Self-propelled civil engineering machine

• US 8,977,442 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2011
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH (Deere & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH (Deere & Company)
• Inventors: Menzenbach, Christoph, Von Der Lippe, Joern, Barimani, Cyrus, Haehn, Guenter
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOTT, GENNA M
• Application Number:
  US13/269,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20120090909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/49, 701/41, 701/36, 345/581, 345/619, 345/629, 345/647, 345/660, 345/7, 172/430, 348/119
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0275 by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/1509 with different steering modes, e.g. crab-steering, or steering specially adapted for reversing of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/004 Devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path for graders or bulldozers E02F3/841; for other soil-shifting machines E02F9/2045
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/088 Rotary tools, e.g. milling drums for forming recesses to receive marking materials E01C23/0946
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2087 Control of vehicle steering for steering with hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/225
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence

Abstract

A civil engineering machine includes an arrangement for assisting the driver of the machine when reversing which has a calculating unit to determine data which defines at least one trajectory of the civil engineering machine as a function of the position of the front and rear running gear, both as a function of a steering angle and as a function of a mode of steering. The arrangement for assisting the driver of the machine when reversing also has an image detecting unit for detecting an image of the rear part of the civil engineering machine and a display unit for displaying the detected image of the rear part of the civil engineering machine. An image processing unit superimposes a representation of the at least one trajectory on the image of the rear part of the civil engineering machine which is displayed on the display unit.

Claims

1. A self-propelled civil engineering machine, having a running gear which has wheels or other running-gear units which are at the front with respect to the working direction and wheels or other running-gear units which are at the rear with respect to the working direction, a chassis of the civil engineering machine which is carried by the wheels or other running-gear units, a drive arrangement for driving at least one of the front or rear wheels or other running-gear units, a steering arrangement for steering at least one of the front wheels or other running-gear units and the rear wheels or other running-gear units, and a unit having controls, said self-propelled civil engineering machine characterised in that:

the civil engineering machine has an arrangement for assisting a driver of the machine when reversing, the arrangement for assisting the driver of the machine when reversing having

a unit for sensing a position of the front wheels or other running-gear units and rear wheels or other running-gear units,

a calculating unit to determine data which defines at least one trajectory of the civil engineering machine as a function of the position of the front wheels or other running-gear units and the rear wheels or other running-gear units,

an image detecting unit for detecting an image from a rear of the civil engineering machine,

a display unit for displaying the detected image, and

an image processing unit which is so designed that the at least one trajectory is superimposed on the image which is displayed on the display unit; and

wherein the unit having the controls has a selector for selecting one mode of steering from a plurality of modes of steering, the unit having the controls co-operating with the steering arrangement in such a way that the steering arrangement makes allowance for the selected mode of steering,

wherein the unit having the controls has a steering apparatus for stipulating a steering angle for at least one of the front or rear wheels or other running-gear units, the unit having the controls co-operating with the steering arrangement in such a way that the steering arrangement sets a stipulated steering angle, and

wherein the calculating unit calculates the data defining the at least one trajectory, as a function of the selected mode of steering, and the calculating unit corrects the data defining the at least one trajectory on the basis of a correcting function by which allowance is made for a change in at least one of a longitudinal inclination of the chassis, a transverse inclination of the chassis, or a height of the image detecting unit.

2. The civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the calculating unit is so designed that the data defines the trajectory, with the selected mode of steering and the stipulated steering angle, in a co-ordinate system referred to the running gear of the civil engineering machine.

3. The civil engineering machine according to claim 2, characterised in that the calculating unit converts the data defining the at least one trajectory to be in a co-ordinate system referred to the image detecting unit in which the image is displayed on the display unit.

4. The civil engineering machine according to claim 3, characterised in that:

the chassis of the machine is designed to be adjustable in at least one of a heightwise direction and in inclination,

the calculating unit corrects the data defining the at least one trajectory in the co-ordinate system referred to the image detecting unit, on the basis of the correcting function by which allowance is made for the change in at least one of the longitudinal inclination, transverse inclination, or height of the image detecting unit relative to the co-ordinate system referred to the running gear of the civil engineering machine.

5. The civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the calculating unit corrects the data defining the at least one trajectory in a co-ordinate system referred to the image detecting unit, on the basis of a correcting function by which allowance is made for distortion of the image detected by the image detecting unit.

6. The civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the calculating unit for calculating data defining the at least one trajectory is so designed that there are calculated, in a co-ordinate system referred to the running gear of the civil engineering machine:

a starting point which is situated at a reference point related to the civil engineering machine,

an end point which is situated at a point at which the reference point is situated, after a movement back of the civil engineering machine for a stipulated distance of travel in the selected mode of steering and with the stipulated steering angle, and

at least one of the radius or center of an arc of a circle extending between the starting point and the end point.

7. The civil engineering machine according to claim 6, characterised in that the stipulated distance of travel by which the civil engineering machine is to be moved back is at least part of a length of the civil engineering machine.

8. The civil engineering machine according to claim 7, characterised in that the calculating unit is so designed that an end point of a first trajectory whose starting point is situated on one longitudinal side of the civil engineering machine, and at the left-hand point thereof at the rear with reference to the working direction, is calculated, and an end point of a second trajectory whose starting point is situated on the other longitudinal side of the civil engineering machine, and at the right-hand point thereof at the rear with reference to the working direction, is calculated.

9. The civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the unit having the controls co-operates with the steering arrangement in such a way that the steering arrangement sets steering angles of a front right-hand and a front left-hand wheel or other running-gear units and steering angles of a rear right-hand and a rear left-hand wheel or other running-gear units in such a way that the front and rear wheels or other running-gear units are being turned in the same direction in a first mode of steering.

10. The civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the unit having the controls co-operates with the steering arrangement in such a way that the steering arrangement sets steering angles of a front right-hand and a front left-hand wheel or other running-gear units and steering angles of a rear right-hand and a rear left-hand wheel or other running-gear units in such a way that the front and rear wheels or other running-gear units are being turned in opposite directions in a second mode of steering.

11. The civil engineering machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the steering arrangement is so designed that extensions of axes of the wheels or other running-gear units intersect at a center of a turning circle.

12. An apparatus for assisting a driver of a civil engineering machine when reversing the civil engineering machine, said apparatus comprising:

at least one position sensor configured to sense a position of at least one of a front running gear and a rear running gear of the civil engineering machine, wherein said position is a steering angle;

a selector configured such that the driver may select one mode of steering from a plurality of modes of steering;

a calculating unit configured to determine data that defines at least one trajectory of the civil engineering machine as a function of the position of the at least one of the front running gear and the rear running gear of the civil engineering machine and as a function of the selected mode of steering;

an image detecting unit arranged on the civil engineering machine so as to detect an image from the rear of the civil engineering machine;

an image processing unit configured to superimpose the data determined by the calculating unit defining the at least one trajectory on the image detected by the image detecting unit; and

a display unit arranged on the civil engineering machine so as to display to the driver, the detected image with the at least one trajectory superimposed on the image;

wherein the calculating unit determines the data that defines the at least one trajectory in a co-ordinate system referenced to the running gear of the civil engineering machine; and

wherein the calculating unit converts the data defining the at least one trajectory from the co-ordinate system referenced to the running gear of the civil engineering machine to a co-ordinate system referenced to the image detecting unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the display unit displays to the driver, the image detected by the image detecting unit with the data defining the at least one trajectory in the co-ordinate system referenced to the image detecting unit; and

the calculating unit corrects the data defining the at least one trajectory in the co-ordinate system referenced to the image detecting unit, on the basis of a first correcting function to correct for distortion of the image detected by the image detecting unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the calculating unit determines, in the co-ordinate system referenced to the civil engineering machine:

a starting point which is situated at a reference point of the civil engineering machine,

an end point which is a point at which the reference point of the civil engineering machine is situated, after a reversing of the civil engineering machine for a selected distance of travel in a selected mode of steering with a selected steering angle for at least one of the front or rear running gear, and

at least one of the radius or center of a circle having an arc extending between the starting point and the end point.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the data determined by the calculating unit comprises:

an end point of a first trajectory whose starting point is situated on a first longitudinal side of the civil engineering machine at the rear of the civil engineering machine, and

an end point of a second trajectory whose starting point is situated on the other longitudinal side of the civil engineering machine at the rear of the civil engineering machine.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a control unit for setting the steering angle of at least one of a right running gear unit and a left running gear unit of the front running gear or a right running gear unit and a left running gear unit of the rear running gear, wherein:

the control unit sets the steering angles of the right running gear unit and the left running gear unit of the front running gear, and the right running gear unit and the left running gear unit of the rear running gear in generally similar directions in a first mode of steering; and

the control unit sets the steering angles of the right running gear unit and the left running gear unit of the front running gear, and the right running gear unit and the left running gear unit of the rear running gear in generally opposite directions in a second mode of steering.

17. A civil engineering machine comprising:

a front running gear;

a rear running gear;

a selector configured such that a driver of the civil engineering machine can select one of a plurality of steering modes of the civil engineering machine;

a control unit configured such that the driver can set a steering angle of at least one of the front running gear and the rear running gear; and

an apparatus for assisting the driver of the civil engineering machine when reversing the civil engineering machine, said apparatus comprising;

a calculating unit configured to determine data that defines at least one trajectory of the civil engineering machine as a function of the steering angle of the at least one of the front running gear and the rear running gear of the civil engineering machine and the selected mode of steering;

an image detecting unit arranged on the civil engineering machine to detect an image from the rear of the civil engineering machine; and

a display unit arranged on the civil engineering machine to display to the driver, the detected image with the at least one trajectory superimposed on the image;

wherein the calculating unit determines the data that defines the at least one trajectory in a co-ordinate system referenced to the running gear of the civil engineering machine; and

wherein the calculating unit converts the data defining the at least one trajectory from the co-ordinate system referenced to the running gear of the civil engineering machine to a co-ordinate system referenced to the image detecting unit.

18. The civil engineering machine of claim 17, wherein the apparatus for assisting the driver of the civil engineering machine when reversing further comprises:

at least one position sensor for sensing the steering angle of the at least one of the front running gear and the rear running gear of the civil engineering machine; and

an image processing unit for superimposing the data determined by the calculating unit defining the at least one trajectory on the image detected by the image detecting unit.

19. The civil engineering machine of claim 17, wherein:

the display unit displays to the driver, the image detected by the image detecting unit with the data defining the at least one trajectory in the co-ordinate system referenced to the image detecting unit; and

the calculating unit corrects the data defining the at least one trajectory in the co-ordinate system referenced to the image detecting unit, on the basis of a first correcting function to correct for distortion of the image detected by the image detecting unit.

20. The civil engineering machine of claim 17, wherein the calculating unit determines, in the co-ordinate system referenced to the running gear of the civil engineering machine:

a starting point which is situated at a reference point of the civil engineering machine,

an end point which is a point at which the reference point of the civil engineering machine is situated, after a reversing of the civil engineering machine for a selected distance of travel in a selected mode of steering with a selected steering angle for at least one of the front or rear running gear, and

at least one of the radius or center of a circle having an arc extending between the starting point and the end point.

21. The civil engineering machine of claim 17, wherein the data determined by the calculating unit comprises:

an end point of a first trajectory whose starting point is situated on a first longitudinal side of the civil engineering machine at the rear of the civil engineering machine, and

an end point of a second trajectory whose starting point is situated on the other longitudinal side of the civil engineering machine at the rear of the civil engineering machine.

22. The civil engineering machine of claim 17, wherein:

the control unit sets the steering angles of a right running gear unit and a left running gear unit of the front running gear, and a right running gear unit and a left running gear unit of the rear running gear in generally similar directions in a first mode of steering; and

the control unit sets the steering angles of the right running gear unit and the left running gear unit of the front running gear, and the right running gear unit and the left running gear unit of the rear running gear in generally opposite directions in a second mode of steering.

23. A method of assisting a driver of a civil engineering machine when reversing the civil engineering machine, said method comprising:

determining, using a position sensor, a position of at least one of a front or rear running gear of the civil engineering machine;

determining a selected mode of a plurality of modes of steering;

determining, using a calculating unit, data that defines at least one trajectory of the civil engineering machine as a function of the determined position and the selected mode of steering;

detecting an image from the rear of the civil engineering machine; and

displaying to the driver, the detected image with the at least one trajectory superimposed on the image; and

correcting the data defining the at least one trajectory in a co-ordinate system referenced to the detected image, on the basis of a correcting function to correct for changes in at least one of height of the civil engineering machine, longitudinal inclination of the civil engineering machine, or transverse inclination of the civil engineering machine.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

converting the data defining the at least one trajectory from a co-ordinate system referenced to the running gear of the civil engineering machine to the co-ordinate system referenced to the detected image.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

correcting the data defining the at least one trajectory in the co-ordinate system referenced to the detected image, on the basis of a correcting function to correct for distortion of the detected image.