Method and apparatus for retrofitting work vehicle with blade position sensing and control system

• US 20070284121A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Errthum, Brett, Pline, Jason, Montgomery, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,596,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 172/2
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/847 using electromagnetic, optical or acoustic beams to determine the blade position, e.g. laser beams

Abstract

A work vehicle comprisies a blade and a hydraulics system for controlling operation of blade and non-blade functions of the work vehicle. The work vehicle is configured to be retrofitted with a blade position sensing and control system having cooperating onboard and vehicle-remote instrument packages without modification of the hydraulics system. An associated method is disclosed.

Claims

1. A work vehicle comprising a blade and a hydraulics system for controlling operation of blade and non-blade functions of the work vehicle, wherein the work vehicle is configured to be retrofitted with any one of multiple blade position sensing and control systems, each having cooperating onboard and vehicle-remote instrument packages, without modification of the hydraulics system.

2. The work vehicle of claim 1, wherein the work vehicle is configured to operate with a laser-based blade position sensing and control system, a GPS-based blade position sensing and control system, a sonic-based blade position sensing and control system, and combinations thereof without modification of the hydraulics system.

3. The work vehicle of claim 1, comprising an electrical interface connector adapted to be coupled to the onboard instrument package.

4. The work vehicle of claim 3, wherein the hydraulics system comprises an electronic hydraulics control unit coupled to the electrical interface connector for communication between an electronic auxiliary control unit of the onboard instrument package and the hydraulics control unit via the electrical interface connector.

5. The work vehicle of claim 4, comprising an operator-interface control unit coupled to the electrical interface connector for communication between an electronic auxiliary control unit of the onboard instrument package and the operator-interface control unit via the electrical interface connector.

6. The work vehicle of claim 3, comprising an operator-interface control unit coupled to the electrical interface connector for communication between an electronic auxiliary control unit of the onboard instrument package and the operator-interface control unit via the electrical interface connector.

7. The work vehicle of claim 3, in combination with a blade position sensing and control system wherein an onboard instrument package of the blade position sensing and control system is mounted onboard the work vehicle and coupled to the electrical interface connector and a vehicle-remote instrument package of the blade position sensing and control system is positioned at a location remote from the work vehicle and cooperates with the onboard instrument package to provide blade position information.

8. A work vehicle with which a blade position sensing and control system may be used, the blade position sensing and control system having cooperating onboard and vehicle-remote instrument packages, the work vehicle comprising:

a blade, and

a network of electronic control units, wherein the network is adaptable to communicate with the onboard instrument package for position control of the blade via a control path leading from the onboard instrument package to the blade through the network.

9. The work vehicle of claim 8, comprising an electrical interface connector coupled to the network and adapted to be coupled to the onboard instrument package.

10. The work vehicle of claim 8, wherein:

the network includes an electronic hydraulics control unit for controlling blade and non-blade hydraulic functions of the work vehicle, and

the hydraulics control unit is included in the control path.

11. The work vehicle of claim 10, comprising a valve arrangement under the control of the hydraulics control unit and associated with the blade for positioning the blade, wherein the valve arrangement is included in the control path.

12. The work vehicle of claim 8, wherein there is software of the blade position sensing and control system loaded onto one of the electronic control units of the network.

13. A method for use with a work vehicle comprising a blade and a hydraulics system for controlling operation of blade and non-blade functions of the work vehicle, the method comprising retrofitting the work vehicle with any one of multiple blade position sensing and control systems, each having cooperating onboard and vehicle-remote instrument packages, without modifying the hydraulics system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the work vehicle comprises an electrical interface connector, and

the retrofitting comprises coupling the onboard instrument package to the electrical interface connector.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the hydraulics system comprises an electronic hydraulics control unit,

the onboard instrument package comprises an electronic auxiliary control unit, and

the retrofitting comprises interconnecting the hydraulics control unit and the auxiliary control unit via the electrical interface connector.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the hydraulics system comprises a valve arrangement under the control of the hydraulics control unit and associated with the blade for positioning the blade, and

the interconnecting comprises establishing a control path leading from the auxiliary control unit through the electrical interface connector, the hydraulics control unit, and the valve arrangement to the blade.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the work vehicle comprises an operator-interface control unit, and

the retrofitting comprises interconnecting the operator-interface control unit and the auxiliary control unit via the electrical interface connector.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the work vehicle comprises an operator-interface control unit, and

the retrofitting comprises interconnecting the operator-interface control unit and the auxiliary control unit via the electrical interface connector.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the retrofitting comprises connecting the onboard instrument package to a network of electronic control units onboard the work vehicle for position control of the blade via a control path leading from the onboard instrument package to the blade through the network.