US 12,332,270 B2
Implement-on-ground detection using vibration signals
Jung Hyun Jun, Canterbury (NZ); Peter France, Canterbury (NZ); Alistair Baker, Canterbury (NZ); Colin Daniell, Canterbury (NZ); Alan Greenstreet, Canterbury (NZ); and Jeremy Wyn-Harris, Canterbury (NZ)
Assigned to Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC, Dayton, OH (US)
Filed by Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC, Dayton, OH (US)
Filed on Oct. 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/493,793.
Prior Publication US 2023/0106822 A1, Apr. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. G01P 15/00 (2006.01); E02F 3/43 (2006.01); E02F 9/26 (2006.01); G01C 19/00 (2013.01); G05B 13/02 (2006.01); G05B 13/04 (2006.01)
CPC G01P 15/00 (2013.01) [E02F 3/435 (2013.01); E02F 9/262 (2013.01); G01C 19/00 (2013.01); G05B 13/0265 (2013.01); G05B 13/048 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of determining a period during which an implement of a construction machine is interacting with a ground surface, the method comprising:
capturing a vibration signal that is indicative of a movement of the implement;
extracting one or more features from the vibration signal;
providing the one or more features to a machine-learning model to generate a model output, the model output including a set of implement-on-ground (IOG) candidates corresponding to times at which the implement is interacting with the ground surface and a set of implement-in-air (IIA) candidates corresponding to times at which the implement is not interacting with the ground surface;
predicting an IOG start time based on a transition between a first cluster of the set of IIA candidates and a cluster of the set of IOG candidates and an IOG end time based on a transition between the cluster of the set of IOG candidates and a second cluster of the set of IIA candidates, the IOG start time and the IOG end time forming the period during which the implement is interacting with the ground surface;
adjusting a ground surface map based on the period during which the implement is interacting with the ground surface and a path of the implement; and
generating control signals based on the ground surface map and sending the control signals to actuators of the construction machine to cause movement of the construction machine.