System and Method for Optimizing a Reversing Operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016153175-A1
Application number	US-201414557052-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 1, 2014
Priority date	Dec 1, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for determining optimized shift locations of a transmission of a machine as the machine moves along a work surface includes a position sensor, a transmission having a low gear and a high gear, and a controller including a machine controller. The controller is configured to determine the position of the work surface, store a shift threshold, and control shifting between the low gear and the high gear based upon the position of the work surface and the shift threshold. The machine controller is configured to control shifting between the low gear and the high gear based upon operating parameters of the machine.

First claim

1 . A system for determining optimized shift locations of a transmission of a machine as the machine moves on a work surface, comprising:
a position sensor for generating position signals indicative of a position of the work surface; a transmission having a low gear and a high gear; a controller including a machine controller, the controller configured to:
receive the position signals;
determine the position of the work surface based upon the position signals;
the machine controller being configured to control shifting between the low gear and the high gear based upon operating parameters of the machine;
store a shift threshold; and
control shifting between the low gear and the high gear based upon the position of the work surface and the shift threshold.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller further includes a secondary controller separate from the machine controller, the shift threshold is stored within the secondary controller and the secondary controller is configured to control shifting between the low gear and the high gear based upon the position of the work surface and the shift threshold.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the secondary controller is located off-board the machine.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the secondary controller is located on-board the machine.

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the transmission further includes a forward gear and a reverse gear and the secondary controller is configured to maintain the transmission in the low gear for a reverse shift threshold after shifting the transmission from the forward gear to the reverse gear.

6 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the transmission further includes a forward gear and a reverse gear and the secondary controller is configured to shift the transmission into low gear upon the machine reaching a cut location boundary.

7 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the secondary controller is configured to determine shift locations based upon a slope of the work surface.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the secondary controller is configured to divide the work surface into a plurality of increments and determine shift locations based the slope of the plurality of increments.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the secondary controller is configured to determine shift locations based upon material characteristics of the work surface along at least one of the plurality of increments.

10 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the shift threshold is a minimum time period between shifts and the secondary controller is configured to determine shift locations based on the minimum time period between shifts.

11 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the shift threshold is a minimum distance between shifts and the secondary controller is configured to determine shift locations based on the minimum distance between shifts.

12 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the machine controller is configured to control shifts into low gear and the secondary controller is configured to control shifts out of low gear.

13 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the secondary controller is configured to control shifts into and out of low gear.

14 . The system of claim 1 , further including a machine speed sensor for generating machine speed signals indicative of a speed of the machine and wherein the machine controller is further configured to receive the machine speed signals, determine the speed of the machine based upon the machine speed signals, and shift from high gear to low gear if the speed of the machine is less than expected.

15 . A controller-implemented method of shifting between a low gear and a high gear of a transmission of a machine while the machine is moving on a work surface, comprising:
receiving position signals indicative of a position of the work surface from a position sensor; determining the position of the work surface based upon the position signals; storing a shift threshold; and shifting between the low gear and the high gear based upon the position of the work surface and the shift threshold.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further including storing the shift threshold within secondary controller and controlling shifting between the low gear and the high gear with the secondary controller based upon the position of the work surface and the shift threshold.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the transmission further includes a forward gear and a reverse gear and further including maintaining the transmission in the low gear for a reverse shift threshold after shifting the transmission from the forward gear to the reverse gear.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the transmission further includes a forward gear and a reverse gear and further including shifting the transmission into low gear upon the machine reaching a cut location boundary.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further including determining shift locations based upon a slope of the work surface.

20 . A machine, comprising:
a prime mover; a ground-engaging drive mechanism operatively connected to the prime mover for propelling the machine along a work surface; a position sensor for generating position signals indicative of a position of the work surface; a transmission having a low gear and a high gear; a controller including a machine controller, the controller configured to:
receive the position signals;
determine the position of the work surface based upon the position signals;
the machine controller being configured to control shifting between the low gear and the high gear based upon operating parameters of the machine;
store a shift threshold; and
control shifting between the low gear and the high gear based upon the position of the work surface and the shift threshold.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Wei Mo
• Taylor Michael
• Edara Thandava K

Classifications

• F16H61/0204 Primary

  for gearshift control, e.g. control functions for performing shifting or generation of shift signal · CPC title

• E02F9/2025 Primary

  Particular purposes of control systems not otherwise provided for (E02F3/16, E02F3/26, sub-groups of E02F3/43, E02F3/651, sub-groups of E02F3/84, E02F3/907, E02F5/145 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16H59/44

  dependent on machine speed {, e.g. the vehicle speed} (F16H59/46 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16H2059/666

  Determining road conditions by using vehicle location or position, e.g. from global navigation systems [GPS] · CPC title

• E02F9/205

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