Integrated operator centric controls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11897401-B2
Application number	US-202117372041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Feb 14, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A vehicle includes a chassis, a non-working component, a working component, a control interface module, and a control interface. The non-working component is coupled to the chassis and configured to facilitate transit operations for the vehicle. The working component is coupled to the chassis and configured to move relative to the chassis. The control interface module is communicably coupled to the working component and the non-working component. The control interface is communicably coupled to the control interface module and configured to control operations of the working component and the non-working component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a chassis;
a non-working component coupled to the chassis and configured to facilitate transit operations for the vehicle;
an application-specific working component coupled to the chassis and forming a body portion of the vehicle, the working component coupled to a hydraulic actuator and configured to move relative to the chassis during application-specific non-transit operations via the hydraulic actuator;
a control interface module communicably coupled to the working component and the non-working component; and
a control interface communicably coupled to the control interface module, the control interface including a first actuator configured to receive a user input and to (i) actuate the hydraulic actuator to control operations of the working component during the non-transit operations based on the user input with the control interface module in a first mode of operation and to (ii) control the non-working component during the transit operations based on the user input with the control interface module in a second mode of operation.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control interface comprises a plurality of actuators, wherein a second actuator of the plurality of actuators is configured to control the working component, and wherein a third actuator of the plurality of actuators is configured to control the non-working component.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the control interface comprises a function control switch, wherein the function control switch is configured to toggle between the first mode of operation in which the first actuator controls the working component and the second mode of operation in which the first actuator controls the non-working component.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a function control switch, the function control switch configured to toggle between the first mode of operation in which a plurality of actuators of the control interface control the working component and a second mode of operation in which the plurality of actuators of the control interface control the non-working component.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a refuse truck, and wherein the working component is one of a front-end loading system configured to control a position of a refuse container assembly of the refuse truck, a compaction control system configured to control a position of a compactor of the refuse truck, and an access door position control system configured to control a position of an access door to a refuse container of the refuse truck.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a concrete mixer, and wherein the working component is one of a drum drive system configured to control rotation of a mixing drum of the concrete mixer, and a chute position control system configured to control a position of a delivery chute of the concrete mixer.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second control interface, the second control interface communicably coupled to the control interface module, the second control interface configured to control the non-working component.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the control interface module is further configured to change operation of the second control interface to control the operations of the working component.

9. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the second control interface is a steering wheel control interface comprising a plurality of actuators disposed on a steering wheel of the vehicle, wherein the steering wheel further comprises a steering wheel control interface module that communicably couples the control interface to the non-working component and the working component.

10. A control system, comprising:
a control interface mountable in a cab area of a vehicle, the control interface including a first actuator configured to receive a user command to control an application-specific working component, the working component coupled with a chassis of the vehicle to form a body portion of the vehicle and configured to move relative to the chassis via a hydraulic actuator during application-specific non-transit operations of the vehicle; and
a control interface module communicably coupled to the control interface, the control interface module communicably couplable to the working component and a non-working component of the vehicle, the non-working component configured to facilitate transit operations for the vehicle, the control interface module configured to receive the user command from the control interface and actuate the hydraulic actuator to control the working component during the non-transit operations based on the user command;
wherein the control interface module is configured to change operation of the first actuator of the control interface to cause the first actuator to control the non-working component during the transit operations.

11. The control interface module of claim 10 , wherein the control interface comprises a plurality of actuators, wherein a second actuator of the plurality of actuators is configured to generate a non-working component command to control the non-working component, and a third actuator of the plurality of actuators is configured to generate a working component command to control the working component.

12. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the control interface comprises a function control switch, wherein the function control switch is configured to toggle between a first mode of operation in which the user commands from the first actuator control the non-working component and a second mode of operation in which the user commands from the first actuator control the working component.

13. The control system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a function control switch, the function control switch configured to toggle between a first mode of operation in which a plurality of actuators of the control interface control the working component and a second mode of operation in which the plurality of actuators of the control interface control the non-working component.

14. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the vehicle is one of a refuse truck or a concrete mixer, and wherein movement of the working component relative to a chassis of the vehicle comprises a rotation, extension, retraction, or translation of the working component relative to the chassis via actuation of the hydraulic actuator.

15. The control system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a second control interface, the second control interface communicably coupled to the control interface module, the second control interface configured to control the non-working component.

16. The control system of claim 15 , wherein the control interface module is further configured to change operation of the second control interface to control operations of the working component.

17. The control system of claim 15 , wherein the second control interface is a steering wheel control interface comprising a plurality of actuators disposed on a steering wheel of the vehicle, and wherein the user commands are generated by manually manipulating the plurality of actuators.

18. A vehicular communications network comprising:
a plurality of control modules including:
a first control module configured to control operation of an application-specific working component of a vehicle, wherein the working component is coupled with the vehicle to form a body portion of the vehicle and is coupled to a hydraulic actuator, wherein the hydraulic actuator is configured move the working component relative to the vehicle to facilit

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Wildgrube Grant
• Rocholl Joshua D
• Clifton Cody D
• Kellander John T

Classifications

• B60K35/53

  Movable instruments, e.g. slidable · CPC title

• B60K35/80

  Arrangements for controlling instruments · CPC title

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/10 Primary

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B60R16/0231 Primary

  Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle (monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P) · CPC title