Apparatus and method for intelligent grade control on a grading machine

Abstract

A grading machine and method for grading a ground surface including a machine body, a drawbar frame coupled to the machine body, a movable grading device coupled to the drawbar frame, a drive arrangement coupled to the drawbar frame and a circle member, a pitch frame coupled to the circle member, a movable grading device coupled to the pitch frame, a right lift linkage arrangement, a left lift linkage arrangement, a circle member side shift linkage arrangement, a grading device side shift linkage, a pitch actuator, a user interface, and a control system. The control system is configured to receive an input command from the user interface for a target grading device movement and adjust one or more of the right lift actuator, the left lift actuator, the side shift actuator, and the drive arrangement to achieve the target grading device movement using a first control pattern or a second control pattern.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A grading machine for grading a ground surface comprising:
 a machine body;   a drawbar frame coupled to the machine body;   a circle member coupled to the drawbar frame;   a pitch frame coupled to the circle member;   a movable grading device coupled to the pitch frame, the movable grading device including a top portion, a lower portion, a left reference point in a left portion and a right reference point in a right portion;   a drive arrangement coupled to the drawbar frame and the circle member for rotation thereof about a circle axis;   a right lift linkage arrangement coupled to the drawbar frame for lifting the right portion of the drawbar frame with a right lift actuator;   a left lift linkage arrangement coupled to the drawbar frame for lifting the left portion of the drawbar frame with a left lift actuator;   a circle member side shift linkage arrangement coupled to the drawbar frame for side shifting the drawbar frame with a circle member side shift actuator;   a grading device side shift actuator;   a pitch actuator coupled to the top portion of the movable grading device;   a user interface; and   a control system configured to receive an input command from the user interface for a target grading device movement and extend or retract one or more of a right lift actuator, a left lift actuator, a circle member side shift actuator, a grading device side shift actuator and the drive arrangement in a timed relationship to achieve the target grading device movement using a first control pattern or a second control pattern.   
     
     
         2 . The grading machine of  claim 1  wherein the first control pattern is performed with the input command for each actuator and the second control pattern is performed with the input command for at least one actuator and a computation of automatically adjusting at least one other actuator to achieve the target grading device movement. 
     
     
         3 . The grading machine of  claim 1  wherein the target grading device movement is a side shifting of the movable grading device;
 the first control pattern actuating movement of the movable grading device along a cross slope connecting the left reference point and the right reference point by actuating the grading device side shift actuator; and 
 the second control pattern actuating movement of the movable grading device lateral relative to the machine body while maintaining the cross slope, and a height of the left reference point and the right reference point relative to the ground surface. 
 
     
     
         4 . The grading machine of  claim 1 , wherein the target grading device movement is a side shifting of the movable grading device; the first control pattern actuating movement of the movable grading device along a lower edge of the movable grading device, the lower edge of the movable grading device defining a cross slope; and the second control pattern actuating movement of the movable grading device lateral relative to the machine body while maintaining a height of the left reference point and the right reference point relative to the ground surface. 
     
     
         5 . The grading machine of  claim 1 , wherein the target grading device movement of the movable grading device is in a direction of roll;
 the first control pattern actuating the left lift actuator while maintaining the right lift actuator stationary; and   the second control pattern actuating the left lift actuator while maintaining the right reference point at a same height relative to the machine body to achieve the target grading device movement.   
     
     
         6 . The grading machine of  claim 1 , wherein the target grading device movement of the movable grading device is in a direction of pitch;
 the first control pattern actuating the pitch actuator; and   the second control pattern actuating one or more of the drive arrangement, the left lift actuator, the right lift actuator, the pitch actuator, the circle member side shift actuator, and the grading device side shift actuator while a lower edge of the movable grading device remains stationary relative to the machine body.   
     
     
         7 . The grading machine of  claim 1 , wherein the target grading device movement of the movable grading device is in a direction of yaw;
 the first control pattern actuating the drive arrangement to rotate the circle member about the circle axis; and   the second control pattern actuating one or more of the drive arrangement, the left lift actuator, the right lift actuator, the pitch actuator and the circle member side shift actuator to rotate the movable grading device about a central axis of the movable grading device.   
     
     
         8 . The grading machine of  claim 1 , wherein the first control pattern actuates movement of the movable grading device relative to the machine body and the second control pattern actuates movement relative to a direction of travel of the machine body. 
     
     
         9 . The grading machine of  claim 1  wherein the target grading device movement is a lifting of the movable grading device; wherein the first control pattern actuates the left lift actuator and the right lift actuator simultaneously; and the second control pattern actuates one or more of the drive arrangement, the left lift actuator, the right lift actuator, the pitch actuator and the circle member side shift actuator to lift the left reference point and the right reference point. 
     
     
         10 . A grading machine for grading a ground surface comprising:
 a machine body;   a drawbar frame coupled to the machine body;   a circle member coupled to the drawbar frame;   a pitch frame coupled to the circle member;   a movable grading device coupled to the drawbar frame, the movable grading device defining a y-axis along a bottom edge of the movable grading device, a z-axis centered on the movable grading device and perpendicular to the y-axis in a top-bottom direction, and an x-axis transverse to both the y-axis and the z-axis;   a drive arrangement coupled to the drawbar frame and the circle member for rotation thereof about a circle axis;   a right lift linkage arrangement coupled to the drawbar frame for lifting a right portion of the drawbar frame with a right lift actuator;   a left lift linkage arrangement coupled to the drawbar frame for lifting a left portion of the drawbar frame with a left lift actuator;   a circle member side shift linkage arrangement coupled to the drawbar frame for side shifting the drawbar frame in a y-direction with a circle member side shift actuator;   a grading device side shift actuator;   a pitch actuator coupled to a top portion of the movable grading device;   a user interface; and   a control system configured to receive an input command from the user interface for a target grading device movement and extend or retract one or more of a right lift actuator, a left lift actuator, a circle member side shift actuator, a grading device side shift actuator and the drive arrangement automatically in a timed relationship to achieve the target grading device movement.   
     
     
         11 . The grading machine of  claim 10 , wherein the target grading device movement is a side shifting of the movable grading device;
 wherein side-shifting actuates one or more of the right lift actuator, the left lift actuator, the circle member side shift actuator, the grading device side shift actuator and the drive arrangement for moving the movable grading device along the y-axis while maintaining a central portion of the movable grading device in its position along the z-axis relative to the machine body.   
     
     
         12 . The grading machine of  claim 10 , wherein the target grading device movement is in a direction of roll of the movable grading device about the x-axis, the x-axis centrally located on the movable grading device; and
 actuating one or more of the right lift actuator, the left lift actuator, the circle member side shift actuator, the grading device side shift actuator, and the drive arrangement while maintaining a lower corner of the bottom edge stationary relative to the machine body.   
     
     
         13 . The grading machine of  claim 10 , wherein the target grading device movement of the movable grading device is in a direction of pitch; and
 actuates the pitch actuator while maintaining a height of the bottom edge of the movable grading device the same relative to the machine body.   
     
     
         14 . The grading machine of  claim 10 , wherein the target grading device movement of the movable grading device is in a direction of yaw; and the actuates the drive arrangement while maintaining a rotation about a central axis of the movable grading device. 
     
     
         15 . A method of controlling a movable grading device of a grading machine, the grading machine having a machine body and a drawbar frame coupled to the machine body, the method comprising:
 receiving an operator input command from a user input interface for movement of the movable grading device;   identifying a current angle of the movable grading device by the controller relative to the machine body or the machine body travel path;   computing a difference between the current angle and a commanded angle, the commanded angle based on the operator input command for a target grading device movement;   actuating movement of the movable grading device with a controller by extending or retracting one or more actuators coupled to the movable grading device and the machine body in a timed relationship to achieve the grading device movement to the commanded angle using a first control pattern or a second control pattern,   wherein the first control pattern includes moving the movable grading device with operator input command for each actuator, and the second control pattern includes moving the movable grading device with the operator input command for at least one actuator and an automatic adjustment of at least one other actuator based on a computation, the computation including adjustment of at least one other actuator to maintain a point on the movable grading device stationary relative to the machine body or the ground surface once moved to the commanded angle.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the actuators comprise one or more of a drive arrangement to rotate the circle member about a circle axis, a right lift actuator, a left lift actuator, a circle member side shift actuator, a grading device side shift actuator and a pitch actuator. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the operator input command is a side shifting of the movable grading device; the first control pattern moving the movable grading device along a lower edge of the movable grading device through actuating a grading device side shift actuator; and the second control pattern moving the movable grading device lateral relative to the machine body or the machine body travel path while maintaining the height of the point stationary. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the operator input command is a rolling of the movable grading device about an x-axis extending in a fore-aft direction of the movable grading device, the first control pattern actuating the right lift actuator and the left lift actuator to rotate about the x-axis; and
 the second control pattern actuating one or more of the right lift actuator, the left lift actuator, the circle member side shift actuator, the grading device side shift actuator and the drive arrangement while maintaining a lower corner of a bottom edge of the movable grading device stationary. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the target grading device movement of the movable grading device is in the direction of pitch; the first control pattern actuating the pitch actuator; and the second control pattern moving the actuator while maintaining a height of the lower left corner and the lower right corner relative stationary. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the target grading device movement of the movable grading device is in the direction of yaw; the first control pattern actuating the drive arrangement thereby moving a circle member about a circle axis; and the second control pattern actuating movement of the movable grading device to rotate about the central axis of the movable grading device.