Attitude display system for remotely operated machine

• US 9,126,482 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2013
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Brush, Jeffrey A., Redenbo, Seth J., Thoreson, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/949,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20150029017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 340/461, 340/870.02, 340/967, 340/953, 340/975, 340/568.1, 340679-680, 340/691.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/167 Vehicle dynamics information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/20 Off-Road Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources

Abstract

Attitude display system for remotely operated machine is provided. The attitude display system includes a pitch display and a roll display. The pitch display includes a fixed pitch reference scale and a pitch indicator. The pitch indicator can be configured to move relative to the fixed pitch reference scale to indicate a pitch of the remotely operated machine. The roll display includes a roll reference element and a roll indicator configured to pivot about a reference point to indicate a roll of the remotely operated machine. Further, the pitch display and the roll display include a pitch text field and a roll text filed to display a numeric value of the pitch and roll respectively. Also, the pitch indicator and the roll indicator can be configured to change to a first color and a second color based on a degree of movement or pivot.

Claims

1. An attitude display system for a remotely operated machine, the display system comprising:

a pitch display having a fixed pitch reference scale and a pitch indicator configured to move relative to the fixed pitch reference scale to indicate a pitch of the remotely operated machine, and a pitch text field to display a numerical value of the pitch;

a roll display having a roll reference element and a roll indicator configured to pivot about a reference point to indicate a roll of the remotely operated machine, and a roll text field to display a numerical value of the roll; and

wherein at least one of the pitch indicator and the roll indicator is configured to change color based on a degree of movement or pivot relative to a predefined threshold value to provide warning to a user of the system, and

wherein the fixed pitch reference scale and the roll reference element are configured to maintain a relative position to one another regardless of the pitch and roll of the remotely operated machine.

2. An attitude display system for a remotely operated machine, the display system comprising:

a pitch display having a fixed pitch reference scale that is vertically oriented and a horizontally oriented pitch indicator configured to vertically move relative to the fixed pitch reference scale to indicate a pitch of the remotely operated machine, and a pitch text field to display a numerical value of the pitch;

a roll display having a roll reference element and a roll indicator configured to pivot about a reference point to indicate a roll of the remotely operated machine, and a roll text field to display a numerical value of the roll; and

wherein at least one of the pitch indicator and the roll indicator is configured to change to a first color based on a degree of movement or pivot relative to a first predefined threshold value, and to change to a second color based on the degree of movement or pivot relative to a second greater predefined threshold value to provide different warnings to a user of the system, and

wherein the fixed pitch reference scale and the roll reference element are configured to maintain a relative position to one another regardless of the pitch and roll of the remotely operated machine.

3. An attitude display system for a remotely operated machine, the display system comprising:

a controller configured to receive signals indicating a pitch and a roll of a remotely operated machine, the controller configured to communicate signals to a pitch display and a roll display;

the pitch display having a fixed pitch reference scale that is vertically oriented and a horizontally oriented pitch indicator configured to vertically move relative to the fixed pitch reference scale to indicate the pitch of the remotely operated machine, and a pitch text field to display a numerical value of the pitch;

the roll display having a roll reference element and a roll indicator configured to pivot about a reference point to indicate the roll of the remotely operated machine, and a roll text field to display a numerical value of the roll; and

wherein at least one of the pitch indicator and the roll indicator is configured to change color based on the degree of movement or pivot relative to a predefined threshold value to provide warning to a user of the system,

wherein the fixed pitch reference scale and the roll reference element are configured to maintain a relative position to one another regardless of the pitch and the roll of the remotely operated machine, and

wherein the pitch indicator and the roll indicator are configured to be in an overlaying configuration when within certain ranges of the pitch and the roll of the remotely operated machine, wherein the pitch indicator and the roll indicator have different configurations.