Management system and management method of mining machine

• US 10,025,313 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2013
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Tojima, Masanori, Ryuman, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): LANG, MICHAEL DEAN
• Application Number:
  US14/360,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A management system of a mining machine includes: a landmark that is placed at a mine and allows a non-contact sensor placed on the mining machine able to run at the mine to detect a relative position of the landmark and the mining machine; a storage device that registers a position of the landmark detected using the Global Positioning System; and a processing device that sets, upon the registration, a prohibited area where an entry of the mining machine is prohibited such that the position of the landmark is included in the prohibited area.

Claims

1. A management system of a mining machine comprising:

a landmark that is a structure placed at a mine and allows a non-contact sensor which is different from any Global Positioning System placed on the mining machine able to run at the mine to detect a relative position of the landmark and the mining machine;

a storage device that registers a position of the landmark detected using a Global Positioning System when the landmark is installed; and

a processing device that sets, upon the registration, a prohibited area where an entry of the mining machine is prohibited such that the position of the landmark is included in the prohibited area and the prohibited area is provided in a whole circumference of the landmark; and

a travel control unit that controls a travel of the mining machine,

wherein the travel control unit controls the travel of the mining machine to prevent the mining machine from entering the prohibited area, controls the mining machine to travel along a travel route in the mine such that the landmark is placed in a detection area of the non-contact sensor, determines when the mining machine has deviated from the travel route based on the detected relative position of the landmark and the mining machine, and corrects a position of the mining machine when the mining machine has deviated from the travel route.

2. The management system of a mining machine according to claim 1, further comprising an operating unit able to input an operation signal for registering the position of the landmark after the position of the landmark is detected using the Global Positioning System, wherein

the registration includes an operation of the operating unit.

3. The management system of a mining machine according to claim 1, further comprising a communication system that transmits an instruction signal to the mining machine to prevent the mining machine from entering the prohibited area.

4. The management system of a mining machine according to claim 1, further comprising a generation apparatus that generates a travel route on which the mining machine runs, wherein

the mining machine runs along the travel route on at least a part of a load site, a dump site, and a haul road leading to at least one of the load site and the dump site at the mine, and

the generation apparatus generates the travel route to prevent the mining machine from entering the prohibited area.

5. The management system of a mining machine according to claim 4, wherein the generation apparatus generates the travel route in a manner where the landmark is situated in a detection area of the non-contact sensor.

6. The management system of a mining machine according to claim 1, wherein whether the position of the landmark detected using the Global Positioning System is registered in the storage device is determined based on a detection state of the Global Positioning System.

7. The management system of a mining machine according to claim 1, wherein whether the position of the landmark detected using the Global Positioning System is registered in the storage device is determined based on a relationship between the position of the landmark registered in the storage device and the position of the landmark detected using the Global Positioning System.

8. The management system of a mining machine according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the landmarks installed at different places throughout the mine, each of the landmarks having their position registered in the storage device, the travel control unit controlling travel of the mining machine along a travel route in the mine so that each of the landmarks is placed in a detection area of the non-contact sensor when the mining machine is in a vicinity of the landmark.

9. A management system of a mining machine, including a central control apparatus placed in a control facility, the management system comprising:

a landmark that is a structure placed at a mine and allows a non-contact sensor which is different from any Global Positioning System placed on the mining machine able to run at the mine to detect a relative position of the landmark and the mining machine;

a storage device that is provided in the central control apparatus and registers a position of the landmark detected using a Global Positioning System when the landmark is installed;

a processing device that is provided in the central control apparatus and sets, upon the registration, a prohibited area where an entry of the mining machine is prohibited such that the position of the landmark is included in the prohibited area and the prohibited area is provided in a whole circumference of the landmark;

a generation apparatus that is provided in the central control apparatus and generates a travel route on which the mining machine runs to avoid the prohibited area; and

a communication system that transmits to the mining machine information on the travel route generated by the generation apparatus,

wherein the mining machine runs at the mine in accordance with the information on the travel route transmitted from the central control apparatus by the communication system,wherein the generation apparatus generates the travel route in a manner where the landmark is situated in a detection area of the non-contact sensor, and

wherein the mining machine is controlled to prevent the mining machine from entering the prohibited area, is controlled to travel along the travel route in the mine such that the landmark is placed in a detection area of the non-contact sensor, determines when the mining machine has deviated from the travel route based on a detected relative position of the landmark and the mining machine, and corrects a position of the mining machine when the mining machine has deviated from the travel route.

10. The management system of a mining machine according to claim 9, wherein whether the position of the landmark detected using the Global Positioning System is registered in the storage device is determined based on a detection state of the Global Positioning System.

11. The management system of a mining machine according to claim 9, wherein whether the position of the landmark detected using the Global Positioning System is registered in the storage device is determined based on a relationship between the position of the landmark registered in the storage device and the position of the landmark detected using the Global Positioning System.

12. A management method of a mining machine comprising:

detecting a position of a landmark that is a structure placed at a mine using a Global Positioning System;

registering the detected position of the landmark in a storage device when the landmark is installed;

upon the registration, setting a prohibited area where an entry of the mining machine able to run at the mine is prohibited such that the position of the landmark is included in the prohibited area and the prohibited area is provided in a whole circumference of the landmark;

allowing a non-contact sensor which is different from the Global Positioning System placed on the mining machine to detect a relative position of the landmark and the mining machine;

controlling a travel of the mining machine to prevent the mining machine from entering the prohibited area;

controlling a travel of the mining machine along a travel route in the mine such that the landmark is placed in a detection area of the non-contact sensor;

determining when the mining machine has deviated from the travel route based on the detected relative position of the landmark and the mining machine; and

correcting a position of the mining machine when the mining machine has deviated from the travel route.