Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.

Caterpillar Inc.

Jacob John McAlpine

John Lee Marsolek

Timothy Michael O'Donnell

Gautham Subramanian

Dann J Rawls

Nicholas Alan Oetken

Todd Alex Impola

Robert J McGee

Joshua D Keyes

Nathaniel S Doy

Mark A Tarvin

Shabir Ahmed Umar Ali

Timothy M O′Donnell

Muthushankar Raghunathan

Sivakumar P Shanmugasundaram

Corey B Hanback

Christopher Andrew Wahlmark

A peripheral perception system for providing a 360-coverage of a peripheral region around a machine is disclosed. The peripheral perception system includes a first perception device mounted to a first surface of the machine, defining a first elevation and a first angle with respect to a vertical axis of the machine; and a second perception device mounted to a second surface of the machine, defining a second elevation and a second angle with respect to the vertical axis. The first perception device scans a first field of view covering a first peripheral region of the machine and the second perception device scans a second field of view covering a second peripheral region of the machine, such that the first field of view and the second field of view combinedly provide 360-degree coverage of the peripheral region around the machine.

Peripheral perception system for a machine

Non-line of sight (NLOS) remote control for machines is accomplished by a remote-control station with cellular connectivity to run multiple machines remotely. However, NLOS is expensive and may not work in areas with low cell tower coverage. Accordingly, the present disclosure pertains to providing on-machine remote control to operators of machines at a worksite. The on-machine remote control allows one machine to actively control another machine through connectivity between those two machines. For example, a tractor operator may use on-machine remote control to take control of a compactor, such that the compactor may be run using the tractor controls.

On-machine remote control

Display screen having a graphical user interface

A soil compactor machine can include: a machine frame; at least one cylindrical roller drum rotatably coupled to the machine frame and rotatable about a drum axis oriented generally transverse to a direction of travel of the compactor machine; a plurality of sensors mounting locations on the machine frame for mounting one or more lidar sensors and cameras; and a plurality of brackets, wherein, one of each of the plurality of brackets is positioned at each of the sensor mounting locations for mounting the lidar sensors and the cameras, wherein the bracket at each of the sensor mounting locations has a similar design as the other of the plurality of brackets.

Perception system lidar and camera bracket

A mobile charging station for charging an electric construction vehicle during a transportation thereof includes a transportation vehicle. The transportation vehicle includes a first electric power source. The electric construction vehicle is adapted to be positioned on the transportation vehicle for transportation thereof. The mobile charging station includes a power management device adapted to be positioned on the transportation vehicle. The power management device is adapted to be coupled with each of the first electric power source and a battery system associated with the electric construction vehicle. The power management device is adapted to receive a first amount of electric power from the first electric power source and regulate the first amount of electric power received from the first electric power source. The power management device is further adapted to supply a second amount of electric power to the battery system.

Mobile charging station

A method and system of verifying asphalt mat temperature values and location data generated by a paving machine includes identifying a location and temperature value of a threshold thermal characteristic of thermal data generated by the paving machine, and displaying the paver-generated location and temperature value of the threshold thermal characteristic on a display of the paving machine. The method further includes determining a location and temperature value of the threshold thermal characteristic by one or more external systems, and comparing the externally-determined location and temperature value to the paver-generated location and temperature value.

Asphalt mat thermal profile verification method and system

A method includes receiving first information indicative of a location of a perimeter of a worksite surface, and receiving second information indicative of compaction requirements specific to the worksite surface. The method also includes generating a compaction plan based at least partly on the first and second information. Such a compaction plan includes a travel path for a compaction machine. In such a method, the travel path is substantially within the perimeter of the worksite surface. The method also includes causing at least part of the travel path to be displayed via a control interface of the compaction machine. The method further includes receiving an input indicative of approval of the travel path, and controlling operation of the compaction machine on the worksite surface, in accordance with the compaction plan, based at least partly on receiving the input.

System and method for performing operations on a worksite surface

In one aspect, a method of determining lateral edges of an asphalt mat deposited by a paving machine includes obtaining thermal image data of the asphalt mat at a thermal measuring device associated with the paving machine, and determining, on the paving machine, the lateral edges of the asphalt mat based on a threshold temperature value and the thermal image data. Other aspects include a method of generating a thermal map of an asphalt mat formed by paving machine, and a system for determining lateral edges of an asphalt mat deposited by a paving machine.

Method and system to trim asphalt thermal mapping data

A method of determining optimal frequency to load haul trucks can include a central controller receiving an indication of the amount of paving material at a paving machine, and an indication of production rate of the paving machine. The central controller can then determine when more paving material should be provided to the paving machine. Based on this determination, the central controller can provide alerts or triggers to a paving material plant to indicate when haul trucks should be loaded to provide additional paving materials to the paving machine.

Determine optimal frequency to load haul truck

A method includes receiving target data for a paving project corresponding to a work period. The method also includes receiving sensor data from one or more components associated with the paving project, determining a progress value representing progress of the one or more components of the paving project, and determining a threshold progress value for a time period, the time period having a duration that is less than a duration of a work period. The method further includes determining that the progress value is less than the threshold progress value, generating at least one of an alarm or a recommendation, and sending the alarm or the recommendation to an electronic device.

System and method for worksite project tracking

An autonomous articulated soil compactor machine can include: a machine frame; at least one cylindrical roller drum rotatably coupled to the machine frame and rotatable about a drum axis oriented generally transverse to a direction of travel of the compactor machine; a first lidar sensor on a front of the machine; a second lidar sensor on a first side of the machine; and a third lidar sensor on a second side of the machine; wherein the first, second and the third lidar sensors are positioned such that 360 degree lidar coverage is provided around the articulated compactor machine.

Perception system three lidar coverage

A method includes receiving project information indicating a location of a worksite. The method also includes providing a first travel path to an electronic device associated with a mobile machine, wherein providing the first travel path to the electronic device causes at least part of the first travel path to be displayed via a display. The method further includes receiving location information indicating an initial location of the machine and one or more additional locations of the machine. Additionally, the method includes determining that the machine reached the worksite, and identifying, based at least in part on the location information, a second travel path extending from the initial location to the worksite. The method further includes determining whether the second travel path matches the first travel path, and storing at least one of the travel paths in a memory associated with a controller.

Systems and methods for identifying machine travel paths

A method includes receiving first location information of a first vehicle, and associating the first vehicle with a first project. The method also includes receiving second location information from a second vehicle, and associating the second vehicle with a second project. The method further includes providing, to an electronic device, instructions to output a user interface that includes a map, and a first visual indicia displayed on the map at a first location corresponding to the first location information, where the first visual indicia indicates that the first vehicle is associated with the first project. The user interface further includes a second visual indicia displayed on the map at a second location corresponding to the second location information, where the second visual indicia indicates that the second vehicle is associated with the second project, and is different from the first visual indicia.

System and method for vehicle project tracking

Display screen or portion thereof having a graphical user interface

A paving machine including a frame, a hopper assembly, and a control unit is disclosed. The control unit may be configured to determine a location of the paving machine, determine a heading and a travel speed of the paving machine, and generate a non-circular geofence corresponding to the paving machine. The non-circular geofence may have an anchor point that is disposed at the location of the paving machine, and may be positioned and oriented based on the heading and the travel speed of the paving machine. The control unit may be configured to determine a location of a supply machine relative to the paving machine, and determine a state of the supply machine based on a comparison between the location of the supply machine and the non-circular geofence. The control unit may be configured to cause an action to be performed based on the state of the supply machine.

Growing community of inventors

Otsego, MN, United States of America

Jacob John McAlpine