Grounds maintenance vehicle with traction and steering control system
AssigneeThe Toro Company
InventorsPeter M. Arendt, Jackie R. Gust
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A traction and steering control system and method for a small- or zero-radius-turning maintenance vehicle. The traction and steering control system may determine operator intended speed and direction by monitoring positions of speed and directional control members and one or more operational parameters of the vehicle. The vehicle may then generate drive wheel speed commands that achieve the intended speed and direction by determining how best to manipulate the left and right drive wheels. In some instances, the drive wheel speed commands are disproportionately related to the positions of the speed and directional control members.
Claims13
-4. (canceled)
-18. (canceled)
A grounds maintenance vehicle, comprising:
- a frame;
- first and second drive wheels connected to transverse opposite first and second sides, respectively, of the frame and adapted to propel the vehicle over a ground surface;
- a traction and steering control system adapted to independently provide power to each of the first and second drive wheels;
- first and second control inputs corresponding to the respective first and second drive wheels;
- first and second input sensors configured to detect manipulation of the first and second control inputs, respectively, and to generate corresponding first and second input signals, respectively, indicative of the manipulation of the respective first and second control inputs;
- and
- an electronic controller configured to:
- receive the first and second input signals and a torque signal indicative of torque at one or both of the first and second drive wheels;
- determine an intended speed command for one or both of the first and second drive wheels based upon one or both of the first and second input signals;
- generate, based upon the torque signal, an adjusted speed command;
- and
- output the adjusted speed command to one or both of the first and second drive wheels.
A traction and steering control system for a grounds maintenance vehicle, the system comprising:
- one or more control inputs manipulable by an operator and configured to be movably connected to a frame of the grounds maintenance vehicle;
- one or more input sensors connected to the one or more control inputs, and configured to generate input signals representative of manipulation of the one or more control inputs;
- first and second motors connected to first and second drive wheels of the grounds maintenance vehicle, respectively;
- first and second motor controllers connected to the first and second motors, respectively, and configured to control power delivery from the first and second motors to the first and second drive wheels, respectively, and each further configured to generate a torque signal indicative of torque detected at its respective drive wheel;
- and
- an electronic controller communicatively connected to:
- the one or more input sensors to receive the input signals;
- and the first and second motor controllers to receive the torque signals, the electronic controller configured to transmit commands to the first and second motor controllers, the electronic controller further configured to:
- calculate an intended vehicle heading of the grounds maintenance vehicle based upon the input signals;
- determine, in view of the torque signals and the input signals, whether to achieve the intended vehicle heading by one or both of:
- adjusting a commanded speed or torque of the first drive wheel;
- and adjusting a commanded speed or torque of the second drive wheel;
- and
- output drive commands to the first and second motor controllers in accordance with the determination.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.