Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar Sarl

Caterpillar Global Mining LLC

Caterpillar Global Mining America LLC

Matthew James Beschorner

Aleksandar M Egelja

Eric Hughes

Justin Douglas Speichinger

Brett J Janson

Bryan A Johnson

Mikhail A Sorokine

Pengfei Ma

Benjamin J Hodel

Mikhail A Sorokin

Shogo Tada

Benjamin Yoo

Naoto Funabiki

Hideki Nakajima

Jiao Zhang

Tetsuya Yoshino

Tonglin Shang

Thomas J Hajek

Lonnie J Devier

Hongliu Du

Rustin Glenn Metzger

James Alvin Aardema

Rustu Cesur

John Ferraz, Jr

Kensuke Tanaka

Dennis Ray Barber

Atsunori Shimamoto

Justin Philip Pahl

Vickram Murugesan

Marilyn Worley

Michael Aron Viergutz

Aleem Junaidi

Brandon Z Barnes

Matthew P Giacomi

Jason J Podany

Joseph Yousef

Manu Murthy

Shuhei Orimoto

Tomohiro Oyama

Frank Breier

Aleksandra M Egelja

Mandi Henderson

A work machine can include a frame; transportation devices coupled to the frame; a work tool coupled to the frame; a hydraulic system to provide power to operate the transportation devices and the work tool; and a controller configured to operate in a first mode wherein a first hydraulic pump is configured to deliver hydraulic fluid to the transportation devices and a second hydraulic pump is configured to deliver hydraulic fluid to the work tool, and wherein the controller can operate in a second mode wherein the work tool is provided with hydraulic fluid from both the first and the second hydraulic pumps.

Electro-hydraulic controlled excavator travel to tool control priority function

A machine may include an implement; one or more sensor devices; and a controller. The controller may be configured to receive, from the one or more sensor devices, data regarding a ground surface on which the machine is to perform a digging operation; transmit the data to one or more remote computing devices to cause the one or more remote computing devices to generate digging information based on the data; and receive the digging information from the one or more remote computing devices. The digging information may include information identifying a sequence of digging locations in an area of the ground surface and information identifying corresponding dumping locations. Based on the digging information, the controller may be configured to cause the machine to navigate to a digging location of the digging locations, and cause the implement to initiate the digging operation at the digging location.

Selectively causing remote processing of data for an autonomous digging operation

A controller may receive, from one or more sensor devices of the work machine, sensor data of an environment that includes a ground surface on which the work machine is located. The controller may determine whether a wireless connection is viable. The controller may selectively transmit the sensor data to one or more remote computing devices for processing or processing the sensor data locally by the work machine based on whether the wireless connection is viable. When the wireless connection is viable, the sensor data is transmitted to the one or more remote computing devices to cause the one or more remote computing devices to process the sensor data to provide first processed data. When the wireless connection is not viable, the sensor data is processed locally by the work machine to generate second processed data.

Remote processing of sensor data for machine operation

Controlling machine pose using sensor fusion includes receiving from each of a plurality of Inertial Measurement Units mounted on different components, a time series of signals indicative of acceleration and angular rate of motion for each of the components of the machine, and from at least one non-IMU sensor, a signal indicative of at least one of position, velocity, or acceleration of at least one of the components, a position, velocity, or acceleration of any potential obstacles or other features, or an operator input. The signals are fused with a separate Kalman filter module to estimate an output joint angle. Estimated and measured values of the output joint angle in successive timesteps are combined, a kinematic equation is solved to determine a real time value for at least one of position, velocity, and acceleration of the component at successive timesteps, and the determined real time value is applied in an implementation of a controlled operational movement of the machine component in a successive time step.

System and method for controlling machine pose using sensor fusion

A method of using sensor feedback for controlling fluid pressures in a machine includes receiving signals from each of a plurality of Inertial Measurement Units (IMU's) mounted on different components of the machine, receiving a signal from at least one non-IMU sensor, fusing the signals received from the IMU's with each other and with a signal from the at least one non-IMU sensor, determining best estimates of current output joint angles for each of the plurality of components of the machine with reference to a machine reference frame, solving a kinematic equation using the best estimates of current output joint angles for the components of the machine and structural design information characterizing the machine, and applying a determination from the solution of the kinematic equation in an implementation of a controlled adjustment to a fluid pressure supplied to a fluid actuation cylinder.

Sensor fusion feedback for controlling fluid pressures in a machine

A hydraulic system is disclosed. The hydraulic system may include a source of pressurized fluid; a tank; a hydraulic actuator including a first chamber and a second chamber; a first independent metering valve disposed between and fluidly connected to the source, the tank, and the first chamber of the hydraulic actuator; and a second independent metering valve disposed between and fluidly connected to the source, the tank, and the second chamber of the hydraulic actuator. Each of the first independent metering valve and the second independent metering valve may include a spool and a valve actuator disposed on one side of the spool. The valve actuator may include a push coil, a pull coil, and a force feedback mechanism configured to balance a force of the push coil and the pull coil.

Split spool valve

A ride control system includes four independent metering valves (IMVs) that are independently and selectively controlled by a controller for attenuating oscillations in a hydraulic actuator of a machine. The controller is configured to open at least one of the IMVs for supplying pressurized fluid from a tank to a head end chamber of the hydraulic actuator when a pressure of the head end chamber drops to a value less than an initially registered pressure. Additionally, when the displacement of the piston block is positive and the pressure in the head end chamber falls to a value less than the pressure of fluid in a rod end chamber of the hydraulic actuator, the controller may also open another one of the IMVs by which fluid from the rod end chamber could be supplied to the head end chamber for supplementing pump flow and attenuating oscillations in the hydraulic actuator.

Active damping ride control system for attenuating oscillations in a hydraulic actuator of a machine

This invention provides to set plural test patterns in which two or more control valves are picked up from the plural control valves as diagnosis target, and there being installed a malfunction diagnosis means () in which the diagnosis of malfunctioned valve is applied to the test patterns as unit, and malfunction valve identification means () in which the malfunctioned valves are identified by checking the control valves one another, that control valves are included in the test patterns having been diagnosed whether malfunction exists or not by the malfunction diagnosis means ().

Control valve diagnostic system in hydraulic circuit

A spool for a hydraulic valve includes a cylindrical body having a first end, a second end disposed opposite the first end, and an annular wall defined by an internal surface of the cylindrical body and an external surface of the cylindrical body. The annular wall defines a plurality of holes therethrough. The internal surface defines a first chamber, a second chamber, and a slot chamber within the cylindrical body, the second chamber being in fluid communication with the plurality of holes via the first chamber, the slot chamber being located between the second chamber and the second end of the cylindrical body. The annular wall defines a slot therethrough, the slot extending from the second end of the cylindrical body toward the first end of the cylindrical body along the longitudinal direction, the slot being open at the second end of the cylindrical body along the longitudinal direction.

Spool for hydraulic valve

A spool assembly is disclosed for use in a valve. The spool assembly may have a cylindrical body that is hollow and has a least one radially oriented orifice that passes through a wall of the cylindrical body. The spool assembly may also have an insert slidably disposed inside the cylindrical body. The insert may have a land that axially divides a space inside the cylindrical body.

Valve having spool assembly with insert divider

A spool assembly is disclosed for use in a valve. The spool assembly may have a cylindrical body with a first end, a second end, and a bore passing from the first end through the second end. The spool assembly may also have a first insert with a first land slidably disposed inside the bore at the first end, and a second insert separate from the first insert. The second insert may have a second land slidably disposed inside the bore at the second end.

Valve having open-center spool with separated inserts

A valve is disclosed for use with a hydraulic circuit including a valve block, a central bore and an actuator passage formed in the valve block, and at least one of a supply and a drain passage. The valve also includes a control spool movable to selectively connect the actuator passage and at least one of the supply passage and the drain passage. The control spool includes a base end, and a tip end with a tapered outer surface. The valve also includes a first actuator configured to selectively direct pilot fluid to the tip end of the control spool, and a second actuator configured to selectively direct pilot fluid to the base end of the control spool. The first and second actuators each include a primary axis oriented generally orthogonal to an axis of the control spool, and are located at opposing sides of the control spool.

Valve having opposing right-angle actuators

A control system for a machine is disclosed. The control system may have a bypass passage situated to allow fluid to bypass an actuator, and a warmup valve disposed within the bypass passage that is movable between flow-passing and-blocking positions. A controller is configured to move the warmup valve to the flow-passing position, fix a displacement position of the pump, compare the pressure of the fluid of the actuator with a threshold, and move the warmup valve to the flow-blocking position and reduce a pump outlet pressure when the pressure of the fluid is greater than the threshold. The controller may be configured to move the warmup valve to the flow-passing position, fix a displacement position of the pump, and adjust an input speed of the pump in response to the signal.

Machine control system having hydraulic warmup procedure

A system can include one or more valve arrangements with a working chamber to receive a working fluid at a first pressure, and a control chamber to receive fluid at a second pressure. A dynamic seal can be disposed on a land of a valve element. The valve arrangement may include a sleeve against which the dynamic seal is slidably engaged. The valve element may include a check stem. A pressure compensating system may be in communication with bores formed in with the valve element. A pressure system to monitor dynamic seal wear may be in communication with the control chamber of the valve arrangement.

Hydraulic system with a dynamic seal

A spool is disclosed for use in a valve. The spool may have an elongated cylindrical body with a first end and a second end. The spool may also have a first land formed at the first end, a second land axially spaced apart from the first land, and a check element located between the first and second lands. The check element may have an outer diameter that is about 0.5-1% greater than an outer diameter of the second land.

Valve having improved spool geometry

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Plainfield, IL, United States of America

Matthew James Beschorner