Patents by Inventor Daniel C. Ferguson

Daniel C. Ferguson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Methods and systems for controlling the heading of a mining machine
    Patent number: 10982541
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling the heading of a mining machine while the mining machine performs a cutting operation. One system includes a cutting system and a set of left and right tracks of the mining machine. The system also includes a lidar sensor mounted to the mining machine. The system also includes an electronic processor configured to receive the data from the lidar sensor. The electronic processor is also configured to determine a current heading of the mining machine based on the data received from the lidar sensor and compare the current heading to a target heading of the mining machine. In response to the current heading not being different from the target heading of the mining machine by a predetermined amount, the electronic processor is configured to control the mining machine to adjust the current heading of the mining machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: JOY GLOBAL UNDERGROUND MINING LLC
    Inventors: Lee Davis, Daniel C. Ferguson, Eric Humenay, Rick Rogers
  • METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING THE HEADING OF A MINING MACHINE
    Publication number: 20190369255
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling the heading of a mining machine while the mining machine performs a cutting operation. One system includes a cutting system and a set of left and right tracks of the mining machine. The system also includes a lidar sensor mounted to the mining machine. The system also includes an electronic processor configured to receive the data from the lidar sensor. The electronic processor is also configured to determine a current heading of the mining machine based on the data received from the lidar sensor and compare the current heading to a target heading of the mining machine. In response to the current heading not being different from the target heading of the mining machine by a predetermined amount, the electronic processor is configured to control the mining machine to adjust the current heading of the mining machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Lee Davis, Daniel C. Ferguson, Eric Humenay, Rick Rogers