Autonomous method for detecting a pile
First Claim
1. An autonomous method for detecting when an earthmoving machine has moved a pile of dirt into contact with another pile of dirt, the method comprising:
- receiving at a controller a plurality of signals indicative of one or more parameters including a ground speed of the machine, a target ground speed of the machine, a load on a work implement of the machine, an output speed of a torque converter of the machine, a machine pitch, a machine steering command, a machine heading, and a heading of a slot the machine is in;
standardizing and normalizing each signal from the plurality of signals using the controller in order to create values for each of the one or more parameters that all fall within a common range, wherein the common range is representative of a range from minimum to maximum values for each of the one or more parameters;
determining, using the controller, a variation of each of the values for the one or more parameters over each of a plurality of time periods to calculate relative rates of change for the one or more parameters;
weighting each of the values for each of the one or more parameters as a function of the relative rates of change for the one or more parameters;
adding up the weighted values of the parameters;
applying a sigmoid function to the weighted values of the parameters using the controller in order to limit the effect any one of the parameters has on an output indicative of behavior characteristic of the machine having pushed a pile of dirt into contact with another pile of dirt; and
transitioning a work implement of the machine from a carry configuration to a spread configuration.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An autonomous method for detecting when an earthmoving machine has moved a pile of dirt into contact with another pile of dirt may include receiving at a controller a plurality of signals indicative of one or more parameters including a ground speed of the machine, a target ground speed of the machine, a load on a work implement of the machine, an output speed of a torque converter of the machine, a machine pitch, a machine steering command, a machine heading, and a heading of a slot the machine is in. The controller may standardize and normalize each signal from the plurality of signals in order to create values for each of the one or more parameters that all fall within a common range, wherein the common range is representative of a range from minimum to maximum values for each of the one or more parameters. The controller may also determine a variation of each of the values for the one or more parameters over each of a plurality of time periods to calculate relative rates of change for the one or more parameters, weight each of the values for each of the one or more parameters as a function of the relative rates of change, add up the weighted values of the parameters, and apply a sigmoid function to the weighted values of the parameters in order to limit the effect any one of the parameters has on an output indicative of behavior characteristic of the machine having pushed a pile of dirt into contact with another pile of dirt.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An autonomous method for detecting when an earthmoving machine has moved a pile of dirt into contact with another pile of dirt, the method comprising:
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receiving at a controller a plurality of signals indicative of one or more parameters including a ground speed of the machine, a target ground speed of the machine, a load on a work implement of the machine, an output speed of a torque converter of the machine, a machine pitch, a machine steering command, a machine heading, and a heading of a slot the machine is in; standardizing and normalizing each signal from the plurality of signals using the controller in order to create values for each of the one or more parameters that all fall within a common range, wherein the common range is representative of a range from minimum to maximum values for each of the one or more parameters; determining, using the controller, a variation of each of the values for the one or more parameters over each of a plurality of time periods to calculate relative rates of change for the one or more parameters; weighting each of the values for each of the one or more parameters as a function of the relative rates of change for the one or more parameters; adding up the weighted values of the parameters; applying a sigmoid function to the weighted values of the parameters using the controller in order to limit the effect any one of the parameters has on an output indicative of behavior characteristic of the machine having pushed a pile of dirt into contact with another pile of dirt; and transitioning a work implement of the machine from a carry configuration to a spread configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for autonomously controlling an earthmoving machine, wherein the earthmoving machine includes:
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a frame; a plurality of driving members connected to the frame and configured to support the frame; a powertrain mounted to the frame and configured to drive the plurality of driving members; a work implement operatively connected to the frame and having a surface configured to engage a material to be moved by the machine; and at least a first sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of at least one of a plurality of operational parameters of the machine;
the system further includinga controller in communication with the at least a first sensor, controls for the powertrain, and controls for the work implement, the controller being configured to implement a method for operating the machine comprising; receiving a plurality of signals indicative of one or more parameters including a ground speed of the machine, a target ground speed of the machine, a load on the work implement of the machine, an output speed of a torque converter of the machine, a machine pitch, a machine steering command, a machine heading, and a heading of a slot the machine is in; standardizing and normalizing each signal from the plurality of signals in order to create values for each of the one or more parameters that all fall within a common range, wherein the common range is representative of a range from minimum to maximum values for each of the one or more parameters; determining a variation of each of the values for the one or more parameters over each of a plurality of time periods to calculate relative rates of change for the one or more parameters; weighting each of the values for each of the one or more parameters as a function of the relative rates of change for the one or more parameters; adding up the weighted values of the parameters; and applying a sigmoid function to the weighted values of the parameters in order to limit the effect any one of the parameters has on an output indicative of behavior characteristic of the machine having pushed a pile of dirt into contact with another pile of dirt. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, perform a method for detecting when an earthmoving machine has moved a pile of dirt into contact with another pile of dirt, the method comprising:
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receiving a plurality of signals indicative of one or more parameters including a ground speed of the machine, a target ground speed of the machine, a load on a work implement of the machine, an output speed of a torque converter of the machine, a machine pitch, a machine steering command, a machine heading, and a heading of a slot the machine is in; standardizing and normalizing each signal from the plurality of signals in order to create values for each of the one or more parameters that all fall within a common range, wherein the common range is representative of a range from minimum to maximum values for each of the one or more parameters;
determining a variation of each of the values for the one or more parameters over each of a plurality of time periods;weighting each of the values for each of the one or more parameters as a function of how quickly each value is changing over each of the plurality of time periods; adding up the weighted values of the parameters; applying a sigmoid function to the weighted values of the parameters in order to limit the effect any one of the values of the parameters has on an output indicative of a determination that the machine has pushed a pile of dirt into another pile of dirt; and transitioning a work implement of the machine from a carry configuration to a spread configuration. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification