Automatic dig assistance system for a machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10669691-B2
Application number	US-201815987721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2018
Priority date	May 23, 2018
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A system for controlling an earth moving machine may comprise: a speed sensor configured to communicate a speed signal indicative of a speed of the machine; an operator bucket lift command input configured to communicate an operator-input bucket lift command; and a controller configured to: receive the speed signal and the operator-input bucket lift command; determine a torque of the machine; using the speed signal and the determined torque, determine a controller-generated bucket lift command; and provide a bucket lift command which is the larger of the operator-input bucket lift command and the controller-generated bucket lift command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling an earth moving machine, comprising:
a speed sensor configured to communicate a speed signal indicative of a speed of the machine;
an operator bucket lift command input configured to communicate an operator-input bucket lift command; and
a controller configured to:
receive the speed signal and the operator-input bucket lift command;
determine a torque of the machine;
using the speed signal and the determined torque, determine a controller-generated bucket lift command; and
provide a bucket lift command which is the larger of the operator-input bucket lift command and the controller-generated bucket lift command.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressure sensor configured to communicate a pressure signal indicative of a pressure on a bucket of the machine, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive the pressure signal; and
using the speed signal, the determined torque, and the pressure signal, determine whether a pile encountered by the machine is a full pile.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
using at least one of the speed signal, the determined torque, and the pressure signal, determine the time the time it will take the machine to reach a speed of zero; and
using the calculated time, determine whether the pile encountered by the machine is a full pile.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an operator bucket tilt command input configured to communicate an operator-input bucket tilt command, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
provide a bucket tilt command which is the smaller of the operator-input bucket tilt command and a predetermined bucket tilt command ceiling value.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bucket height sensor configured to communicate a signal indicative of the height of a bucket of the machine, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
using the signal of the height of the bucket, determine a rate of change of the height of the bucket; and
compare the determined rate of change to the provided bucket lift command.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
calculate the difference between the provided bucket lift command and the determined rate of change; and,
if the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value, disable the provided lift command.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bucket height sensor configured to communicate a signal indicative of a height of a bucket of the machine, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
using the signal indicative of the height of the bucket and the provided lift command, determine whether there is sufficient hydraulic pressure to prevent slip of the machine on a ground surface.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
if there is not sufficient hydraulic pressure, limit torque to the machine.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism for enabling and/or disabling the system.

10. A method for controlling an earth moving machine, comprising:
receiving a speed signal indicative of a speed of the machine;
determining a torque of the machine;
receiving an operator-input bucket lift command;
using the received speed signal and the determined torque, determining a controller-generated bucket lift command; and
providing a bucket lift command which is the larger of the operator-input bucket lift command and the controller-generated bucket lift command.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
a receiving a pressure signal indicative of the pressure on a bucket of the machine; and
using the speed signal, the determined torque, and the pressure signal, determining whether a pile encountered by the machine is a full pile.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising
using at least one of the speed signal, the determined torque, and the pressure signal, determining the time the time it will take the machine to reach a speed of zero; and
using the determined time, determining whether the pile encountered by the machine is a full pile.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving an operator-input bucket tilt command; and
providing a bucket tilt command which is the smaller of the operator-input bucket tilt command and a predetermined bucket tilt command ceiling value.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving a signal indicative of a height of a bucket of the machine;
using the signal of the height of the bucket, calculating a rate of change of the height of the bucket of the machine; and
comparing the calculated rate of change to the provided bucket lift command.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
calculating the difference between the provided bucket lift command and the calculated rate of change; and
if the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value, disabling the provided lift command.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving a signal indicative of a height of a bucket of the machine; and
using the signal indicative of the height of the bucket and the provided lift command, determining whether there is sufficient hydraulic pressure to prevent slip of the machine on a ground surface.

17. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:
if there is not sufficient hydraulic pressure, limiting torque to the machine.

18. The system of claim 10 , further comprising activating or deactivating the system.

19. A system for controlling an earth moving machine, comprising:
a speed sensor configured to communicate a speed signal indicative of a speed of the machine;
a pressure sensor configured to communicate a pressure signal indicative of the pressure on a bucket of the machine; and
a controller configured to:
determine a torque of the machine; and
using the speed signal, the determined torque, and the pressure signal, determine whether a pile encountered by the machine is a full pile.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the controller is further configured to:
using at least one of the speed signal, the determined torque, and the pressure signal, determine the time the time it will take the machine to reach a speed of zero; and
using the determined time, determine whether the pile encountered by the machine is a full pile.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Tinker Matthew M
• Spielman Michael A
• Cler Eric
• Shatters Aaron R
• Scott Austin J
• Berry Jeffrey K
• Velamakanni Sairam G

Classifications

• E02F9/2029

  Controlling the position of implements in function of its load, e.g. modifying the attitude of implements in accordance to vehicle speed (control for hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2203, E02F9/2221 and E02F9/2253 take precedence) · CPC title

• E02F9/22

  Hydraulic or pneumatic drives {(for dipper or bucket arm position control E02F3/43, for blade position control for graders E02F3/844; for turntables E02F9/121; for fork-lift trucks B66F9/22)} · CPC title

• E02F3/431 Primary

  for bucket-arms, front-end loaders, dumpers or the like · CPC title

• E02F3/283

  with a single arm pivoted directly on the chassis (linkage mechanism for it E02F3/3405) · CPC title

• E02F9/2004

  Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers (control levers per se G05G) · CPC title