Method and system for controlling construction machine

• US 20060198700A1
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Maier, Jurgen, Petschko, Hansjorg
• Application Number:
  US11/071,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20060198700A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 404/84.1
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/004 Devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path for graders or bulldozers E02F3/841; for other soil-shifting machines E02F9/2045
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/006 by laser or ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105

Abstract

In a method according to the invention for controlling slip form pavers, it is intended to determine the positions of two reflectors arranged on the longitudinal beams of a machine frame by measuring means for position determination, in particular tacheometers, which are arranged at defined points in a reference terrain. From the position information and the measurement by means of two tilt sensors arranged on the machine frame, the positions of four points on the slip form paver or on the slip form paver screed are determined in the reference terrain. On the basis of a comparison of the determined actual positions of the four points with the required positions thereof, the slip form paver, and hence the installation height and position of the screed having a defined relationship with said slip form paver, are automatically controlled.

Claims

1. A method for control in relation to direction and vertical position of a construction machine in a reference terrain, comprising

a machine frame having a left and right longitudinal beam (1, 1′

) substantially parallel to the working direction (AR),

running gears (4, 4′

) which are adjustable in direction and height by means of final control elements, in particular cylinders, and

a terrain processing apparatus, in particular a screed (5), the terrain processing apparatus being indirectly or directly connected to the longitudinal beams (1, 1′

),

comprising the steps

provision of information about the required state of a terrain to be processed,

derivation of information about the required position of the terrain processing apparatus,

provision of information about the actual position of the terrain processing apparatus relative to the required position,

derivation of a control instruction for the construction machine by comparison of required and actual positions,

control of the construction machine according to the derived control instruction,

wherein

the information about the actual position is obtained on the basis of the determination of the positions of at least four points (A1, A2, A3, A4) which can be coordinated with the terrain processing apparatus

relative to the positions of, in particular at least two, points in the reference terrain, or

by a corresponding number of satellite signals.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positions of the at least four points (A1, A2, A3, A4) on the terrain processing apparatus are determined by:

determination of the longitudinal and transverse tilt of the left and/or right longitudinal beam (1, 1′

),

determination of the position of a point on the left longitudinal beam (1) relative to the position of a point in the reference terrain,

determination of the position of a point on the right longitudinal beam (1′

) relative to the position of a point in the reference terrain,

derivation of the positions of the at least four points (A1, A2, A3, A4) in the reference terrain.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein one reflector (6, 6′

) in each case is coordinated with the left and right longitudinal beam (1, 1′

) and the positions of the at least four points (A1, A2, A3, A4) on the terrain processing apparatus are determined by a procedure in which

the positions of the reflectors (6, 6′

) in the reference terrain are determined,

the tilt of the left and/or right longitudinal beam (1, 1′

) is determined and

the positions of the at least four points (A1, A2, A3, A4) in the reference terrain are derived therefrom.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the positions of the reflectors (6, 6′

) are determined on the basis of a position determination of at least two positions in the reference terrains in particular by means of two tacheometers (10, 10′

).

5. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the tilts of the longitudinal beams (1, 1′

) are determined by means of at least one, in particular two-axis, tilt sensor (9, 9′

) coordinated with at least one of the longitudinal beams (1, 1′

).

6. A system for control in relation to direction and vertical position of a construction machine, comprising

a construction machine having

a machine frame which comprises a left and right longitudinal beam (1, 1′

) substantially parallel to the working direction (AR),

running gears (4, 4′

) which are adjustable in direction and height by means of final control elements, in particular cylinders, and

a terrain processing apparatus, in particular a screed (5), the terrain processing apparatus being indirectly or directly connected to the longitudinal beams (1, 1′

),

points assigned for determination of the position of the construction machine

at least two measuring means, in particular tacheometers (10, 10′

), or

GPS, and

a means for providing and processing

information about the required state of a terrain to be processed,

information about the required position of the terrain processing apparatus,

information about the actual position of the terrain processing apparatus relative to the required position,

control instructions for the construction machine through comparison of required and actual positions,

wherein

coordinated with the left and right longitudinal beams (1, 1′

) is in each case

a reflector (6, 6′

), in particular a prism, or

a GPS receiver antenna (8a, 8a′

), and

a tilt sensor (9, 9′

), in particular two-axis tilt sensor, is coordinated with at least one of the longitudinal beams (1, 1′

).

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein masts (7,7′

) are coordinated with the reflectors (6, 6′

), which masts (7, 7′

) can be fixed on the longitduinal beams (1, 1′

).

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the reflectors (6, 6′

) are firmly connected to the masts (7, 7′

), and wherein the connection is effected in the upper third of the masts.

9. The system as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the at least two measuring means for position determination comprise tacheometers (10, 10′

).

10. The system as claimed in any of claims 6 to 9, wherein the reflectors (6, 6′

) or the masts (7, 7′

) or the GPS receiver antennas (8a, 8a′

) are coordinated with those ends of the longitudinal beams (1, 1′

) which are at the rear in the working direction AR of the construction machine.

11. The system as claimed in claim 6 or 10, wherein a GPS reference station is coordinated with the system.

12. The system as claimed in any of claims 6 to 11, wherein the tilt sensor (9, 9′

) coordinated with at least one longitudinal beam (1, 1′

) is arranged in the middle.

13. The system as claiemd in any of claims 6 to 10 or 12, wherein local positioning systems based on electromagnetic emission are proivded for determining the positions of teh points coordinated with the construciton machine, the receiving antennas of said positioning systems being arranged instead of the reflectors (6, 6′

).

14. The system as claimed in any of claims 6 or 10 to 13, wherein at least one laser plane generator having a corresponding receiver is proivded for increasing the vertical accuracy of the global or local positioning system.