US 2025/0018906 A1 · SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GROUND DISTANCE CONTROL

Abstract

Ground distance control for automated vehicles wherein operation of at least a transmission and/or braking system(s) can be controlled in response to a generated distance request to achieve an identified travel distance, as well as to satisfy a maximum force or thrust command. As the vehicle travels, a measured distance can be tallied such that the measured distance increases when the vehicle travels in a first direction, and decreases when the vehicle travels in a second direction. The system can automatically determine a distance to be traveled, in terms of the measured distance, before commands are to operate a brake actuator and/or transmission actuator to decelerate and/or stop the movement of the vehicle. The system can further evaluate whether the measured distance at the location at which the vehicle actually stopped is within a distance tolerance of the distance request. The measured distance may be reset at key-on or key-off.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for automatically controlling a distance of ground travel, the system comprising:

a transmission actuator configured to adjust a transfer of power by a transmission system from a prime mover of the system;
a brake actuator configured to control an operation of a brake system that adjusts a speed of travel of the system;
at least one processor;
a memory device coupled with the at least one processor, the memory device including instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
generate a distance request comprising a desired distance the system is to travel to reach a target location;
determine a distance tolerance;
tally, as the system travels, a measured distance corresponding to a distance of measured travel by the system;
and
generate, automatically, one or more signals to adjust an operation of the brake actuator and the transmission actuator to facilitate a stop in a travel of the system at a target location at which a difference between the measured distance and the distance request satisfies the distance tolerance.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods for ground distance control

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for ground distance control

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20