Method and apparatus for controlling the deadband of a fluid system
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsMichael A. Cobo, Hans P. Dietz, William N. O'Neill, Brett J. Janson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling a fluid system. The fluid system includes a hydraulic circuit having a pump driven by an engine. The pump delivers fluid to an actuator through a valve assembly. The method includes the steps of receiving an operator input, determining a condition of the hydraulic circuit, determining a valve command in response to the circuit condition and the operator input, and delivering the valve command to the valve assembly.
Claims17
a method for controlling a fluid system, the system including a hydraulic circuit having a pump driven by an engine, the pump delivering fluid to an actuator through a valve assembly, comprising:
- receiving an operator input;
- determining a condition of the hydraulic circuit, said condition including at least one of a fluid flow rate, a pump speed, and a pump displacement;
- determining a valve transform function as a function of the condition of the hydraulic circuit;
- determining a valve command in response to said valve transform function and said operator input, said valve command resulting in a consistent deadband;
- and
- delivering said valve command to the valve assembly.
a method for controlling a fluid system, the system including a hydraulic circuit having a pump driven by an engine, the pump delivering fluid to an actuator through a valve assembly, comprising the steps of:
- establishing a first motion deadband;
- receiving an operator input;
- determining at least one of an engine speed and a pump displacement;
- determining a valve transform function as a function said at least one of said engine speed and said pump displacement;
- and
- determining a valve command in response to said valve transform function and said operator input, wherein said valve command results in said first motion deadband.
an apparatus adapted to control a fluid system, the system including a hydraulic circuit having a pump driven by an engine, the pump delivering fluid to an actuator through a valve assembly, comprising:
- an input controller adapted to receive an operator input and responsively generate an input signal;
- engine speed sensor adapted to sense a speed of the engine and responsively generate an engine speed signal;
- and a controller adapted to receive said input signal and said speed signal, determine a valve transform function in response to said engine speed signal, and to determine a valve command in response to said input signal and said valve transform function, said valve command resulting in a consistent deadband, and to deliver said valve command to the valve assembly.
An apparatus for controlling a fluid system, the system including a hydraulic circuit having a pump driven by an engine, the pump operable to deliver fluid to an actuator through a valve assembly, comprising:
- means for receiving an operator input;
- means for determining a condition of the hydraulic circuit, the condition being indicative of a fluid flow rate of the hydraulic circuit;
- means for determining a valve transform function as a function of the condition of the hydraulic circuit;
- means for determining a valve command as a function of the valve transform function and the operator input, the valve command operable to cause a consistent deadband;
- and
- means for delivering the valve command to the valve assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.