Worksite position control system having integrity checking

• US 8,942,863 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Halder, Bibhradjit, Whitten, Andrew Thomas, Donnelli, Aaron Michael, Moughler, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US13/677,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20140136020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 373/48
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0282 generated in a local control room
• 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

A position control system for use with a mobile machine at a worksite is disclosed. The control system may have a location receiver configured to generate a location signal indicative of an actual location of a base station, a communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with the mobile machine, and a controller in communication with the location receiver and the communication device. The controller may be configured to store an assumed location of the base station in memory, make a comparison of the location signal with the assumed location, and selectively generate a control instruction for the mobile machine based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A position control system for use with a mobile machine at a worksite, comprising:

a location receiver configured to generate a location signal indicative of an actual location of a base station at the worksite;

a communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with the mobile machine; and

a controller in communication with the location receiver and the communication device, the controller being configured to;

store a previously known location of the base station in memory;

make a comparison of the actual location with the previously known location; and

selectively generate a control instruction for the mobile machine based on the comparison, wherein the control instruction causes activation of a warning device when the comparison indicates a difference between the previously known and actual locations greater than a threshold value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold value is between about 0.10 m and 0.20 m.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control instruction includes instructions for adjusting operation of the mobile machine when the comparison indicates the difference between the previously known and actual locations is greater than a second higher threshold value.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second higher threshold value is about between 4 m and 6 m.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the threshold value and the second higher threshold value is programmable.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein adjusting operation of the mobile machine includes shutting down the mobile machine.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein adjusting operation of the mobile machine includes slowing the mobile machine.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein adjusting operation of the mobile machine includes maneuvering the mobile machine to a known safe location.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the control instruction is provided to an operator visually and/or audibly.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the control instruction is executed autonomously.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to simultaneously generate control instructions for multiple mobile machines.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the control instruction when the location signal is not received by the location receiver within a threshold period of time.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the control instruction when the comparison indicates a difference between the previously known and actual locations greater than a threshold value.

14. A method of monitoring a position of a base station at a worksite, the method comprising:

receiving a location signal indicative of an actual location of the base station;

making, by a controller, a comparison of the actual location with a previously known location of the base station; and

selectively generating, by the controller, a control instruction for a mobile machine at the worksite based on the comparison, wherein the control instruction causes activation of a warning device when the comparison indicates a difference between the previously known and actual locations is greater than a first threshold value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the control instruction includes instructions for adjusting operation of the mobile machine.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the adjusting operation includes one or more of shutting down the mobile machine, slowing down the mobile machine, and instructing the mobile machine to go to a known safe location.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein selectively generating includes simultaneously generating control instructions for multiple mobile machines.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use by a position control system, the computer readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon for performing a method of monitoring a position of a base station, the method comprising:

receiving a location signal indicative of an actual location of the base station;

making a comparison of the actual location with a previously known location of the base station; and

selectively generating a control instruction for a mobile machine at a

worksite based on the comparison, wherein the control instruction causes activation of a warning device when the comparison indicates a difference between the previously known and actual locations is greater than a first threshold value.