Attachment leveling apparatus, system, and method

Abstract

A utility vehicle comprising a main frame, a movable subframe coupled with the main frame, a work tool coupled with the movable subframe by a rotational attachment, an actuator coupled with the rotational attachment, wherein the work tool rotates, by the rotational attachment, relative to the movable subframe about an axis that is parallel to a central longitudinal axis of the main frame, a position detection sensor operable to detect data related to an orientation of the work tool relative to a direction of gravity, a computer-readable memory storing operation information, where an electronic processor is configured to receive a first work tool position data from the position detection sensor about a first position of the work tool, send a work tool rotation signal to the actuator, move the work tool to a second position wherein the second position comprises a position substantially level with gravity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A utility vehicle comprising:
 a main frame;   a movable subframe coupled with the main frame;   a work tool coupled with the movable subframe by a rotational attachment,   an actuator coupled with the rotational attachment, wherein the work tool is configured to rotate, by the rotational attachment actuated by the actuator, relative to the movable subframe about an axis that is parallel to a central longitudinal axis of the main frame;   a position detection sensor operable to detect data related to an orientation of the work tool relative to a direction of gravity;   a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing operation information connected to an electronic processor, where the electronic processor is configured to:
 receive a first work tool position data from the position detection sensor about a first position of the work tool, 
 send a work tool rotation signal to the actuator, 
 move, by the actuator, the work tool to a second position, based on the first work tool position data, wherein the second position comprises a position substantially level with gravity. 
   
     
     
         2 . The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the utility vehicle comprises a wheel loader, a skid loader, a compact track loader, a wheel loader, backhoe loader, or a tractor. 
     
     
         3 . The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the position detection sensor comprises an inertial measurement unit (IMU). 
     
     
         4 . The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a work vehicle inertial measurement unit (IMU) coupled with the main frame, wherein the position detection sensor comprises a rotational sensor or a cylinder position sensor, and the electronic processor is further configured to receive a work vehicle position data from the work vehicle IMU,
 where the automatic movement of the work tool is further based on the work vehicle position data.   
     
     
         5 . The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the work tool comprises a blade, a bucket, a set of forks, or a material handling attachment. 
     
     
         6 . The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein electronic processor is further configured to
 receive a second position data from the position detection sensor about the second position of the work tool.   
     
     
         7 . The utility vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the position detection sensor is coupled with one of (a) main frame or the movable subframe and the work tool further comprises a second position detection sensor; or (b) where the utility vehicle further comprises a rotational coupler that couples the work tool with the movable subframe or the main frame, where the position detection sensor is coupled with a first end of the rotation coupler and the second position detection sensor is coupled with the second end of the rotation coupler. 
     
     
         8 . An attachment control system for a utility vehicle comprising:
 a first position detection sensor for attachment to the utility vehicle;   a second position detection sensor for attachment to a work tool of the utility vehicle;   a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing operation information; and   an electronic processor configured to:
 receive a first work tool position data from the position detection sensor about a first position of the work tool relative to a direction of gravity, 
 automatically move, by an actuator, the work tool to a second position, based on the first work tool position data. 
   
     
     
         9 . The attachment control system of  claim 8 , wherein the first position detection sensor is coupled with the utility vehicle at a first end of the rotational attachment and the second position detection sensor is coupled with the work tool at a second end of a rotational attachment. 
     
     
         10 . The attachment control system of  claim 8 , wherein the first position detection sensor and the second position detection sensor each comprise an inertial measurement unit (IMU). 
     
     
         11 . The attachment control system of  claim 8 , wherein the work tool comprises a blade, a bucket, a set of forks, or a material handling attachment. 
     
     
         12 . The attachment control system of  claim 8 , wherein the work tool is rotatable about an axis generally parallel to a wheelbase of the utility vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The attachment control system of  claim 8 , wherein the second position comprises a rotation about an axis parallel to a wheelbase of the utility vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . A method of controlling a work tool on a utility vehicle, the method comprising:
 detecting, by a position detection sensor, a first position of the work tool,   generating, by a position detection sensor, a first work tool position data,   receiving, by a controller, the first work tool position data from the position detection sensor about the first position of the work tool,   sending, by the controller, a signal to an actuator to adjust an orientation of the work tool, and   moving, by the actuator connected with a rotational attachment coupling the utility vehicle with the work tool, the work tool to a second position based on the first work tool position data, wherein the second position comprises a position substantially level with gravity and wherein the moving comprises rotating the work tool about an axis that is generally parallel to a wheelbase of the utility vehicle.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising
 displaying, on a display, a status of the second position of the work tool.