Patent ID: 7617018

Claim:
A platform attitude adjustment augmentation apparatus for increasing platform attitude adjustment range for a platform supported on and raised relative to ground by jacks of given stroke lengths, the apparatus comprising: jacks configured to support a platform at spaced-apart locations on the ground by extending to contact the ground and to raise the platform relative to the ground; jack drive mechanisms drivingly connected to the respective jacks; a dual axis tilt sensor carried by the platform and configured to detect a platform attitude relative to Earth gravity and to transmit corresponding signals representing the platform attitude; and a controller connected to each of the jacks through their respective jack drive mechanisms, configured to receive the signals from the tilt sensor, and programmed to adjust the platform attitude to a desired platform attitude relative to Earth gravity in response to the signals received from the tilt sensor, by controlling the operation of the jacks and coordinating jack movement as the jacks are adjusting platform attitude, the controller being further programmed to: coordinate the movement of the jacks to achieve the desired platform attitude by selecting and commanding at least one of the jacks to retract and selecting and commanding at least one other of the jacks to extend; wherein selection and commanding of at least one jack to extend comprises identifying and selecting which jack is best positioned to achieve a desired platform attitude by being driven into extension, wherein the best positioned jack is the jack that is closest to a portion of the platform that needs to be raised the greatest distance to achieve the desired platform attitude; wherein selection and commanding of at least one jack to refract comprises identifying and selecting which jack is best positioned to augment the achievement of a desired platform attitude by being driven in refraction, wherein the jack that is best positioned to augment the achievement of a desired platform attitude by being driven in retraction is the jack that increases the range of possible starting platform attitudes from which the desired platform attitude can be reached for a given jack stroke length of the at least one jack identified and selected for extension.