Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC

Carnegie Mellon University

Leighton Contractors

Kenneth Lee Stratton

Michael Allen Taylor

Thandava Krishna Edara

Troy Kenneth Becicka

Adam J Gudat

James Decker Humphrey

Paul Russell Friend

Jean-Jacques Clar

Craig L Koehrsen

Mo Wei

Peter William Anderton

Michael D Braunstein

David Charles Orr

Richard J Skiba

Brian Gerard Funke

Claude Wesley Keefer

Steven R Genseal

Jamie Shults

Daniel E Henderson

Karl W Kleimenhagen

Fu P Yuet

Bryan James Everett

Brian Mintah

Eric Alan Reiners

Timothy Joe Felty

Seth J Redenbo

Bradley Scott Kriel

Daniel Kimsey Dunn, Iii

Gary Edward Hull

Jeffrey Edward Jensen

Qi Chen

Steven Wayne O'Neal

Kevin Jay Lueschow

Eric J Ruth

Andrew J Vitale

Daniel Stanek

Joshua Struble

Peter W Rander

Juan Carlos Santamaria

Steven R Krause

Vernon Richard Smith

David Conway Atkinson

Ali A Bitar

James H DeVore

Aaron Michael Donnelli

David James Edwards

Matthew Edward Kontz

Michael Sean McDaniel

Patrick Pecchio

Michael Edward Brandt

Julie A Gannon

Ramkumar Subramanian

Robert Martin Coats

Randall Dean Pruitt

Eric F Lee

Howard J Chizeck

Vijay P Shah

Louis A Bojarski

Satish Yadav

Randon Warner

April D Scott

Gary Cook

Jason Ziglar

Craig I Koehrsen

Gangadhar Jayaraman

Scott E Bailey

James William Ryan

Seth J Rodenbo

Yifeng Lin

Steve McDonald

Augusto J Opdenbosch

Steven R Kruase

Kimberly N Stratton

Derrick Darby

Fu Pei Yuet

A system for controlling operation of a first material engaging work implement includes a first machine, a second machine, and a controller. The controller is configured to store a kinematic model and characteristics of the implement system, determine a second machine operation zone, with the second machine operation zone being defined by a material movement plan of the second machine, and determine a current pose of the first machine. The controller is further configured to determine a first machine operation zone based upon the pose of the first machine, the kinematic model and characteristics of the implement system, and the second machine operation zone, with the first machine operation zone being spaced from the second machine operation zone, and generate a plurality of command signals to move the first material engaging work implement within the first machine operation zone between a first position and a second position.

Control system for a machine

A material management system and method manages and tracks the progress of excavated material transferred through an excavation site by a conveyer system operating in cooperation with an in-pit crusher and conveyer (IPCC). The material management system distinguishes the material dispensed into the IPCC into identified material batches. To track the identified material batches, the material management system records data regarding the conveyer speed and the conveyer distance associated with the IPCC, as well as possible other data regarding the identified material batches. The material management system processes this to track the indentified material batches along the conveyer route.

Material management system and method for an in-pit crusher and conveyer

A system for mapping terrain using at least a first machine and a second machine traveling along the terrain includes a controller for each of the respective first and second machines. Each respective machine includes a plurality of sensors in electrical communication with the controller of each respective machine. The controller is configured to receive, from the plurality of sensors located on each respective machine a plurality of machine parameters indicative of sensed operations of the respective machine as the respective machine travels along the terrain. The controller is further configured to determine, based on the received machine parameters for the respective machine, a geometry and a grade of a plurality of paths on the terrain along which the respective machine travels.

Method and system for mapping terrain and operating autonomous machines using machine parameters

A guidance system and method for guiding excavation at an excavation site utilizes an excavating machine and an in-pit crusher and conveyer (IPCC) having a first hopper and a second hopper for receiving material. The guidance system can receive first hopper data associated with the first hopper and second hopper data associated with the second hopper and can process the first hopper data and second hopper data to determine a selected hopper for dispensing material. In an aspect, the guidance system can generate a guidance indication to display to the operator of the excavating machine that indicates the selected hopper.

Excavation utilizing dual hopper system

An excavation system is disclosed for use with an excavation machine having a work tool and with an IPCC. The excavation system may have a location device configured to generate a first signal indicative of a location of the excavation machine, a display, and at least one controller in communication with the location device and the display. The controller may be configured to receive a second signal indicative of a location of the IPCC, and to cause representations of the excavation machine and the IPCC to be simultaneously shown on the display based on the first and second signals. The at least one controller may also be configured to determine a swing radius of the work tool, and to selectively cause an indication of alignment between the IPCC and the swing radius to be shown on the display based on the first signal, the second signal, and the swing radius.

Excavation system having inter-machine monitoring and control

A computer-implemented method of responding to a missed cut during a pass made along a planned cut profile using an implement is provided. The computer-implemented method may include identifying the missed cut based at least partially on an implement position and a target cut point, predicting a performance value of the pass based at least partially on the missed cut and an implement load, and restarting the pass if the performance value is less than a minimum performance threshold and the implement load is less than a minimum load threshold.

Missed cut detection and reaction

The disclosure relates to method for executing project plan at worksite including project location. The method includes receiving, the project plan and analyzing, by the control unit, the project plan to determine excavation locations and dumping locations. The method further includes determining properties of material associated with the excavation locations and the dumping locations. The method includes determining, by the control unit, if properties of material associated with the excavation locations are matching with the properties of material present at the dumping locations, and if properties of materials present at the excavation locations are matching with the properties of materials present at the dumping locations, by combining materials present at the excavation locations with the materials present at the dumping locations. The method includes instructing the machine to excavate materials.

System and method for executing a project plan at worksite

Systems and methods for controlling fluid delivery on a site using at least one fluid delivery machine are disclosed. An exemplary such method includes identifying at least one path on the site based on map information associated with the site, calculating a fluid delivery requirement of the at least one path based on environmental information associated with the site, and dispatching a fluid delivery machine on a mission to treat the at least one path with fluid based on the fluid delivery requirement.

Methods and systems for controlling fluid delivery missions on a site

A system associated with an implement of a machine is provided. The system includes a ground speed detection module configured to generate a signal indicative of a ground speed of the machine. The system further includes an implement control module coupled to the ground speed detection module. The implement control module receives the signal indicative of the ground speed of the machine. The implement control module detects at least one of the ground speed of the machine being less than a predetermined speed threshold and a rate of change of the ground speed being above a limit. The implement control module determines a presence of an obstruction in a path of the machine based, at least in part, on the detection. The implement control module further select a movement from a plurality of movements associated with the implement and triggers the movement of the implement.

System and method for implement control

A system for determining the stroke of a hydraulic cylinder is provided. The hydraulic cylinder includes a barrel with a rod that slidably extends therefrom. A fiber optic shape sensing system is positioned to determine the stroke of the rod relative to the barrel. An interrogation module is fixed to a reference frame. A fiber bundle is joined to the interrogation module at a proximal end and a fiber termination at a distal end, which is joined to the connecting end of the rod. A signal conditioning module connected to the interrogation module is configured to compute the location of at least one position of the fiber bundle relative to the reference frame; and provide an output indicative of the stroke of the connecting end relative to the barrel.

Cylinder position determination using fiber optic shape sensing

An excavation system is disclosed as having a locating device configured to generate a position signal indicative of a position of an excavation machine, a sensor configured to generate a load signal indicative of a work tool status, and a controller. The controller may be configured to determine a location of a haul truck, to determine when the work tool is filled with at least a threshold amount of material from a pile at the worksite, and to determine the position of the excavation machine. The controller may further be configured, based on operating limitations of the excavation machine, to determine a pivot point between the location of the haul truck and the position of the excavation machine; to plan a travel path for the excavation machine to the haul truck through the pivot point; and to direct an operator of the excavation machine to follow the travel path.

Excavation system providing machine cycle training

A mobile fluid delivery machine has a communication device configured to receive fluid delivery mission instructions that identify a sequence of path segments on a site and corresponding fluid delivery allocation information for the path segments, and a location device determining the location of the mobile fluid delivery machine. It also has a fluid delivery system including a display device and at least one processor that is configured to identify the fluid delivery allocation information for the path segment that corresponds to the location of the mobile machine on the site, and to determine, based on the fluid delivery allocation information for the path segment that corresponds to the location of the mobile machine on the site, a fluid delivery rate for the path segment. The processor is also configured to cause the display device to display an indication of the determined fluid delivery rate for the path segment.

Methods and systems for executing fluid delivery mission

A system for remotely controlling a machine includes a remote input device, a transmitter remote from the machine, and a receiver at the machine. A controller is configured to store a desired communications threshold, receive input commands from the remote input device, generate a plurality of remote control input signals based upon the input commands, and transmit the plurality of remote control input signals at a location remote from the machine. The controller is further configured to receive at least some of the plurality of remote control input signals at the machine, determine a communications parameter based upon at least one of the plurality of remote control input signals, compare the communications parameter to the desired communications threshold, and generate a command to stop the machine if the communications parameter is outside the desired communications threshold.

System for remotely controlling a machine

A mapping system includes a pose sensor, a mapping sensor, a database defining a work surface, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive pose signals and determine the position and the orientation of the machine and receive mapping signals and determine a plurality of raw data points. The controller further determines a plurality of machine points defining a position of a portion of the machine and filters the plurality of raw data points based upon the plurality of machine points to define a plurality of filtered data points. The database may be updated with the plurality of filtered data points.

System and method for terrain mapping

A computer-implemented method for automatically detecting a need for a ripping pass to be performed by a machine along a work surface is provided. The method may include monitoring one or more of machine parameters of the machine and profile parameters of the work surface, determining whether one or more predefined trigger conditions suggestive of the need for the ripping pass are met based on the machine parameters and the profile parameters, and generating a ripping pass request if one or more of the trigger conditions are satisfied.

Automatic ripping pass detection

Growing community of inventors

Dunlap, IL, United States of America

Kenneth Lee Stratton