Patent ID: 8162070

Claim:
A control system for a vehicle of the type including an implement moveable relative to the vehicle, the system comprising: a pressurized fluid source; a hydraulic actuator mechanically coupled between the vehicle and the implement to lift the implement; an electronic control valve fluidly coupled to the pressurized fluid source and the hydraulic actuator to control the flow of pressurized fluid applied to the hydraulic actuator by the pressurized fluid source, the electronic control valve having raise, neutral and lower positions, wherein pressurized fluid is applied to the hydraulic actuator by the pressurized fluid source to raise the implement relative to the vehicle when the electronic control valve is in the raise position, the hydraulic actuator is isolated from the pressurized fluid source when the electronic control valve is in the neutral position and pressurized fluid is applied to the hydraulic actuator by the pressurized fluid source to lower the implement relative to the vehicle when the electronic control valve is in the lower position; a sensor or a switch to generate an activation signal, wherein the sensor generates an activation signal related to the pressure in the hydraulic actuator or speed of the vehicle or the switch has an activation position and a non-activation position; and an electronic controller electrically coupled to the electronic control valve and the sensor or switch, the electronic controller being programmed to generate valve command signals based upon the activation signal or the position of the switch and apply the command signals to the electronic control valve to cause the electronic control valve to control the flow of pressurized fluid applied to the actuator to actively dissipate implement bounce, wherein the electronic controller is programmed to compare the activation signal to a predetermined threshold value or determine the position of the switch, and when the predetermined threshold value is exceeded or when the switch is positioned in the activation position, the electronic controller configured to activate a dissipation routine moving the valve between multiples positions in response to a single activation signal exceeding the threshold or the switch located in the activation position, the dissipation routine comprising cycling the electronic control valve through a series of movements including (a) at least once from the neutral position to the raise position and back to the neutral position and (b) at least once from the neutral position to the lower position and back to the neutral position, the movements creating hydraulic pulses in the hydraulic actuator and wherein during each routine at least one pulse is transmitted to each side of the actuator.