System and method for bucket agitation during automated payload tip-off

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11708681-B2
Application number	US-202117229489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2021
Priority date	Apr 13, 2021
Publication date	Jul 25, 2023
Grant date	Jul 25, 2023

Abstract

A wheel loader machine includes a bucket configured to hold a predetermined load of a granular or powder material, a hydraulic system having an electro-hydraulic actuator to move the bucket over tilt angles and to shake the bucket, a hydraulic sensor configured to detect hydraulic pressure, an interface configured to receive input parameters and to output status information of the bucket, and a controller. The input parameters including a target weight of the granular or powder material. The status information including weight of the granular or powder material in the bucket determined using the detected hydraulic pressure. The controller configured to control the hydraulic system to tilt the bucket to a predetermined tilt angle and to shake the bucket in accordance with an agitation pattern until the weight of the granular or powder in the bucket is at or below the target weight of the granular or powder material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A construction vehicle comprising:
an electro-hydraulic system;
a bucket operated by the electro-hydraulic system and configured to hold a payload;
an automated tip-off system; and
a controller configured to:
identify that a tip-off process is to be performed, wherein the tip-off process causes the electro-hydraulic system to operate the bucket to spill a portion of the payload, and
cause, based on identifying that the tip-off process is to be performed, the electro-hydraulic system to agitate the bucket according to an agitation pattern.

2. The construction vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller includes a memory to store a plurality of agitation patterns, and
wherein the plurality of agitation patterns are wave patterns.

3. The construction vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one agitation pattern, of the plurality of agitation patterns, by changing a waveform shape of the at least one agitation pattern, and
wherein the waveform shape is one or more of a sine wave, a saw tooth shape, or a square wave.

4. The construction vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one agitation pattern, of the plurality of agitation patterns, by changing one or more of an amplitude or a frequency of a waveform shape of the at least one agitation pattern.

5. The construction vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one agitation pattern, of the plurality of agitation patterns, by replacing the at least one agitation pattern with a new agitation pattern.

6. The construction vehicle of claim 2 ,
wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one agitation pattern, of the plurality of agitation patterns, by changing a duration that the electro-hydraulic system causes the bucket to agitate according to the at least one agitation pattern.

7. The construction vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising an input-output device configured to receive input of control parameters and to output bucket status information,
wherein the input-output device includes an input for identifying one or more types of granular or powder material, and
wherein the controller includes a memory to store a plurality of agitation patterns that correspond to the one or more types of granular or powder material.

8. The construction vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the agitation pattern causes, via the electro-hydraulic system, a flick of the bucket followed by a buzz motion of the bucket.

9. The construction vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to determine a weight of the payload in the bucket, via periodic weighing of the payload, and based on at least one hydraulic pressure of the electro-hydraulic system, removal of noise that is caused by agitation of the bucket according to the agitation pattern, or at least one resonant frequency of the construction vehicle.

10. The construction vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the electro-hydraulic system to agitate the bucket, according to the agitation pattern, during the tip-off process.

11. The construction vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to agitate the bucket, according to the agitation pattern, during operation of the bucket to spill the portion of the payload.

12. The construction vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to agitate the bucket, according to the agitation pattern, throughout operation of the bucket to spill the portion of the payload.

13. The construction vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause, based on identifying that the tip-off process is to be performed, the electro-hydraulic system to operate the bucket to spill the portion of the payload.

14. A control system comprising:
an electro-hydraulic system;
a bucket operated by the electro-hydraulic system and configured to hold a payload; and
a controller configured to:
identify, based on information from one or more sensors associated with the bucket, that a tip-off process is to be performed, wherein the tip-off process causes the electro-hydraulic system to operate the bucket to spill a portion of the payload; and
cause, based on identifying that the tip-off process is to be performed, the electro-hydraulic system to agitate the bucket according to an agitation pattern.

15. The control system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine, based on the information from the one or more sensors, a weight of the payload,
wherein the portion of the payload that is spilled from the bucket during the tip-off process is based, at least in part, on the weight of the payload.

16. The control system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
store, in a memory of the controller, a plurality of agitation patterns,
wherein the agitation pattern is a first agitation pattern of the plurality of agitation patterns, and
wherein the plurality of agitation patterns are wave patterns.

17. The control system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
identify, via the controller, one or more types of granular or powder material of the payload; and
identify the agitation pattern, from a plurality of agitation patterns stored in a memory associated with the controller, based on identifying the one or more types of granular or powder material of the payload.

18. A method of controlling an electro-hydraulic system to operate a bucket of a machine that is configured to hold a payload, the method comprising:
identifying, via a controller, that a tip-off process is to be performed, wherein the tip-off process causes the electro-hydraulic system to operate the bucket to spill a portion of the payload; and
causing, via the controller and based on identifying that the tip-off process is to be performed, the electro-hydraulic system to agitate the bucket according to an agitation pattern.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein identifying that the tip-off process is to be performed is based, at least in part, on information from one or more sensors associated with the bucket, the method further comprising:
determining, based on the information from the one or more sensors, a weight of the payload,
wherein the portion of the payload that is spilled from the bucket during the tip-off process is based, at least in part, on the weight of the payload.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
storing, in a memory of the controller, a plurality of agitation patterns,
wherein the agitation pattern is a first agitation pattern of the plurality of agitation patterns, and
wherein the plurality of agitation patterns are wave patterns;

identifying, via the controller, one or more types of granular or powder material of the payload; and
identifying the first agitation pattern, from the plurality of agitation patterns stored in the memory of the controller, based on identifying the one or more types of granular or powder material of the payload.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Currier Shaun D
• Cler Eric W

Classifications

• E02F3/42 Primary

  Drives for dippers, buckets, dipper-arms or bucket-arms · CPC title

• E02F3/434

  providing automatic sequences of movements, e.g. automatic dumping or loading, automatic return-to-dig · CPC title

• E02F9/2271

  Actuators and supports therefor and protection therefor · CPC title

• E02F9/221 Primary

  for generating actuator vibration (buckets with vibrating means E02F3/405) · CPC title

• E02F9/2025

  Particular purposes of control systems not otherwise provided for (E02F3/16, E02F3/26, sub-groups of E02F3/43, E02F3/651, sub-groups of E02F3/84, E02F3/907, E02F5/145 take precedence) · CPC title