Control system, method of controlling work vehicle, and work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12188205-B2
Application number	US-202017638236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2020
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

A motor grader representing a work vehicle includes a steering mechanism and a control unit. The control unit controls the steering mechanism to maintain constant, a rate of change in a direction of travel per unit travel distance of the motor grader.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system that controls a steering mechanism of a work vehicle, the control system comprising:
a control unit that:
receives, from a sensor on the work vehicle, an acceleration and an angular velocity of the work vehicle,
calculates a position and an orientation of the work vehicle based on the received acceleration and the received angular velocity of the work vehicle,
calculates a rate of change in a direction of travel per unit travel distance of the work vehicle based on the calculated position of the work vehicle and the calculated orientation of the work vehicle when a trigger for starting control of the steering mechanism of the work vehicle is provided, and
controls the steering mechanism of the work vehicle such that the calculated rate of change in the direction of travel per unit travel distance of the work vehicle is maintained constant.

2. The control system according to claim 1 , further comprising an operation portion operated to move the steering mechanism of the work vehicle, wherein
the control unit starts control of the steering mechanism of the work vehicle when an operation onto the operation portion is stopped.

3. The control system according to claim 2 , wherein
the control unit starts control of the steering mechanism of the work vehicle after a state in which the operation onto the operation portion is stopped continues for a prescribed period.

4. The control system according to claim 2 , wherein
the control unit stops control of the steering mechanism of the work vehicle when the operation onto the operation portion is resumed.

5. The control system according to claim 1 , further comprising a switch that switches between start and stop of control of the steering mechanism of the work vehicle by the control unit.

6. A method of controlling a work vehicle including a steering mechanism, the method comprising:
receiving, from a sensor on the work vehicle, an acceleration and an angular velocity of the work vehicle;
calculating a position and an orientation of the work vehicle based on the received acceleration and the received angular velocity of the work vehicle;
calculating a rate of change in a direction of travel per unit travel distance of the work vehicle based on the calculated position of the work vehicle and the calculated orientation of the work vehicle when a trigger for starting control of the steering mechanism of the work vehicle is provided; and
controlling the steering mechanism such that the calculated rate of change in the direction of travel per unit travel distance of the work vehicle is maintained constant.

7. The method of controlling a work vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein
the steering mechanism includes a steering cylinder and a steering valve for controlling the steering cylinder, and
the steering cylinder moves a steerable wheel to change an angle formed by the steerable wheel with respect to a fore/aft direction by pressure oil from the steering valve.

8. The method of controlling a work vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein
the steering mechanism includes a drive apparatus that rotationally drives a pair of a first tow apparatus and a second tow apparatus located on left and right sides, and
the drive apparatus controls a rotation speed of the first tow apparatus and a rotation speed of the second tow apparatus independently of each other.

9. A work vehicle comprising:
a steering mechanism; and
a control unit that:
receiving, from a sensor on the work vehicle, an acceleration and an angular velocity of the work vehicle,
calculates a position and an orientation of the work vehicle based on the received acceleration and the received angular velocity of the work vehicle,
calculates a rate of change in a direction of travel per unit travel distance of the work vehicle based on the calculated position of the work vehicle and the calculated orientation of the work vehicle when a trigger for starting control of the steering mechanism of the work vehicle is provided, and
controls the steering mechanism such that the calculated rate of change in the direction of travel per unit travel distance of the work vehicle is maintained constant.

10. The work vehicle according to claim 9 , further comprising an operation portion operated to move the steering mechanism, wherein
the control unit starts control of the steering mechanism when an operation onto the operation portion is stopped.

11. The work vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein
the control unit starts control of the steering mechanism after a state in which the operation onto the operation portion is stopped continues for a prescribed period.

12. The work vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein
the control unit stops control of the steering mechanism when the operation onto the operation portion is resumed.

13. The work vehicle according to claim 9 , further comprising a switch that switches between start and stop of control of the steering mechanism by the control unit.

14. The work vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the steering mechanism includes a steering cylinder and a steering valve for controlling the steering cylinder, and
the steering cylinder moves a steerable wheel to change an angle formed by the steerable wheel with respect to a fore/aft direction by pressure oil from the steering valve.

15. The work vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the steering mechanism includes a drive apparatus that rotationally drives a pair of a first tow apparatus and a second tow apparatus located on left and right sides, and
the drive apparatus controls a rotation speed of the first tow apparatus and a rotation speed of the second tow apparatus independently of each other.

Assignees

• Komatsu Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sonoda Takuya
• Kamimae Takeshi
• Sakai Yukihisa

Classifications

• B62D6/04

  responsive only to forces disturbing the intended course of the vehicle, e.g. forces acting transversely to the direction of vehicle travel · CPC title

• E02F3/842

  using electromagnetic, optical or photoelectric beams, e.g. laser beams · CPC title

• E02F9/2045

  Guiding machines along a predetermined path (for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004) · CPC title

• E02F3/841

  Devices for controlling and guiding the whole machine, e.g. by feeler elements and reference lines placed exteriorly of the machine (construction of roads E01C19/008) · CPC title

• B62D11/06

  by means of a single main power source · CPC title