Patents by Inventor Ananth P. KINI

Ananth P. KINI 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).

  • Patent number: 10279930
    Abstract: A failure prediction and notification system for a work surface that has a raised contour includes a perception sensor mounted on a machine and a controller. The controller determines an initial physical characteristic of the initial topography of the work surface adjacent the raised contour, generates an electronic map of a current topography of the work surface based at least partially on the raw data points, and determines a current physical characteristic of the current topography. The controller further determines a difference between the current physical characteristic and the initial physical characteristic, compares the difference to a characteristic difference threshold, and generates an alert upon the difference exceeding the characteristic difference threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ramadev Hukkeri, Joshua C. Struble, Ananth P. Kini
  • Patent number: 10114376
    Abstract: A control system for a machine traveling on a work surface is provided. The control system includes a perception system generating data indicative of a contour of the work surface. The control system includes a controller communicably coupled to the perception system. The controller receives a signal indicative of a current position of the machine on the work surface as the machine travels along a first direction. The controller initiates a scanning of the work surface by the perception system. The controller receives the signal indicative of the contour of the work surface from the perception system and identifies a raised contour and a contour edge within a target area on the work surface. The controller determines a location of the contour edge within the target area based on the identification and controls a positioning of the machine within the target area and relative to the raised contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ananth P Kini, Matthew Johnson, Joshua Struble
  • Publication number: 20180059668
    Abstract: A control system for a machine traveling on a work surface is provided. The control system includes a perception system generating data indicative of a contour of the work surface. The control system includes a controller communicably coupled to the perception system. The controller receives a signal indicative of a current position of the machine on the work surface as the machine travels along a first direction. The controller initiates a scanning of the work surface by the perception system. The controller receives the signal indicative of the contour of the work surface from the perception system and identifies a raised contour and a contour edge within a target area on the work surface. The controller determines a location of the contour edge within the target area based on the identification and controls a positioning of the machine within the target area and relative to the raised contour.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ananth P. Kini, Matthew Johnson, Joshua Struble
  • Publication number: 20180003856
    Abstract: A failure prediction and notification system for a work surface that has a raised contour includes a perception sensor mounted on a machine and a controller. The controller determines an initial physical characteristic of the initial topography of the work surface adjacent the raised contour, generates an electronic map of a current topography of the work surface based at least partially on the raw data points, and determines a current physical characteristic of the current topography. The controller further determines a difference between the current physical characteristic and the initial physical characteristic, compares the difference to a characteristic difference threshold, and generates an alert upon the difference exceeding the characteristic difference threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ramadev Hukkeri, Joshua C. Struble, Ananth P. Kini
  • Patent number: 9298188
    Abstract: A control system is disclosed for use with a machine. The control system may have a communicating device, a locating device configured to generate a first signal indicative of a location of the machine, a sensor configured to generate a second signal indicative of contact of the machine with a berm, and an onboard controller. The control system may also have an offboard controller configured to generate a first set of coordinates of a dump target, and to assign the first set of coordinates to the onboard controller for use in controlling the machine. The offboard controller may also be configured to detect contact of the machine with the berm based on the second signal during reverse travel toward the dump target, and to generate a second set of coordinates of the dump target to correspond with a location of the machine at a time of contact detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ananth P. Kini, Joshua C. Struble, Andrew J. Vitale, Craig L. Koehrsen, Bryan J. Everett, Mark H. C. Banham, Dean G. Povey, Matthew A. Holmes
  • Patent number: 9244464
    Abstract: A control system is disclosed for use with a machine at a worksite. The control system may have an offboard controller. The offboard controller may be configured to receive information regarding a berm at the worksite, determine starting and ending points spaced apart along an edge of the berm based on the information, and determine a maximum orthogonal distance from a virtual line extending between the starting and ending points to the edge of the berm. The offboard controller may be further configured to selectively validate the starting and ending points based on the maximum orthogonal distance, and to designate a center of the virtual line between validated starting and ending points as a dump target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ananth P. Kini, Joshua C. Struble, Andrew J. Vitale, Craig L. Koehrsen, Bryan J. Everett, Mark H. C. Banham, Dean G. Povey, Matthew A. Holmes
  • Publication number: 20140214236
    Abstract: A control system is disclosed for use with a machine at a worksite. The control system may have an offboard controller. The offboard controller may be configured to receive information regarding a berm at the worksite, determine starting and ending points spaced apart along an edge of the berm based on the information, and determine a maximum orthogonal distance from a virtual line extending between the starting and ending points to the edge of the berm. The offboard controller may be further configured to selectively validate the starting and ending points based on the maximum orthogonal distance, and to designate a center of the virtual line between validated starting and ending points as a dump target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Ananth P. KINI, Joshua C. STRUBLE, Andrew J. VITALE, Craig L. KOEHRSEN, Bryan J. EVERETT, Mark H. C. BANHAM, Dean G. POVEY, Matthew A. HOLMES
  • Publication number: 20140214235
    Abstract: A control system is disclosed for use with a plurality of machines operating at a worksite. The control system may have a plurality of communicating devices, and a plurality of onboard controllers, each mountable to the plurality of machines. The control system may also have an offboard controller in communication with the plurality of onboard controllers via the plurality of communicating devices. The offboard controller may be configured to selectively assign each of a plurality of sequentially arranged dump targets for use by each of the plurality of machines based on an order in which the plurality of machines arrive at a dump location. The offboard controller may be further configured to make a determination that lanes extending to two dump targets of the plurality of sequentially arranged dump targets overlap, and selectively skip assignment of one of the two dump targets based on the determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Ananth P. KINI, Joshua C. STRUBLE, Andrew J. VITALE, Craig L. KOEHRSEN, Bryan J. EVERETT, Mark H. C. BANHAM, Dean G. POVEY, Matthew A. HOLMES
  • Publication number: 20140214237
    Abstract: A control system is disclosed for use with a machine. The control system may have a communicating device, a locating device configured to generate a first signal indicative of a location of the machine, a sensor configured to generate a second signal indicative of contact of the machine with a berm, and an onboard controller. The control system may also have an offboard controller configured to generate a first set of coordinates of a dump target, and to assign the first set of coordinates to the onboard controller for use in controlling the machine. The offboard controller may also be configured to detect contact of the machine with the berm based on the second signal during reverse travel toward the dump target, and to generate a second set of coordinates of the dump target to correspond with a location of the machine at a time of contact detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ananth P. KINI, Joshua C. STRUBLE, Andrew J. VITALE, Craig L. KOEHRSEN, Bryan J. EVERETT, Mark H. C. BANHAM, Dean G. POVEY, Matthew A. HOLMES