Caterpillar Inc.

Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Gas Research Institute

Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.

Tod Andrew Oblak

Lawrence Andrew Mianzo

John Michael Plouzek

Shawn Nainan Mathew

Raymond Alan Wise

Jeffrey Thomas Stringer

Mark E Hartman

John R Smith

Daniel Paul Adler

Brian William Kroeger

Nicholas Alan Oetken

Harvey C Nathanson

James Peterson

John M Zomp

Fred H Bednar

Tom Henningsen

Max Garbuny

Joseph B Bronder

Jeffrey S Baird

Joseph E Forcash

John B Lipchak

Shastri Ram

William Ciaramitaro

Jeffrey J Carter, Jr

John F Halterman

Gregory A Gisoni

Jeff T Stringer

Narayana G Nadukuru

Sri Sekharan

Francis R Hughes

Daniel F Dudek

Carl Hendricks

Lyle Taylor

L L Altpeter, Jr

An example wear detection system receives a plurality of images from a plurality of sensors associated with a work machine. Individual sensors of the plurality of sensors have respective fields-of-view different from other sensors of the plurality of sensors. The wear detection system identifies a first region of interest and second region of interest associated with the at least one GET. The wear detection system determines a first set of image points and a second set of images points for the at least one GET based on geometric parameters associated with the GET. The wear detection system determines a wear level or loss for the at least one GET based on the GET measurement.

Ground engaging tool wear and loss detection system and method

An intelligent three dimensional scanner system mountable on a movable machine, including three dimensional scanner, a camera, and control circuitry. The control circuitry is configured to receive three dimensional point data from the three dimensional scanner, receive two dimensional image data from the camera, input the two dimensional image data to a machine learning model, which identifies objects in the two dimensional image data, fuse the three dimensional point data with the identified objects in the two dimensional image data in order to identify the objects in the three dimensional point data, and control a scan pattern to direct scanning resolution of the three dimensional scanner based on the identified objects.

Intelligent LiDAR scanning

An example wear detection system receives first image data related to at least one ground engaging tool (GET) of a work machine from one or more sensors at a first time instance in a dig-dump cycle of the work machine. The wear detection system processes the first image data to determine a first wear measurement and first wear level for the at least one GET. The wear detection system determines whether the first wear level is indicative of a GET replacement condition. The wear detection system generates an alert when the first wear level is indicative of the GET replacement condition. The wear detection system receives second image data related to the at least one GET a second time instance different from the first time instance when the first wear level is not indicative of the GET replacement condition and determines a second wear measurement and second wear level for the at least one GET. The wear detection system generates an alert indicative of the first wear level and the second wear level based on determining that the first wear level and the second wear level are indicative of the GET replacement condition.

An example wear detection system receives a left image and a right image of a bucket of a work machine having at least one ground engaging tool (GET). The example system identifies a first region of interest from the left image corresponding to the GET and a second region of interest from the right image corresponding to the GET. The example system also generates a left-edge digital image corresponding to the first region of interest and a right-edge digital image corresponding to the second region of interest. Further, the example system determines a sparse stereo disparity between the left-edge digital image and the right-edge digital image, and also determines a wear level or loss for the at least one GET based on the sparse stereo disparity.

An example wear detection system receives first imaging data from one or more sensors associated with a work machine. The first imaging data comprises data related to at least one ground engaging tool (GET) of the work machine. The example system identifies a region of interest including data of the at least one GET within the first imaging data. Based on the identified region of interest, the example system controls a LiDAR sensor to capture second imaging data capturing the at least one GET that is of higher resolution than the first imaging data. The example system generates a three-dimensional point cloud of the at least one GET based on the second imaging data and determines a wear level or loss for the at least one GET based on the three-dimensional point cloud.

A system, method, and apparatus for real-time characterization of drilled particles during a drilling operation can be comprised of a light illumination source to output short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light toward the drilled particles as the drilled particles exit a drill hole being drilled by a drilling machine; a sensor to sense reflected short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light reflected from the drilled particles exiting the drill hole; and processing circuitry operatively coupled to at least the sensor. The processing circuitry can be configured to determine a spectrum of the reflected short-wave-infrared light sensed by the sensor, and determine particle characterization for a portion of the drilled particles by performing hyperspectral analysis on the determined spectrum and based on predetermined candidate particle characterizations.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for real-time characterization of rock cuttings during rock drill cutting

A ground material density measurement system is disclosed. The ground material density measurement system may receive a moisture measurement associated with an amount of moisture on a ground surface of a section of ground material. The ground material density measurement system may determine a GPR measurement associated with the section of ground material. The ground material density measurement system may process the GPR measurement based on the moisture measurement to account for the amount of moisture. The ground material density measurement system may provide density information associated with the section of ground material based on the processed GPR measurement.

Ground material density measurement system

A display system for displaying image data of an environment of a machine includes an imaging device. The imaging device generates image data of the environment of the machine. The imaging device stores the image data in an uncompressed form. The imaging device compresses the image data and generates signals indicative of the compressed image data. The display system further includes a display screen communicably coupled to the imaging device. The display screen receives the signals indicative of the compressed image data from the imaging device and displays the compressed image data on the display screen. The imaging device and the display screen identify whether a region of interest exists in the image data. The display screen displays the image data corresponding to the region of interest in the uncompressed form.

Display system for machine

A method for testing a perception system is disclosed. The method includes detecting, by a processor, one or more objects in a composite image, the composite image including a first image and at least a portion of a second image. A first set of objects are detected in the first image. Further, the method includes comparing, by the processor, a second set of objects of the one or more objects detected in the portion of the second image with a set of previously detected objects in the portion of the second image. Furthermore, the method includes validating, the performance of the processor in the detection of the first set of objects in the first image by ensuring the second set of objects detected in the at least a portion of a second image matches the set of previously detected objects in the portion of the second image.

Systems and methods for testing an automatic perception system

A display system for displaying image data of an environment of a machine includes a display screen and a plurality of imaging devices communicably coupled to the display screen. Each of the plurality of imaging devices generates image data of the environment of the machine and has an associated operating parameter. The plurality of imaging devices stores the image data in an uncompressed form. The plurality of imaging devices compresses the image data and generates signals indicative of the compressed image data. The plurality of imaging devices receives the operating parameter associated with at least one another imaging device. The plurality of imaging devices transmits the compressed image data to the display screen based on the associated operating parameter and the received parameter of the at least one another imaging device. The plurality of imaging devices displays an image on the display screen based on the transmitted image data.

An atomic clock of the type having a cell filled with an active vapor through which is projected a light beam. A detector of the projected light provides corresponding detector signals to a microprocessor. An rf frequency synthesizer provides a microwave signal to a microwave cavity adjacent the cell and also provides a clock standard output signal. The rf frequency synthesizer includes a fractional-N frequency synthesizer which compares signals from a voltage controlled crystal reference oscillator and a voltage controlled oscillator. The fractional-N frequency synthesizer is operable to provide an output control signal to precisely lock the voltage controlled oscillator microwave output signal with the voltage controlled crystal reference oscillator signal. The fractional-N frequency synthesizer also periodically causes a predetermined desired dither in the microwave signal.

Miniature, low power atomic frequency standard with improved rf frequency synthesizer

A natural gas detection system is provided for use with a vehicle. A natural gas detector apparatus is mounted to the vehicle so that the vehicle transports the detector apparatus over an are of interest at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. The detector apparatus includes a transmitter section and a receiver section displaced a preselected distance from each other. The transmitter section has a light source transmitting a light beam to the receiver section forming a beam path therebetween. The apparatus is arranged such that natural gas intercepts the beam path and absorbs representative wavelengths of the light beam. The receiver section receives a portion of the light beam onto an electro-optical etalon for detecting the gas. A method of detecting natural gas is also provided. The method has the steps of providing a vehicle and mounting a natural gas detector apparatus to the vehicle. The detector apparatus has a transmitter section and a receiver section displaced a preselected distance from each other. The transmitter section includes a light source. The method includes transmitting a light beam in a beam path from the transmitter section to the receiver section, and driving the vehicle over an area of interest so that natural gas intercepts the beam path and absorbs representative wavelengths of the light beam. Fhe method also includes receiving a portion of the light beam in the receiver section so that the light beam is directed into an etalon, and detecting a gas leak in the area of interest from the portion light beam using the gas detection apparatus mounted on the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion.

Natural gas detection apparatus and method operable in a moving vehicle

A method and apparatus for synchronizing symbol timing for a QPSK demodulator. A matched filter pair outputs respective 'early-punctual-late' signals. The early and late signals are input to a symbol synchronizing estimator that produces an interpolation control signal used by the filters to synchronize the symbol timing to the sample timing. The punctual signal is output as an information bearing signal representing the received inphase and quadrature signals. The matched filters are interpolating matched filters. The symbol synchronizing estimator normalizes the early and late signals in a manner that allow the demodulator to 'flywheel' over signals having a low signal to noise ratio below a predetermined threshold.

Symbol synchronizer using modified early/punctual/late gate technique

An ultrasonic level measuring system includes a transducer mounted on the bottom of a pipe which launches acoustic pulses up through the pipe wall into the water. The pulses are reflected from the water surface and received by the transducer along with pulses reflected by the pipe wall and reverberations within the pipe wall. The system has a monitor mode in which a variable threshold for the reflected pulses is set by dividing the time after a trigger pulse into time bins and automatically establishing a threshold level for each time bin. In a signal search mode, the time bin containing the liquid level is identified from a histogram recording reflected pulses which exceed the threshold levels for the various time bins. In a normal operating mode, foreground calculations precisely calculating the liquid level in the identified bin alternate with background calculations which reassess the identification of the time bin containing the liquid level. If the bin identified by the background calculation does not agree with the time bin being used by the foreground calculation, the system restarts by returning to the signal search mode. Various system parameters can be easily changed without the need to rewrite code.

Ultrasonic liquid level measurement system

The present invention is a component monitoring system which includes all sensor and plant component monitoring at distributed plant locations close to the sensors which are the source of the signals to be analyzed. Minimally preconditioned analog sensor signals are multiplexed and further conditioned by a sensor signal preprocessor that adjusts the gain and filters the sensor signals before being applied to an analog-to-digital converter controlled by a data acquisition computer. The analog sensor signals are converted into digital samples and stored in a data memory of a digital signal processor using a direct memory access technique. The data acquisition computer also controls the selection of sensors, gain, etc., based on commands from a controller. The digital signal processor, once sufficient sensor data has been collected, performs appropriate processing using known digital signal processing techniques. This processed data is then sent to the controller for analysis to determine plant component condition. The analysis and processing routines can be changed by downloading a new routine from the controller. Once a sensor signal is processed, the controller selects the next sensor by transmitting an appropriate command to the data acquisition computer.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Tod Andrew Oblak