Methods and systems for executing fluid delivery mission

• US 9,463,483 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2012
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Gudat, Adam J, Humphrey, James D, Anderton, Peter W, Orr, David C, Koehrsen, Craig I, Keefer, Claude W, Braunstein, Michael D, Stratton, Kenneth L
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, CHRISTOPHER S
• Application Number:
  US13/708,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20130099017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 169/46, 169/47, 169/53, 239 67- 74, 239/172
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/00 Machines or plants for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces of objects or other work by spraying, not covered by groups B05B1/00 - B05B11/00 B05B5/08 takes precedence ; means for supplying or discharging liquid or other fluent material for this purpose, see the relevant preceding groups; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces in general B05D
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 3/02 Mobile apparatus, e.g. watering-vehicles moistening combined with the removal of undesirable matter E01H1/00; mobile flushing or washing installations E01H1/101; mobile apparatus specially adapted for applying liquid or semi-liquid thawing materials E01H10/007; road moistening devices in cleaning machines per se; vehicle features B60P3/22; applying liquid materials for road paving materials E01C19/16 ; applying curing agents on concrete roads E01C23/03; applying marking-out agents E01C23/16
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 5/02 by wetting or spraying

Abstract

A mobile fluid delivery machine has a communication device configured to receive fluid delivery mission instructions that identify a sequence of path segments on a site and corresponding fluid delivery allocation information for the path segments, and a location device determining the location of the mobile fluid delivery machine. It also has a fluid delivery system including a display device and at least one processor that is configured to identify the fluid delivery allocation information for the path segment that corresponds to the location of the mobile machine on the site, and to determine, based on the fluid delivery allocation information for the path segment that corresponds to the location of the mobile machine on the site, a fluid delivery rate for the path segment. The processor is also configured to cause the display device to display an indication of the determined fluid delivery rate for the path segment.

Claims

1. A mobile fluid delivery machine for delivering fluid to a site, comprising:

a tank storing fluid;

at least one spray head configured to spray the stored fluid onto the site;

a communication device configured to receive fluid delivery mission instructions from a site computing system, the mission instructions identifying a sequence of path segments on the site and corresponding fluid delivery allocation information for the path segments;

a location device configured to determine the location of the mobile fluid delivery machine on the site;

a fluid delivery system comprising a display device and at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to;

determine whether the location of the fluid delivery machine corresponds to a path segment of the sequence;

when it is determined that the location of the fluid delivery machine corresponds to a path segment in the sequence, determine a fluid delivery rate for the path segment based on the fluid delivery allocation information corresponding to that path segment in the mission instructions; and

cause the display device to display an indication of the determined fluid delivery rate for the path segment.

2. The mobile fluid delivery machine of claim 1, further comprising a speed sensor configured to sense a travel speed of the fluid delivery machine, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the fluid delivery rate based further on the travel speed of the fluid delivery machine.

3. The mobile fluid delivery machine of claim 2, wherein the fluid delivery system is configured to spray the fluid at the determined fluid delivery rate via the at least one spray head.

4. The mobile fluid delivery machine of claim 1, further comprising an operator interface system configured to:

receive input from an operator of the mobile fluid delivery machine of a commanded fluid delivery rate; and

control the fluid delivery system to spray the fluid at the commanded fluid delivery rate,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the display device to display an indication of the commanded fluid delivery rate in comparison to the displayed indication of the determined fluid delivery rate.

5. The mobile fluid delivery machine of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to provide at least one of an audible or visual warning when the commanded fluid delivery rate differs from the determined fluid delivery by more than a threshold.

6. The mobile fluid delivery system of claim 1, further comprising a navigation system configured to control the mobile fluid delivery machine to travel the sequence of path segments.

7. The mobile fluid delivery system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

monitor actual amounts of fluid sprayed to the segments in the sequence during the fluid delivery mission; and

transmit, via the communication device, a fluid delivery mission report indicating the actual amounts of fluid sprayed to the segments during the fluid delivery mission.

8. The mobile fluid delivery machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the display device to display a map of the site indicating the sequence of path segments.

9. A mobile fluid delivery machine for delivering fluid to a site, comprising:

a tank storing fluid;

at least one spray head configured to spray the stored fluid onto the site;

a communication device configured to receive fluid delivery mission instructions from a site computing system, the mission instructions identifying a sequence of path segments on the site and corresponding fluid delivery allocation information for the path segments;

a location device configured to determine the location of the mobile fluid delivery machine on the site;

a fluid delivery system comprising a display device and at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to;

identify the fluid delivery allocation information for the path segment that corresponds to the location of the mobile machine on the site;

determine, based on the fluid delivery allocation information for the path segment that corresponds to the location of the mobile machine on the site, a fluid delivery rate for the path segment; and

cause the display device to display an indication of the determined fluid delivery rate for the path segment.

10. The mobile fluid delivery machine of claim 9, further comprising an operator interface system configured to:

receive input from an operator of the mobile fluid delivery machine of a commanded fluid delivery rate; and

control the fluid delivery system to spray the fluid at the commanded fluid delivery rate,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the display device to display an indication of the commanded fluid delivery rate in comparison to the displayed indication of the determined fluid delivery rate.