Enhanced control of construction equipment

• US 9,447,550 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Hill, Jason Grier Lindsay, Cutler, Helen C., Miller, Stephen A., Apple, Chad C., McKaskill, James Robert, Sharp, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): INGRAM, THOMAS P
• Application Number:
  US15/065,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20160186388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 195 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/004 Devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path for graders or bulldozers E02F3/841; for other soil-shifting machines E02F9/2045
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/42 Machines for imparting a smooth finish to freshly-laid paving courses other than by rolling, tamping or vibrating for distributing only E01C19/12; hand-actuated smoothing tools E01C19/44
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/48 for laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface , e.g. slip forms therefor, forming kerbs or gutters in a continuous operation in situ E01C19/002, E01C23/065 take precedence; devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/07 Apparatus combining measurement of the surface configuration of paving with application of material in proportion to the measured irregularities measuring means only E01C23/01 G01B
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/847 using electromagnetic, optical or acoustic beams to determine the blade position, e.g. laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/262 with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/265 with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence

Abstract

Novel tools and techniques for controlling heavy equipment vehicles, such as tractors, graders, road-forming machines, and the like. Some techniques allow a control system of a heavy equipment vehicle to transition from receiving position data from one positioning device to receiving data from another without ceasing operation and/or while limiting any resulting discontinuity in a manipulated ground surface to within acceptable tolerances.

Claims

1. A heavy equipment vehicle, comprising:

a locomotion system configured to move the heavy equipment vehicle;

a tool configured to manipulate a ground surface continuously as the heavy equipment vehicle moves;

a communication interface to provide communication with a plurality of position measurement devices; and

a control system comprising a processor, a non-transitory storage medium, and a set of instructions executable by the processor, the set of instructions comprising;

instructions to receive position data from two or more position measurement devices, including a first position measurement device and a second position measurement device;

instructions to control operation of the tool based on determined positions of the tool and a model stored on the non-transitory storage medium;

instructions to determine a first position of tool based on position data received from the first position measurement device;

instructions to transition from the first position measurement device to the second position measurement device without interrupting movement of the heavy equipment vehicle or manipulation of the ground surface and without introducing a discontinuity in the manipulated ground surface greater than a specified threshold value; and

instructions to determine a second position of the tool based on position data received from the second position measurement device.

2. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further comprises instructions to provide a user interface for the control system.

3. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 2, wherein the set of instructions further comprises instructions to display, on the user interface, information about the two or more position measurement devices.

4. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 3, wherein the information about the two or more position measurement devices comprises a distance to each of the two or more position measurement devices.

5. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 3, wherein the information about the two or more position measurement devices comprises a location of each of the two or more position measurement devices.

6. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 3, wherein the information about the two or more position measurement devices indicates which of the two or more position measurement devices are providing position data used to determine a current position of the tool.

7. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 3, wherein the set of instructions further comprises instructions to receive, through the user interface, input indicating which of the two or more position measurement devices should be used to determine a current position of the tool.

8. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 2, wherein the set of instructions further comprises instructions to receive, through the user interface, input specifying the threshold value.

9. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 8, wherein the input specifies a horizontal threshold.

10. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 8, wherein the input specifies a vertical threshold.

11. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 8, wherein the input specifies a distance threshold that defines a linear distance over which any discontinuity is absorbed.

12. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions comprises instructions to select one or more of the two or more position measurement devices from which to receive position data.

13. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 1, wherein the heavy equipment vehicle is a tractor.

14. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 13, wherein manipulating a ground surface comprises forming the ground surface.

15. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 13, wherein manipulating a ground surface comprises moving the ground surface.

16. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 13, wherein manipulating a ground surface comprises compacting the ground surface.

17. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 13, wherein the tool comprises a scraper blade, and wherein set of instructions further comprises instructions to orient the scraper blade.

18. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 13, wherein the locomotion system comprises a plurality of tracks, and wherein controlling operation of the locomotion system comprises controlling steering of one or more of the tracks.

19. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 18, wherein the set of instructions further comprises instructions to receive, through a user interface, input to manually modify a steering of one or more of the tracks.

20. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 1, wherein manipulating the ground surface comprises removing material from the ground surface.

21. The heavy equipment vehicle of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further comprises instructions to control operation of the locomotion system.

22. A control system for a heavy equipment vehicle, the control system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the one or more processors, the computer readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the computer system to;

receive position data from two or more position measurement devices, including a first position measurement device and a second position measurement device;

control operation of a locomotion system of the heavy equipment vehicle and a tool of the heavy equipment vehicle to manipulate a ground surface continuously, based on determined positions of the tool and a model stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium;

determine a first position of the tool based on position data received from the first position measurement device;

transition from the first position measurement device to the second position measurement device without interrupting movement of the heavy equipment vehicle or manipulation of the ground surface and without introducing a discontinuity in the ground surface greater than a specified threshold value; and

determine a second position of the tool based on position data received from the second position measurement device.

23. A method, comprising:

manipulating a ground surface with a heavy equipment vehicle, the heavy equipment vehicle comprising;

a locomotion system configured to move the heavy equipment vehicle;

a tool configured to manipulate a ground surface continually as the heavy equipment vehicle moves;

a communication interface to provide communication with a plurality of position measurement devices; and

a control system configured to control operation of the heavy equipment vehicle;

receiving, with the control system, position data from two or more position measurement devices, including a first position measurement device and a second position measurement device;

controlling, with the control system, operation of the locomotion system and the tool based on determined positions of the tool and a model stored on the non-transitory storage medium;

determining, with the control system, a first position of the tool based on position data received from the first position measurement device;

transitioning, with the control system, from the first position measurement device to the second position measurement device without interrupting movement of the heavy equipment vehicle or manipulation of the ground surface and without introducing a discontinuity in the manipulated ground surface greater than a specified threshold value; and

determining a second position of the tool based on position data received from the second position measurement device.