Machine with automated blade positioning system

• US 7,676,967 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Bhaskar, Vivek, Gharsalli, Imed
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert E
• Application Number:
  US11/797,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 373/48, 374/44, 374/66, 37412-414, 172 2- 6, 172/781, 701/50, 299/1.4, 299/1.5, 299/39.2, 299/39.6
• US Class Current: 37/348
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/844 for positioning the blade, e.g. hydraulically
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2033 Limiting the movement of frames or implements, e.g. to avoid collision between implements and the cabin sub-groups of E02F3/431 of E02F3/435 take precedence; for turntables E02F9/123
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0257 using a radar radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0268 using internal positioning means

Abstract

A system is provided for positioning a work implement. The system has at least one actuator for actuating a movement of a work implement. The system also has at least one sensor associated with the at least one actuator and configured to sense at least one parameter indicative of a position and an orientation of the work implement. Furthermore, the system has a controller configured to automatically create a travel path for the work implement and guide the work implement in response to the data received from the at least one sensor, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically modify the travel path when detecting an imminent collision between the work implement and an obstacle.

Claims

1. A work implement positioning system for a mobile machine, comprising:

at least one actuator for actuating a movement of a work implement;

at least one sensor associated with the at least one actuator and configured to sense at least one parameter indicative of a current position and orientation of the work implement; and

a controller configured to automatically create a travel path for the work implement between the current position and orientation and a preset position and orientation and to move the work implement along the travel path the controller further configured to automatically modify the travel path when detecting an imminent collision between the work implement and a portion of the machine.

2. The work implement positioning system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that a collision between the work implement and the portion of the machine is imminent when the distance between a surface of the work implement and the portion of the machine is less than a predetermined threshold.

3. The work implement positioning system of claim 1, further including at least one ground sensor configured to sense a parameter indicative of a distance between the work implement and the ground.

4. The work implement positioning system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically modify the travel path and move the work implement in response to data received from the at least one ground sensor.

5. The work implement positioning system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive an operator signal providing the preset position and orientation.

6. The work implement positioning system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to prioritize imminent collisions when determining more than one imminent collision with more than one portion of the machine.

7. The work implement positioning system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to automatically modify the travel path to avoid imminent collisions in a sequence based on the priority of the imminent collisions.

8. The work implement positioning system of claim 7, wherein the priority is assigned by a relative distance between each portion of the motorgrader and the work implement.

9. The work implement positioning system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to compare a three-dimensional model of the work implement with a three dimensional model of the portion of the machine to determine when a collision is imminent.

10. The work implement positioning system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to generate a collision zone based on the model of the work implement, and to determine when a collision is imminent based upon determining if the portion of the machine has entered the zone.

11. The work implement positioning system of claim 9, wherein the three-dimensional model of the work implement and the three-dimensional model of the at least one portion of the machine are based on independent coordinate systems, and the controller is further configured to correlate the coordinate systems.

12. The work implement positioning system of claim 1, further including at least one ground sensor configured to sense a parameter indicative of a distance between the work implement and the ground, the controller further configured to modify the path to avoid an undesired collision between the work implement and the ground.

13. A method for moving a work implement of a mobile machine, comprising:

sensing at least one parameter indicative of a current location and orientation of the work implement;

creating a mathematical three-dimensional representation of the work implement based on the at least one sensed parameter and stored geometric data of the work implement;

selecting a target location and orientation of the work implement;

creating a work implement travel path based on the current location and orientation and the target location and orientation;

creating a three-dimensional mathematical representation of a portion of the mobile machine;

automatically moving the work implement along the travel path; and

comparing the mathematical representations of the work implement and the portion of the mobile machine along the travel path to determine that a collision between the work implement and the portion of the mobile machine is imminent, and automatically modifying the travel path to avoid the collision.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determination that a collision is imminent includes determining that a distance between a surface of the work implement and the portion of the mobile machine is less than a predetermined threshold.

15. The method of claim 13, further including continuously moving the work implement even when an imminent collision is determined.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the mathematical representation of the work implement is updated at predetermined intervals of time.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein moving the work implement along the travel path includes moving the work implement in response to input from an operator.

18. The method of claim 17, further including overriding the input from the operator upon detection of an imminent collision between the work implement and the portion of the mobile machine.

19. A mobile machine, comprising:

a first frame operatively connected to a first traction device;

a second frame operatively connected to a second traction device;

a work implement operatively connected to the first frame and configured for movement along a plurality of axes;

at least one actuator for actuating a movement of the work implement along a first axis of the plurality of axes;

at least one sensor associated with the at least one actuator and configured to sense at least one parameter indicative of a current position and orientation of the work implement; and

a controller configured to;

automatically create a travel path for the work implement from the current position and orientation to a preset position and orientation;

move the work implement along the travel path; and

automatically modify the travel path when detecting an imminent collision between the work implement and a portion of the mobile machine.

20. The mobile machine of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that a collision between the work implement and the obstacle is imminent when the distance between a surface of the work implement and the portion of the mobile machine is less than a predetermined threshold.

21. The mobile machine of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to receive an operator signal providing the preset position and orientation.

22. The mobile machine of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to prioritize imminent collisions when determining more than one imminent collision.

23. The mobile machine of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to automatically modify the travel path to avoid imminent collisions in a sequence based on the priority of the imminent collisions.

24. The mobile machine of claim 23, wherein the priority is assigned by a relative distance between the work implement and the portions of the mobile machine for which a collision is determined to be imminent.

25. The work implement positioning system of claim 19, further including at least one ground sensor configured to sense a parameter indicative of a distance between the work implement and the ground, the controller further configured to modify the path to avoid an undesired collision between the work implement and the ground.

26. The mobile machine of claim 19, further comprising an articulation sensor configured to provide an indication of articulation between the first frame and the second frame, the controller further configured to detect the imminent collision based on the indication of articulation.

27. The mobile machine of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to compare a three-dimensional model of the work implement with a three dimensional model of the portion of the machine to determine when a collision is imminent.

28. The mobile machine of claim 27, wherein the controller is configured to generate a collision zone based on the model of the work implement, and to determine when a collision is imminent based upon determining if the portion of the machine has entered the zone.

29. The work implement positioning system of claim 27, wherein the three-dimensional model of the work implement and the three-dimensional model of the at least one portion of the machine are based on independent coordinate systems, and the controller is further configured to correlate the coordinate systems.

30. A motorgrader, comprising:

a front end frame including a pair of steerable wheels operatively connected to a first end of the front end frame;

a rear end frame supporting a rower source operatively connected to left and right driven wheels, a second end of the front end frame pivotally connected to the second end frame at an articulation joint;

a drawbar-circle-moldboard assembly having a blade with a longitudinal bottom edge extending between first and second ends of the blade, the drawbar-circle-moldboard assembly having first and second sides, the drawbar-circle-moldboard assembly configured for horizontal movement transverse to a longitudinal axis of the front end frame and vertical movement of the first and second sides relative to the front end frame, the blade operatively connected for rotational, horizontal and vertical movement as part of the drawbar-circle-moldboard assembly;

a controller configured to;

receive positional signals indicative of a sensed blade position, and to generate a three-dimensional model of the blade geometry and orientation;

generate a first travel path to automatically move the blade between the sensed position and a final position;

generate a modified travel path based on a comparison of the three-dimensional model of the blade geometry and orientation relative to a three-dimensional model of geometry and orientation of a portion of the motorgrader to avoid collision between the blade and one or more motorgrader components; and

automatically move the blade from the sensed position to the final position based upon the modified travel path.

31. The motorgrader of claim 30, wherein the motorgrader components include the front wheels, the rear wheels, the front end frame and/or the rear end frame.

32. The motorgrader of claim 30, wherein the controller is further configured to define a zone surrounding the blade, avoidance of collision being determined upon an intersection of a portion of the zone with a portion of the three-dimensional model of the portion of the motorgrader.

33. The motorgrader of claim 30, further including a ground sensor configured to provide a signal to the controller indicative of a ground position, the controller further configured to modify the travel path to avoid undesired collisions between the blade and the ground.

34. The motorgrader of claim 30, further comprising an articulation sensor configured to provide an indication of articulation between the front end frame and rear end frame to modify the three-dimensional model of geometry and orientation of the portion of the motorgrader.