Method and apparatus for machine operator command attenuation

Abstract

A method for machine operator command attenuation includes the step of detecting a position of a boom, stick, and bucket of a hydraulic implement of a construction machine. Movement of the stick is detected by a controller. The controller determines if the movement of the stick will cause excavation below a desired grade. If the movement will not cause excavation below a desired grade, the controller will take no action. If the movement will cause excavation below a desired grade, the controller will command the boom to raise.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 determining a position of a bucket of an excavator;   receiving input requesting movement of a stick of the excavator;   determining whether the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below a desired grade; and   in response to determining that the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below the desired grade:
 actuating a boom of the excavator to prevent the bucket from moving below the desired grade. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 actuating the stick according to the input requesting movement of the stick of the excavator.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the actuating of the boom of the excavator results in an upward movement of the boom according to movement of the boom required to prevent the bucket from moving below the desired grade in response to movement of the stick. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving data from a plurality of site sensors;   receiving excavator location information;   determining a current state of the site based on the data from the plurality of site sensors; and   determining a location of the excavator on the site based on the excavator location information,   wherein the determining whether the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below a desired grade is based on the location of the excavator, the current state of the site, and the desired grade.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the determining whether the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below a desired grade is further based on an arc the stick will sweep in response to the input requesting movement of the stick. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the determining whether the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below a desired grade is further based on a comparison between the arc the stick will sweep in response to the input requesting the movement of the stick and the desired grade. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the arc the stick will sweep in response to the input requesting movement of the stick is determined based on a position of the boom and a position of the bucket. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 determining a position of a bucket of an excavator; 
 receiving input requesting movement of a stick of the excavator; 
 determining whether the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below a desired grade; and 
 in response to determining that the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below the desired grade:
 actuating a boom of the excavator to prevent the bucket from moving below the desired grade. 
 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
 actuating the stick according to the input requesting movement of the stick of the excavator.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the actuating of the boom of the excavator results in an upward movement of the boom according to movement of the boom required to prevent the bucket from moving below the desired grade in response to movement of the stick. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving data from a plurality of site sensors;   receiving excavator location information;   determining a current state of the site based on the data from the plurality of site sensors; and   determining a location of the excavator on the site based on the excavator location information,   wherein the determining whether the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below a desired grade is based on the location of the excavator, the current state of the site, and the desired grade.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the determining whether the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below a desired grade is further based on an arc the stick will sweep in response to the input requesting movement of the stick. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the determining whether the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below a desired grade is further based on a comparison between the arc the stick will sweep in response to the input requesting the movement of the stick and the desired grade. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the arc the stick will sweep in response to the input requesting movement of the stick is determined based on a position of the boom and a position of the bucket. 
     
     
         15 . A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 determining a position of a bucket of an excavator;   receiving input requesting movement of a stick of the excavator;   determining whether the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below a desired grade; and   in response to determining that the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below the desired grade:
 actuating a boom of the excavator to prevent the bucket from moving below the desired grade. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 actuating the stick according to the input requesting movement of the stick of the excavator.   
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the actuating of the boom of the excavator results in an upward movement of the boom according to movement of the boom required to prevent the bucket from moving below the desired grade in response to movement of the stick. 
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving data from a plurality of site sensors;   receiving excavator location information;   determining a current state of the site based on the data from the plurality of site sensors; and   determining a location of the excavator on the site based on the excavator location information,   wherein the determining whether the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below a desired grade is based on the location of the excavator, the current state of the site, and the desired grade.   
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the determining whether the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below a desired grade is further based on an arc the stick will sweep in response to the input requesting movement of the stick. 
     
     
         20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the determining whether the requested movement of the stick will cause the bucket to move below a desired grade is further based on a comparison between the arc the stick will sweep in response to the input requesting the movement of the stick and the desired grade.