Caterpillar Inc.

Matt I Moul

Brad Robert Van De Veer

Steven Conrad Budde

Amit Sharma

Eric Hughes

Brad Van De Veer

Curtis Maas

An controller uses one of several transfer curves to map steering angle of an articulated machine to articulation angle. Because an articulated machine may have a range of steering angles that is much greater than the range of articulation angles, the controller uses one of several techniques to map the full range of steering angles to the full range of articulation angles. One technique involves multiple non-zero slope regions, another technique uses a less than one-to-one linear transfer function of steering angle to articulation angle.

Articulation covering complete range of steering angles in automatic articulation feature

A controller monitors groundspeed in an articulated machine and selectively disables an automatic articulation control function when the groundspeed is at or near zero. If there is an indication that an operator may not be aware that the automatic articulation control function is active by comparing when a on switch was activated compared to a machine power cycle or an operator not being present, the automatic articulation control function may be inactivated until the on switch is toggled. If the articulated machine is in neutral and the groundspeed is at or near zero, the automatic articulation control function may disabled. If the groundspeed is at or near zero but the transmission is not in neutral, the machine may simply be stalled to due working conditions and the automatic articulation control function may be maintained.

Automatic articulation machine states

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Farmington, IL, United States of America

Matt I Moul