Patent ID: 8577557
Filing Date: 2013-11-05
Classification: B60S,B66C

Abstract:
1. A system for determining when one or more jacks on a vehicle have contacted the ground, comprising: a pitch sensor operatively associated with the vehicle, said pitch sensor sensing an initial pitch angle and a sensed pitch angle of the vehicle; a roll sensor operatively associated with the vehicle, said roll sensor sensing an initial roll angle and a sensed roll angle of the vehicle; a jack extension system operatively associated with the jacks, said jack extension system extending and retracting the one or more jacks on the vehicle; and a control system operatively associated with said pitch sensor, said roll sensor, and said jack extension system, said control system monitoring said pitch and roll sensors to determine the sensed pitch and sensed roll angles of the vehicle, said control system operating the jack extension system to lower the jacks to the ground, said control system determining that the jacks have contacted the ground based on changes detected in the sensed pitch and sensed roll angles using the initial pitch and initial roll angles of the vehicle.