Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC

Mark Nicholas Howell

Samuel Joseph Frei

A machine is disclosed including a sensor on a limb, an implement, an architecture, and a linkage assembly (LA) including a boom and a stick. The architecture comprises one or more LA actuators and a controller that generates a sensor locationand offset angle &#x3d5; and is programmed to: pivot the limb (either the boom or stick) about a pivot point and generate a set of sensor signals. The controller is programmed to repeatedly execute an iterative process n times until exceeding a threshold, which process comprises determining a sensor location estimate(a distance between the sensor and the pivot point) and an offset angle estimate &#x3d5;defined relative to a limb axis. A utilized optimization model includes the set of sensor signals and error terms.

Excavator control architecture for generating sensor location and offset angle

An excavator calibration framework comprises an excavator, a laser distance meter (LDM), and a laser reflector. The excavator comprises a chassis, linkage assembly (LA), sensor, implement, and an architecture controller. The LA comprises a boom, stick, and four-bar linkage (4BL) with the sensor on a 4BL dogbone linkage. The architecture controller is programmed to generate a mapping equation comprising linkage angle inputs (a measured dogbone angle &#x3b8;, an estimated implement angle &#x3b8;) and n unsolved 4BL linkage length and angle offset parameters. The controller is programmed to generate and solve a set of m mapping equations comprising the n unsolved parameters.

Excavator four-bar linkage length and angle offset determination using a laser distance meter

A calibration framework comprises an excavator, a laser distance meter (LDM), and a plurality of laser reflectors. The excavator comprises a chassis, linkage assembly (LA), implement, and control architecture. The control architecture comprises a controller programmed to execute an iterative process at n linkage assembly positions to determine a position of an nth calibration node of the a plurality of nodes of the LA to determine triangular angles and side lengths of an external triangle formed between the nth calibration node and two other nodes having identified positions. The iterative process is repeated n times until triangular angles and side lengths of three external triangles are determined that form an internal triangle. Angles of the internal triangle are determined to generate an implement angle.

Implement angle determination using a laser distance meter

An excavator calibration framework comprises an excavator, a laser distance meter (LDM), and a laser reflector. The excavator comprises a linkage assembly (LA), implement, and controller. The LA comprises a boom with point B, stick coupled to point B, and four-bar linkage (4BL) including nodes D, F, G, and H (a dogbone linkage between nodes D and F). The laser reflector is disposed at node F. The nodes F, G, and the point B define an outer triangle BGF that defines with node D three inner triangles DGB, DBF, and DFG. The controller executes an iterative process including determining a node F position based on a LDM/laser reflector measurement signal, determining a node D position based on the node F position, and determining a dogbone angle BDF of DBF based on the node D position. The controller generates an actual dogbone angle based on a series of dogbone angles.

Excavator linkage angle determination using a laser distance meter

An excavator calibration framework comprises an excavator, a laser distance meter (LDM), and a plurality of laser reflectors. The excavator comprises a chassis, linkage assembly (LA), implement, and control architecture. The LA comprises a boom, stick, the implement, and a four-bar linkage including nodes, with a laser reflector at each node. The control architecture comprises a controller programmed to execute an iterative process at n linkage assembly positions to determine a position of an nth calibration node of the plurality of nodes of the four-bar linkage to determine triangular angles and side lengths of an external triangle formed between the nth calibration node and two other nodes having identified positions. The iterative process is repeated n times until triangular angles and side lengths of three external triangles are determined that form an internal triangle. Angles of the internal triangle are determined to generate an implement angle.

Excavator implement angle determination using a laser distance meter

An excavator is disclosed including a chassis coupled to a boom point A, a sensor on a limb, an implement, an architecture, and a linkage assembly (LA) including a boom and a stick coupled to a boom point B. The architecture comprises one or more LA actuators and a controller that generates a sensor location &#x3bd; and offset angle &#x3d5; and is programmed to: pivot the limb (either the boom or stick) about a pivot point (respectively, A or B) and generate a set of sensor signals. The controller is programmed to repeatedly execute an iterative process n times until exceeding a threshold, which process comprises determining a sensor location estimate &#x3bd;(a distance between the sensor and the pivot point) and an offset angle estimate &#x3d5;defined relative to a limb axis. A utilized optimization model includes the set of sensor signals and error terms.

A framework comprises a laser distance meter (LDM), reflector, and excavator comprising a boom, a stick, boom and stick sensors, implement, and a controller. The LA comprises a boom and stick defining LA positions. The LDM is configured to generate a Dand &#x3b8;between the LDM and the reflector, and the controller is programmed to generate &#x3b8;at a plurality of boom positions, generate &#x3b8;at a plurality of stick positions, and calculate a height H and a distance D between a node on the stick and the LDM based on Dand &#x3b8;, build a set of H, D measurements and a corresponding set of &#x3b8;, &#x3b8;, and execute a linear least squares optimization process based on the H, D set and corresponding set of &#x3b8;, &#x3b8;to determine and operate the excavator using Land L.

Excavator limb length determination using a laser distance meter

An excavator calibration framework comprises an excavator, a laser distance meter (LDM), and a laser reflector. The excavator comprises a chassis, linkage assembly (LA), sensor, implement, and control architecture. The LA comprises a boom, stick, and four-bar linkage (4BL) with the sensor on a 4BL dogbone linkage. The control architecture comprises a controller programmed to execute an iterative process at successive implement curl positions. The iterative process comprises generating a measured dogbone angle &#x3b8;, determining a height &#x124; and a distance {circumflex over (D)} between an implement node and the LDM, and determining an implement node position. The iterative process further comprises determining an estimated implement angle &#x3b8;and generating a mapping equation comprising linkage angle inputs (&#x3b8;, &#x3b8;) and n unsolved 4BL linkage length and angle offset parameters. The controller is programmed to generate and solve a set of m mapping equations comprising the n unsolved parameters.

A framework comprises a laser distance meter (LDM), first and second laser reflectors at respective nodes, and an excavator including a chassis, a linkage assembly (LA) including a boom and stick, an implement including the nodes and tilting about axis TA, an implement sensor generating signal &#x3b8;, and architecture. The LDM generates LDM distance signals Dand LDM angle of inclination signals &#x3b8;between the LDM and the laser reflectors. The architecture comprises LA actuators and a controller programmed to determine the TA relative to horizontal based on &#x3b8;and execute an iterative process to curl the excavating implement and create bucket angles, align the LDM and the first node to determine a set of rotated IDV, align the LDM and the second node to determine a set of rotated IPV, and determine implement dimensions between the nodes based on the set of rotated IDV and IPV.

Excavator implement length and angle offset determination using a laser distance meter

A framework comprises a laser distance meter (LDM), reflector, and excavator comprising a chassis, linkage assembly (LA), boom and stick sensors, implement, and control architecture. The LA comprises a boom and stick defining LA positions. The LDM is configured to generate a Dand &#x3b8;between the LDM and the reflector at a node, and the control architecture comprises actuator(s) and a controller programmed to execute at successive LA positions an iterative process (comprises generating &#x3b8;, generating &#x3b8;, and calculating a height H and a distance D between the node and the LDM based on Dand &#x3b8;), build a set of H, D measurements and a corresponding set of &#x3b8;, &#x3b8;for n LA positions, and execute a linear least squares optimization process based on the H, D set and corresponding set of &#x3b8;, &#x3b8;to determine and operate the excavator using L, L, &#x3b8;, and &#x3b8;.

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Christchurch, New Zealand

Mark Nicholas Howell