Caterpillar Inc.

Stephen Colburn

Adam J Gudat

Gregory R Harrod

Paul Curtis Pawelski

A control system for determining a position of an implement arm having a work implement is disclosed. The implement arm includes mating components connected by at least one joint. The control system includes at least one position sensor operably associated with the implement arm and configured to sense positional aspects of the implement arm. It also includes at least one load sensor operably associated with the implement arm, and configured to sense the direction of loads applied to the at least one joint. A controller is adapted to calculate a position of the implement arm based on signals received from the at least one position and load sensor. The calculated position takes into account shifting of the implement arm caused by clearances existing at the at least one joint between the mating components of the implement arm.

System for determining an implement arm position

A control system for determining a position of an implement arm having a work implement is disclosed. The implement arm includes mating components. The control system includes at least one sensor operably associated with the implement arm and configured to sense positional aspects of the implement arm. A controller is adapted to calculate a position of the implement arm based on signals received from the at least one sensor. The calculated position takes into account shifting of the implement arm caused by clearances existing between the mating components of the implement arm.

A method for determining a compensated first position of a linkage of a machine is disclosed. The method includes sensing a first position of the linkage, determining a first deflection value based on the sensed first position, and utilizing the sensed first position and the determined deflection value to calculate a compensated first position of the linkage. The method may be used for determining a compensated offset distance between a first and a second position of a linkage of a machine.

System for determining a linkage position

In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for determining the location of rows of seedlings planted during agricultural production is provided. The apparatus senses the position of a planting machine 102 during a planting operation. The apparatus transforms the planting machine position to seedling row locations and creates a database of the locations. In another aspect of the present invention, a method for determining the location of row of seedlings planted during agricultural production is provided. The method includes the steps of planting seedlings using a planting machine, sensing the position the planting machine and transforming the machine position to seedling row locations.

Method and apparatus for determining the location of seedlings during

A method of operating a computer for generating a plurality of machine tool paths for machining an object from a set of contiguous surface patches arranged on and approximating a computer representation of a solid model is provided. The method includes the steps constructing an equilateral triangle defined by a plurality of surface points, each surface point having a gradient vector substantially normal to the surface of the blended solid model. Using this triangle as a starting point, a series of steps are performed. A current edge having end points is determined from one of the constructed triangle edges. A candidate point positioned equidistant from the end points of the current edge is generated on the blended surface exterior to the constructed triangle. A subsequent triangle is constructed from the candidate point using the current edge as the subsequent triangle base. The subsequent triangle is defined by a plurality of surface points, each surface point having a gradient vector substantially normal to the surface of the solid model. The series of steps are repeated in sequential order upon a previously constructed triangle until the resulting triangular mesh covers a predetermined portion of the solid model. The set of surface points and corresponding gradient vectors which define the surfaces are used to define the set of surface patches and generate the plurality of machine tool paths corresponding to the blended surface for machining the object.

Automatic generation of a set of contiguous surface patches on a

A method for generating a plurality of points that lie on the surface of a blended solid model. These points are obtained from the unblended solid model by a numerical solution to a convolution integral, wherein the convolution integral includes a spherically symmetric blending function with a size responsive to the blend radius desired for each of one or more regions on the solid model. For example, the spherical blending function may possess a constant value everywhere inside a sphere of radius R, and a value of zero outside (here called a 'hard sphere'), or it may be represented by other functions of the radial direction, more specifically, the gaussian bell curve, in which case it will be called a 'gaussian sphere'. The numerical solution to the convolution integral is performed iteratively by placing the blending sphere at a plurality of locations along each of a set of rays that are defined substantially normal to and intersecting the solid model surface. The location on each ray at which the convolution integral is equal to a preselected value is stored. These stored locations may be used directly, or they may be used to define a set of surfaces that interpolate the blended solid model.

Growing community of inventors

Eureka, IL, United States of America

Stephen Colburn