Remote control machine with partial or total autonomous control

• US 8,457,828 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Machine Works Incorporated The
• Original Assignee: Charles Machine Works Incorporated The
• Inventors: Self, Kelvin P., Kiner, Nathan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kong, Sze-Hon
• Application Number:
  US11/994,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,534 Days
• Field of Search: 180/401, 340/13.25, 340/13.2, 340/13.27, 340/12.5, 701/23, 701/24, 370/347, 455/349, 455/440, 700/247
• US Class Current: 701/24
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/24 Safety devices , e.g. for preventing overload E02F9/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A system for controlling a tool carrier and work tool from either a first remote control or a second remote control. The first remote control and the second remote control both transmit respective first and second control signals to a controller system supported on the tool carrier. The controller system is programmed to select either the first control signal or the second control signal to control operation of the tool carrier. The system may include programming to allow autonomous movement of the tool carrier between a first work zone and a second work zone. Further, the controller system may be programmed to avoid obstacles within its path and to reroute its path between the first work zone and the second work zone to avoid such obstacles.

Claims

1. A system for controlling operation of a tool carrier, the system comprising:

a first remote control configured to generate a first control signal comprising a frequency specific to the first remote control;

a second remote control configured to generate a second control signal; and

a controller system supported on the tool carrier;

wherein the controller system is configured to receive the first control signal and the second control signal and to select either the first control signal or the second control signal to the exclusion of the unselected control signal to control operation of the tool carrier;

wherein the first control signal comprises an enable signal configured to enable autonomous control of the tool carrier by the controller system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the tool carrier comprises an obstacle avoidance system adapted to detect an obstacle to tool carrier transportation.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the obstacle avoidance system comprises an acoustic sensor system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first control signal comprises a first remote control relinquishment command.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein both the first remote control and the second remote control are further adapted to transmit a shutdown command signal to the controller system to shutdown operation of tool carrier regardless of selection of the first control signal or the second control signal by the controller system.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller system is configured to allow the first control signal to take control of the tool carrier when the first control signal is received by the controller system when the second control signal is selected by the controller system.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the tool carrier comprises a work tool operatively supported thereon;

wherein the second control signal is selected to control operation of the work tool.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein either the first control signal or the second control signal is selected by the controller system based upon the location of the first remote control and the second remote control relative to the tool carrier.

9. The system, of claim 1 wherein the tool carrier comprises a work tool operatively connected to the tool carrier and wherein the controller system is adapted to autonomously control operation of the tool carrier and the work tool along a predetermined path.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of signal transmitters, wherein the signal transmitters are each adapted to transmit a positioning signal to the controller system for establishing a path, along which the tool carrier is steered.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of signal transmitters each comprise a global positioning system.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the positioning signal transmitted by each of the plurality of signal transmitters comprises a laser beam.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller system is adapted to record movement of the tool carrier along a path and to autonomously move the tool carrier along the recorded path.

14. A system for controlling operation of a tool carrier, the system comprising:

a first remote control configured to generate a first control signal;

a second remote control configured to generate a second control signal; and

a controller system supported on the tool carrier;

wherein the controller system is configured to receive the first control signal and the second control signal and to select either the first control signal or the second control signal to the exclusion of the unselected control signal to control operation of the tool carrier;

wherein the first control signal is selected when the tool carrier is at a first work zone and wherein the second control signal is selected when the tool carrier is at a second work zone.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the first work zone and the second work zone overlap.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the controller system is further adapted to autonomously control movement of the tool carrier along a predetermined path between the first work zone and the second work zone.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a signal transmitter positioned along the predetermined path;

wherein the signal transmitter is adapted to transmit a reference signal to the controller system for establishing a path relative to the tool carrier and the signal transmitter along which the tool carrier is steered toward the second work zone.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the controller system comprises a global positioning system.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the global positioning system is adapted to guide the tool carrier along a path between the first work zone and the second work zone.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the controller system is adapted to select either the first control signal or the second control signal based on the location of the tool carrier determined using the global positioning system.

21. A method for controlling operation of a tool carrier, the method comprising:

transmitting a first control signal from a first remote control;

transmitting a second control signal from a second remote control; and

selecting either the first control signal or the second control signal to the exclusion of the unselected control signal to control operation of the tool carrier; and

selecting the first control signal when the tool carrier is in a first work zone.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising selecting the second control signal when the tool carrier is in a second work zone.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising autonomously moving the tool carrier along a path between a first hand-off point and a second hand-off point.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

moving the tool carrier along a path between a first hand-off point and a second hand-off point;

recording movements of the tool carrier along the path; and

autonomously moving the tool carrier along the path using the recorded movements.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising automatically altering the path to avoid an obstacle disposed within the path.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein autonomously moving the tool carrier along the path, further comprises:

transmitting a positioning signal to the tool carrier to establish a path between the tool carrier and a point located along the path; and

steering the tool carrier toward the point located along the path.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein moving the tool carrier to the second work zone comprises positioning the tool carrier at a hand-off point and selecting the deselected control signal to take control of the tool carrier.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the second control signal is selected to the exclusion of the first control signal when the second control signal is detected at the tool carrier.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the first control signal is selected to the exclusion of the second control signal when the first control signal is detected at the tool carrier.

30. The method of claim 21 further comprising deselecting the first control signal by relinquishing control of the tool carrier at the first remote control.

31. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

operating the tool carrier in a first work zone in response to the first control signal;

moving the tool carrier to a first hand-off point;

autonomously moving the tool carrier from the first hand-off point to a second hand-off point;

selecting the second control signal when the tool carrier is at the second hand-off point; and

operating the tool carrier at a second work zone in response to the second control signal.

32. The method of claim 21 further comprising transmitting a shutdown signal from either the first remote control or the second remote control.

33. The method of claim 21 wherein the first control signal is selected to control operation of the tool carrier.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising deselecting the first control signal and selecting the second control signal.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the first control signal has priority over the selected second control signal.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein selecting the first control signal comprises receiving a unique identifier carried by the first control signal.

37. The method of claim 21 wherein the tool carrier comprises a work tool, the method comprising selecting the second control signal to control operation of the work tool.