Patent ID: 8473166

Claim:
A method for semiautomatic control of an earthmoving machine comprising a body having a pitch angle and a roll angle and a blade having a height, a slope, and a bottom edge, wherein a plurality of external forces is applied to the earthmoving machine, the method comprising the steps of: entering a manual operational mode in response to a first user-issued command; setting the height of the blade to a user-specified height in response to a user-issued height-control signal; entering an automatic operational mode in response to a second user-issued command; receiving a plurality of pitch-angle measurements; setting a reference pitch angle, wherein the reference pitch angle is a user-desired angle; setting a control point on a bottom surface of the body, such that an absolute value of a sum of moments of the plurality of external forces about the control point is a minimum; and automatically controlling the height of the blade based at least in part on the control point, the reference pitch angle, and the plurality of pitch-angle measurements.