, said pitch of said machine, and said articulation angle of said machine;

a work implement sensor system configured to determine a plurality of work implement parameters, one of said work implement parameters being an angle of rotation of the work implement relative to the machine, and responsively generate a plurality of work implement parameter signals; and

a controller configured to receive said machine parameter signals and said work implement parameter signals, determine at least one of a direction of travel of the machine and a direction of travel of the work implement in response to said roll of said machine, said pitch of said machine, said articulation angle of said machine, and said work implement parameters, including said angle of rotation, determine a position of said work implement in response to said machine and said work implement parameters, and determine the cross slope in response to said at least one of said direction of travel of said machine and said direction of travel of said work implement and said work implement position.