IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,655,608
Granted Patent B2
US 12,655,608 · App. 17/863,296 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Industrial machine remote operation systems, and associated devices and methods

Inventors: Terril J. Johnson (Washington, IL); Christian D. Ritchie (Morton, IL); Brad R. Van De Veer (Washington, IL); Rajasurendiran Muthu (Tamil Nadu, IN)
Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
E02F9/205E02F3/841E02F9/265G05D1/2247
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,655,608
App. No.
17/863,296
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present technology is directed generally to industrial machine remote operation systems, devices, and methods. In some embodiments, an industrial machine remote operation system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology includes a control interface including one or more elements associated with remote operation of an industrial machine. In at least some embodiments, the control interface can include one or more indicators associated with motion and/or an orientation of the machine. Additionally, or alternatively, the control interface can include one or more indicators associated with motion and/or orientation of a component of the machine, such as a machine work tool.

Claims (80)

1 . A method of improving an operator's operating environment awareness while remotely operating an industrial machine having a work tool, the method comprising:

displaying, via a display screen of a remote operating system, a video feed from a camera of the industrial machine;

receiving, at a first time and via the remote operating system, first telematics data associated with remote operation of the industrial machine;

generating, based at least partially on the first telematics data, an industrial machine control interface comprising a work tool indicator having a leading edge indicator, a right ground reference indicator, and a left ground reference indicator,

wherein the work tool indicator is associated with (i) a height of the work tool and at least one of: (ii) a pitch angle of the work tool and a pitch direction of the work tool, or (iii) a roll angle of the work tool and a roll direction of the work tool;

displaying, over the video feed, the industrial machine control interface comprising the work tool indicator on the display screen;

receiving, at a second time and via the remote operating system, second telematics data associated with remote operation of the industrial machine, wherein the second telematics data is indicative of: (i) a change in the height of the work tool and at least one of: (ii) a change in the pitch angle of the work tool and the pitch direction of the work tool, or (iii) a change in the roll angle of the work tool and the roll direction of the work tool; and

in response to determining, using the at least one of: (ii) the change in the pitch angle of the work tool and the pitch direction of the work tool, or (iii) the change in the roll angle of the work tool and the roll direction of the work tool, that the work tool is positioned at a pitch threshold, a roll threshold, or both,

repositioning, using the second telematics data, the leading edge indicator on the display screen; and

changing a visual characteristic of the repositioned leading edge indicator, the right ground reference indicator, or the left ground reference indicator on the display screen.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein:

the industrial machine control interface includes a machine roll indicator associated with a roll angle and a roll direction of the industrial machine, and

the second telematics data includes a change to the roll angle and the roll direction of the industrial machine, the method further comprising:

updating the industrial machine control interface by rotating the machine roll indicator in the roll direction by the roll angle.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein:

the industrial machine control interface includes a machine pitch indicator associated with a pitch angle and a pitch direction of the industrial machine, and

the second telematics data includes a change in the pitch angle and the pitch direction of the industrial machine, the method further comprising:

updating the industrial machine control interface by moving the machine pitch indicator in the pitch direction by a distance corresponding to the pitch angle.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein:

the industrial machine control interface includes

a machine pitch indicator associated with a pitch angle and a pitch direction of the industrial machine, and

a machine roll indicator associated with a roll angle and a roll direction of the industrial machine; and

the second telematics data includes

the pitch angle of the industrial machine and the pitch direction of the industrial machine, and

the roll angle of the industrial machine and/or the roll direction of the industrial machine; and the method further comprises:

updating the industrial machine control interface by:

moving the machine pitch indicator in the pitch direction by a distance corresponding to the pitch angle, and

rotating the machine roll indicator and the machine pitch indicator in the roll direction by the roll angle.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the industrial machine control interface includes one or more of a machine roll indicator, or a machine pitch indicator.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the industrial machine control interface includes at least one of: a machine pitch indicator, a machine roll indicator, a machine path indicator, a machine side reference indicator, or a machine drive element leading edge indicator.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the visual characteristic includes at least one of an orientation, a size, a color, a brightness, a transparency, and/or a blinking pattern of a portion of the industrial machine control interface.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising changing a size of a portion of the industrial machine control interface based at least partially on a speed at which the industrial machine is traveling.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating and displaying on the display screen a numerical tool height value.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pitch threshold, the roll threshold, or both are operator-determined.

11 . A system for improving an operator's operating environment awareness while remotely operating an industrial machine having a work tool, the system comprising:

a remote operating system including a display screen;

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

display, via the display screen, a video feed from a camera of the industrial machine,

receive, at a first time and via the remote operating system, first telematics data associated with remote operation of the industrial machine;

generate, based at least partially on the first telematics data, an industrial machine control interface comprising a work tool indicator having a leading edge indicator, a right ground reference indicator, and a left ground reference indicator,

wherein the work tool indicator is associated with (i) a height of the work tool and at least one of: (ii) a pitch angle of the work tool and a pitch direction of the work tool, or (iii) a roll angle of the work tool and a roll direction of the work tool;

display the industrial machine control interface comprising the work tool indicator on the display screen;

receive, at a second time and via the remote operating system, second telematics data associated with remote operation of the industrial machine, wherein the second telematics data is indicative of: (i) a change in the height of the work tool and at least one of: (ii) a change in the pitch angle of the work tool and the pitch direction of the work tool, or (iii) a change in the roll angle of the work tool and the roll direction of the work tool; and

in response to determining, using the at least one of: (ii) the change in the pitch angle of the work tool and the pitch direction of the work tool, or (iii) the change in the roll angle of the work tool and the roll direction of the work tool, that the work tool is positioned at a pitch threshold, a roll threshold, or both,

reposition, using the second telematics data, the leading edge indicator on the display screen; and

change a visual characteristic of the repositioned leading edge indicator, the right ground reference indicator, or the left ground reference indicator on the display screen.

12 . The system of claim 11 wherein:

the industrial machine control interface includes a machine roll indicator associated with a roll angle and a roll direction of the industrial machine,

the second telematics data includes a change to the roll angle and the roll direction of the industrial machine, and

the one or more memory devices have stored thereon further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

update the industrial machine control interface by rotating the machine roll indicator in the roll direction by the roll angle.

13 . The system of claim 11 wherein:

the industrial machine control interface includes a machine pitch indicator associated with a pitch angle and a pitch direction of the industrial machine, and

the second telematics data includes a change in the pitch angle and the pitch direction of the industrial machine, and

the one or more memory devices have stored thereon further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

update the industrial machine control interface by moving the machine pitch indicator in the pitch direction by a distance corresponding to the pitch angle.

14 . The system of claim 11 wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to update the industrial machine control interface by changing a size of at least a portion of the industrial machine control interface based at least partially on a speed at which the industrial machine is traveling.

15 . The system of claim 11 wherein the industrial machine control interface includes one or more of a machine roll indicator or a machine pitch indicator.

16 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

displaying, via a display screen of a remote operating system, a video feed from a camera of an industrial machine having a work tool;

receiving, at a first time and via the remote operating system, first telematics data associated with remote operation of the industrial machine;

generating, based at least partially on the first telematics data, an industrial machine control interface comprising a work tool indicator having a leading edge indicator, a right ground reference indicator, and a left ground reference indicator,

wherein the work tool indicator is associated with (i) a height of the work tool and at least one of: (ii) a pitch angle of the work tool and a pitch direction of the work tool, or (iii) a roll angle of the work tool and a roll direction of the work tool;

displaying the industrial machine control interface comprising the work tool indicator on the display screen;

receiving, at a second time and via the remote operating system, second telematics data associated with remote operation of the industrial machine,

wherein the second telematics data is indicative of: (i) a change in the height of the work tool and at least one of: (ii) a change in the pitch angle of the work tool and the pitch direction of the work tool, or (iii) a change in the roll angle of the work tool and the roll direction of the work tool; and

in response to determining, using the at least one of: (ii) the change in the pitch angle of the work tool and the pitch direction of the work tool, or (iii) the change in the roll angle of the work tool and the roll direction of the work tool, that the work tool is positioned at a pitch threshold, a roll threshold, or both,

repositioning, using the second telematics data, the leading edge indicator on the display screen; and

changing a visual characteristic of the repositioned leading edge indicator, the right ground reference indicator, or the left ground reference indicator on the display screen.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein:

the industrial machine control interface includes a machine roll indicator associated with a roll angle and a roll direction of the industrial machine,

the second telematics data includes a change to the roll angle and the roll direction of the industrial machine, and

the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising updating the industrial machine control interface by rotating the machine roll indicator in the roll direction by the roll angle.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein:

the industrial machine control interface includes a machine pitch indicator associated with a pitch angle and a pitch direction of the industrial machine, and

the second telematics data includes a change in the pitch angle and the pitch direction of the industrial machine, and

the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising updating the industrial machine control interface by moving the machine pitch indicator in the pitch direction by a distance corresponding to the pitch angle.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 , the operations further comprising changing a size of the industrial machine control interface based at least partially on a speed at which the industrial machine is traveling.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein the industrial machine control interface includes one or more of a machine roll indicator or a machine pitch indicator.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2022
From: JOHNSON, TERRIL J.; RITCHIE, CHRISTIAN D.; VAN DE VEER, BRAD R.; MUTHU, RAJASURENDIRAN
To: CATERPILLAR INC.
Reel/Frame 060489/0503 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240018746A1 · Jan 18, 2024
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