Dynamic image augmentation for milling machine
AssigneeCaterpillar Paving Products Inc.
InventorNathaniel S. Doy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine for milling pavement such as a rotary mixer or road planer includes a cutting rotor that is vertically adjustable with respect to the frame and that is accommodated in a rotor enclosure. The milling machine may be associated with a visual camera network having one or more cameras located about the milling machine with a field of view toward the rotor enclosure and work surface. An image augmentation system can generate a reference line augmentation to superimpose over one or more visual images obtained by the cameras and display the augmented images on a visual display.
Claims16
A milling machine comprising:
- a frame supported on a plurality of traction devices for travel along a work surface with respect to a travel axis, the frame defining a first lateral side and a second lateral side of the milling machine parallel with the travel axis of the milling machine;
- a cutting rotor rotatably supported on the frame for milling a work surface, the cutting rotor shaped as a cylindrical drum defining a rotor axis perpendicular to the travel axis;
- an rotor enclosure supported on the frame to accommodate the cutting rotor, the rotor enclosure including a first enclosure sidewall aligned with the first lateral side and a second enclosure sidewall aligned with the second lateral side;
- a camera supported on the frame at the first lateral side in a location to capture a visual image of the rotor enclosure and the work surface;
- and
- an electronic controller being programmed to receive the visual image from the camera;
- receive data representing vertical rotor elevation;
- receive machine dimensional data including a rotor diameter;
- determine by kinematic equations positions for one or more lateral contact lines of the cutting rotor with respect to the work surface using the data representing vertical rotor elevation and the machine dimensional data, the lateral contact lines being generally perpendicular to the travel axis and generally parallel to the rotor axis;
- generate a reference line augmentation corresponding to the lateral contact lines;
- and superimpose the reference line augmentation on the visual image to create an augmented image.
A method of operating a milling machine comprising:
- capturing a visual image of a lateral side of a rotor enclosure of the milling machine and a work surface to be milled by a cutting rotor accommodated in the rotor enclosure;
- receiving data representing vertical rotor elevation;
- receiving machine dimensional data including a rotor diameter;
- determining by kinematic equations one or more lateral contact lines where the cutting rotor will contact the work surface using the data representing vertical rotor elevation and the machine dimensional data;
- generating a reference line augmentation corresponding to the lateral contact lines;
- superimposing the reference line augmentation on the visual image to create an augmented image;
- and
- displaying the augmented image on a visual display associated with the milling machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.