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An after-treatment device that includes a diesel particulate filter (DPF) requiring periodic regeneration includes a sensor providing a signal indicative of a soot accumulation and at least one device providing an operating parameter indicative of a work mode of the machine. A controller determines

An after-treatment device that includes a diesel particulate filter (DPF) requiring periodic regeneration includes a sensor providing a signal indicative of a soot accumulation and at least one device providing an operating parameter indicative of a work mode of the machine. A controller determines a soot level and a readiness level based on the work mode of the machine, and further classifies the soot level relative to a desired range for initiating a regeneration event and initiates the regeneration event when the soot level falls within the desired range.

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1. A machine having an exhaust-treatment system that includes a diesel particulate filter (DPF) requiring periodic regeneration, the DPF disposed to receive a flow of exhaust gas provided by an engine associated with the machine, the machine comprising: a sensor providing a signal indicative of a so

1. A machine having an exhaust-treatment system that includes a diesel particulate filter (DPF) requiring periodic regeneration, the DPF disposed to receive a flow of exhaust gas provided by an engine associated with the machine, the machine comprising: a sensor providing a signal indicative of a soot accumulation in the DPF;at least one device providing an operating parameter indicative of a work mode of the machine;a controller associated with the machine and disposed to receive the signal from the sensor and the operating parameter from the at least one device, the controller being further disposed to: determine a soot level based at least partially on the signal;determine a readiness level based at least partially on the operating parameter;classify the soot level into a plurality of soot level categories relative to a plurality of different desired ranges for initiating a regeneration event;classify the readiness level into a plurality of readiness level categories relative to different work-modes of the machine for initiating the regeneration event;correlate the soot level categories with the readiness level categories such that each soot level category corresponds to a particular readiness level category for initiating the regeneration event; andinitiate the regeneration event when the particular readiness level category that corresponds to the soot level has been achieved. 2. The machine of claim 1, further including a regeneration device disposed between the engine and the DPF along an exhaust conduit interconnecting the engine with the DPF, wherein the controller is further disposed to activate the regeneration device. 3. The machine of claim 1, wherein the DPF is disposed along an exhaust conduit fluidly connecting the engine with the DPF, and wherein the sensor is at least one of an upstream pressure sensor disposed between the engine and the DPF along the exhaust conduit, a downstream pressure sensor disposed between the DPF and an outlet of the exhaust conduit, a differential pressure sensor disposed to measure a pressure difference across the DPF, and a soot accumulation sensor integrated with the DPF and disposed to measure an amount of soot accumulated in the DPF. 4. The machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one device is at least one of a brake sensor, a transmission sensor, a presence sensor, an implement status sensor, a throttle sensor, and a vehicle speed sensor of the machine, and wherein the controller comprises at least one programmable processing unit. 5. The machine of claim 1, wherein the soot level is determined based on a percentage of the soot accumulation in the DPF relative to a soot accumulation capacity of the DPF. 6. The machine of claim 1, wherein the controller is disposed to determine the soot level by at least one of interpolating the soot level from a soot sensor table based on the signal, calculating the soot level using a soot accumulation model, and estimating the soot level based on a timer signal. 7. A method for initiating a regeneration event for a diesel particulate filter (DPF) associated with a machine and disposed to receive a flow of exhaust gas from an engine of the machine, the method comprising: providing a signal indicative of a soot accumulation in the DPF;providing an operating parameter indicative of a work mode of the machine;determining a soot level based at least partially on the signal;determining a readiness level based at least partially on the operating parameter;classifying the soot level into a plurality of soot level categories relative to a plurality of different desired ranges for initiating the regeneration event;classifying the readiness level into a plurality of readiness level categories relative to different work-modes of the machine for initiating a regeneration event;correlating the soot level categories with the readiness level categories such that each soot level category corresponds to a particular readiness level category for initiating the regeneration event; andinitiating the regeneration event when the particular readiness level category that corresponds to the soot level is determined to be present. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein initiating the regeneration event includes activating a regeneration device. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the DPF is disposed along an exhaust conduit fluidly connecting the engine with the DPF, and wherein the signal is provided by at least one of an upstream pressure sensor disposed between the engine and the DPF along the exhaust conduit, a downstream pressure sensor disposed between the DPF and an outlet of the exhaust conduit, a differential pressure sensor disposed to measure a pressure difference across the DPF, and a soot accumulation sensor integrated with the DPF and disposed to measure an amount of soot accumulated in the DPF. 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the operating parameter is at least one of a brake sensor signal, a transmission sensor signal, a presence sensor signal, a throttle sensor signal, and a vehicle speed sensor signal. 11. The method of claim 7, wherein the soot level is determined based on a percentage of the soot accumulation in the DPF relative to a soot accumulation capacity of the DPF. 12. The method of claim 7, further including increasing a frequency of the regeneration event based on a barometric pressure signal provided by a barometric pressure sensor disposed to measure a barometric pressure that is indicative of an altitude of operation of the machine. 13. An after-treatment system associated with an engine of a machine, the after-treatment system comprising: an after-treatment device disposed in fluid communication with an exhaust conduit that is connected to the engine;a regeneration device disposed along the exhaust conduit between the engine and the after-treatment device;a first sensor associated with the after-treatment device and disposed to provide a soot signal indicative of a soot accumulation in the after-treatment device;a second sensor associated with the machine and disposed to provide a work signal indicative of a work mode of the machine;a controller associated with the engine, the regeneration device, the first sensor, and the second sensor, the controller comprising at least one programmable processing unit and disposed to: determine a soot level of accumulation within the after-treatment device based on the soot signal;determine a readiness level of regeneration for the after-treatment device based on the work mode of the machine, the work mode being at least partially based on the work signal;classify the soot level into a plurality of soot level categories relative to a plurality of different soot level ranges;classify the readiness level into a plurality of readiness level categories relative to different work-modes of the machine for initiating a regeneration event;correlate the soot level categories with the readiness level categories such that each soot level category corresponds to a particular readiness level category for initiating the regeneration event; andcommand the regeneration device to initiate the regeneration event in the after-treatment device when the particular readiness level category that corresponds to the soot level based on the correlation between the soot level categories and the readiness level categories is present. 14. The after-treatment system of claim 13, wherein the regeneration device includes a flame sensor and a fuel injector, and wherein the regeneration device operates to initiate and maintain the regeneration event in a diesel particulate filter that is included in the after-treatment device. 15. The after-treatment system of claim 13, wherein the first sensor is at least one of an upstream pressure sensor disposed between the engine and the after-treatment device, a downstream pressure sensor disposed between the after-treatment device and an outlet of the exhaust conduit, a differential pressure sensor disposed to measure a pressure difference across the after-treatment device, a barometric pressure sensor disposed to measure a barometric pressure that is indicative of an altitude of operation of the machine, and a soot accumulation sensor integrated with the after-treatment device and disposed to measure an amount of soot accumulated in a diesel particulate filter included within the after-treatment device. 16. The after-treatment system of claim 13, wherein the second sensor is at least one of a brake sensor, a transmission sensor, a presence sensor, a throttle sensor, and a vehicle speed sensor. 17. The after-treatment system of claim 13, wherein the soot level is determined based on a percentage of the soot accumulation in a diesel particulate filter that is included within the after-treatment device relative to a soot accumulation capacity of the diesel particulate filter. 18. The after-treatment system of claim 17, further including a barometric pressure sensor providing a barometric pressure signal indicative of an altitude of operation of the machine, wherein the controller is further disposed to receive the barometric pressure signal and calculate the soot accumulation capacity of the diesel particulate filter based on the altitude of operation of the machine. 19. The after-treatment system of claim 13, wherein the controller is disposed to determine the soot level by at least one of interpolating the soot level from a soot sensor table based on the soot signal, calculating the soot level using a soot accumulation model, and estimating the soot level based on a timer signal and wherein the timer signal includes information indicative of the elapsed time from a prior regeneration event. 20. The after-treatment system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further disposed to adjust at least one of a speed and a load of the engine during the regeneration event such that a flow of air is provided to the regeneration device in a predetermined rate via a conduit fluidly connecting the regeneration device with an intake manifold of the engine. 21. The after-treatment system of claim 19, further including a mass air flow (MAF) sensor providing a signal indicative of the flow of air provided to the regeneration device, wherein the MAF sensor is arranged to operate over a range of flows, wherein the MAF sensor has an improved accuracy over a narrow range of flows, and wherein the controller is further disposed to adjust the speed of the engine during the regeneration event such that the flow of air is within the narrow range of flows.