Machine payload measurement dial-a-load system

• US 7,627,410 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Mintah, Brian, Berry, Jeffrey K., Baskett, Jeffrey D., Krone, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amin; Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US11/299,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20070135985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/1, 701/4, 414332-347, 414349-402, 414467-559, 414800-816, 373/96, 373/48, 374/14, 373/82, 177136-139, 177/46, 177/47, 177/141, 702173-175, 702/107, 172/7, 172/9, 172/4, 172/5
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2029 Controlling the position of implements in function of its load, e.g. modifying the attitude of implements in accordance to vehicle speed control for hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2203, E02F9/2221 and E02F9/2253 take precedence

Abstract

A method of loading a truck with material using a loader includes a step of determining a target load for a final pass. Material is loaded into a bucket of the loader in excess of the target load. Excess material is dumped from the bucket back to the pile in a controlled manner to arrive at a target load of reposed material in the bucket. The target load amount of the material in the bucket, which is less than a total amount of material originally loaded in the bucket is dumped into the truck by pitching the bucket. The bucket may be pitched to a determined pitch angle that is based upon the target load using an appropriate material curve stored on the loader. The pitch control algorithm can be calibrated by sensing the reposed weight of material in the bucket, and comparing that to an expected reposed weight, and then updating one of the material curves if there is a deviation.

Claims

1. A method of loading a truck with material, comprising the steps of:

loading material into a bucket in excess of a target load;

determining a dump control parameter based on the target load;

dumping an amount, which is less than a total amount loaded into the bucket, of the material by pitching the bucket according to the dump control parameter;

determining the target load as a difference between a desired truck load weight and a current truck load weight;

the dump control determination step includes a step of determining a value indicative of a desired pitch angle based on the target load;

the pitching step includes pitching the bucket to stop at the desired pitch angle;

monitoring a value indicative of a pitch angle error during at least a portion of the pitching step; and

ending the pitching step as the pitching angle error approaches zero.

2. A method of loading a truck with material, comprising the steps of:

loading material into a bucket in excess of a target load;

determining a dump control parameter based on the target load;

dumping an amount, which is less than a total amount loaded into bucket, of the material by pitching the bucket according to the dump control parameter;

wherein the determining step includes a step of determining a desired pitching duration based on the target load; and

the pitching step includes pitching the bucket for the desired pitching duration.

3. A method of loading a truck with material, comprising the steps of:

loading material into a bucket in excess of a target load;

determining a dump control parameter based on the target load;

dumping an amount, which is less than a total amount loaded into the bucket, of the material by pitching the bucket according to the dump control parameter;

determining a deviation from horizontal of a loader that includes the bucket;

identifying the material in the bucket; and

the pitching step is also based on an identity of the material in the bucket and a determined deviation from the horizontal of the loader;

sensing a reposed weight of material in the bucket following the dumping step;

comparing the sensed reposed weight to an expected reposed weight;

the dumping step is performed according to stored dump data; and

calibrating the dump data for use in a subsequent dumping step based on a difference between the sensed weight and the expected reposed weight.

4. The method of claim 3 including a step of determining a value indicative of a desired pitch angle based on the target load;

and

the pitching step includes pitching the bucket to stop at the desired pitch angle.

5. The method of claim 3 including a step of determining a desired pitching duration based on the target load and the sensed weight;

and

the pitching step includes pitching the bucket for the desired pitching duration.