Deere & Company

Arizona State University

Elizabeth H Steenbergen

Kristen Dawn Cadman

Dennis Patrick Reiter

Yong-Hang Zhang

Steve Gary Fleischmann

Jeffrey David Miller

Ding Ding

Bruce Allan Musmaker

A ground engaging vehicle including a frame, an engine, a controller, an accelerator, a position sensor and an interpreter. The engine is supported by the frame and the engine includes a throttle. The controller is in communication with the engine. The position sensor is associated with the accelerator. The position sensor generates a first signal corresponding to a position of the accelerator. The interpreter receives the first signal from the position sensor and generates a second signal dependent upon the first signal. The interpreter communicates the second signal to the controller.

Engine control system

A ground engaging vehicle including a frame, an engine connected to the frame, a controller, and a hydraulic system powered by the engine. The hydraulic system includes a plurality of actuators, a plurality of valves, and at least one sensor. The plurality of valves include a first valve associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of actuators. Each of the plurality of valves is operatively connected to the controller. The at least one sensor is adapted to send a signal to the controller indicating a hydraulic connectivity through the first valve. The controller is adapted to open the first valve allowing hydraulic fluid to pressurize a first actuator until the first actuator is driven to an end of its stroke. The controller is further adapted to close the valve and send an increasing current to the valve. The at least one sensor detects a hydraulic connectivity through the valve and the controller is adapted to establish a threshold current value as the value of the increasing current when the at least one sensor detects the hydraulic connectivity through the valve.

Hydraulic system calibration method and apparatus

A work vehicle includes a mechanical front wheel drive (MFWD) and a controller unit for automatically controlling the MFWD based at least on a MFWD request signal, a speed ratio request signal, and a brake-status signal. The MFWD request is overridden if the speed ratio request is for a predetermined speed ratio (such as fourth gear), and the overriding of the MFWD request is interrupted if the brake-status signal indicates that a brake of the work vehicle is applied.

Automatic control of mechanical front wheel drive using speed ratio

Two-terminal multi junction photodetectors and focal plane arrays for multi-color detection or imaging acquisition can be formed by connecting photodiodes with different bandgaps or wavelengths, through tunnel diodes, in series with the same polarization. Under reverse bias in the dark, the total current going through such multi junction photodetectors is dictated by the smallest reverse saturation current of the photodiodes. When in operating mode, a set of light sources with different wavelengths corresponding to each individual photodiode can be used to optically bias all the photodiodes except the detecting photodiode Under illumination, all other photodiodes work in the photovoltaic mode and have much higher maximum possible reverse currents than the detecting photodiode. As a result, the total current of the multi junction photodetector is dictated by the detecting photodiode. Therefore, a total current can be read by, for example, read-out circuits to give the optical signal strength at that specific wavelength of the detecting photodiode. By using an algorithm one can use such multi junction photodetectors to detect different wavelengths and to take multicolor images.

Two-terminal multi-color photodetectors and focal plane arrays

A method for controlling a hydraulic system includes receiving an operator command signal via an operator command input device; receiving a throttle position signal from a throttle; retrieving from a memory a first predetermined correlation between the operator command signal and a corresponding command flow rate; retrieving from the memory a second predetermined correlation between the throttle position signal and a corresponding available flow rate from a hydraulic pump; determining the command flow rate based on the first predetermined correlation and the operator command signal; determining the available flow rate based on the second predetermined correlation and the throttle position signal; and providing a control signal based on the available flow rate and the command flow rate.

Growing community of inventors

Gilbert, AZ, United States of America

Elizabeth H Steenbergen