Performing non-contact based determination of the position of an implement

• US 9,481,983 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2013
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Taylor, Arthur James, Nichols, Mark, Jackson, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong P
• Application Number:
  US13/911,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20130275035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49, 701/50, 701/300, 701/408, 701/485, 701/495, 701/514, 701/519, 701/523, 172/430
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/002 Apparatus for preparing and placing the materials and for consolidating or finishing the paving
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/22 for consolidating or finishing laid-down unset materials E01C19/002, E01C19/48, E01C21/00 E01C23/02 E01C23/065 take precedence; apparatus for generating vibrations in general B06B
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/32 working downwardly and towards the machine, e.g. with backhoes
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3414 the arms being pivoted at the rear of the vehicle chassis, e.g. skid steer loader
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/7609 Scraper blade mounted forwardly of the tractor on a pair of pivoting arms which are linked to the sides of the tractor, e.g. bulldozers
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/7636 Graders with the scraper blade mounted under the tractor chassis
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/842 using electromagnetic, optical or photoelectric beams, e.g. laser beams
• 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 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/261 Surveying the work-site to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/265 with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/121 by potentiometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/10 providing dedicated supplementary positioning signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method for performing non-contact based determination of the position of an implement. In one embodiment, the method includes using a non-contact based measurement system to determine a first measurement comprising the position of the implement relative to a mobile machine coupled with the implement, determining a second measurement comprising the geographic position of the mobile machine and determining the geographic position of the implement using the first measurement and the second measurement.

Claims

1. A system for performing non-contact based determination of a position of an implement relative to a mobile machine, the system comprising:

an emitter coupled to the implement, wherein the emitter is configured to generate a one-way signal and transmit the one-way signal; and

a distance measuring component, comprising;

a detector coupled with a particular part of the mobile machine, wherein the detector is configured to receive the one-way signal generated by the emitter, wherein the distance measuring component is configured to determine the distance between the implement and the particular part of the mobile machine based on the one-way signal received by the detector, and wherein the distance measuring component is configured to determine the position of the implement relative to the mobile machine based on the determined distance.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile machine is selected from the group consisting of a bulldozer, a motor grader, an excavator, a skid-steer loader, a scraper, a trencher, a trimmer, a tractor with an attachment, a paver, and a slip form concrete machine.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the distance measuring component comprises an image recognition apparatus.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the distance measuring component comprises a light-based measurement apparatus.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the light-based measurement apparatus is configured to receive a beam of light in the visible spectrum and determine a light-based measurement based on the beam of light.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the light-based measurement apparatus is configured to receive a beam of light in the non-visible spectrum and determine a light-based measurement based on the beam of light.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the distance measuring component comprises a sound-based measurement apparatus.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the distance measuring component determines a difference in an angle between the implement and the mobile machine when the implement is moved from a first position to a second position.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the distance measuring component determines a difference in the distance between the implement and the mobile machine when the implement is moved from a first position to a second position.

10. A system for determining the position of an implement comprising:

a non-contact based sensor measurement system which does not require the use of a mast configured for determining a position of the implement relative to a mobile machine coupled with the implement, the non-contact based measurement system comprising;

an emitter coupled to the implement, wherein the emitter is configured to generate a one-way signal and transmit the one-way signal; and

a distance measuring component, comprising;

a detector coupled with a particular part of the mobile machine wherein the detector is configured to receive the one-way signal generated by the emitter, wherein the distance measuring component is configured to determine the distance between the implement and the particular part of the mobile machine based on the one-way signal received by the detector, and wherein the distance measuring component is configured to determine the position of the implement relative to the mobile machine based on the determined distance.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the mobile machine is selected from the group consisting of a bulldozer, a motor grader, an excavator, a skid-steer loader, a scraper, a trencher, a trimmer, a tractor with an attachment, a paver, and a slip form concrete machine.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the distance measuring component comprises an image recognition apparatus.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the image recognition apparatus determines a location of a visual indicator proximate to the implement.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the distance measuring component apparatus comprises a light-based measurement apparatus.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the light-based measurement apparatus is configured to receive a beam of light in the visible spectrum and determines a light-based measurement based on the beam of light.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the light-based measurement apparatus is configured to receive a beam of light in the non-visible spectrum and determine a light-based measurement based on the beam of light.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the distance measuring component comprises a sound-based measurement apparatus.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the distance measuring component determines a difference in an angle between the implement and the mobile machine when the implement is moved from a first position to a second position.

19. The system of claim 10 wherein the non-contact based measurement system determines a difference in a distance between the implement and the mobile machine when the implement is moved from a first position to a second position.