Refuse collection vehicle controls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11858735-B2
Application number	US-202217719041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2022
Priority date	Apr 23, 2019
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A refuse collection vehicle includes a grabber that is operable to engage a refuse container, a lift arm that is operable to lift a refuse container, at least one sensor that is arranged to collect data indicating an angular position of the grabber, at least one sensor that is arranged to collect data indicating a relative positioning of the lift arm, a first controller for adjusting the angular position of the grabber, and a second controller adjusting the relative positioning of the lift arm. The adjustment of the angular position of the grabber is coordinated with the adjustment of the relative positioning of the lift arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling operations of a refuse collection vehicle (RCV), the system comprising:
at least one controller configured to control a grabber of the RCV and a lift arm of the RCV, the grabber operable to engage a refuse container, the lift arm operable to lift the refuse container;
at least one processor communicably coupled to the at least one controller;
memory communicably coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions which, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving sensor data from at least one sensor on the RCV, the sensor data describing a current grabber positioning of the grabber and a current lift arm positioning of the lift arm;
receiving an indication of a preset grabber positioning selected using at least one controller that is communicably coupled to the system, the preset grabber positioning selected from a plurality of preset grabber positionings that are selectable using the at least one controller; and
in response to receiving the indication of the preset grabber positioning, moving the grabber into the preset grabber positioning while automatically adjusting the lift arm positioning relative to the grabber positioning during at least one operation to engage the refuse container, wherein the lift arm positioning is automatically adjusted relative to the grabber positioning based at least partly on the sensor data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the preset grabber positionings corresponds to a respective height relative to a surface on which the RCV is positioned.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein automatically adjusting the lift arm positioning includes automatically adjusting the lift arm positioning such that a center of at least one end of a gripper arm of the grabber is positioned at the respective height that corresponds to the selected preset grabber positioning.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the preset grabber positionings corresponds to a respective refuse container size.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein moving the grabber into the preset grabber positioning includes automatically adjusting a distance between gripper arms of the grabber based on the respective refuse container size that corresponds to the preset grabber positioning.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the automatically adjusting of the distance between the gripper arms is based on the sensor data that describes a current pressure applied by the gripper arms to the refuse container.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to receive one or more inputs to adjust one or more of a height of the grabber, a rotational angle of the grabber, or an angle of the grabber relative to a surface on which the RCV is positioned.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of the grabber positioning is constrained based on the current lift arm positioning that is determined based at least partly on the sensor data.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of the lift arm positioning is constrained based on the current grabber positioning that is determined based at least partly on the sensor data.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller includes a first controller configured to control the grabber, and a second controller configured to control the lift arm.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one first sensor that collects first sensor data describing the current grabber positioning, and at least one second sensor that collects second sensor data describing the current lift arm positioning.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first sensor data describes one or more of:
a relative position of gripper arms of the grabber;
an angle of the grabber relative to a body of the RCV;
a rotational angle of the grabber;
a speed of movement of the gripper arms of the grabber; and
pressure being applied to the refuse container by the gripper arms of the grabber.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second sensor data describes one or more of:
a height of the lift arm relative to a surface on which the RCV is positioned; and
an amount of extension of the lift arm.

14. A method for controlling operations of a refuse collection vehicle (RCV), the method performed by at least one processor, the method comprising:
receiving sensor data from at least one sensor on the RCV, the sensor data describing a current grabber positioning of a grabber of the RCV, and a current lift arm positioning of a lift arm of the RCV;
receiving an indication of a preset grabber positioning selected using at least one controller, the preset grabber positioning selected from a plurality of preset grabber positionings that are selectable using the at least one controller; and
in response to receiving the indication of the preset grabber positioning, moving the grabber into the preset grabber positioning while automatically adjusting the lift arm positioning relative to the grabber positioning during at least one operation to engage and lift a refuse container, wherein the lift arm positioning is automatically adjusted relative to the grabber positioning based at least partly on the sensor data.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein one or more of the preset grabber positionings corresponds to a respective height relative to a surface on which the RCV is positioned.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein automatically adjusting the lift arm positioning includes automatically adjusting the lift arm positioning such that a center of at least one end of a gripper arm of the grabber is positioned at the respective height that corresponds to the selected preset grabber positioning.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein one or more of the preset grabber positionings corresponds to a respective refuse container size.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein moving the grabber into the preset grabber positioning includes automatically adjusting a distance between gripper arms of the grabber based on the respective refuse container size that corresponds to the preset grabber positioning.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the adjusting of the grabber positioning is constrained based on the current lift arm positioning that is determined based at least partly on the sensor data.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the adjusting of the lift arm positioning is constrained based on the current grabber positioning that is determined based at least partly on the sensor data.

Assignees

• Heil Co

Inventors

• Maroney Stanley L
• Lewis David G
• Williams Robert B

Classifications

• B65F3/041 Primary

  Pivoted arms or pivoted carriers · CPC title

• B25J13/089

  Determining the position of the robot with reference to its environment · CPC title

• B65F2003/023

  Gripper arms for embracing the receptacle · CPC title

• B25J13/088 Primary

  with position, velocity or acceleration sensors · CPC title

• B25J5/06

  Manipulators combined with a control cab for the operator · CPC title