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AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsClayton L. Padgett, Darren M. Knutson, Jeffrey S. Alig, W. Christopher Swick
Estimating the term…
When operating a work machine having more than one function, there are situations in which an operator may need to simultaneously control both functions. For instance, when a backhoe loader operator would like to perform a maneuver referred to as the “duck walk”, the operator must simultaneously control at least one aspect of a backhoe and one aspect of a loader. A work machine that has an operator control station with at least two controllers, which may be assigned a first mode pattern, a second mode pattern, and a hybrid mode pattern. When the at least two controllers are in the first mode pattern, the at least two controllers are operably coupled to a first set of equipment, such as a loader. When the at least two controllers are in the second mode pattern, the at least two controllers are operably coupled to a second set of equipment, such as a backhoe. When the at least two controllers are in the hybrid mode pattern, the at least two controllers are simultaneously operably coupled to at least a portion of the first set of equipment (loader) and at least a portion of a second set of equipment (backhoe).
A work machine comprising:
An operator control station, comprising:
A method of operating a work machine having at least two functions, comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.