Patents by Inventor Peter J. Dix

Peter J. Dix 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).

  • Publication number: 20030121183
    Abstract: A skid steer vehicle with sprung suspensions is configured to lock the suspensions whenever the operator manipulates a manual control that generates a signal to move the loader arms or the bucket of the vehicle. The operator control, such as a joystick, sends a signal to an electronic controller indicating that the operator has moved the control and is thereby requesting the loader arms or bucket to move. The electronic controller responds to this signal by moving the loader arms or bucket and simultaneously locking the suspensions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Hong-Chin Lin, Peter J. Dix, Troy D. Bateman, Brian E. Felsing, Anthony J. Lamela, Daniel B. Shore
  • Publication number: 20030125859
    Abstract: A skid steer vehicle has sprung suspensions, variable displacement pumps and motors connected to those pumps that drive the wheels on the vehicle as well as an electronic controller that receives signals that indicate lateral acceleration of the skid steer vehicle during turns. The controller determines whether the lateral acceleration exceeds a predetermined value, and locks up the outboard suspensions if that value is exceeded. The signals can be provided by an accelerometer, a satellite receiver, wheel/motor speed sensors, sensors in the pumps that signal the specific displacement of the pumps (such as their swash plate position, or memory locations that contain previously calculated specific displacement commands that are used to drive the pumps to a particular displacement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Peter J. Dix, Hong-Chin Lin, Troy D. Bateman, Brian E. Felsing, Anthony J. Lamela, Daniel B. Shore
  • Publication number: 20030122328
    Abstract: A skid steer vehicle includes a chassis mounted on four sprung suspensions that are controlled by an electronic controller. The controller monitors the speed of the vehicle and locks the suspensions when the vehicle falls below a predetermined speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Hong-Chin Lin, Daniel B. Shore, PETER J DIX, BRIAN E FELSING, TROY D BATEMAN, ANTHONY J LAMELA
  • Publication number: 20030125856
    Abstract: A skid steer vehicle has sprung suspensions, variable displacement pumps and motors connected to those pumps that drive the wheels on the vehicle as well as an electronic controller that receives signals that indicate fore-and-aft acceleration of the skid steer vehicle. Based on these signals, the controller determines whether the forward acceleration exceeds a predetermined value and locks up the rear suspensions if that value is exceeded. It also determines whether the forward deceleration exceeds a predetermined value and locks up the front suspensions if that value is exceeded. The signals can be provided by an accelerometer, a satellite receiver, wheel/motor speed sensors, sensors in the pumps that signal the specific displacement of the pumps such as their swash plate positions, or memory locations that contain previously calculated specific displacement commands that are used to drive the pumps to a particular specific displacement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Hong-Chin Lin, Peter J. Dix, Anthony J. Lamela, Brian E. Felsing, Troy D. Bateman, Daniel B. Shore
  • Publication number: 20030125858
    Abstract: A skid steer vehicle has a sprung suspension system including four wheels mounted on four swing arms that are pivotally coupled to the chassis of the vehicle. An electronic controller is connected both to position sensors coupled to the swing arms to sense the position of the swing arms and wheels with respect to the chassis and also to hydraulic cylinders that control the position of the swing arms and wheels. The electronic controller determines the average position of each suspension and controls the flow of fluid to the cylinders to keep the swing arms and wheels at their proper target height when vehicle load changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Hong-Chin Lin, Daniel B. Shore, PETER J. DIX, ANTHONY J. LAMELA, BRIAN E. FELSING, TROY D. BATEMAN
  • Patent number: 6584710
    Abstract: A skid steer vehicle with sprung suspensions is configured to lock the suspensions whenever the operator manipulates a manual control that generates a signal to move the loader arms or the bucket of the vehicle. The operator control, such as a joystick, sends a signal to an electronic controller indicating that the operator has moved the control and is thereby requesting the loader arms or bucket to move. The electronic controller responds to this signal by moving the loader arms or bucket and simultaneously locking the suspensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventors: Hong-Chin Lin, Peter J. Dix, Troy D. Bateman, Brian E. Felsing, Anthony J. Lamela, Daniel B. Shore
  • Patent number: 6571902
    Abstract: A method of automatically setting an auxiliary hydraulic valve's flow rate and returning to that flow rate automatically is disclosed. The work vehicle such as a backhoe has two hand controls, one of which has a button, and the other has a thumb wheel. To set the hydraulic flow rate, one both presses the button one hand control and moves the thumb wheel on the other hand control until the proper flow rate is reached. At this point, both button and thumb wheel are released. This causes the flow rate to be saved in RAM or ROM memory. The flow rate can be varied at any time by rolling the thumb wheel up or down. One can return to the previously save flow rate by pressing the button. Both controls are preferably spring loaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis J. Heyne, Peter J. Dix
  • Publication number: 20030095038
    Abstract: A method for determining whether vehicle servicing or maintenance is required is disclosed. Vehicle information is downloaded to a remote maintenance computer via a wireless link. The information includes sensor data such as temperatures and pressures of fluid in the vehicle. The remote computer analyzes this information and determines what, if any maintenance is required. Once the maintenance is determined, the maintenance computer determines who should perform the maintenance, what supplies are required and when and where the maintenance should occur. The system is configured to schedule such maintenance for several different vehicles based on the information it has downloaded from those vehicles. the type of maintenance needed to determine the maintenance personnel, the parts and supplies, and the maintenance sites are available.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2001
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Applicant: CASE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Peter J. Dix
  • Patent number: 6498973
    Abstract: In a work vehicle that has several hydraulic actuators a system and method for controlling and scaling flow between the actuators includes an electronic controller that is connected to several hand controls that provide a proportional signal indicating how far the operator has moved the hand controls. The controller reads the hand controls and proportionally scales the total available flow to make sure the operator does not demand too much fluid from the hydraulic pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2002
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventors: Peter J. Dix, Alan D. Berger
  • Publication number: 20020087244
    Abstract: In a work vehicle that has several hydraulic actuators a system and method for controlling and scaling flow between the actuators includes an electronic controller that is connected to several hand controls that provide a proportional signal indicating how far the operator has moved the hand controls. The controller reads the hand controls and proportionally scales the total available flow to make sure the operator does not demand too much fluid from the hydraulic pump. The controller generates its own flow rate for another actuator, usually, although not necessarily based on one or two of the hand control positions. The hydraulic actuators do not all need to be scaled, however. Some devices may take priority, such as a supply of fluid to a hydraulic motor that drives a tool and need to operate at a constant speed. The controller first insures that the priority devices, if any, get their required amount of flow, then it divides up the remaining flow between the non-priority hydraulic actuators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventors: Peter J. Dix, Alan D. Berger
  • Publication number: 20020084135
    Abstract: A method of automatically setting an auxiliary hydraulic valve's flow rate and returning to that flow rate automatically is disclosed. The work vehicle such as a backhoe has two hand controls, one of which has a button, and the other has a thumb wheel. To set the hydraulic flow rate, one both presses the button one hand control and moves the thumb wheel on the other hand control until the proper flow rate is reached. At this point, both button and thumb wheel are released. This causes the flow rate to be saved in RAM or ROM memory. The flow rate can be varied at any time by rolling the thumb wheel up or down. One can return to the previously save flow rate by pressing the button. Both controls are preferably spring loaded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventors: Dennis J. Heyne, Peter J. Dix
  • Publication number: 20020084887
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling the operation of a vehicle is disclosed that includes a radio frequency transponder and a vehicle configured to respond to data stored in the transponder by preventing or disabling operation of the vehicle under certain conditions indicated by data stored in the transponder. A communications controller receives the data from the transponder, then monitors the operation of the vehicle to make sure it is operated within the limits that are stored in the transponder. By communicating with other controllers on the vehicle that are in charge of other subsystems, it receives information relating to whether the operational limits of the vehicle have been approached or exceeded, and takes appropriate action in that event. the action may include not enabling the vehicle initially, or disabling the vehicle, or causing an operator display to indicate which limit has been exceeded or approached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventors: Mohammad J. Arshad, Alan D. Berger, Peter J. Dix
  • Patent number: 6233511
    Abstract: A loader of the type controlled with an electronic digital controller is disclosed herein. The loader may include conventional mechanical components. However, the hydraulic valve is electronically controlled to provide improved motion control. In particular, the operator controls the loader with a two-axis joystick. When the joystick is moved left or right, the bucket is rolled at a speed proportional to the rate of change of the joystick position and independent of the loader arms. When the joystick is moved forward or backwards, the loader arms of the bucket are raised or lowered. When the joystick is only moved forward or backward with substantially no component of motion left or right, the controller rolls the bucket to maintain a substantially constant angle between the bucket and the loader's frame. This constant attitude control decreases the operator workload and increases control accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventors: Alan D. Berger, Peter J. Dix, Danley C. Chan, James M. Grupka
  • Patent number: 5996342
    Abstract: An anti-stall and bias control for a hydrostatic drive train system is disclosed. The system is used on a hydrostatic drive vehicle with an engine coupled to a first and second hydraulic pump. The first and second hydraulic pumps are coupled to first and second drive motors which drive wheels of the vehicle. The power to the drive motors is controlled by a control unit which output signals proportional to the desired power output from the motors. An engine speed sensor determines the speed of the engine. The control circuit reads the engine speed and determines whether the engine is in a stall condition. If the engine is in a stall condition, the control circuit scales the control signals of the first and second motor to reduce power output. A bias control is also provided to allow the vehicle operator to select greater relative power to either the first or second motor. The bias control outputs a bias signal which is read by the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Case Corporation
    Inventors: Aftab A. Khan, Peter J. Dix, Alan D. Berger, Richard L. Hall, Rich Lech