Excavator dump automation

Abstract

Described are systems and methods for performing a material dump operation at a construction machine. The machine's control unit receives a first user input to activate a material dump mode. The control unit sets a fixed rotation point in a reference frame that is to be at a constant distance from the bucket pin and/or the leading edge of the bucket. The control unit receives a second user input to cause the bucket to uncurl. While the bucket is uncurling, and in response to receiving the second user input while the material dump mode is activated, the control unit generates one or more control signals causing one or more elements of the machine's arm to vertically rotate so as to maintain the constant distance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of performing a material dump operation at a construction machine, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a first user input to activate a material dump mode of the construction machine, the construction machine having a bucket and an arm that are pivotally connected via a bucket pin;   setting a fixed rotation point in a reference frame that is to be at a constant distance during the material dump operation from one or both of (i) the bucket pin and/or (ii) a leading edge of the bucket;   receiving a second user input while the material dump mode is activated to cause the bucket to uncurl; and   while the bucket is uncurling, and in response to receiving the second user input while the material dump mode is activated, generating one or more control signals causing one or more elements of the arm to vertically rotate so as to maintain the constant distance from the  13  fixed rotation point while the bucket is uncurling.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the second user input causes a bucket actuator of the construction machine to retract, causing the bucket to uncurl. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the arm of the construction machine comprises a boom and a stick, wherein the boom is semi-rigidly connected to the stick, and the stick is semi-rigidly connected to the bucket. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein generating the one or more control signals causes a stick actuator and a boom actuator of the construction machine to extend or retract to maintain the leading edge of the bucket at the constant distance from the fixed rotation point while the bucket is uncurling. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein generating the one or more control signals includes, for each time step of multiple time steps:
 determining an actual angle associated with the bucket at the time step; and   calculating a target angle associated with the stick and a target angle associated with the boom based on the actual angle associated with the bucket at the time step and the fixed rotation point;   wherein the one or more control signals cause an actual angle associated with the stick to align with the target angle associated with the stick and an actual angle associated with the boom to align with the target angle associated with the boom.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the fixed rotation point is set to be within an inner 50% region formed by parallel lines between the bucket pin and the leading edge that are orthogonal to a line connecting the bucket pin and the leading edge. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the constant distance from the bucket pin to the fixed rotation point is greater than the constant distance from the leading edge of the bucket to the fixed rotation point during the material dump operation. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the construction machine is an excavator. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first user input to activate a material dump mode of a construction machine, the construction machine having a bucket and an arm that are pivotally connected via a bucket pin;   setting a fixed rotation point in a reference frame that is to be at a constant distance during a material dump operation from one or both of (i) the bucket pin and/or (ii) a leading edge of the bucket;   receiving a second user input while the material dump mode is activated to cause the bucket to uncurl; and   while the bucket is uncurling, and in response to receiving the second user input while the material dump mode is activated, generating one or more control signals causing one or more elements of the arm to vertically rotate so as to maintain the constant distance from the fixed rotation point while the bucket is uncurling.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the second user input causes a bucket actuator of the construction machine to retract, causing the bucket to uncurl. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the arm of the construction machine comprises a boom and a stick, wherein the boom is semi-rigidly connected to the stick, and the stick is semi-rigidly connected to the bucket, wherein generating the one or more control signals causes a stick actuator and a boom actuator of the construction machine to extend or retract to maintain the leading edge of the bucket at the constant distance from the fixed rotation point while the bucket is uncurling. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein generating the one or more control signals includes, for each time step of multiple time steps:
 determining an actual angle associated with the bucket at the time step; and   calculating a target angle associated with the stick and a target angle associated with the boom based on the actual angle associated with the bucket at the time step and the fixed rotation point;   wherein the one or more control signals cause an actual angle associated with the stick to align with the target angle associated with the stick and an actual angle associated with  8  the boom to align with the target angle associated with the boom.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the fixed rotation point is set to be within an inner 50% region formed by parallel lines between the bucket pin and the leading edge that are orthogonal to a line connecting the bucket pin and the leading edge. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the constant distance from the bucket pin to the fixed rotation point is greater than the constant distance from the leading edge of the bucket to the fixed rotation point during the material dump operation. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first user input to activate a material dump mode of a construction machine, the construction machine having a bucket and an arm that are pivotally connected via a bucket pin; 
 setting a fixed rotation point in a reference frame that is to be at a constant distance during a material dump operation from one or both of (i) the bucket pin and/or (ii) a leading edge of the bucket; 
 receiving a second user input while the material dump mode is activated to cause the bucket to uncurl; and 
 while the bucket is uncurling, and in response to receiving the second user input while the material dump mode is activated, generating one or more control signals causing one or more elements of the arm to vertically rotate so as to maintain the constant distance from the fixed rotation point while the bucket is uncurling. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the second user input causes a bucket actuator of the construction machine to retract, causing the bucket to uncurl. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the arm of the construction machine comprises a boom and a stick, wherein the boom is semi-rigidly connected to the stick, and the stick is semi-rigidly connected to the bucket, wherein generating the one or more control signals causes a stick actuator and a boom actuator of the construction machine to extend or retract to maintain the leading edge of the bucket at the constant distance from the fixed rotation point while the bucket is uncurling. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein generating the one or more control signals includes, for each time step of multiple time steps:
 determining an actual angle associated with the bucket at the time step; and   calculating a target angle associated with the stick and a target angle associated with the boom based on the actual angle associated with the bucket at the time step and the fixed rotation point;   wherein the one or more control signals cause an actual angle associated with the stick to align with the target angle associated with the stick and an actual angle associated with the boom to align with the target angle associated with the boom.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the fixed rotation point is set to be within an inner 50% region formed by parallel lines between the bucket pin and the leading edge that are orthogonal to a line connecting the bucket pin and the leading edge. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the constant distance from the bucket pin to the fixed rotation point is greater than the constant distance from the leading edge of the bucket to the fixed rotation point during the material dump operation.