Caterpillar Inc.

Orbital Research Inc.

Cleveland Medical Devices Inc.

Howard J Chizeck

Robert N Schmidt

Kenneth Lee Stratton

Karl W Kleimenhagen

Eric F Lee

Richard S Diefes

James M Khoury

Gangadhar Jayaraman

Yang Dong

The present invention is directed toward estimating certain operating parameters of an earth moving machine. Advantageously, the present invention utilizes a Kalman filter to estimate the pitch, pitch rate and ground speed of the earth moving machine as a function of the sensed pitch and ground speed signals. By estimating the pitch and ground speed, the present invention overcomes the prior problems of sensing signal noise and bias. The present invention overcomes these problems by combining pitch, pitch rate and ground speed, and determining an estimate of pitch and ground speed by using a sensor measurement model, machine process model and Kalman filter update equations.

Method and apparatus for determining pitch and ground speed of an earth

An extended horizon adaptive block predictive controller includes a block control system and an adaptive block prediction system. The subject adaptive block prediction system includes means and procedures for accomplishing a block of k output predictions, consisting of output predictions at each future time step up to the prediction horizon k, for dynamic systems with N outputs, M inputs and model parameter order n. The prediction system is organized for performing the calculation of a k-step ahead predictor in a highly computationally and memory efficient manner. The subject prediction system, in particular, avoids computation of a large number of the predictor parameters associated with the prior art Diophantine equation method, so that memory requirements and computational complexity are significantly reduced. The subject block control system in conjunction with an adaptive block prediction system includes means for accomplishing predictive controls of dynamic systems. It subsumes most, if not all, existing extended horizon predictive controllers. The subject block control system is based on the use of a special computational method. A hardware implementation of the subject extended horizon predictive control system includes a computing means, memory means, and dynamic system input and output signal processing means. The subject invention is primarily devised for real time control of dynamic systems.

Extended horizon adaptive block predictive controller with an efficient

Foot force sensor for measuring compressive force exerted by a foot. The foot force sensor is in the form of an insole made of layers of relatively thin, planar, flexible, resilient, dielectric material. Electrical contact means having first and second poles and electrical leads extending therefrom is interposed between the layers of the insole. An electrically resistive material is also interposed between the layers of the insole but displaced from the electrical contact means. An electrically conductive interconnecting means is connected between the electrical contact means and the electrically resistive material. The electrically conductive interconnecting means has a plurality of electrically isolated conductive paths laterally displaced from one another and extending through it. The electrically conductive interconnecting means has an electrical resistance which decreases as a compressive force applied to it increases, whereby a closed electrical circuit with shear and hysteresis effects reduced by at least about 20% and with resistance varying with the amount of compressive force applied to the insole is established between the first pole and the second pole of the electrical contact means through the electrically conductive interconnecting means and the electrically resistive material.

Foot force sensor

Growing community of inventors

Cleveland Heights, OH, United States of America

Howard J Chizeck