Mobile machine control system

Abstract

A mobile machine includes a tool coupled to the mobile machine by one or more controllable linkages. The machine includes a user interface mechanism configured to receive input from an operator. The machine includes one or more controllers configured to implement surface follow logic configured to receive the input from the user interface mechanism and identify a desired movement of the tool relative to a control surface, based on the input. The one or more controllers configured to implement control signal generator logic that generates a control signal to control the one or more controllable linkages, based on the identified movement.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for controlling a work machine, the system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
 generate a target control surface, the target control surface representing a surface to be generated by the work machine; 
 generate a control coordinate system referenced to the target control surface; 
 receive an input via an interface mechanism; 
 map the input to a tool transformation on the control coordinate system referenced to the target control surface, wherein the tool transformation comprises rotating a tool of the work machine; and 
 adjust, based on the tool transformation on the control coordinate system referenced to the target control surface, a movement speed of a linkage actuator on the work machine from a first speed to a second speed to rotate the tool about an operating point of the tool that is separate from a linkage pin of the tool. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the work machine comprises an excavator. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the interface mechanism comprises a joystick. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the target control surface comprises a target multi-planar control surface representing, as the surface to be generated by the work machine, a multi-planar surface to be generated by the work machine and wherein the control coordinate system comprises a three-dimensional control coordinate system having a plurality of axes. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein at least one axis of the plurality of axes is parallel to the target multi-planar control surface. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein at least one axis of the plurality of axes is non-linear. 
     
     
         7 . A control system for a work machine comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the control system to:
 obtain a target control surface, the target control surface representing a surface to be generated by the work machine; 
 generate a control coordinate system referenced to the target control surface; 
 receive an input via one or more interface mechanisms; 
 correlate the input to a feed rate value; 
 controls a controllable subsystem of the work machine to cause movement of a tool of the work machine parallel to the target control surface based on the feed rate value. 
   
     
     
         8 . The control system of  claim 7 , wherein the target control surface comprises a target multi-planar control surface representing, as the surface to be generated by the work machine, a multi-planar surface to be generated by the work machine and wherein the control coordinate system comprises a three-dimensional control coordinate system having a plurality of axes. 
     
     
         9 . The control system of  claim 8 , wherein at least one axis of the plurality of axes is parallel to the target multi-planar control surface. 
     
     
         10 . The control system of  claim 8 , wherein at least one axis of the plurality of axes is non-linear. 
     
     
         11 . The control system of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more interface mechanisms comprises at least one joystick. 
     
     
         12 . The control system of  claim 7 , wherein the work machine comprises an excavator. 
     
     
         13 . The control system of  claim 7 , wherein the controllable subsystem comprises a plurality of controllable linkages and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:
 determine, based on the feed rate value, a respective speed for each controllable linkage of the plurality of controllable linkages;   control each controllable linkage of the plurality of controllable linkages based on the respective movement speed for each controllable linkage to cause the movement of the tool of the work machine parallel to the target control surface.   
     
     
         14 . The control system of  claim 7 , wherein the controllable subsystem comprises at least a first controllable linkage and a second controllable linkage and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:
 determine, based on the feed rate value, a first speed for the first controllable linkage and a second speed for the second controllable linkage;   scale the first speed for the first controllable linkage to a scaled first speed for the first controllable linkage based, at least, on the second speed for the second controllable linkage; and   control the first controllable linkage based on scaled first speed and control the second controllable linkage based on the second speed to cause movement of the tool of the work machine parallel to the target control surface.   
     
     
         15 . The control system of  claim 7 , wherein the input comprises a first input and wherein the feed rate value comprises a first feed rate value and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:
 receive a second input via the one or more interface mechanisms;   correlate the second input to a second feed rate value;   controls, based on the second feed rate value, the controllable subsystem of the work machine to cause at least one of: (i) movement of the tool away from or towards to the target control surface; or (ii) rotation of the tool.   
     
     
         16 . A mobile work machine comprising:
 a tool coupled to the mobile work machine by one or more controllable linkages;   an interface mechanism; and   one or more processors; and   memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the mobile work machine to:
 generate a target multi-planar control surface, the target multi-planar control surface representing a multi-planar surface to be generated by the mobile work machine; 
 generate a three-dimensional control coordinate system referenced to the target multi-planar control surface, the three-dimensional control coordinate system comprising a plurality of axes, where at least one axis of the plurality of axes is a non-linear axis; 
 receive an input from the user interface mechanism and identify, based, at least, on the input, a desired movement of the tool in the three-dimensional control coordinate system referenced to the target multi-planar control surface; and 
 control the one or more controllable linkages based on the desired movement of the tool in the three-dimensional control coordinate system referenced to the target multi-planar control surface. 
   
     
     
         17 . The mobile work machine of  claim 16 , wherein the non-linear axis follows the target multi-planar control surface in a first set of directions and comprises a curve. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile work machine of  claim 17 , wherein the non-linear axis comprises a first non-linear axis and wherein another axis, of the plurality of axes, is a second non-linear axis that follows the target multi-planar control surface in a second set of directions, is transverse to the first non-linear axis, and comprises a curve. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile work machine of  claim 16 , wherein the interface mechanism comprises one or more joysticks. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile work machine of  claim 16 , wherein the mobile work machine comprises an excavator.