Work implement side shift control and method

• US 7,178,606 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Pecchio, Patrick Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): BATSON, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US10/927,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20060042810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 172/2, 172/3, 172/4.5, 172/5, 172/6, 172/781, 340/988, 340/978, 340/990, 373/48, 373/82, 701/50
• US Class Current: 172/6
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/764 with the scraper blade being pivotable about a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/7654 with the scraper blade being horizontally movable into a position near the chassis
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/847 using electromagnetic, optical or acoustic beams to determine the blade position, e.g. laser beams

Abstract

A system for automatically moving a work implement of a work machine includes a position monitoring system configured to track a position of the work implement relative to a mapped landscape and programmable to incorporate an electronic representation of at least one entity designated to be avoided into the mapped landscape. The system also includes a controller configured to initiate movement of the work implement in response to information from the position monitoring system, including movement of the work implement to avoid the at least one entity. The work machine has a longitudinal axis aligned with a direction of travel of the work machine and the movement of the work implement includes movement of an edge of the work implement, nearest to the at least one entity, relative to a vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis.

Claims

1. A system for automatically moving a work implement of a work machine, comprising:

a position monitoring system configured to track a position of the work implement relative to a mapped landscape and programmable to incorporate an electronic representation of at least one entity into the mapped landscape; and

a controller configured to initiate movement of the work implement in response to information from the position monitoring system, including movement of the work implement to avoid the at least one entity;

wherein the work machine has a longitudinal axis aligned with a direction of travel of the work machine and the movement of the work implement includes movement of an edge of the work implement, nearest to the at least one entity, relative to a vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the work implement includes a blade.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the blade is attached to a drawbar/moldboard/circle assembly (DMC).

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the movement of the edge is achieved by one or more of swivel of the blade and lateral translation of the blade.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the position monitoring system is configured to track the position of the work implement.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the position monitoring system is configured to generate a map of the landscape and store the map in a memory.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the position monitoring system includes one or more global positioning system (GPS) receivers.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the position monitoring system is configured to receive data from a local positioning unit for supplementing information provided by the one or more GPS receivers.

9. A motor grader comprising:

a cab;

a traction system;

a power source;

a work implement;

a position monitoring system configured to track a position of the work implement relative to a mapped landscape and programmable to incorporate an electronic representation of at least one entity into the mapped landscape; and

a controller configured to initiate movement of the work implement in response to information from the position monitoring system, including movement of the work implement to maintain a predetermined distance between the at least one entity and an edge of the work implement nearest to the at least one entity;

wherein the motor grader has a longitudinal axis aligned with a direction of travel of the motor grader and the predetermined distance is maintained by movement of the edge of the work implement relative to a vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis.

10. The motor grader of claim 9, wherein the predetermined distance is maintained within a predefined range of accuracy.

11. The motor grader of claim 9, wherein the work implement includes a blade.

12. The motor grader of claim 11, wherein the blade is attached to a drawbar/moldboard/circle assembly (DMC).

13. The motor grader of claim 12, wherein the movement of the edge is achieved by at least one of swivel of the blade and lateral translation of the blade.

14. The motor grader of claim 9, wherein the position monitoring system is configured to track the position of the work implement.

15. The motor grader of claim 9, wherein the position monitoring system is configured to generate a map of the landscape and store the map in a memory.

16. The motor grader of claim 9, wherein the position monitoring system includes one or more global positioning system (GPS) receivers.

17. The motor grader of claim 16, wherein the position monitoring system is configured to receive data from a local positioning unit for supplementing information provided by the one or more GPS receivers.

18. The motor grader of claim 9, wherein the work implement includes a blade attached to a drawbar/moldboard/circle assembly (DMC), such that the movement of the edge is achieved by at least one of swivel of the blade and lateral translation of the blade;

and

wherein the position monitoring system includes one or more global positioning system (GPS) receivers and is configured to receive data from a local positioning unit for supplementing information provided by the one or more GPS receivers.