Mine transportation management system and method

• US 20040040792A1
• Filed: 08/05/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Ogawa, Satoshi, Uranaka, Kyouji, Okamoto, Koichi, Nagai, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 6,988,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/382
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 41/26 Methods of surface mining machines for obtaining, or the removal of, materials in open-pit mines E21C47/00; Layouts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/00 Transport specially adapted to underground conditions mine cars B61D; transport in general, loading unless specially adapted to underground conditions B65G

Abstract

A mine transportation management system capable of reducing cost by reducing the number of transportation vehicles is provided. For this purpose, the system includes a plurality of self-propelled vehicles and a plurality of vessels each having communication means, being identifiable, connectable to and separable from each other, a loading machine having communication means, a processing facility, and a management center having communication means. The management center selects a vessel to be transported and selects a self-propelled vehicle for transporting the selected vessel based on a transportation demand signal from the processing facility, and transmits a transportation command signal to the selected self-propelled vehicle to connect to the selected vessel and travel to the processing facility.

Claims

1. A mine transportation management system, comprising:

a plurality of self-propelled vehicles each having communication means and being identifiable;

a plurality of vessels each having communication means and being identifiable;

at least one loading machine having communication means and loading an object to be loaded into at least one vessel out of said plurality of vessels;

a processing facility; and

a management center having communication means,

wherein each of said plurality of self-propelled vehicles is connectable to and separable from each of said plurality of vessels; and

wherein said management center selects a vessel to be transported and selects a self-propelled vehicle for transporting said selected vessel from said plurality of self-propelled vehicles and said plurality of vessels, based on a transportation demand signal from said processing facility, and transmits a transportation command signal to said selected self-propelled vehicle, whereby said selected self-propelled vehicle connects to said selected vessel and travels to said processing facility.

2. The mine transportation management system according to claim 1, wherein said management center transmits a travel command signal to said selected self-propelled vehicle after said selected self-propelled vehicle discharges the loaded object to said processing facility, and makes said selected self-propelled vehicle travel to a designated position and separate said selected vessel therefrom.

3. A mine transportation management method,

wherein a management center having communication means receives signals from a plurality of self-propelled vehicles each having communication means and being identifiable, signals from a plurality of vessels each having communication means, being connectable to and separable from said plurality of self-propelled vehicles and being identifiable, and a signal from at least one loading machine having communication means and loading an object to be loaded into at least one vessel out of said plurality of vessels;

wherein a vessel to be transported is selected from said plurality of vessels based on a transportation demand signal from a processing facility to which the loaded object is discharged;

wherein a self-propelled vehicle for transporting said selected vessel is selected from said plurality of self-propelled vehicles; and

wherein said selected self-propelled vehicle connects to said selected vessel and travels to said processing facility by a transportation command signal being transmitted to said selected self-propelled vehicle from said management center.