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US 11,378,964 B2Granted
Systems and methods for autonomous movement of material
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorMo Wei
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method includes sensing, with a sensor, an outer surface of a pile of material, with a controller located on an at least partially autonomously-controlled machine, a midpoint of the pile of material based on the sensed outer surface; determining, with the controller, a plurality of potential loading paths around the midpoint for loading the machine; selecting, with the controller, a primary loading path of the potential loading paths based on a cost function analysis, and causing, with the controller, the machine to perform a loading instance as defined by the primary loading path.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- sensing, with at least one sensor, a shape of an outer surface of a pile of material;
- determining, with a controller associated with a machine, a midpoint of the pile of material based on the shape of the outer surface of the pile sensed by the at least one sensor;
- determining, with the controller, a plurality of potential loading paths around the midpoint of the pile, wherein each loading path of the plurality of potential loading paths is associated with a respective direction from which the machine could approach the pile;
- selecting, with the controller, a primary loading path, of the plurality of potential loading paths, based on a cost function analysis;
- and
- causing, with the controller, the machine to at least partially autonomously perform a loading instance in which the machine engages the pile at least in part by traveling in a direction defined by the primary loading path.
3 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a machine comprising a work tool configured to carry material as the machine travels along a work surface of a worksite, wherein the machine is an at least partially-autonomous machine;
- at least one sensor configured to sense a shape of an outer surface of a pile of the material;
- and
- a controller in communication with the at least one sensor and the machine, the controller being configured to:
- determine a midpoint of the pile of the material based on the shape of the outer surface of the pile sensed by the at least one sensor;
- determine a plurality of potential loading paths around the midpoint of the pile, wherein each loading path of the plurality of potential loading paths is associated with a respective direction from which the machine could approach the pile;
- select a primary loading path, of the plurality of potential loading paths, based on a cost function analysis;
- and
- cause the machine to at least partially autonomously perform a loading instance in which the machine engages the pile at least in part by traveling in a direction defined by the primary loading path.
6 more elements
A controller, comprising:
- at least one communication device configured to communicate, via a communications network, with:
- a machine comprising a work tool configured to carry material as the machine travels along a work surface;
- and
- at least one sensor configured to sense a shape of an outer surface of a pile of the material;
- and
- at least one processor configured to:
- determine a midpoint of the pile of the material based on the shape of the outer surface of the pile sensed by the at least one sensor;
- determine a plurality of potential loading paths around the midpoint of the pile, wherein each loading path of the plurality of potential loading paths is associated with a respective direction from which the machine could approach the pile;
- select a primary loading path, of the plurality of potential loading paths, based on a cost function analysis of at least one factor to obtain a most effective loading path;
- and
- cause the machine to at least partially autonomously perform a loading instance in which the machine engages the pile at least in part by traveling in a direction defined by the primary loading path.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.