Patents by Inventor Bryan T. Siegel

Bryan T. Siegel 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: 9242648
    Abstract: A system and method for enabling a machine to drive through its parking brake when in first gear include detecting that the machine transmission is in its lowest gear in a selected direction, that the machine parking brake is activated, such that the machine is stationary, and that the throttle setting of the machine exceeds a predetermined throttle threshold value. In this state, one or more auxiliary loads of the machine are dropped to provide additional torque to the ground engaging elements of the machine, such that there is sufficient torque to drive the machine through the parking brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: William E. Allen, Bryan T. Siegel, Norval Thomson
  • Patent number: 8954246
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an automatic transmission and a set of sensor inputs providing values indicating a current operational status of the vehicle pertinent to controlling the automatic transmission. The set of sensor inputs include: engine speed, engine torque, current transmission gear; and vehicle speed. The vehicle includes a programmed processor configured to iteratively and co-dependently generate a vehicle mass parameter value and a grade of incline parameter value. The programmed processor, when generating the vehicle mass parameter value and the grade of incline parameter value, uses a set of parameters including: a propulsive force driving the vehicle; a set of forces acting on the vehicle resisting forward movement, and an observed rate of change of a speed of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan T. Siegel, Evan E. Jacobson, Yanchai Zhang
  • Publication number: 20140172252
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an automatic transmission and a set of sensor inputs providing values indicating a current operational status of the vehicle pertinent to controlling the automatic transmission. The set of sensor inputs include: engine speed, engine torque, current transmission gear; and vehicle speed. The vehicle includes a programmed processor configured to iteratively and co-dependently generate a vehicle mass parameter value and a grade of incline parameter value. The programmed processor, when generating the vehicle mass parameter value and the grade of incline parameter value, uses a set of parameters including: a propulsive force driving the vehicle; a set of forces acting on the vehicle resisting forward movement, and an observed rate of change of a speed of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Bryan T. Siegel, Evan E. Jacobson, Yanchai Zhang