Patent ID: 11884518
Assignee: CATERPILLAR INC.
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G | IPC B  G

Claim 0:
1. A pipelayer machine comprising:
a propulsion system;
a load sensing system;
a ranging system; and
a controller in communication with the propulsion system and the ranging system, the controller being configured to:
determine, based on the load sensing system, a load distribution between the pipelayer machine and an adjacent pipelayer machine;
determine a first distance that the pipelayer machine is to maintain between the pipelayer machine and the adjacent pipelayer machine based at least in part on the load distribution;
receive a predetermined tolerance range defining an acceptable range of variation around the first distance, wherein the acceptable range of variation has a value greater than zero;
determine, via the ranging system, a second distance between the pipelayer machine and the adjacent pipelayer machine;
determine that a difference between the first distance and the second distance is outside of the predetermined tolerance range; and
modify output of the propulsion system based at least in part on determining that the difference is outside of the predetermined tolerance range, wherein modifying the output of the propulsion system causes acceleration or deceleration of the pipelayer machine.