# US 10,870,968 B2 · Work vehicle control system providing coordinated control of actuators

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- Number: US 10,870,968 B2
- Document ID: US10870968B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/967,031
- Filed: 2018-04-30
- Published: 2019-10-31
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-30
- Assignees: Deere & Company
- Applicants: Deere & Company
- Inventors: Michael G. Kean
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870968B2

## CPC

- E02F 3/437: {providing automatic sequences of movements, e.g. linear excavation, keeping dipper angle constant}
- E02F 9/2203: {Arrangements for controlling the attitude of actuators, e.g. speed, floating function}
- E02F 3/32: working downwardly and towards the machine, e.g. with backhoes
- E02F 3/435: {for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like}
- E02F 9/2221: {Control of flow rate; Load sensing arrangements (E02F9/2203 take precedence over E02F9/2221)}
- E02F 9/2271: {Actuators and supports therefor and protection therefor}
- E02F 9/265: {with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)}
- F15B 21/087: {Control strategy, e.g. with block diagram}
- G05B 15/02: electric
- F15B 2211/6336: representing a state of the output member, e.g. position, speed or acceleration
- F15B 2211/665: Methods of control using electronic components
- F15B 2211/6654: Flow rate control
- F15B 2211/6656: Closed loop control, i.e. control using feedback
- F15B 2211/7107: the output members being mechanically linked
- F15B 2211/75: Control of speed of the output member
- F15B 2211/782: Concurrent control, e.g. synchronisation of two or more actuators
- E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00)
- F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## Abstract

A control system and a method of synchronously operating a plurality of actuators of a work vehicle in a coordinated operation to move an implement. The method includes determining an acceleration parameter for the actuators based at least partly on a control effort associated with the control commands sent to the actuators.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of synchronously operating a plurality of actuators of a work vehicle to move an implement, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a control system of the work vehicle, an operation selection, the operation selection corresponding to a movement of the implement from a start position to an end position, and the operation selection having an associated set of velocity ratios dictating relative velocities of the plurality of actuators;
actuating, by the processor, the plurality of actuators according to a first plurality of control signals for a first time step, the first plurality of control signals based at least in part on the set of velocity ratios;
determining, by the processor, a limiting one of the plurality of actuators for the first time step, the limiting one determined according to a control effort proportion;
determining, by the processor, an acceleration parameter for the limiting one of the plurality of actuators; and
actuating, by the processor, the plurality of actuators according to a second plurality of control signals for a second time step, the second plurality of control signals based at least in part on the acceleration parameter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the limiting one includes determining the control effort proportion for each of the plurality of actuators for the first time step, the limiting one having the highest of the control effort proportions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the control effort proportion for the limiting one including:
receiving, by the processor from a memory element, a predetermined control effort upper limit; and
calculating, by the processor, the control effort proportion for the limiting one as a control effort for the limiting one during the first time step divided by the predetermined control effort upper limit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising determining, for the limiting one, a deviation of the control effort from the predetermined control effort upper limit; and
wherein determining the acceleration parameter includes determining the acceleration parameter based at least partly on the deviation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising determining whether the determined deviation is greater than zero; and
further comprising determining whether the determined deviation is greater than a Deadband;
wherein, when the determined deviation is greater than zero and greater than the Deadband, determining the acceleration parameter includes determining the acceleration parameter (S″) according to:
S″=S″MAX(DEV−Deadband)/ControlBand
where S″MAX is a predetermined maximum acceleration parameter, and DEV is the determined deviation.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising determining whether the determined deviation is less than a negative Deadband;
wherein, when the determined deviation is less than zero and greater than the negative Deadband, determining the acceleration parameter includes determining the acceleration parameter (S″) according to:
S″=S″MAX(DEV+Deadband)/ControlBand.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein determining the acceleration parameter includes determining the acceleration parameter (S″) according to:
S″=S″MAX(2/π)(arctan(GAIN×DEV))
where S″MAX is a predetermined maximum acceleration parameter, and DEV is the determined deviation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising generating, by the processor, the second plurality of control signals including generating a saturated control signal when the deviation exceeds a predetermined limit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the set of velocity ratios remains constant for the second time step; and
further comprising generating, by the processor, the second plurality of control signals based at least partly on the determined acceleration parameter and the set of velocity ratios.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the processor, path kinematics data associated with the operation selection; and
further comprising determining, by the processor, the set of velocity ratios based on the received path kinematics.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a target velocity for one of the plurality of actuators;
further comprising determining a feed forward control effort according the determined target velocity;
further comprising comparing the feed forward control effort to a predetermined control effort upper limit for the one of the plurality of actuators; and
further comprising determining the control effort proportion for the one of the plurality of actuators based at least partly on the comparison of the feed forward control effort and the predetermined control effort upper limit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the processor, a feedback signal from a sensor corresponding to an actual condition of one of the plurality of actuators for the first time step;
further comprising determining an error between the actual condition and a predetermined target condition;
further comprising determining the control effort proportion for the one of the plurality of actuators based at least partly on the determined error.

### Claim 13

A work vehicle comprising:
a plurality of actuators;
an implement; and
a control system configured to selectively actuate the plurality of actuators in synch to move the implement, the control system configured to:
receive an operation selection, the operation selection corresponding to a movement of the implement from a start position to an end position, and the operation selection having an associated set of velocity ratios dictating relative velocities of the plurality of actuators;
actuate the plurality of actuators according to a first plurality of control signals for a first time step, the first plurality of control signals based at least in part on the set of velocity ratios;
determine a limiting one of the plurality of actuators for the first time step, the limiting one determined according to a control effort proportion;
determine an acceleration parameter for the limiting one of the plurality of actuators; and
actuate the plurality of actuators according to a second plurality of control signals for a second time step, the second plurality of control signals based at least in part on the acceleration parameter.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The work vehicle of claim 13, wherein the control system is configured to determine the limiting one by determining the control effort proportion for each of the plurality of actuators for the first time step, the limiting one having the highest of the control effort proportions.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The work vehicle of claim 14, wherein the control system is configured to determine the control effort proportion for the limiting one by:
receiving a predetermined control effort upper limit; and
calculating the control effort proportion for the limiting one as a control effort for the limiting one during the first time step divided by the predetermined control effort upper limit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The work vehicle of claim 15, wherein the control system is configured to determine, for the limiting one, a deviation of the control effort from the predetermined control effort upper limit; and
wherein the control system is configured to determine the acceleration parameter based at least partly on the deviation.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The work vehicle of claim 13, wherein at least some of the plurality of actuators are hydraulic actuators.

### Claim 18

A method of performing an operation with a work vehicle having an implement comprising:
generating, by a processor of a control system, a first control signal for a first actuator and a second control signal for a second actuator for a first time step of the operation;
actuating the first actuator according to the first control signal and the second actuator according to the second control signal for the first time step;
determining, by the processor, a first control effort associated with the first control signal for the first time step;
determining, by the processor, a second control effort associated with the second control signal for the first time step;
determining, by the processor, a first control proportion of the first time step for the first actuator and a second control proportion of the first time step for the second actuator, the first control proportion being the determined first control effort divided by a predetermined first limit of the first actuator, the second control proportion being the determined second control effort divided by a predetermined second limit of the second actuator;
determining, by the processor, an acceleration parameter according to a greater one of the first control proportion and the second control proportion;
generating, by the processor, a first augmented control signal for the first actuator and a second augmented control signal for the second actuator based at least partly on the determined acceleration parameter; and
actuating the first actuator according to the first augmented control signal for the second time step; and
actuating the second actuator according to the second augmented control signal for the second time step.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising determining a deviation of the greater one of the first control proportion from a predetermined target control proportion; and
wherein determining the acceleration parameter includes determining the acceleration parameter according to the determined deviation.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving, by the processor, an operation selection corresponding to a movement of the implement from a start position to an end position;
further comprising receiving, by the processor, path kinematics data associated with the operation selection for the first time step;
wherein the control system is configured to receive a set of velocity ratios for the first and second actuators based on the received path kinematics; and
wherein generating the first control signal and the second control signal for the first time step includes generating the first and second control signals according to the received set of velocity ratios.