Coordinated maneuvers of work machines

A system constructed to perform a coordinated maneuver among a plurality of work machines, the system comprising:

• a work machine comprising one of the plurality of work machines including:
• an update timer circuitry constructed to generate a timing signal that is compliant with operator selectable signal parameters;
• a messenger circuitry communicatively coupled to the update timer and constructed to change a messenger state in accordance with a state of the timing signal defined by the signal parameters;
• sensors constructed to generate respective signals by which a position of the work machine relative to another work machine of the plurality of work machines is indicated during the coordinated maneuver between the work machine and the another work machine, where the another work machine traverses a trajectory over which the coordinated maneuver is performed, in response to an output of the messenger circuitry, as individual maneuver relocations and interposing dwell locations at which the another work machine is stationary relative to the work machine to relocate a discharge target within a bounded area defined by a receptacle of the another work machine;
• and
• control circuitry configured to output a control signal to the another work machine to control autonomous operation of the another work machine to relocate the discharge target according to the individual maneuver relocations and interposing dwell locations, the autonomous operation of the another work machine for the relocation of the discharge target to a next dwell location of the interposing dwell locations being performed responsive to expiration of a predetermined amount of time at a dwell location immediately prior to the next dwell location.

A method of performing a coordinated maneuver among a plurality of work machines comprising:

• generating, at a first work machine of the plurality of work machines, a timing signal that is compliant with operator selectable signal parameters;
• activating, at the first work machine, a messenger circuitry in accordance with a state of the timing signal defined by the signal parameters, and deactivating, at the first work machine, the messenger circuitry in accordance with another state of the timing signal defined by the signal parameters;
• propelling a second work machine of the plurality of work machines to follow a trajectory over which the coordinated maneuver is performed, in response to the messenger circuitry, as individual maneuver relocations and interposing dwell locations at which the second work machine is stationary relative to a discharge source of material to be discharged toward a discharge target defined by a bounded receptacle of the second work machine;
• and
• selectively providing the material at the discharge target within the bounded receptacle of the second work machine relative to the first work machine from which the material is discharged according to the individual maneuver relocations and interposing dwell locations and coordinated maneuver between the first and second work machines according to the trajectory,
• wherein said propelling the second work machine pursuant to the individual maneuver relocations and interposing dwell locations includes moving the second work machine to move to a next dwell location of the interposing dwell locations responsive to expiration of a predetermined amount of time at the dwell location in accordance with the the timing signal generated at the first work machine.

A system constructed to perform a coordinated maneuver among a pair of work machines, the system comprising:

• a work machine including:
• a distance control circuitry constructed to select path information to a dwell locations of the coordinated maneuver between the pair of work machines;
• sensors constructed to generate respective signals by which a position of a chute of a discharge port relative to a bounded area is indicated during the coordinated maneuver between the pair of work machines;
• a messenger circuitry constructed to indicate the selected path information for relocation of the bounded area according to a next dwell location of the plurality of dwell locations;
• and
• a transmitter that is constructed to transmit the selected path data;
• control circuitry configured to output a control signal to control autonomous relocation of the discharge target according to the coordinated maneuver and the plurality of dwell locations;
• and
• another work machine including:
• a receiver constructed to receive the selected path data;
• and
• an automatic drive communicatively coupled to the receiver and constructed to propel the other work machine to the plurality of dwell locations in accordance with the selected path data,
• wherein each of the plurality of dwell locations corresponds to stopping of the discharge target relative to the another work machine as part of a predetermined repeating pattern of moving and stopping the discharge target relative for the coordinated maneuver, and
• wherein the propelling of the anther work machine pursuant to the individual maneuver relocations and interposing dwell locations includes moving the another work machine to move to a next dwell location of the interposing dwell locations responsive to expiration of a predetermined amount of time at the dwell location in accordance with a timing signal defining the individual maneuver relocations and interposing dwell locations generated at the work machine.