Single stick operation of a work tool

Abstract

An excavation machine includes a chassis, a tool movably coupled to the chassis, an input device, and a controller operative to control movement of the tool to move earth at the job site. The controller may control movement of the tool along a predetermined path based on a tool motion sequence programmed at the controller. The controller may control a velocity of the tool along the predetermined path based on a position of the input device.

1 . A work vehicle for moving earth at a job site, the work vehicle including:
 a chassis;   a ground engaging mechanism configured to support the chassis;   a tool movably coupled to the chassis and configured to move earth at the job site;   a controller operative to control movement of the tool based on a tool motion sequence programmed at the controller to move the tool along a predetermined path; and   an input device movable by an operator and operatively coupled to the controller, the controller being operative to control a velocity of the tool along the predetermined path based on a position of the input device.   
     
     
         2 . The work vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the velocity of the tool along the predetermined path to be proportional to a degree of actuation of the input device. 
     
     
         3 . The work vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the movement of the tool along the predetermined path to perform an excavation at the job site. 
     
     
         4 . The work vehicle of  claim 3 , wherein the tool motion sequence describes a sequence of strokes of the tool through the earth for performing the excavation, and wherein the controller is further operative to control an order of execution of the sequence of strokes by the tool based on the position of the input device. 
     
     
         5 . The work vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is operative to calculate the tool motion sequence based on at least one received input identifying at least one of a geometric dimension and a geographical location of a desired topographical feature to be formed at the job site, and wherein the controller controls the movement of the tool based on the tool motion sequence to form the desired topographical feature at the job site. 
     
     
         6 . The work vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the tool motion sequence programmed at the controller identifies a stroke trajectory of the tool for each of a plurality of strokes of the tool through the earth. 
     
     
         7 . The work vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one received input includes at least one of a depth, a length, a bottom slope, and a width of the desired topographical feature to be formed by the tool. 
     
     
         8 . The work vehicle of  claim 5 , further including a positioning system in communication with the controller operative to detect a geographical location of the work vehicle, the controller calculating the tool motion sequence further based on the detected geographical location of the work vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The work vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the tool includes a bucket configured to hold material, and wherein the controller is operative to control movement of the tool further based on at least one user input identifying at least one of a desired fill percentage of the bucket and a desired incursion angle of the bucket into the earth during movement of the tool along the predetermined path. 
     
     
         10 . The work vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes at least one processor and a memory accessible by the at least one processor, and wherein the tool motion sequence is identified in a code module stored in the memory of the controller and executed by the at least one processor of the controller. 
     
     
         11 . A method for moving earth at a job site with a work vehicle, the method including:
 controlling, by tool motion control logic of a controller of the work vehicle, movement of a tool of the work vehicle based on a tool motion sequence programmed at the controller to move the tool along a predetermined path;   detecting an actuation of an operator input device, the operator input device being operatively coupled to the controller; and   adjusting a velocity of the tool during the movement of the tool based on the detected actuation of the operator input device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the adjusting the velocity includes controlling the velocity of the tool along the predetermined path to be proportional to a degree of actuation of the operator input device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein movement of the tool along the predetermined path performs an excavation at the job site, and wherein the tool motion sequence describes a sequence of strokes of the tool through the earth for performing the excavation, the method further including controlling an order of execution of the sequence of strokes by the tool based on a position of the operator input device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the operator input device includes a joystick movable in a first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction, wherein the sequence of strokes are executed in sequential order based on movement of the joystick in the first direction and the sequence of strokes are executed in reverse sequential order based on movement of the joystick in the second direction. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further including:
 receiving at least one user input identifying at least one of a geometric dimension and a geographical location of a desired topographical feature to be formed at the job site; and   calculating the tool motion sequence based on the at least one user input, the controller controlling the movement of the tool based on the tool motion sequence to form the desired topographical feature at the job site.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the tool motion sequence identifies a stroke trajectory of the tool for each of a plurality of strokes of the tool through the earth. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the tool includes a bucket configured to hold material, the method further including:
 receiving at least one user input identifying at least one of a desired fill percentage of the bucket and a desired incursion angle of the bucket into the earth for each stroke of the tool, wherein the controlling the movement of the tool is further based on the at least one of the desired fill percentage and the desired incursion angle.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the work vehicle includes a positioning system in communication with the controller operative to detect a geographical location of the work vehicle, the calculating the tool motion sequence being further based on the detected geographical location of the work vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further including starting the movement of the tool along the predetermined path based on the tool motion sequence upon detection of a movement of the operator input device. 
     
     
         20 . A work vehicle for moving earth at a job site, the work vehicle including:
 a chassis;   a ground engaging mechanism configured to support the chassis;   a tool movably coupled to the chassis and configured to move earth at the job site;   a controller programmed to move the tool from a first position to a second position along a predetermined path; and   an operator input device in communication with the controller to adjust a rate at which the tool moves from the first position to the second position.   
     
     
         21 . The work vehicle of  claim 20 , wherein the controller controls the rate at which the tool moves from the first position to the second position to be proportional to a degree of actuation of the operator input device. 
     
     
         22 . The work vehicle of  claim 20 , wherein the controller is operative to calculate the predetermined path based on at least one received input identifying at least one of a geometric dimension and a geographical location of a desired topographical feature to be formed at the job site, and wherein the controller is operative to move the tool along the predetermined path to form the desired topographical feature at the job site. 
     
     
         23 . The work vehicle of  claim 22 , wherein a tool motion sequence programmed at the controller identifies the predetermined path, and wherein the tool motion sequence identifies a stroke trajectory of the tool for each of a plurality of strokes of the tool through the earth to identify the predetermined path. 
     
     
         24 . The work vehicle of  claim 20 , wherein the tool includes an excavation bucket configured to hold material, and wherein the controller calculates the predetermined path based on at least one user input identifying at least one of a desired fill percentage of the excavation bucket and a desired incursion angle of the excavation bucket into the earth. 
     
     
         25 . The work vehicle of  claim 20 , wherein the controller is programmed to initiate movement of the tool from the first position to the second position upon detection by the controller of a movement of the operator input device.