Machine system operation and control strategy for material supply and placement

A machine system comprising:

• a paving machine including a frame, a plurality of ground engaging elements, a hopper, a conveying mechanism and a material placing mechanism, the material placing mechanism being adapted to receive a material from the hopper via the conveying mechanism for placing the material on a work surface, the paving machine further including an internal material supply volume for the machine system defined in part by the hopper and in part by the conveying mechanism;
• and
• a control system including a computer readable memory configured to store expected material placement data for the paving machine, and a receiver configured to receive actual material placement data for the paving machine;
• the expected material placement data being indicative of at least one of a quantity of the material expected to be placed on the work surface and a rate at which the material is expected to be placed on the work surface, and the actual material placement data being indicative of at least one of a quantity of the material which has been placed on the work surface and a rate at which the material was placed on the work surface;
• the control system further including a data processor coupled with the computer readable memory and with the receiver, and being configured to compare the expected material placement data with the actual material placement data, and further configured to output a supply machine control signal to control replenishing material via a supply machine to an external material supply volume for the paving machine in a manner responsive to comparing the expected material placement data with the actual material placement data, and such that at least one of a planned replenishment time, location, and quantity is changed based on a difference between the expected material placement data and the actual material placement data.

A paving control system for a paving system comprising:

• a computer readable memory configured to store at least one of expected material placement data indicative of an expected material placement rate and an expected material placement quantity by a paving machine;
• a receiver configured to receive actual material placement data for the paving machine indicative of at least one of a quantity of the material which has been placed and a rate at which the material was placed;
• and
• a data processor coupled with the computer readable memory and with the receiver, the data processor being configured to compare the expected material placement data with the actual material placement data;
• the data processor being further configured to output a control signal to a supply machine to controllably replenish material to an external material supply volume for the paving system in a manner responsive to comparing the expected material placement data with the actual material placement data, and such that at least one of a planned replenishment time, location, and quantity is changed based on a difference between the expected material placement data and the actual material placement data.