Method and an apparatus for controlling a machine using motion based signals and inputs

• US 9,199,825 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2010
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leonard Rudy Dueckman
• Original Assignee: Leonard Rudy Dueckman
• Inventors: Dueckman, Leonard Rudy
• Primary Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US13/500,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20120316686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 700/159, 700/245, 700/275, 700/65, 700/66
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/40 Applications of devices for transmitting control pulses; Applications of remote control devices control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35444 Gesture interface, controlled machine observes operator, executes commands
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling a machine, such as a crane or other industrial equipment, based on motion-based input to motion sensors such as accelerometers. An input state is selected according to an integrated user input to determine a mapping between motion-based signals, corresponding to motion-based input, and one or more of a plurality of machine control signals provided for controlling the machine. Machine control signals are provided via the mapping when the input state is an operational state, and are not provided via the mapping when the input state is a standby state.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a machine based on sensed input, the machine responsive to a plurality of machine control signals for controlling a corresponding plurality of aspects thereof, the apparatus comprising:

a. an input module including;

a selection input interface operable by an integrated user input to select an input state from a plurality of potential states including;

a standby state, and a plurality of operational states, the selection input interface operable by the integrated user input at least to switch from the standby state to a selected one of the operational states; and

one or more motion sensors configured to generate one or more motion-based signals based on relative movement of the apparatus in space by a user, said relative movement of the apparatus in space representative of a desired operation of the machine; and

b. a processing and control module operatively coupled to the input module and the machine, the processing and control module configured to;

determine, when the selected input state is one of the one or more operational states, a mapping between the one or more motion-based signals and one or more of the plurality of machine control signals, the mapping determined based at least in part on the selected one of the operational states, wherein the determined mapping is selected from a plurality of potential mappings based at least in part on the selected one of the operational states, each of the plurality of potential mappings corresponding to a different set of tasks executable by the machine, and operation of the integrated user input further defining an initial reference position from which the motion-based signals are measured, said further defining being coincident with said selection of the input state from the plurality of potential states when switching from the standby state; and

provide, based at least in part on said determined mapping and said one or more motion-based signals, one or more machine control signals for controlling the machine.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing and control module is configured to provide proportional control of the machine based on magnitudes of the one or more motion-based signals.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determined mapping is selected from a plurality of potential mappings based at least in part on the selected input state, each of the plurality of potential mappings corresponding to a predetermined set of tasks commonly executable by the machine.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is hand-held or wearable.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the integrated user input corresponds to one or more of:

pressing a selected button, releasing a selected pressed button, pressing and holding a selected button, turning a dial to a selected position, operating a selected switch, touching a touch-sensitive surface in a selected manner, and speaking a voice command.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, the apparatus further comprising a signal transmitter operatively coupled to the processing and control module, the signal transmitter configured for wireless transmission of the machine control signals to the machine.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motion-based input comprises one or both of:

translational motion, and rotational motion.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determined mapping maps two or more concurrent motion-based signals to two or more machine control signals.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein operation of the integrated user input further determines a time interval during which the mapping is enabled.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the machine is selected from the group comprising:

light industrial machinery, heavy industrial machinery, mobile cranes, stationary cranes, concrete pumps, skid steer vehicles, material handling machines, fluid handling machines, agricultural machines, telemetry systems, load haul dump machines, winches, recovery vehicles, tow trucks, self-propelled moving platforms, mining equipment, and vehicles.

15. A method for facilitating control of a machine, the machine responsive to a plurality of machine control signals for controlling a corresponding plurality of aspects thereof, the method comprising:

a. providing an apparatus according to claim 1;

b. receiving sensed input, said sensed input including a selection input based on an integrated user input, said sensed input further including relative movement of the apparatus in space by a user, said relative movement of the apparatus in space representative of a desired operation of the machine;

c. determining an input state based on the selection input, the input state selected from a plurality of potential states including;

a standby state, and a plurality of operational states, wherein the selection input is operable at least to switch from the standby state to a selected one of the operational states;

d. generating one or more motion-based signals based on the user movement of the apparatus in space;

e. determining, when the selected input state is one of the one or more operational states, a mapping between the one or more motion-based signals and one or more of the plurality of machine control signals, the mapping determined based at least in part on the selected one of the operational states, wherein the determined mapping is selected from a plurality of potential mappings based at least in part on the selected one of the operational states, each of the plurality of potential mappings corresponding to a different set of tasks executable by the machine, and operation of the integrated user input further defining an initial reference position from which the motion-based signals are measured, said further defining being coincident with said selection of the input state from the plurality of potential states when switching from the standby state; and

f. providing, based at least in part on said determined mapping and said one or more motion-based signals, one or more machine control signals for controlling the machine.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the one or more motion-based signals have magnitudes proportional to magnitudes of the motion-based input, and the one or more machine control signals have magnitudes proportional to one or more of said magnitudes of the one or more motion-based signals.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein determining the mapping comprises selecting the mapping from a plurality of potential mappings based at least in part on the determined input state, each of the plurality of potential mappings corresponding to a predetermined set of tasks commonly executable by the machine.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the integrated user input corresponds to one or more of:

pressing a button, releasing a button, pressing and holding a button, turning a dial, operating a switch, touching a touch-sensitive surface, and speaking a voice command.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the one or more machine control signals are conveyed to the machine at least in part via radio communication.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the motion-based input comprises one or both of:

translational motion, and rotational motion.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein the determined mapping maps two or more concurrent motion-based signals to two or more machine control signals.

22. The method according to claim 15, further comprising determining, based on operation of the integrated user input, a time interval during which the mapping is enabled.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein the machine is selected from the group comprising:

light industrial machinery, heavy industrial machinery, mobile cranes, stationary cranes, concrete pumps, skid steer vehicles, material handling machines, fluid handling machines, agricultural machines, telemetry systems, load haul dump machines, winches, recovery vehicles, tow trucks, self-propelled moving platforms, mining equipment, and vehicles.

11. A system for controlling a machine, the system comprising:

a. an input apparatus comprising an input module and a processing and control module operatively coupled thereto, the input module including;

i. a selection input interface operable by an integrated user input to select an input state from a plurality of potential states including;

a standby state, and a plurality of operational states, the selection input interface operable by the integrated user input at least to switch from the standby state to a selected one of the operational states; and

ii. one or more motion sensors configured to generate one or more motion-based signals based on relative movement of the apparatus in space by a user, said relative movement of the apparatus in space representative of a desired operation of the machine;

the processing and control module configured to;

i. determine, when the selected input state is one of the one or more operational states, a mapping between the one or more motion-based signals and one or more of the plurality of machine control signals, the mapping determined based at least in part on the selected one of the operational states, wherein the determined mapping is selected from a plurality of potential mappings based at least in part on the selected one of the operational states, each of the plurality of potential mappings corresponding to a different set of tasks executable by the machine, and operation of the integrated user input further defining an initial reference position from which the motion-based signals are measured, said further defining being coincident with said selection of the input state from the plurality of potential states when switching from the standby state; and

ii. provide, based at least in part on said determined mapping and said one or more motion-based signals, one or more machine control signals for controlling the machine; and

b. a machine control module configured to receive the one or more machine control signals from the input apparatus, the machine control module configured to convey the one or more machine control signals to the machine for controlling one or more of a plurality of controllable machine aspects.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the input apparatus further comprises a signal transmitter operatively coupled to the processing and control module, the signal transmitter configured for wireless transmission of the machine control signals, and wherein the machine control module further comprises a signal receiver configured for wireless reception of the machine control signals.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processing and control module is configured to provide magnitudes of the plurality of machine control signals based on magnitudes of the one or more motion-based signals, thereby facilitating proportional control of the machine.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the determined mapping is selected from a plurality of potential mappings based at least in part on the selected input state, each of the plurality of potential mappings corresponding to a predetermined set of tasks commonly executable by the machine.