Display-Based Control for Motor Grader

Abstract

A method, controller and system in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure provide display-based control of a motor grader for grading near a curb or other roadway marker. A blade image is displayed to the operator on a display screen showing a portion of the blade and a portion of the curb or marker, and input is received from the operator to move the blade such that a gap between the portion of the blade and the portion of the curb conforms to a target distance. The gap between the portion of the blade and the portion of the curb is monitored as the motor grader moves along the curb and the location of the blade relative to the curb is automatically adjusted such that the gap remains at the target distance. The blade image may be updated as the motor grader proceeds along the curb.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling a motor grader having a blade for grading an underlying surface, the method comprising:
 displaying a blade image on a display screen to an operator of the motor grader, the blade image having a representation of at least a portion of the blade and at least a portion of a curb adjacent the motor grader;   receiving an input from the operator to move the blade such that a gap between the portion of the blade and the portion of the curb conforms to a target distance;   monitoring the gap between the portion of the blade and the portion of the curb as the motor grader moves along the curb and automatically adjusting the location of the blade relative to the curb such that the gap remains at the target distance; and   updating the blade image as the motor grader moves along the curb.   
     
     
         2 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the representation of at least a portion of the curb is a cross-sectional image. 
     
     
         4 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the blade image is one of a camera image and a computer-generated image. 
     
     
         5 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the display screen is a touch screen and wherein receiving an input from the operator to move the blade includes receiving operator input via the touch screen. 
     
     
         6 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the displayed portion of the curb contains a plurality of features of the curb, the method further comprising receiving an operator selection of one of the plurality of features of the curb from which to measure the gap. 
     
     
         7 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 6 , further comprising displaying on the display screen a curve tracking the selected feature of the curb. 
     
     
         8 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the selected feature of the curb has a broken portion, and wherein the curve tracking the selected feature of the curb is interpolated across the broken portion. 
     
     
         9 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein receiving an input from the operator to move the blade includes receiving an input of a distance value in a distance field on the display. 
     
     
         10 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising displaying a record image identifying portions of the underlying surface that the motor grader has graded. 
     
     
         11 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the record image and blade image are displayed simultaneously on the display screen via a split screen display. 
     
     
         12 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the record image further identifies nonconforming portions of the underlying surface that have been graded while the gap between the blade and the curb substantially differed from the target distance. 
     
     
         13 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the record image further identifies nonconforming portions of the underlying surface by displaying such portions in a color that differs from a color used to display other portions of the underlying surface. 
     
     
         14 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising sounding an audible alarm during grading when the gap between the blade and the curb substantially differs from the target distance. 
     
     
         15 . The method for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising displaying a visible alert on the display screen during grading when the gap between the blade and the curb substantially differs from the target distance. 
     
     
         16 . A controller for providing display-based control of a motor grader having a blade for grading an underlying surface, the controller having computer-executable instructions on a computer-readable medium associated therewith comprising instructions for:
 displaying a blade image on a display screen to an operator of the motor grader, the blade image having a representation of at least a portion of the blade and at least a portion of a curb adjacent the motor grader;   receiving an input from the operator to move the blade such that a gap between the portion of the blade and the portion of the curb conforms to a target distance;   monitoring the gap between the portion of the blade and the portion of the curb as the motor grader moves along the curb and adjusting the location of the blade relative to the curb such that the gap continues to conform to the target distance; and   updating the blade image as the motor grader moves along the curb.   
     
     
         17 . The controller in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the display screen is a touch screen and wherein the instructions for receiving an input from the operator to move the blade include instructions for receiving operator input via the touch screen. 
     
     
         18 . The controller in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein the displayed portion of the curb contains a plurality of features of the curb, the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions for receiving an operator selection of one of the plurality of features of the curb from which to measure the gap. 
     
     
         19 . The controller in accordance with  claim 18 , the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions for displaying on the display screen a curve tracking the selected feature of the curb. 
     
     
         20 . The controller in accordance with  claim 16 , the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions for displaying a record image identifying portions of the underlying surface that the motor grader blade has graded and for identifying nonconforming portions of the graded surface wherein the gap between the blade and the curb substantially differed from the target distance during grading. 
     
     
         21 . The controller in accordance with  claim 16 , the computer-executable instructions further comprising instructions for displaying a visible alert on the display screen during grading when the gap between the blade and the curb substantially differs from the target distance. 
     
     
         22 . A system for controlling a motor grader during grading near a curb, the motor grader having a blade for grading an underlying surface, the system comprising:
 a display for displaying to an operator of the motor grader an image showing a gap between the blade and the curb and for receiving user input to alter the gap to a target distance; and   a controller configured to adjust a position of the blade during grading of the underlying surface to maintain the gap between the blade and the curb at the target distance.   
     
     
         23 . The system for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 22 , further comprising at least one sensor for detecting the gap between the blade and the curb. 
     
     
         24 . The system for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein the at least one sensor is a camera. 
     
     
         25 . The system for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein the controller is further configured to update the image showing the gap between the blade and the curb during grading of the underlying surface. 
     
     
         26 . The system for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein the controller is further configured to display a record image identifying portions of the underlying surface that have been graded and portions that have not been graded. 
     
     
         27 . The system for controlling a motor grader in accordance with  claim 26 , wherein the controller is further configured to identify, via the record image, any portions of the underlying surface which have been graded improperly.