# US 2014/0156162 A1 · Measuring and Displaying Tractor Performance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156162 A1 - Document ID: US20140156162A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/690,934 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Caterpillar Inc. - Applicants: Caterpillar Inc. - Inventors: Joseph Faivre; Nathaniel Doy; Lance Cowper - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156162A1 ## CPC - B60W 50/0098: {Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for} - B60K 35/22: Display screens - B60K 35/28: characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B60K 2360/174: Economic driving - B60W 2050/0031: {Mathematical model of the vehicle} - B60W 2050/146: {Display means} - B60W 2300/17: Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators - B60W 2510/1005: Transmission ratio engaged - B60W 2520/10: Longitudinal speed - B60W 2520/26: Wheel slip - Y02T 10/84: Data processing systems or methods, management, administration - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A method of measuring and displaying track-type tractor performance in real time calculates both a measure of work performance and a theoretical optimum work performance for a given input state, such as track speed. After estimating soil conditions, the theoretical optimum is estimated using an iterative technique. The optimum and current performance are normalized and displayed using a first bar representing a full range of work performance, a second bar depicting a range of optimum performance for current conditions is presented overlying the first bar, and an indicator line showing the current performance. This allows an operator to adjust speed or load accordingly. A coefficient of traction and a shear modulus adjustment, reflecting soil conditions, are calculated at the tractor during operation and used to offset a table of ideal condition operating points to produce the second bar. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of optimizing performance in a track-type tractor, the method comprising: receiving inputs from the track-type tractor related to a current operating state; detecting a work cycle; estimating a work cycle distance from the work cycle; measuring an operating slope; developing a track-soil model corresponding to a current operating environment based on the received inputs; determining the current operating state using the operating slope, a gear, a drawbar pull, and at least one of a groundspeed or a track speed; calculating a performance corresponding to the current operating environment and the current operating state; calculating an optimum operating state and an optimum performance using the track-soil model, the work cycle distance, and the operating slope; normalizing the performance to the optimum performance to produce a normalized performance; and providing the normalized performance and the optimum operating state to a device used in adjusting the current operating state to improve or maintain the performance of the track-type tractor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein developing the track-soil model comprises: providing a nominal pull-slip curve; calculating a coefficient of traction (COT) corresponding to actual current operation of the track-type tractor in high slip conditions; calculating a shear modulus adjustment factor (kadj) corresponding to actual current operation of the track-type tractor in low slip conditions; applying the COT and kadj to the nominal pull-slip curve for use in generating the optimum operating state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein calculating the optimum operating state using the track-soil model comprises iteratively solving an equation defining performance as cycle power in terms of the track speed to find a peak representing an optimum track speed for the current operating environment, the equation expressed as: CyclePower = ( D   B   P - RollRes - mg   sin   θ Pitch )  v GndSpd  T Carry T Cycle , where: DBP is equal to instantaneous drawbar pull, VGndSpd is equal to the track speed×(1-slip/100) with slip as a function of the track-soil model, and Tcarry/Tcycle is a ratio of carry time to cycle time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein providing the normalized performance and the optimum operating state to the device comprises the normalized performance and the optimum operating state to a display showing a window with a range of optimum operating state and an indicator superimposed on the window showing a current normalized performance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein providing the normalized performance and the optimum operating state to the device comprises providing the normalized performance and the optimum operating state to an automatic blade lift mechanism for use in adjusting a load on the track-type tractor. ### Claim 6 A system for optimizing performance in a track-type tractor comprising: a ground speed sensor that provides a ground speed; a track speed sensor that provides a track speed; a slope sensor that provides a slope value; a gear sensor that provides a current gear; a processor coupled to each of the ground speed sensor, the track speed sensor, the slope sensor, and the gear sensor; one or more sensors that provide information used by the processor to develop a drawbar pull value; a memory coupled to the processor that stores executable code that cause the processor to use the ground speed, the track speed, the slope value, the current gear, and the drawbar pull value to i) calculate adjustment factors for a nominal pull-slip curve, ii) develop an optimum operating state value in terms of track speed for a current operating condition based on application of the adjustment factors to the nominal pull-slip curve, and iii) generate a current value of performance; and a device that receives the optimum operating state value and the current value of performance for use in adjusting an operating state of the track-type tractor to improve performance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the processor, in response to execution of executable code stored in the memory, calculates an adjustment of the nominal pull-slip curve as a coefficient of traction (COT) that adjusts the nominal pull-slip curve along a pull axis of the nominal pull-slip curve to produce a COT-adjusted pull-slip curve. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the processor, in response to execution of executable code stored in the memory, calculates a shear modulus adjustment factor that adjusts the COT-adjusted pull-slip curve along a slip axis of the COT-adjusted pull-slip curve. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the processor, in response to execution of executable code stored in the memory, iteratively finds a peak of a cycle power equation using the track speed and the adjusted nominal pull-slip curve. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the device displays a current operating performance and a range of optimum operating state centered at the optimum operating state value for use by an operator in adjusting the operating state of the track-type tractor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the device adjusts a blade lift mechanism to adjust the operating state of the track-type tractor based on the optimum operating state value and the current value of performance. ### Claim 12 A method of optimizing performance in a track-type tractor, the method comprising: providing a nominal pull-slip curve for a nominal soil condition; receiving data from at least one sensor of the track-type tractor, the data including two or more of track speed, groundspeed, slope, and gear; using the data: calculating a drawbar pull; estimating a coefficient of traction; developing a modified pull-slip curve by applying the coefficient of traction to the nominal pull-slip curve; solving a performance measurement equation based at least in part on the data and the modified pull-slip curve to determine a peak performance metric for a current operating environment; developing a range of optimum operating states associated with the peak performance metric of the track-type tractor for the current operating environment; and providing the range of optimum operating states associated with the peak performance metric and a current performance of the track-type tractor to a device for use in adjusting one or more current operating states of the track-type tractor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising estimating a shear modulus adjustment factor, wherein developing the modified pull-slip curve includes applying the shear modulus adjustment factor to the nominal pull-slip curve prior to solving the performance measurement equation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein solving the performance measurement equation comprises calculating cycle power as: CyclePower = ( D   B   P - RollRes - mg   sin   θ Pitch )  v GndSpd  T Carry T Cycle , where DBP is drawbar pull, RollRes is a rolling resistance of the track-type tractor, m is a mass of the track-type tractor, g is the gravitational constant, VGndSpd is a groundspeed of the track-type tractor, Tcarry is a first time while the track-type tractor is loaded, and Tcycie is a second time representing the time of a full cycle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising estimating a cycle distance defined as a distance traveled in a reverse gear as dcycle=∫revκGndSpddt, where rev represents reverse motion of the track-type tractor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein solving the performance measurement equation comprises calculating performance as one of a track power, a ground power, a blade power, a cycle power, and a volumetric production. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein providing the range of optimum operating states comprises providing a target ground speed to an automated blade lift mechanism. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein providing the range of optimum operating states comprises providing the range of optimum operating states to a graphical display located at an operator station. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: calculating a difference between a measured slip and a slip at peak productivity; and presenting via a display device an indication of a current performance vs. an optimum performance. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein presenting the indication of the current performance vs. the optimum performance comprises expanding a scale of the indication of the current performance vs. the optimum performance centered around the optimum performance.