Typically, an asphalt paving machine includes a material feed system installed thereon. The material feed system may feed asphalt from a hopper portion of the machine to a screed portion of the machine. The material feed system may include a pair of conveyors and a pair of augers that are located adjacent to the screed. The conveyors may be configured to rotate in a direction that is generally parallel to a direction of travel of the machine for conveying the asphalt from the hopper to corresponding ones of the augers. The augers, in turn, rotate in a direction that is generally transverse to the direction of travel of the machine so that the conveyed asphalt can be distributed as per requirements of a paving application.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,255,364 (hereinafter referred to as “the '364 patent”) discloses an image generating apparatus for a paving machine, and an operation support system that employs the image generating apparatus for assisting an operator of the paving machine in identifying blind areas and obstacles that may be present in the vicinity of the machine. The operation support system of the '364 patent provides the operator with data to facilitate movement of the paving machine in relation to the blind areas and obstacles.
Although the image generating apparatus and the operation support system of the '364 patent may help in facilitating movement of the paving machine, other functions of the paving machine can also be rendered in an efficient manner to improve an overall functionality provided by the paving machine. For instance, in some cases, it may be desirable to control a movement associated with each auger and each conveyor so that the machine can perform the paving operation without much manual intervention by the operator.