Method and device for determining a height of lift of a working machine

• US 9,008,900 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Wildner, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US13/816,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• US Class Current: 701/34.4
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0755 Position control; Position detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/24 Electrical devices or systems

Abstract

In a method for determining a height of lift of a working machine, a measurement of height is carried out between a position along an approximately vertical axis of motion of a lifting element of the working machine and a reference point. In order to implement a correct determination of the height of lift even in response to inhomogeneous ground conditions, the ground on which the working machine is located is used as the reference point, and for the height measurement a plurality of measuring signals are ascertained, which are supplied to a mean value formation, the mean value being drawn upon for determining the height of lift.

Claims

1. A method for determining an overall height of lift of a lifting element of a working machine, comprising:

sensing, by a sensor system, a height between a position along an approximately vertical axis of motion of the lifting element of the working machine and at least one reference point, wherein the ground on which the working machine is located is used for the at least one reference point, and wherein, for the measurement of height, multiple measuring signals are ascertained; and

calculating, by evaluation electronics, a mean value of the multiple measuring signals, wherein the mean value is used for determining the overall height of lift.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor system includes two height measurement systems, a first partial height of lift being determined, using a first of the two height measurement systems, from a first fixed point on the working machine up to the lifting element, and a second partial height of lift being ascertained, using a second of the two height measurement systems, from a second fixed point on the working machine down to the ground.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein:

the multiple measuring signals are obtained using the second of the two height measurement systems, and wherein the second partial height is determined based on the mean value of the multiple measuring signals; and

for determining the overall height of lift of the lifting element above the ground, the second partial height of lift determined based on the mean value of the multiple measuring signals is added to the first partial height of lift which is ascertained without using a mean value calculation.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first fixed point on the working machine and the second fixed point on the working machine are situated approximately at the same height, and wherein the first partial height of lift and the second partial height of lift are added to determine the overall height of lift.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein:

the first fixed point and the second fixed point on the working machine are approximately vertically separated from each other by a distance; and

the distance between the first and the second fixed points is added to the first partial height of lift and the second partial height of lift to determine the height of lift of the lifting element above the ground.

6. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein, for determining the second partial height of lift, the ground is scanned at low frequency.

11. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the two height measurement systems are situated side-by-side.

7. A height measurement system for determining an overall height of lift of a lifting element of a working machine, comprising:

sensors; and

evaluation electronics;

wherein;

the sensors and evaluation electronics are communicatively coupled and configuration of the evaluation electronics is such that the determination of the overall height of lift is performable by the evaluation electronics (a) receiving input from the sensors indicating a height between a position along an approximately vertical axis of motion of the lifting element of the working machine and at least one a reference point, and (b) forming a mean value of the multiple measuring signals;

the ground on which the working machine is located is used for the at least one reference point; and

the multiple measuring signals are used for the determination of the overall height of lift.

8. The device as recited in claim 7, wherein the height measurement system includes two height measurement devices located substantially side-by-side, the first height measurement device determining a first partial height of lift from a first fixed point on the working machine up to the lifting element, and the second height measurement device ascertaining a second partial height of lift from a second fixed point on the working machine down to the ground, wherein the multiple measuring signals are obtained using the second height measurement device, and wherein the second partial height is determined based on the mean value of the multiple measuring signals.

9. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the first height measurement device includes a first sensor for wireless determination of the first partial height of lift and the second height measurement device includes a second sensor for wireless determination of the second partial height of lift.

10. The device as recited in claim 9, wherein at least one of the first and second sensors is configured as one of a laser sensor and an ultrasonic sensor.