Caterpillar Inc.

University of Illinois

Sabri Cetinkunt

Richard George Ingram

Unnat Pinsopon

Chenyao Chen

Aleksandar M Egelja

Sohel Anwar

John James Krone

Thomas P Muller

Xiaodong Huang

Kent Clark Bates

Mikhail A Sorokine

Sairam Gopalan Velamakanni

A linear motor is provided including a stator having at least one electromagnetic coil and a rotor having at least one permanent magnet. The rotor is movable toward at least a first position when least one electromagnetic coil is energized and solely magnetically biased to a neutral position when the at least one electromagnetic coil is de-energized.

Linear motor having a magnetically biased neutral position

An operator input device includes an operator interface mechanism operable by an operator, a position sensor, a brake controller, and a resistive actuator. The operator interface mechanism is moveable in at least first and second directions along an axis. The position sensor is coupled to the operator interface mechanism for transmitting an operator interface mechanism position signal as a function of the position of the operator interface mechanism. The brake controller is coupled to the position sensor for receiving the operator interface mechanism position signal and responsively transmitting a brake signal. The resistive actuator is coupled to the brake controller and the operator interface mechanism and receives the brake signal and responsively applies a resistive force to the operator interface mechanism.

Operator input device with tactile feedback

A method and system for controlling the steady-state speed of a cylinder in an electrohydraulic system having multiple cylinders includes a plurality of levers for controlling each of the cylinders. A controller, in communication with the levers and the hydraulic cylinders, has a limited number of parameters defining at least one desired relationship between steady-state speed and lever position for each of the cylinders stored therein. The controller further determines a current desired relationship for each of the cylinders from the associated at least one desired relationships. Upon detecting movement of the lever, the controller determines a current position of the lever associated with one of the cylinders and then controls the steady-state speed of the associated cylinder based on the limited number of parameters defining the current desired relationship and the position of the lever.

Method and system for controlling steady-state speed of hydraulic cylinders in an electrohydraulic system

A control system implements several methods for automating work functions of a machine. Single activation of an operator switch generates a command to automatically perform a desired work function. A controller determines whether conditions are satisfactory to perform the desired function. When the conditions are satisfactory, the work function is performed automatically without requiring the operator to manipulate levers that are otherwise used to control the work implement of the machine.

Methods for automating work machine functions

A method and system for altering operating behavior of a sub-system component of a machine to suit a user's preference includes a database for storing a plurality of parameters associated with the operating behavior of the sub-system component. The parameters have sets of values associated therewith wherein each set of values define one of a plurality of acceptable operating behaviors for the sub-system component. A sub-system controller receives a selection signal from the operator via a user interface selecting one of the set of values of the parameters according to his/her preference. The sub-system controller then controls the sub-system component based on the selected set of values for the parameters.

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Oak Park, IL, United States of America

Sabri Cetinkunt