Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar Sarl

Jacob Charles Maley

Peter Joseph Petrany

Vamsi Krishna Pannala

Robert Scott McFarland

Mo Wei

Justin Lee Steinlage

Hassan Ali

Jun Zuo

Jarrod Cook

Pranay Kumar Reddy Kontham

Manoj Pothugunti

Matthew Jacob Behmlander

Robert S Mcfarland

Philip J Thomas

Matthew A Guttag

A collision avoidance system for a work machine includes at least one sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a presence of at least one obstacle in a surrounding area of the work machine. The collision avoidance system also includes a controller communicably coupled with the sensor. The controller is configured to receive the signal indicative of the presence of the obstacle in the surrounding area of the work machine from the sensor. The controller is also configured to determine a position of the obstacle relative to the work machine based on the signal received from the sensor. The controller is further configured to generate a control signal to prevent a movement of the work machine, halt the movement of the work machine, or reduce a velocity of the work machine based on the determination of the position of the obstacle.

Collision avoidance system and method for avoiding collision of work machine with obstacles

A collision avoidance system and method for a mobile machine includes determining a boundary zone and providing a notification and/or control command to prevent a collision with another object. A first safety zone associated with a first and second portion of the mobile machine is determined. A second safety zone associated with the second portion of the mobile machine is determined. A boundary zone is determined as a function of a combination of the first and second safety zone. A notification and/or a control command is provided based on a relationship of an object to the boundary zone.

Systems and methods for collision avoidance for shape changing machines

An object detection system may include a first-type sensing device comprising a camera and defining a first field of view and configured to capture an image stream of an area adjacent to a work machine. The system may also include a second-type sensing device different from the first-type sensing device, defining a second field of view substantially overlapping with the first field of view, and configured to capture a data stream of the area adjacent to the work machine. The system may also include a controller configured to receive a first set of tracks relating to the image stream and including a first confidence level and receive a second set of tracks relating to the data stream and including a second confidence level. The controller may also be configured to combine establish an overall confidence level and determine whether to issue an alert, exercise a machine control, or both.

System and method to reliably detect objects using camera and radar

An automatic condition monitoring and control system for a work machine may include an electronic control module configured for arrangement on the work machine. The electronic control module may be configured to monitor multiple conditions of the work machine and compare the multiple conditions to respective thresholds. The electronic control module may also be configured to start an engine of the work machine based on at least one of the comparisons, activate a heating or cooling system based on at least one of the comparisons, or both.

Automatic work machine condition monitoring and control module

A maintenance-service system and method for controlling a machine that includes a plurality of operational modes is disclosed. The plurality of operational modes including a normal mode and a hazard detected mode. The maintenance-service system may comprise a controller configured to receive authorization data when machine is in the hazard detected mode, and enable movement of the machine at a reduced machine speed based on the authorization data, wherein the reduced machine speed is less than 50% of a normal machine speed available to the machine when the operational mode is the normal mode, wherein, the hazard detected mode precludes movement of the machine.

Maintenance-service system

A work machine comprising a security system for deterring theft is disclosed. The work machine comprises a frame, a battery, a ground engaging element supporting the frame; and a security system configured to activate an at least one anti-theft deterrent when an unauthorized person is detected in a detection zone around the work machine.

Machine security system

An object detection vision system and methods are disclosed. A method for detecting objects in a vision system of an industrial machine includes receiving image data from one or more vision cameras and receiving detection data from one or more detect devices. The detection data includes one or more detected objects. The method includes combining the detection data and the image data and transforming the detection data in the image data based on one or more objects in the image data. The method also includes displaying an indication of the detected one or more objects in the image data based on the transformed detection data.

Object detection vision system

A machine may comprise a security monitoring system and an engine start/stop system (ESS) where the security monitoring system is configured to detect an object proximate to the machine and classify characteristics of the object and the ESS is configured to turn on an engine of the machine based at least in part on the characteristics of the object. The machine may further comprise a battery to supply power for operation of the security monitoring system and a charging system to charge the battery while the engine is turned on. The ESS may monitor a charge level of the battery, determine whether the charge level is below a preselected threshold start level, and in response to determining that the charge level is below the preselected threshold start level, turn on the engine based at least in part on the characteristics of the object.

System and method for maintaining a power source for continuous machine security monitoring

A controller may receive information identifying an area of interest from a plurality of candidate areas of interest including locations on the machine and external to the machine. The controller may obtain, using the one or more first sensor devices, data identifying material located at the area of interest; and generate a graphical representation based on the data. The controller may determine, using the one or more second sensor devices, at least one of a position or an orientation of one or more portions of the machine; and identify a portion of the graphical representation based on the at least one of the position or the orientation of the one or more portions. The portion may correspond to the material located at the area of interest. The controller may determine, using one or more computational models, a volume of the material based on the portion of the graphical representation.

Determining material volume and density based on sensor data

A machine may receive, from one or more sensors, first data indicating a first position of a work implement within an environment and second data indicating a second position of the work implement within the environment. Based on the first position and the second position, the machine may define a working area of the work implement. The machine may receive, from one or more cameras, image data depicting at least a portion of the environment and at least a portion an object disposed within a field of view of the one or more cameras. The machine may determine, based on the image data, that the object is located outside of the working area. Based on determining that the object is located outside of the working area, the machine may refrain from causing output of an alert indicating the presence of the object outside the working area.

System and method for detecting objects within a working area

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for estimating machine rotation state. The rotation state can include the rotation speed and/or angle as the machine rotates. In some implementations, an estimating machine rotation state system can receive image data, timestamped consecutively, from camera devices of a machine. The estimating machine rotation state system can generate optical flow vectors for the pixels of the image data and determine the hue and intensity of the pixels based on the optical flow vectors. Using the hues, intensities, and timestamps of the image data, the estimating machine rotation state system can generate an intensity plot over time. The estimating rotation states system can then determine a rotation speed of the machine based on the intensity plot. The estimating rotation states system can also determine a rotation angle of the machine by integrating the intensity plot over time.

Estimating the moving state of rotating machines systems and methods

A proximity warning system including cameras positioned on a machine, processors, and one or more memory devices including instructions for execution by the processors. The system includes instructions to receive, from the cameras, image data depicting an object within a field of view of the cameras. The system includes instructions to derive a first distance between the object and the machine based on the image data and an alarm is triggered when the first distance is less than a first threshold distance. The system can include instructions to receive a request to snooze the alarm and discontinue the alarm. Additional image data can be received from the cameras and a second distance between the object and the machine is derived based on the additional image data. The system includes instructions to cancel the snooze and retrigger the alarm when the second distance is less than a second threshold distance.

Systems and methods to retrigger detection based proximity alarm systems

An object detection system may include an imager configured to generate image data indicative of an environment in which a machine is present, and a sensor configured to generate sensor data indicative of the environment in which the machine is present. The object detection system may further include an object detection controller including one or more object detection processors configured to receive an image signal indicative of the image data, identify an object associated with the image data, and determine a first location of the object relative to the position of the imager. The one or more object detection processors may also be configured to receive a sensor signal indicative of the sensor data, and determine, based at least in part on the sensor signal, the presence or absence of the object at the first location.

System and method for detecting objects

A controller may process a plurality of video frames to determine an apparent motion of each pixel of one or more pixels or each group of pixels of one or more groups of pixels of each video frame of the plurality of video frames. The controller may select one or more processed video frames, of the plurality of processed video frames, that correspond to a duration of time and may generate a composite video frame based on the one or more processed video frames. The controller may generate a video frame mask based on the composite video frame and may obtain additional video data that includes at least one additional video frame. The controller may cause the video frame mask to be applied to the at least one additional video frame and may cause the at least one additional video frame to be processed using an object detection technique.

Excluding a component of a work machine from a video frame based on motion information

A control system for a hybrid machine is provided. The control system includes a controller communicably coupled to an energy storage unit of the hybrid machine. The controller is configured to receive data from the energy storage unit. The controller is configured to evaluate a current storage charge state of the energy storage unit based on the received data. The controller is configured to receive historical data related to idle events associated with an engine of the hybrid machine. The controller is configured to receive data related to one or more machine operating parameters. The controller is configured to pre-emptively control at least one of an engine speed and an engine power based on the received data for at least one of shutting down the engine during an idle state and restarting the engine.

Growing community of inventors

Germantown Hills, IL, United States of America

Jacob Charles Maley