Concrete drum control, property prediction, and monitoring systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11858172-B2
Application number	US-202117214263-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2021
Priority date	Jun 17, 2016
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A vehicle system includes a controller configured to acquire environment data, acquire GPS data including information regarding characteristics of a route between an initial location of a vehicle and a destination for the vehicle, receive an initial property of drum contents within a mixing drum of the vehicle, receive a target property for the drum contents, operate a drum drive system of the vehicle at a first drive speed determined based on the initial property, the target property, the environment data, and the GPS data, receive a signal from a mixture sensor indicative of a current property of the drum contents at a current location of the vehicle different than the initial location, and adjust the first drive speed of the drum drive system to a second drive speed where the second drive speed is determined based on the target property, the current property, updated environment data, and updated GPS data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle system comprising:
one or more processing circuits having one or more memory devices coupled to one or more processors, the one or more memory devices configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
acquire environment data regarding environmental characteristics;
acquire GPS data including information regarding characteristics of a route between an initial location of a vehicle and a destination for the vehicle;
receive an initial property of drum contents within a mixing drum of the vehicle from at least one of a batching system, a mixture sensor on the vehicle, or a user input device;
receive a target property for the drum contents;
operate a drum drive system of the vehicle at a first drive speed, wherein the first drive speed is determined based on the initial property, the target property, the environment data, and the GPS data in an attempt to arrive at the destination with the drum contents having the target property;
receive a signal from the mixture sensor indicative of a current property of the drum contents at a current location of the vehicle different than the initial location; and
adjust the first drive speed of the drum drive system to a second drive speed, wherein the second drive speed is determined based on the target property, the current property, updated environment data, and updated GPS data.

2. The vehicle system claim 1 , wherein the GPS data includes at least one of a travel distance, a travel time, traffic information, or a road parameter between the initial location and the destination.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1 , further comprising the vehicle, wherein at least one processing circuit of the one or more processing circuits is at least one of positioned remote from the vehicle or positioned on the vehicle.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to change the first drive speed to a third drive speed while the mixture sensor is acquiring the current property of the drum contents.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to adjust the first drive speed of the mixing drum to the second drive speed to provide the target property for the drum contents in response to the current property of the drum contents at least one of approaching or reaching the target property.

6. The vehicle system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to provide an indication that the current property of the drum contents at least one of is approaching or has reached the target property.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to control (i) a fluid injection system of the vehicle to inject a fluid into the mixing drum to interact with the drum contents and (ii) the drum drive system to provide the target property for the drum contents.

8. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
operate the drum drive system at an initial mix speed in response to the mixing drum receiving the drum contents as ingredients in a non-mixed form; and
determine that the ingredients are mixed prior to adjusting the initial mix speed of the mixing drum to the first drive speed.

9. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive an indication from at least one of the mixture sensor, the batching system, or the user input device that the mixing drum is receiving, has received, or is about to receive the drum contents; and
provide a start command to the drum drive system to control rotation of the mixing drum in response to receiving the indication.

10. A vehicle system comprising:
one or more processing circuits having one or more memory devices coupled to one or more processors, the one or more memory devices configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
operate a drum drive system of a vehicle to drive a mixing drum of the vehicle at a target drive speed;
receive an indication regarding anticipated operation of the vehicle at a location ahead of the vehicle; and
preemptively adjust the target drive speed of the drum drive system at least one of prior to reaching or as approaching the location based on the indication;
wherein the indication includes at least one of:
a future road attribute at the location ahead of the vehicle; or
at least one of an anticipated acceleration or an anticipated deceleration of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to actively control a component of the drum drive system such that the target drive speed of the mixing drum does not fluctuate as engine speed of an engine of the vehicle varies.

12. The vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein the indication includes the future road attribute, the future road attribute including at least one of a road grade, a road curvature, a speed limit, a stop sign location, a traffic light location, a road classification, an on ramp location, an off ramp location, or traffic information, and wherein the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to temporarily adjust the target drive speed of the mixing drum to a second drive speed based on the future road attribute to prevent a portion of drum contents from spilling from an outlet of the mixing drum.

13. The vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein the indication includes the at least one of the anticipated acceleration or the anticipated deceleration of the vehicle, and wherein the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to temporarily adjust the target drive speed of the mixing drum to a second drive speed based on the indication to prevent a portion of drum contents from spilling from an outlet of the mixing drum.

14. The vehicle system of claim 10 , further comprising the vehicle, wherein at least one processing circuit of the one or more processing circuits is at least one of positioned remote from the vehicle or positioned on the vehicle.

15. A vehicle system comprising:
one or more processing circuits having one or more memory devices coupled to one or more processors, the one or more memory devices configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
acquire an initial property of drum contents within a mixing drum of a vehic

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Datema Bryan S
• Yakes Christopher K

Classifications

• B28C5/422 Primary

  Controlling or measuring devices (B28C5/4227 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B28C5/4217

  Drives in combination with drum mountings; Drives directly coupled to the axis of rotating drums · CPC title

• B28C7/022

  by measuring the consistency or composition of the mixture, e.g. with supply of a missing component · CPC title

• B60P3/16

  for carrying mixed concrete, e.g. having rotatable drums {(concrete-mixing apparatus specially adapted for being mounted on vehicles with provision for mixing during transport B28C5/42)} · CPC title

• G05D13/00

  Control of linear speed; Control of angular speed; Control of acceleration or deceleration, e.g. of a prime mover · CPC title