Method and system for performing non-contact based determination of the position of an implement

• US 8,478,492 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC, Trimble Control Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Taylor, Arthur James, Nichols, Mark, Jackson, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHUONG P
• Application Number:
  US10/928,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20050197756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,232 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/200, 701/207, 701/211, 701/213, 701/219, 701/223, 172/430
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/002 Apparatus for preparing and placing the materials and for consolidating or finishing the paving
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/22 for consolidating or finishing laid-down unset materials E01C19/002, E01C19/48, E01C21/00 E01C23/02 E01C23/065 take precedence; apparatus for generating vibrations in general B06B
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/32 working downwardly and towards the machine, e.g. with backhoes
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3414 the arms being pivoted at the rear of the vehicle chassis, e.g. skid steer loader
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/7609 Scraper blade mounted forwardly of the tractor on a pair of pivoting arms which are linked to the sides of the tractor, e.g. bulldozers
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/7636 Graders with the scraper blade mounted under the tractor chassis
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/842 using electromagnetic, optical or photoelectric beams, e.g. laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/847 using electromagnetic, optical or acoustic beams to determine the blade position, e.g. laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/261 Surveying the work-site to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/265 with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/121 by potentiometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/10 providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and system for performing non-contact based determination of the position of an implement. In one embodiment, a non-contact based measurement system is used to determine the relative position of an implement coupled with a mobile machine. The geographic position of the mobile machine is determined and the geographic position of said implement based upon the geographic position of the mobile machine and the position of the implement relative to the mobile machine.

Claims

1. A system for performing non-contact based determination of the position of an implement comprising:

a non-contact based sensor measurement system configured for determining the position of said implement relative to a mobile machine coupled with said implement, said non-contact based measurement system including a distance measuring component coupled to said implement and configured for determining the distance between said implement and said mobile machine;

a position determination system for determining the geographic position of said mobile machine; and

a system for determining the geographic position of said implement based upon data received from said non-contact based measurement system and said position determination system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said mobile machine is selected from the group consisting of a bulldozer, a motor grader, an excavator, a skid-steer loader, a scraper, a trencher, a trimmer, a tractor with an attachment, a paver, and a slip form concrete machine.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said position determination system comprises a terrestrial-based position determination system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said position determination system comprises a satellite-based position determination system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said position determination system comprises a system which combines a terrestrial-based position determining system with a satellite-based position determining system to determine a second measurement.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said position determination system is located proximate to said mobile machine.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said non-contact based measurement system comprises an image recognition apparatus.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said non-contact based measurement system comprises a light-based measurement apparatus.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said light-based measurement apparatus is configured to generate a beam of light in the visible spectrum and determine said light-based measurement.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said light-based measurement apparatus is configured to generate a beam of light in the non-visible spectrum and determine said light-based measurement.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said non-contact based measurement system comprises a sound-based measurement apparatus.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said non-contact based measurement system determines a difference in an angle between said implement and said mobile machine when said implement is moved from a first position to a second position.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said non-contact based measurement system determines a difference in the distance between said implement and said mobile machine when said implement is moved from a first position to a second position.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said non-contact based measurement system comprises a sound based measurement apparatus.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said position determination system further determines the orientation of said mobile machine.

16. A system for determining the position of an implement comprising:

a non-contact based sensor measurement system which does not require the use of a mast for determining the position of an implement relative to a mobile machine coupled with said implement, said non-contact based measurement system including a distance measuring component coupled to said implement and configured for determining the distance between said implement and said mobile machine;

a position determination system for determining the three dimensional position of said mobile machine; and

a system for determining the geographic position of said implement based upon data received from said non-contact based measurement system and said position determination system.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said mobile machine is selected from the group consisting of a bulldozer, a motor grader, an excavator, a skid-steer loader, a scraper, a trencher, a trimmer, a tractor with an attachment, a paver, and a slip form concrete machine.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said position determination system comprises a terrestrial-based position determination system.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein said position determination system comprises a satellite-based position determination system.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein said position determination system comprises a system which combines a terrestrial-based position determining system with a satellite-based position determining system to determine a second measurement.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein said position determination system is located proximate to said mobile machine.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein said non-contact based measurement system comprises an image recognition apparatus.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said image recognition apparatus determines the location of a visual indicator proximate to said implement.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein said non-contact based measurement system apparatus comprises a light-based measurement apparatus.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said light-based measurement apparatus is configured to generate a beam of light in the visible spectrum and determines said light-based measurement.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein said light-based measurement apparatus is configured to generate a beam of light in the non-visible spectrum and determines said light-based measurement.

27. The system of claim 16 wherein said non-contact based measurement system comprises a sound-based measurement apparatus.

28. The system of claim 16 wherein said non-contact based measurement system determines a difference in an angle between said implement and said mobile machine when said implement is moved from a first position to a second position.

29. The system of claim 16 wherein said non-contact based measurement system determines a difference in the distance between said implement and said mobile machine when said implement is moved from a first position to a second position.

30. The system of claim 16 wherein said position determination system further determines the orientation of said mobile machine.