IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,544,567
Granted Patent B2
US 10,544,567 · App. 15/851,883 · Granted Jan 28, 2020

Method and system for monitoring a rotatable implement of a machine

Inventors: Peter Petrany (Dunlap, IL); Douglas Jay Husted (Secor, IL)
Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
E02F9/265E02F9/261G06T19/006
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,544,567
App. No.
15/851,883
Granted
Jan 28, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method, for monitoring an implement of a machine, includes receiving implement parameters associated with the implement and determining a range of movement of the implement based on the implement parameters. The method detects whether at least one object is located within the range of movement of the implement and displays a visual representation of the range of movement with a visual indication indicative of whether the at least one object is located within the range of movement. The method detects changes to the implement parameters and determines an updated range of movement based on the detected changes. Further, the method determines whether at least one object is located within the updated range of movement and displays a visual representation of the updated range of movement with an updated visual indication indicative of whether the at least one object is located within the updated range of movement.

Claims (70)

1. A method for monitoring an implement of a machine, the method comprising:

receiving, by a controller, one or more implement parameters associated with the implement, the one or more implement parameters being received from one or more implement sensors;

determining, by the controller, a range of movement of the implement based on the one or more implement parameters;

detecting, by the controller and using one or more object detection modules, that at least one object is located within the range of movement of the implement;

displaying, by the controller and on a three-dimensional augmented reality display implemented on a window of the machine, a three-dimensional augmented reality representation of the determined range of movement of the implement with a visual indication indicative of the at least one object located within the range of movement of the implement;

detecting, by the controller, one or more changes to at least one implement parameter of the one or more implement parameters;

determining, by the controller, an updated range of movement of the implement based on detecting the one or more changes;

determining, by the controller and using the one or more object detection modules, whether the at least one object is located within the updated range of movement of the implement; and

displaying, by the controller and on the three-dimensional display, a three-dimensional augmented reality representation of the updated range of movement of the implement with an updated visual indication indicative of whether the at least one object is located within the updated range of movement of the implement.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the at least one object is located within the range of movement of the implement comprises:

receiving, by the controller, position data associated with the at least one object from the one or more object detection modules, the position data including a distance between the at least one object and the machine; and

detecting, by the controller, that the at least one object is located within the range of movement of the implement when the distance between the at least one object and the machine is less than or equal to a threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that at least one object is located within the range of movement of the implement comprises:

receiving, by the controller, position data having location coordinates of the at least one object, from the one or more object detection modules;

determining, by the controller, a distance between the at least one object and the machine based on the location coordinates of the at least one object; and

determining, by the controller, that the at least one object is located within the range of movement of the implement when the distance is less than or equal to a threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the implement includes a boom coupled to the machine, a stick coupled to the boom and a work tool coupled to the stick, and wherein the one or more implement parameters include one or more of:

an angle between the stick and the work tool,

an angle between the boom and the machine,

an angle between the stick and the boom,

a length of the boom, or

a length of the stick.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the range of movement of the implement is a swing path of the implement and wherein determining the range of movement of the implement comprises determining, by the controller, a radius of the swing path based on the one or more implement parameters.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the updated visual indication comprises:

receiving, by the controller, updated position data associated with the at least one object, the updated position data including an updated distance between the at least one object and the machine; and

displaying, by the controller on the display device, the updated visual indication indicative of the at least one object located within the updated range of movement of the implement based on the updated position data and when the updated distance is less than or equal to a threshold value.

7. A system for monitoring an implement of a machine, the system comprising:

one or more implement sensors configured to monitor one or more implement parameters associated with the implement;

one or more object detection modules configured to detect at least one object proximal to the machine and generate a signal including position data associated with the at least one object; and

a controller communicably coupled to the one or more implement sensors and the one or more object detection modules, the controller being configured to:

receive the one or more implement parameters associated with the implement, from the one or more implement sensors;

determine a range of movement of the implement based on the one or more implement parameters;

detect, using the one or more object detection modules, that at least one object is located within the range of movement of the implement based on the position data associated with the at least one object;

display, on a three-dimensional augmented reality display implemented on a window of the machine, a three-dimensional augmented reality representation of the determined range of movement of the implement with a visual indication indicative of the at least one object located within the range of movement;

detect one or more changes to at least one implement parameter of the one or more implement parameters;

determine an updated range of movement based on the detected one or more changes;

determine, using the one or more object detection modules, whether the at least one object is located within the updated range of movement of the implement; and

display, on the three-dimensional augmented reality display, a three-dimensional augmented reality representation of the updated range of movement of the implement with an updated three-dimensional augmented reality representation indicative of whether the at least one object is located within the updated range of movement of the implement.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the position data includes a distance between the at least one object and the machine, and wherein the controller is configured to detect that the at least one object is located within the range of movement of the implement when the distance between the at least one object and the machine is less than or equal to a threshold value.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the position data includes location coordinates of the at least one object and wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a distance between the at least one object and the machine based on the location coordinates of the at least one object; and

detect that the at least one object is located within the range of movement of the implement when the distance is less than or equal to a threshold value.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the implement includes a boom coupled to the machine, a stick coupled to the boom and a work tool coupled to the stick, and wherein the one or more implement parameters include one or more of:

an angle between the stick and work tool,

an angle between the boom and the machine,

an angle between the stick and the boom,

a length of the boom, or

a length of the stick.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the range of movement of the implement is a swing path of the implement and the controller is configured to determine a radius of the swing path based on the one or more implement parameters.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive an updated position data associated with the at least one object, using the one or more object detection modules, the updated position data including an updated distance between the at least one object and the machine; and

display, on the three-dimensional augmented reality display, the updated three-dimensional augmented reality representation indicative of the at least one object located within the updated range of movement of the implement based on the updated position data and when the updated distance is less than or equal to a threshold value.

13. A machine comprising;

an implement comprising a boom coupled to the machine, a stick coupled to the boom, and a work tool coupled to the stick;

one or more implement sensors configured to monitor one or more implement parameters associated with the implement, wherein the one or more implement parameters include one or more of an angle between the stick and work tool, an angle between the boom and the machine, an angle between the stick and the boom, a length of the boom, or a length of the stick;

one or more object detection modules configured to detect at least one object proximal to the machine and generate a signal including position data associated with the at least one object, the position data including a distance between the machine and the at least one object; and

a controller communicably coupled to the one or more implement sensors and the one or more object detection modules, the controller being configured to:

receive the one or more implement parameters associated with the implement, from the one or more implement sensors;

determine a range of movement of the implement based on the one or more implement parameters;

detect, using the one or more object detection modules, whether at least one object is located within the range of movement of the implement based on the position data associated with the at least one object;

display, on a three-dimensional augmented reality display implemented on a window of the machine, a three-dimensional augmented reality representation of the determined range of movement of the implement with a three-dimensional augmented reality representation indicative of whether the at least one object is located within the range of movement of the implement;

detect one or more changes to at least one implement parameter of the one or more implement parameters;

determine an updated range of movement of the implement based on the detected one or more changes;

determine, using the one or more object detection modules, whether the at least one object is located within the updated range of movement of the implement; and

display, on the three-dimensional augmented reality display, a three-dimensional augmented reality representation of the updated range of movement of the implement with an updated three-dimensional augmented reality representation indicative of whether the at least one object is located within the updated range of movement of the implement.

14. The machine of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to detect that the at least one object is located within the range of movement of the implement when the distance between the at least one object and the machine is less than or equal to a threshold value.

15. The machine of claim 13 , wherein the range of movement of the implement is a swing path of the implement and wherein the controller is configured to determine a radius of the swing path based on the one or more implement parameters.

16. The machine of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive updated position data associated with the at least one object, using the one or more object detection modules, the updated position data including an updated distance between the at least one object and the machine; and

display, on the three-dimensional augmented reality display, the updated three-dimensional augmented reality representation indicative of the at least one object located within the updated range of movement of the implement based on the updated position data and when the updated distance is less than or equal to a threshold value.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2017
From: PETRANY, PETER; HUSTED, DOUGLAS JAY
To: CATERPILLAR INC.
Reel/Frame 044468/0467 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190194913A1 · Jun 27, 2019
Cited By (2)
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