System and method for adjusting the operation of a machine

• US 9,228,321 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Stratton, Kenneth L., Dunn, Daniel K., Funke, Brian G., Redenbo, Seth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Application Number:
  US14/484,735
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/16 Inflatable occupant restraints or confinements designed to inflate upon impact or impending impact, e.g. air bags protective garments with automatically inflatable shock-absorbing means A41D13/018; connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/00 Safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles safety belts or body harnesses in general A62B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/12 Control gear; Arrangements for controlling locomotives from remote points in the train or when operating in multiple units control from points outside the train B61L3/00; fluid-actuated telemotors, servomotors F15B; control devices in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0058 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/841 Devices for controlling and guiding the whole machine, e.g. by feeler elements and reference lines placed exteriorly of the machine construction of roads E01C19/008
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• 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: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for remotely operating a machine includes a plurality of remote control input devices including a propulsion input device. A controller generates an operator generated propulsion command to propel the machine and generates continued propulsion commands to continue to propel the machine without additional propulsion signals from a propulsion input device. The controller determines an interval since the generation of a previous remote input signal at the remote control unit and generates a change in operation command signal if the interval since the generation of the previous remote input signal exceeds an input signal absence threshold.

Claims

1. A system for remotely operating a machine comprising:

a remote control unit located remote from the machine, the remote control unit including a plurality of remote control input devices for generating a plurality of remote input signals, one of the plurality of remote control input devices being a propulsion input device for generating a propulsion signal;

a transmitter remote from the machine for transmitting the plurality of remote input signals;

a receiver at the machine for receiving a plurality of remote input signals; and

a controller configured to;

store an input signal absence threshold;

generate an operator generated propulsion command to propel the machine based upon the propulsion signal from the propulsion input device;

generate continued propulsion commands based upon the operator generated propulsion command to continue to propel the machine without receiving additional propulsion signals from the propulsion input device;

determine an interval since generating a previous remote input signal at the remote control unit; and

generate a change in operation command signal upon the interval since generating the previous remote input signal exceeding the input signal absence threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the previous remote input signal is the propulsion signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the previous remote input signal is an input signal indicative of a command from any of the plurality of remote input devices other than the propulsion input device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control unit includes a point of view display and an eye position sensor for generating positive eye position signals indicative of an operator looking at the point of view display and the controller is further configured respond to receipt of a positive eye position signal as generation of a remote input signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the interval and signal absence threshold are time based.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein interval and signal absence threshold are distance based.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the interval and signal absence are velocity based.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the change in operation command includes generating a visual alert at the remote control unit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the change in operation command includes generating an audible alert at the remote control unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the change in operation command includes generating a sensory alert at the remote control unit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to stop movement of the machine upon the interval exceeding the input signal absence threshold.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control unit is a remote control console and the plurality of remote input signals are remote control input signals based upon manual movement of a remote input device at the remote control console by an operator.

13. The system of claim 1, further including a position sensor associated with the machine for generating position signals indicative of a position of the machine, and the controller is further configured to store a plurality of input signal absence thresholds, determine the position of the machine based upon the position signals, and select an input signal absence threshold based upon the position of the machine.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to store a map of a work area including a first operating zone, and the controller is configured to select a first input signal absence threshold when the machine is within the first operating zone and select a second input signal absence threshold when the machine is outside of the first operating zone.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a mode of operation of the machine and determine the input signal absence threshold based upon the mode of operation.

16. A controller-implemented method of remotely operating a machine comprising:

storing an input signal absence threshold;

generating an operator generated propulsion command to propel the machine based upon a propulsion signal from a propulsion input device of a remote control unit located remote from the machine;

generating continued propulsion commands based upon the operator generated propulsion command to continue to propel the machine without receiving additional propulsion signals from the propulsion input device;

determining an interval since generating a previous remote input signal with any of a plurality of remote control input devices at the remote control unit; and

generating a change in operation command signal upon the interval since generating the previous remote input signal exceeding the input signal absence threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the previous remote input signal is the propulsion signal.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the previous remote input signal is an input signal indicative of a command from any of the plurality of remote input devices other than the propulsion input device.

19. The method of claim 16, further including generating positive eye position signals indicative of an operator looking at a point of view display and t responding to receipt of the positive eye position signal as generation of a remote input signal.

20. A machine and remote control system, comprising:

a drivetrain for causing movement of the machine;

a remote control unit located remote from the machine, the remote control unit including a plurality of remote control input devices for generating a plurality of remote input signals, one of the plurality of remote control input devices being a propulsion input device for generating a propulsion signal;

a transmitter remote from the machine for transmitting the plurality of remote input signals;

a receiver at the machine for receiving a plurality of remote input signals; and

a controller configured to;

store an input signal absence threshold;

generate an operator generated propulsion command to propel the machine based upon the propulsion signal from the propulsion input device;

generate continued propulsion commands based upon the operator generated propulsion command to continue to propel the machine without receiving additional propulsion signals from the propulsion input device;

determine an interval since generating a previous remote input signal at the remote control unit; and

generate a change in operation command signal upon the interval since generating the previous remote input signal exceeding the input signal absence threshold.