Controlling machine operation based on seat orientation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10843670-B2
Application number	US-201816034469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2018
Priority date	Jul 13, 2018
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A work machine includes a power generator configured to generate power to propel the machine, a brake system, an operator seat, one or more sensors, and a controller. The operator seat is rotatably mounted to the machine. The one or more sensors are configured to generate one or more signals indicative of an orientation of the operator seat relative to a direction of travel of the machine. The controller is coupled to the machine and communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors. The controller is configured to determine that the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel based on the one or more signals and automatically actuate the brake system if the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel for more than a first threshold time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A work machine comprising:
a power generator configured to generate power to propel the machine;
a brake system;
an operator seat rotatably mounted to the machine; and
one or more sensors configured to generate one or more signals indicative of an orientation of the operator seat relative to a direction of travel of the machine; and
a controller coupled to the machine and communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors, the controller configured to:
determine that the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel based on the one or more signals; and
automatically actuate the brake system if the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel for more than a first time delay.

2. The work machine of claim 1 , further comprising an operator control station comprising:
the operator seat;
the one or more sensors; and
a drive control configured to control at least one of a rate and a direction of travel of the machine.

3. The work machine of claim 2 , wherein the drive control comprises at least one input control device configured to be disposed in a plurality of positions to control the direction of travel of the machine.

4. The work machine of claim 3 , wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the input control device, the controller being configured to:
receive one or more signals from the input control device indicative of a position in which the input control device is disposed; and
determine the direction of travel of the machine based at least in part on the position in which the input control device is disposed.

5. The work machine of claim 2 , wherein the drive control is connected to and configured to move with the operator seat.

6. The work machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically actuate the brake system if the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel by a threshold degree for more than the first time delay.

7. The work machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine if the operator seat is 90 degrees or more out of alignment with the direction of travel based on the one or more signals; and
automatically actuate the brake system if the operator seat is 90 degrees or more out of alignment with the direction of travel for more than the first time delay.

8. The work machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
receive the one or more signals from the one or more sensors;
determine that the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel based on the one or more signals;
start a timer configured to run for the first time delay;
determine that the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel upon the timer reaching the first time delay; and
automatically actuate the brake system.

9. The work machine of claim 8 , wherein determining that the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel comprises determining that the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel by a threshold degree.

10. The work machine of claim 9 , determining that the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel by a threshold degree comprises determining that the operator seat is 90 degrees or more out of alignment with the direction of travel.

11. The work machine of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the direction of travel of the machine based on at least one of:
one or more signals from a drive control of the machine and one or more signals from an electronic control unit (ECU) of the machine.

12. The work machine of claim 11 , wherein the electronic control unit comprises at least one of an engine control module associated with the power generator and a transmission control module associated with a transmission operatively coupled to the power generator.

13. The work machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises an electronic control unit, the electronic control unit being at least one of an engine control module associated with the power generator and a transmission control module associated with a transmission operatively coupled to the power generator.

14. The work machine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of an accelerometer, a reed switch, a Hall Effect sensor, and a magnetometer.

15. A work machine comprising:
means for moving the machine;
means for stopping the machine;
an operator seat rotatably mounted to the machine;
means for determining an orientation of the operator seat relative to a direction of travel of the machine;
means for determining that the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel based on one or more signals from the means for determining an orientation; and
means for automatically actuating the means for stopping if the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel for more than a first time delay.

16. The work machine of claim 15 , wherein the means for determining an orientation of the operator seat relative to a direction of travel of the machine comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a reed switch, a Hall Effect sensor, and a magnetometer.

17. The work machine of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the means for determining that the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel and the means for automatically actuating the brake system comprises an electronic control unit, the electronic control unit being at least one of an engine control module and a transmission control module.

18. A method comprising:
moving a work machine in a first direction, the work machine comprising:
an operator seat rotatably mounted to the machine; and
one or more sensors configured to generate one or more signals indicative of an orientation of the operator seat relative to a direction of travel of the machine; and
a controller;
determining, by the one or more sensors, an orientation of the operator seat relative to the first direction;
determining, by a controller, that the operator seat is out of alignment with the first direction based on the one or more signals; and
automatically actuating, by the controller, the brake system if the operator seat is out of alignment with the first direction for more than a first time delay.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein determining, by a controller, that the operator seat is out of alignment with the first direction comprises determining, by the controller, that the operator seat is out of alignment with the first direction by a threshold degree.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein determining, by a controller, that the operator seat is out of alignment with the first direction comprises:
receiving the one or more signals from the one or more sensors;
determining that the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel based on the one or more signals;
starting a timer configured to run for the first threshold time; and
determining that the operator seat is out of alignment with the direction of travel upon the timer reaching the first threshold time.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Paving Products Inc

Inventors

• Petersen Paul S
• Af Klinteberg Rolf
• Hendricks Kyle D
• Downing Bryan J
• Lee Jeremy W
• Hedrington Mathew J

Classifications

• E01C19/26 Primary

  self-propelled or fitted to road vehicles ({E01C19/231, E01C19/235} , E01C19/27 - E01C19/29 take precedence) · CPC title

• E01C19/282

  self-propelled, e.g. with an own traction-unit (E01C19/285 - E01C19/288 take precedence) · CPC title

• E01C2301/30

  Cabin details · CPC title

• E02F9/24

  Safety devices {, e.g. for preventing overload (E02F9/226 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E01C19/28 Primary

  Vibrated rollers or rollers subjected to impacts, e.g. hammering blows ({E01C19/235, } E01C19/29, {E01C19/41} take precedence; {combined with non-vibrated elastically-deformable rolling elements E01C19/233}) · CPC title