Coordinated motion system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11746500-B2
Application number	US-202217970844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2022
Priority date	Oct 22, 2021
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A vehicle system includes a first work machine including a first actuator and a first control system, a second work machine including a second actuator and a second control system, and a user input system including a transceiver and a user interface. The user input system is configured to receive a user input via the user interface and provide a signal to both the first control system and the second control system. The first control system and the second control system are configured to receive the signal and thereafter operate the first actuator of the first work machine and the second actuator of the second machine in a coordinated mode of operation. The user input system is configured to provide, and the first control system and the second control system are configured to receive, the signal simultaneously thereby reducing latency between motion of the first work machine and the second work machine in the coordinated mode of operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle system comprising:
a first work machine comprising a first actuator and a first control system;
a second work machine comprising a second actuator and a second control system; and
a user input system comprising (a) a transceiver and (b) a user interface, wherein the user input system defines at least one of (i) a portion of the first control system of the first work machine, (ii) a portion of the second control system of the second work machine, or (iii) a third control system, wherein the user input system is configured to receive a user input via the user interface and provide a signal to both the first control system and the second control system;
wherein the first control system and the second control system are configured to receive the signal and thereafter operate the first actuator of the first work machine and the second actuator of the second work machine in a coordinated mode of operation,
wherein the user input system is configured to provide, and the first control system and the second control system are configured to receive, the signal simultaneously thereby reducing latency between motion of the first work machine and the second work machine in the coordinated mode of operation,
wherein the first control system comprises a first controller, the second control system comprises a second controller, and the third control system comprises a third controller, and wherein the first controller sends a first signal to the third controller and the second controller sends a second signal to the third controller, wherein the first signal is a first response time of the first work machine and the second signal is a second response time of the second work machine, and wherein the third controller compares the first response time to the second response time to determine a lag time.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the first work machine comprises a first sensor configured to detect a first signal, and the second work machine comprises a second sensor configured to detect a second signal.

3. The vehicle system of claim 2 , wherein the first control system comprises a first controller configured to send the first signal to the user input system, and the second control system comprises a second controller configured to send the second signal to the user input system.

4. The vehicle system of claim 3 , wherein the user input system further comprises a third controller operably coupled to the first and second controllers, the third controller configured to receive the first and second signals, and wherein the third controller compares the first and second signals to a signal threshold.

5. The vehicle system of claim 4 , wherein the user input is a motion command of the first and second work machines, and wherein the first and second work machines perform the command at approximately the same rate.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the third control system delays sending the command to one of the first control system and the second control system indicative of the lag time such that the first control system and the second control system receive the command at the same time.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the signal comprises an input signal, wherein the first control system and the second control system are configured to determine control signals based on the input signal, and wherein the first control system and the second control system are configured to control the first actuator and the second actuator based on the control signals.

8. A vehicle system comprising:
a first work machine comprising a first actuator and a first control system;
a second work machine comprising a second actuator and a second control system; and
a user input system comprising (a) a transceiver and (b) a user interface, wherein the user input system defines at least one of (i) a portion of the first control system of the first work machine, (ii) a portion of the second control system of the second work machine, or (iii) a third control system, wherein the user input system is configured to receive a user input via the user interface and provide a signal to both the first control system and the second control system;
wherein the first control system and the second control system are configured to receive the signal and thereafter operate the first actuator of the first work machine and the second actuator of the second work machine in a coordinated mode of operation,
wherein the user input system is configured to provide, and the first control system and the second control system are configured to receive, the signal simultaneously thereby reducing latency between motion of the first work machine and the second work machine in the coordinated mode of operation, wherein the first work machine comprises a first sensor configured to detect a first position, and the second work machine comprises a second sensor configured to detect a second position, wherein the second control system sends a second signal indicative of the second position to the third control system, and wherein the user input system sends the signal to the first work machine and the second work machine responsive to the second signal, wherein the signal comprises a control signal, and wherein the first control system and the second control system are configured to control the first actuator and the second actuator based on the control signal.

9. A system comprising:
a first non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more first processors, cause the one or more first processors to implement operations comprising:
controlling a first motor to drive a first actuator; and
sending a first signal from a first sensor of a first controller;

a second non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more second processors, cause the one or more second processors to implement operations comprising:
controlling a second motor to drive a second actuator; and
sending a second signal from a second sensor of a second controller; and

a third non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more third processors, cause the one or more third processors to implement operations comprising:
receiving the first signal from the first controller and the second signal from the second controller;
comparing the first signal and the second signal to a signal threshold to develop a third signal; and
sending a command via a third controller to the first controller and the second controller to move the first actuator and the second actuator indicative of the third signal, and

wherein the third controller detects a first response time of the first controller and a second response time of the second controller, and wherein the one or more third processors compares the first response time to the second response time.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first sensor detects a first position of the first actuator, and the second sensor detects a second position of the second actuator, and wherein the third controller compares the first position and the second position to the signal threshold.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the third controller sends a command to the first controller to modify the first position of the first actuator responsive to the third signal.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the third controller sends a commend to the second controller to modify the second position of the second actuator responsive to the third signal.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first cont

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Kobel Korry
• Yutzy Fredric

Classifications

• G05D1/0027 Primary

  involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0297

  by controlling means in a control room · CPC title

• E02F9/205 Primary

  Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles (E02F3/8866 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E02F9/265

  with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool) · CPC title

• B66F9/07581

  Remote controls · CPC title