Automatic control mode system for heavy machinery
AssigneeCaterpillar Paving Products Inc.
InventorsTimothy M. O'Donnell, Kyle D. Hendricks, Robert J. McGee, John L. Marsolek, Sangameshwar Sonth
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Abstract
An automatic control mode system for heavy machinery and a method for controlling heavy machinery for an automatic control mode is disclosed. The method may include: monitoring one or more conditions of one or more systems of the heavy machinery for the automatic control mode; determining whether at least one of the one or more conditions is met; and disabling the automatic control mode if at least one of the one or more conditions are met.
Claims20
A method for controlling heavy machinery for an automatic control mode, the method comprising:
- receiving one or more signals from one or more systems of the heavy machinery, the one or more signals including at least one value among a plurality of values associated with the one or more systems, the plurality of values including at least two of:
- a pitch and/or roll of the heavy machinery,
- a position of the heavy machinery determined by a position receiver system included in the one or more systems,
- an accuracy of the position determined by the position receiver system,
- a presence of an operator and/or an input by the operator, and
- a fault level and/or an on/off indication of the one or more systems;
- and
- upon determining, based on the received one or more signals, that (i) the at least one value is outside a threshold, (ii) one of the one or more systems has faulted, (iii) the operator has requested to override the automatic control mode, and/or (iv) that the operator is not present, disabling the automatic control mode.
A method for controlling heavy machinery for an automatic control mode, the heavy machinery configured to perform a task in a working area, the method comprising:
- monitoring one or more positional conditions of a positioning receiver system of an autonomous vehicle for the automatic control mode, the one or more positional conditions including a calculated geolocation of the heavy machinery and an accuracy of the calculated geolocation, wherein the positioning receiver system is configured to receive signals directly from a first remote system, directly from a second remote system, or indirectly from the second remote system via the first remote system;
- determining whether an accuracy threshold is met, wherein determining whether the accuracy threshold is met includes determining which of the first and second remote systems the positioning receiver system is directly receiving signals from;
- and
- upon determining that the accuracy condition is not met, disabling the automatic control mode.
An automatic control mode system for heavy machinery configured to perform at least one task within a work area, comprising:
- a position receiver system including one or more positioning receivers of the heavy machinery;
- and
- at least one controller configured to:
- generate a boundary of a work area of the heavy machinery,
- determine a path within the boundary to complete the one or more tasks,
- monitor the position of the heavy machinery provided by the one or more positioning receivers,
- monitor an accuracy of the position provided by the one or more positioning receivers,
- determine whether the accuracy is less than a threshold, the threshold being a distance within the boundary;
- and
- disable the automatic control mode upon determining that the accuracy is less than the threshold and/or that the heavy machinery has traveled outside the boundary.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.