Machine control system having autonomous edge dumping

• US 9,244,464 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Struble, Joshua C., Vitale, Andrew J., Koehrsen, Craig L., Everett, Bryan J., Banham, Mark H. C., Povey, Dean G., Holmes, Matthew A., Kini, Ananth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALLACE, DONALD JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US13/752,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2033 Limiting the movement of frames or implements, e.g. to avoid collision between implements and the cabin sub-groups of E02F3/431 of E02F3/435 take precedence; for turntables E02F9/123
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room

Abstract

A control system is disclosed for use with a machine at a worksite. The control system may have an offboard controller. The offboard controller may be configured to receive information regarding a berm at the worksite, determine starting and ending points spaced apart along an edge of the berm based on the information, and determine a maximum orthogonal distance from a virtual line extending between the starting and ending points to the edge of the berm. The offboard controller may be further configured to selectively validate the starting and ending points based on the maximum orthogonal distance, and to designate a center of the virtual line between validated starting and ending points as a dump target.

Claims

1. A control system for use with a machine operating at a worksite, the control system comprising:

an onboard contoller mountable to the machine;

a communicating device mountable to the machine;

an offboard controller in communication with the onboard controller via the communicating device; and

wherein the offboard controller is configured to;

receive information regarding a berm at a dump location of the worksite;

determine starting and ending points spaced apart on an edge of the berm based on the information;

determine a maximum orthogonal distance from a virtual line extending between the starting and ending points to the edge of the berm;

selectively validate the starting and ending points based on the maximum orthogonal distance;

designate a center of the virtual line between validated starting and ending points as a dump target; and

generate instructions directed to the onboard controller designating, the dump target for use by the machine.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the offboard controller is further configured to generate a first tolerance zone around the dump target that is configured for use in controlling a speed of the machine.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the first tolerance zone is a two-dimensional circle centered on the dump target.

4. The control system of claim 2, wherein the offboard controller is further configured to generate a trajectory window extending from the dump target away from the berm, the trajectory window configured for use as a second tolerance zone in controlling movement of the machine toward the dump target.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein the trajectory window is a triangularly-shaped feature having an apex at the dump target and a base oriented away from the berm.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein sides of the trajectory window are symmetrically centered about an orthogonal line extending from the virtual line way from the berm.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the sides of the trajectory window are angled away from the orthogonal line by about 10-20°

.

8. The control system of claim 7, wherein the sides of the trajectory window are angled away from the orthogonal line by about 14°

.

9. The control system of claim 6, wherein the offboard controller is further configured to generate a travel lane to the dump target, the travel lane having a width bound by the starting and ending points and being generally aligned with the orthogonal line.

10. The control system of claim 9, wherein the travel lane extends past the dump target toward the berm and is configured for use as a terminal boundary for machine travel.

11. The control system of claim 1, wherein the starting and ending points are spaced apart by about 1.4-2 times a width of the machine.

12. The control system of claim 1, wherein the offboard controller is configured to validate the starting and ending points only when the maximum orthogonal distance is less than a threshold distance.

13. The control system of claim 12, wherein the offboard controller is further configured to shift the starting and ending points along the edge of the berm and attempt to validate the shifted starting and ending points when the maximum orthogonal distance is greater than the threshold distance.

14. The control system of claim 13, wherein the threshold distance is about one meter.

15. The control system of claim 1, wherein the offboard controller is configured to determine the starting point to be a predetermined distance away from a boundary marker of a dump location grouping.

16. The control system of claim 15, wherein the predetermined distance is about equal to one-half of a width of the machine.

17. A method of generating a dump target at a worksite, comprising:

receiving, at an offboard controller, information regarding a berm at the worksite;

determining starting and ending points spaced apart on an edge of the berm based on the information;

determining a maximum orthogonal distance from a virtual line extending between the starting and ending points to the edge of the berm;

selectively validating the starting and ending points based on the maximum orthogonal distance;

designating a center of the virtual line between validated starting and ending points as the dump target; and

communicating the dump target from the offboard controller to an onboard controller of a machine.

18. The method of claim 17, further including generating a tolerance zone around the dump target that is configured for use in controlling a speed of the machine, the machine being assigned to discharge material at the dump target.

19. The method of claim 18, further including generating a trajectory window extending from the dump target away from the berm, the trajectory window configured for use in controlling movement of the machine toward the dump target.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the trajectory window is a triangularly-shaped feature having an apex at the dump target and a base oriented away from the berm;

sides of the trajectory window are symmetrically centered about an orthogonal line extending from the virtual line way from the berm; and

the sides of the trajectory window are angled away from the orthogonal line by about 14°

.

21. The method of claim 20, further including generating a travel lane to the dump target, the travel lane having a width bound by the starting and ending points and being generally aligned with the orthogonal line.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein selectively validating the starting and ending points includes validating the starting and ending points only when the maximum orthogonal distance is less than a threshold distance.

23. The method of claim 22, further including:

shifting the starting and ending points along the edge of the berm when the maximum orthogonal distance is greater than the threshold distance; and

selectively validating the shifted starting and ending points.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the starting point includes establishing the starting point at a location a fixed distance from a boundary marker of dump location grouping.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon for performing a method of dump target generation, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding a berm at a worksite;

determining starting and ending points spaced apart on an edge of the berm based on the information;

determining a maximum orthogonal distance from a virtual line extending between the starting and ending points to the edge of the berm;

selectively validating the starting and ending points based on the maximum orthogonal distance;

designating a center of the virtual line between validated starting and ending points as a dump target;

communicating the dump target to an onboard controller of a machine;

generating a tolerance zone around the dump target that is configured for use in controlling a speed of the machine assigned to discharge material at the dump target;

generating a trajectory window extending from the dump target away from the berm, the trajectory window configured for use in controlling movement of the machine toward the dump target; and

generating a travel lane to the dump target, the travel lane having a width bound by the starting and ending points and being generally aligned with the trajectory window.