Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar Sarl

Chad Timothy Brickner

Vishnu Gaurav Selvaraj

David P Smith

Brian Eugene Lister

Gautham Subramanian

Bradley K Bomer

Rudy Van Mills

Jason J Stoller

Pengfei Ma

Brian Douglas Hoff

Randall Todd Anderson

Tonglin Shang

Thomas J Hajek

Mark E Rettig

Aaron Robert Shatters

Jason Brinkman

Michael David Beyer

John R Connolly

Brett J Janson

Shane C McBride

Allen John DeClerk

Mark William Whiting

Wayne Harshberger

W Chris Swick

Christopher Rhoades

Kevin M Moloney

Clayton L Padgett

Robert A Aarestad

Philip F Lange

Umasri Devireddy

Vlad Petru Patrangenaru

C Erik Bright

Christopher Kent Hoadley

Timothy Edward Noon

Dominik Skwarnicki

Nicholas Adam Hanauer

Paul Gilbert

Arun Prasad Alayamani

Eric J Spurgeon

Keerthivasan Amuthanathan

Chandra Mouli Ravindran

Siddharth Kamal

Harshavardhan Veluru

Chetna Varman

Allen J Declerk

Sri Vidya Kamisetty

A worksite management system may include a worksite controller including one or more worksite controller processors configured to receive a signal indicative of a task to be performed by a machine at a worksite, identify a machine for performing the task, and generate a signal indicative of the machine. The worksite management system may also include a mobile device including one or more mobile device processors configured to receive the signal indicative of the machine, display an image representative of the machine, and display a prompt for a person at the worksite to validate availability of the machine to perform the task.

System and method for validating availability of machine at worksite

A system and method for tracking activity of a plurality of machines can comprise identifying at least one work segment of a smart machine based on sensor data from one or more sensors of the smart machine; and identifying at least one work segment of each of a plurality of non-smart machines based on the identified at least one work segment of the smart machine and location data transmitted from the non-smart machine. The identified at least one work segment of the smart machine can be identified in association a first location at a worksite. The at least one work segment of each of the non-smart machines can be identified when the non-smart machine is within a predetermined distance of the first location associated with the identified at least one work segment of the smart machine.

System and method for tracking activity of a plurality of machines

Performance quantifying and reporting for machine assets includes storing, in a work plan, asset tag assignments for a plurality of assets, and receiving location information, for example, indicative of a segment of a work cycle, being worked on by an asset. Attributes of an asset, including an inferred occurrence or non-occurrence of an asset-to-asset interaction, are based upon the location information and matching of role-based asset tags between or amongst assets. Performance history of the asset is quantified and reported based on the identified attributes for displaying, on a user interface, machine asset performance metrics.

Role-based asset tagging for quantification and reporting of asset performance

A control system for a machine operating on a worksite includes a telemetry module associated with the machine. The telemetry module generates signals indicative of operational data of the machine. A controller communicably coupled to the telemetry module receives the signals indicative of the operational data from the telemetry module. The controller processes the received signals to create a data model. The controller identifies multiple operational zones over the worksite based at least on an analysis of the created data model. The controller determines occurrence of work cycles of the machine over the worksite based at least on the identified operational zones. The controller determines productivity data of the worksite based at least on the identified work cycles. The controller controls the machine based on the determined productivity data.

Automatically determining construction worksite operational zones based on received construction equipment telemetry data

A machine powertrain having a transmission includes a control device responsive to selectively vary the transmission ratio in response to a shift signal. A lift sensor associated with a machine implement monitors an implement position and provides a lift signal. A ground speed sensor monitors the ground speed and provides a ground speed signal. A controller monitors the lift and ground speed signals, compares the lift signal to a predetermined position range, compares the ground speed signal to a predetermined ground speed range and, when the ground speed signal is within the predetermined ground speed range and the lift signal is within the predetermined position range, provides the shift signal causing the selectively variable ratio of the transmission to change.

Automatic shift control system for a powertrain and method

A powertrain includes an engine, a transmission having a first input connected to an engine output shaft, and a variator. The variator includes a pump connected to the engine output shaft and a motor connected to a second input of the transmission. The pump has a variable setting that is determinable by a position of a pump actuator in response to a command signal. A controller associated is disposed to control operation of the variator, at least in part, by providing the command signal to the pump actuator. The command signal is determined based on an operator command and on a compensation term, which depends on a correlation function of a parameter related to the speed ratio between a pump speed and a motor speed and a flow characteristic of the pump actuator.

Variable transmission and method

In an embodiment, torque control operation is provided in a transmission having a variable displacement variator with a hydraulic actuator. The transmission is engaged in a neutral state such that the variator output experiences substantially zero torque, and a first hydraulic pressure sweep to the hydraulic actuator is commanded while a corresponding sweep of motor speed ratio of the variator is recorded. The transmission is engaged into a locked mode providing a fixed output speed and a second hydraulic pressure sweep to the hydraulic actuator is commanded, and a corresponding sweep of variator output torque is recorded during this sweep. A torque/pressure map is then constructed relating motor torque, motor speed ratio, and actuator pressure by scaling the sweep of motor speed ratios and the sweep of variator output torque. The resultant map is usable to provide feed forward torque control of the transmission.

Variator characterization for feed forward torque control

A control for a variable displacement pump disposed in a hydraulic system obtains a requested signal from a manual control device and provides a command signal to a valve operating to adjust a displacement setting of the variable displacement pump. The control provides the command signal based on the requested signal, and scales the requested signal based on a sensed or calculated load of the system.

System and method for operating a variable displacement hydraulic pump

The described system and method allow a controller to calibrate a transmission variator of a continuously variable transmission for torque control by obtaining static and dynamic qualities and parameters of the variator through an automated calibration procedure. The system and method employ a pair of transmission mode configurations and operational configurations in combination to obtain system-specific information. In this way, the system is able to calibrate out the system variations to provide effective feed forward torque control of the continuously variable transmission. In an embodiment, a first calibration operation is performed while the transmission is neutralized and a second calibration operation is performed while the transmission is engaged in a mode providing a fixed variator output speed.

Calibrating transmission motor torque

A hydraulic system for a machine is disclosed. The hydraulic system may have an actuator with a first chamber and a second chamber. The hydraulic system may also have a first valve, a second valve, a third valve, and an operator input device displaceable from a neutral position to generate a signal indicative of a desired movement of the actuator. The hydraulic system may further have a controller configured to open the first and third valves by amounts related to the signal to pass fluid, and open the second valve by an amount related to the signal to pass fluid when the signal indicates a desire for increased actuator velocity. The third valve may continue to open during opening of the second valve.

Hydraulic system having regeneration modulation

An actuator control system is disclosed. The actuator control system may have a pump and at least one actuator. The actuator control system may further have an actuator valve configured to control the at least one actuator. The actuator control system may also have a pump pressure sensor configured to determine a pump pressure value and a load pressure sensor configure to determine a load pressure value. The actuator control system may additionally have a controller configured to receive the pump pressure value and the load pressure value. The controller may further be configured to compare the pump pressure value and the load pressure value, and selectively implement a primary control strategy and a secondary control strategy based on the comparison.

Actuator control system implementing adaptive flow control

A method of controlling a machine having a hydraulically actuated linkage includes lowering a load suspended by the leakage at least in part by leaking hydraulic fluid from a portion of a hydraulic actuation system, and generating a drift compensation control signal responsive to leaking hydraulic fluid. A machine includes an electronic controller in control communication with a valve, the electronic controller being configured to compensate for leakage induced drift of at least one hydraulic actuator of a machine hydraulic system by selectively commanding adjusting of the valve if drift criteria for the hydraulic system are satisfied.

Drift compensation control method for a machine

A hydraulic control system for a machine having a work implement is disclosed. The hydraulic control system has a fluid actuator configured to move the work implement. The control system also has an operator interface device configured to generate at least one signal in response to a movement of the operator interface device. The control system further has a valve assembly for controllably providing hydraulic fluid flow to the fluid actuator to affect movement of the fluid actuator. The hydraulic control system has a controller configured to communicate with the valve assembly and the operator interface device. The controller is also configured to receive a signal, determine a velocity input associated with the movement of the operator interface device based on the received signal, and determine a desired fluid actuator velocity based on the determined velocity input. The controller is further configured to generate a command signal corresponding to the desired fluid actuator velocity and to direct the command signal to the valve assembly.

Implement control system based on input position and velocity

A method of modulating a boom assembly to perform in a linear manner. The boom assembly includes a boom and a stick. The method comprising the steps of sending at least one lever signal to a control device indicative of operator desired direction and desired velocity of the boom and the stick, calibrating the lever signals to provide a boom command signal and a stick command signal, applying an algorithm-to-the boom command signal and the stick command signal, which the algorithm uses command signal mapping, and providing a modulating factor to the control device as a result of the algorithm.

Method of modulating a boom assembly to perform in a linear manner

A fluid circuit for raising and lowering an implement including a quick drop valve member movable between at least a first position and a second position, the first position corresponding to a non-quick drop hydraulic fluid flow path of the fluid circuit and the second position corresponding to a quick drop hydraulic fluid flow path of the fluid circuit, the quick drop valve member being movable between at least the first and second positions based on pressures in the fluid circuit produced by hydraulic fluid. The fluid circuit further including a control system configured to selectively apply a biasing force against the quick drop valve member biasing the quick drop valve in the first position, the control system providing the biasing force independent of pressures in the fluid circuit produced by the hydraulic fluid.

Hydraulic quick drop circuit

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Dunlap, IL, United States of America

Chad Timothy Brickner