US-20260125874-A1 - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATED INTERVENTION BASED ON AN EFFECTIVE HEIGHT OF A WORK MACHINE DURING TRANSPORT

US20260125874A1US 20260125874 A1US20260125874 A1US 20260125874A1US-20260125874-A1

Abstract

A system and method are provided for facilitating safe transport of a work machine. During a transport stage for a work machine, wherein the work machine is positioned for transport with respect to a transport vehicle, a current effective height of the work machine is determined, for example relative to the ground surface. The current effective height may for example be based on a work implement assembly pose determined based on sensed relative positions of the various components. An intervention state for the transport stage may be determined based at least in part on the effective height of the work machine, for example by comparison to a threshold value, which may correspond to a minimum possible effective height for the type of machine. Output signals may be automatically generated to execute a specified intervention in a current transport plan, corresponding to the determined intervention state.

Inventors

Amy K. Jones
Madeline T. Oglesby

Assignees

DEERE & COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241104

Claims (20)

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising: during a transport stage for a work machine, wherein the work machine is positioned for transport with respect to a transport vehicle, determining a current effective height of the work machine; determining an intervention state for the transport stage, based at least in part on the current effective height of the work machine; and automatically generating one or more output signals to execute a specified intervention in a current transport plan, corresponding to the determined intervention state.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the current effective height of the work machine is determined based at least in part on a current pose of the work machine, the current pose being determined based on at least input signals from each of a plurality of sensors associated with respective components of a work implement assembly of the work machine.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the current effective height of the work machine is determined by: calculating a maximum height of the work machine relative to a transport surface based on the current pose; and determining the effective height of the work machine based on the calculated maximum height of the work machine relative to the transport surface further combined with a determined height of the transport surface relative to a ground surface to be traversed.
4 . The method of claim 3 , comprising, upon determining that the work machine is in the transport stage, matching the work machine to a current transport vehicle having a retrievably stored transport surface height.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein geofence boundaries are determined to define a work area for the work machine, and the transport stage is determined when a current position for the work machine is determined to move from inside the geofence boundaries to outside the geofence boundaries.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the work machine is determined to be in the transport stage based on detected movement of a frame of the work machine without corresponding movement of ground-engaging units supporting the frame.
7 . The method of claim 3 , comprising generating a model for a height of the work machine over time with respect to various combinations of inputs from each of the plurality of sensors and defining respective poses of the work machine, wherein the height of the work machine relative to the transport surface is further calculated by reference to the model with respect to the current pose.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the current effective height of the work machine comprises: determining a current pose of the work machine based on at least input signals from each of a plurality of sensors associated with respective components of a work implement assembly of the work machine; capturing images comprising surroundings of the work machine using an image sensor associated with the work machine; and calculating an effective height of the work machine relative to a ground surface based on the current pose and the captured images.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the intervention state is determined at least in part by comparing the current effective height to a threshold value.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the threshold value is based on a specified transport route or plan.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the threshold value corresponds to a minimum possible height for the work machine.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the threshold value further corresponds to a specified range with respect to the minimum possible height for the work machine.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified intervention comprises an alert generated to an operator cab with respect to the transport vehicle and/or a user computing device associated with an operator of the transport vehicle.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified intervention comprises generation of a new transport route or plan to a user interface associated with the transport vehicle and/or a user computing device associated with an operator of the transport vehicle.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified intervention comprises control signals to automatically actuate one or more components of a work implement assembly of the work machine from a current pose to a transport pose corresponding to a minimum possible height for the work machine.
16 . A system comprising one or more processors configured, during a transport stage for a work machine, wherein the work machine is positioned for transport with respect to a transport vehicle, to: determine a current effective height of the work machine; determine an intervention state for the transport stage, based at least in part on the current effective height of the work machine; and automatically generate one or more output signals to execute a specified intervention in a current transport plan, corresponding to the determined intervention state.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein determining the current effective height of the work machine comprises: determining a current pose of the work machine based on at least input signals from each of a plurality of sensors associated with respective components of a work implement assembly of the work machine; calculating a height of the work machine relative to a transport surface based on the current pose; and determining the current effective height of the work machine based on the calculated height of the work machine relative to the transport surface further combined with a determined height of the transport surface relative to a ground surface to be traversed.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors are configured, upon determining that the work machine is in the transport stage, to match the work machine to a current transport vehicle having a retrievably stored transport surface height, wherein geofence boundaries are determined to define a work area for the work machine, and the transport stage is determined when a current position for the work machine is determined to move from inside the geofence boundaries to outside the geofence boundaries.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are configured, upon determining that the work machine is in the transport stage, to match the work machine to a current transport vehicle having a retrievably stored transport surface height, wherein the work machine is determined to be in the transport stage based on detected movement of a frame of the work machine without corresponding movement of ground-engaging units supporting the frame.
20 . The system of claim 16 , wherein determining the current effective height of the work machine comprises: determining a current pose of the work machine based on at least input signals from each of a plurality of sensors associated with respective components of a work implement assembly of the work machine; capturing images comprising surroundings of the work machine using an image sensor associated with the work machine; and calculating a current effective height of the work machine relative to the ground surface based on the current pose and the captured images.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to the transport of work machines such as construction and forestry machines having ground-engaging work implements, and more particularly to systems and methods which alert drivers or otherwise intervene in the transport of work machines if the height of the work machine, namely the height of one or more components of the work implement in the transport position, may predictably result in unsafe traveling conditions. BACKGROUND Work machines of this type may for example include, but are not limited to, excavator machines, tractors, loaders, or the like having wheeled or tracked ground engaging units supporting the undercarriage from the ground surface. Work machines within the scope of the present disclosure may also include stationary frames with one or more components moveable relative thereto. Many of these work machines may further include at least one work implement, which includes one or more components, that for example may be used to modify the terrain based on control signals from and/or in coordination with movement of the work machine. Using the example of an excavator, when such a work machine is transported, the arm and bucket are curled under, and the boom is lowered so that the effective height (from the ground to the highest point on the machine) is minimized. If one or more of the aforementioned work implement components are not properly configured for transport, the effective height of the work machine may result in undesired costs and downtime. In one context, such costs may simply involve time, i.e., the need to stop and reposition the work machine. In other and more extreme contexts, such costs may relate to the work machine crashing into bridges, overpasses, signs, and other overhead objects along a travel route. It would be desirable to automatically determine an unsafe transport condition associated with a work machine, and execute or otherwise prompt an intervention to avoid such costs. BRIEF SUMMARY The current disclosure provides an enhancement to conventional techniques, at least in part by introducing a novel system and method for facilitating safe transport of a work machine from a work area, particularly with respect to transport on a separate transport vehicle where the work machine may otherwise strike overhead objects along a planned route. Various embodiments as disclosed herein may utilize existing or supplemental machine-mounted sensors and communications with remote computing/ data centers to determine work machine kinematics, machine position, machine location, and jobsite information, for the purpose of determining the need for intervention, e.g., alerting operators/ business owners/ fleet managers to the presence of unsafe travel conditions. In one particular and exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented method is provided which includes, during a transport stage for a work machine, wherein the work machine is positioned for transport with respect to a transport vehicle, determining an effective height of the work machine relative to a ground surface to be traversed by the transport vehicle. An intervention state for the transport stage may be determined based at least in part on the effective height of the work machine. One or more output signals may be automatically generated to execute a specified intervention in a current transport plan, corresponding to the determined intervention state. In one exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced method embodiment, determining the effective height of the work machine may comprise: determining a current pose of the work machine based on at least input signals from each of a plurality of sensors associated with respective components of a work implement assembly of the work machine; calculating a height of the work machine relative to a transport surface based on the current pose; and determining the effective height of the work machine based on the calculated height of the work machine relative to the transport surface further combined with a height of the transport surface relative to the ground surface to be traversed. In another exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced method embodiment, upon determining that the work machine is in the transport stage, the work machine may be matched to a current transport vehicle having a retrievably stored transport surface height. In another exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced method embodiment, geofence boundaries may be determined to define a work area for the work machine, wherein the transport stage is determined when a current position for the work machine is determined to move from inside the geofence boundaries to outside the geofence boundaries. In another exemplary aspect according to the above-referenced method embodiment, the work machine may be determined to be in the transport stage based on detected movement of a frame of the work machine without corresponding movement o