COMPUTERIZED MINE PRODUCTION SYSTEM

• US 20070135137A1
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems Mining Incorporated (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Jigsaw Technologies Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: OLSON, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,941,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

The system contains a central computer unit having a first database controlled by a first logic unit. At least one mobile computer unit is joined with the mobile equipment. Each of the mobile computer units has a second database controlled by a second logic unit. At least one wireless communication device enables communication between said first logic unit and said second logic unit, wherein said mobile computer unit is operable independent of the first logic unit.

Claims

1. A system for tracking mobile equipment at a site comprising:

a central computer unit having a first database controlled by a first logic unit;

at least one mobile computer unit joined with the mobile equipment, each of the mobile computer units having a second database controlled by a second logic unit;

at least one wireless communication device enabling communication between said first logic unit and said second logic unit, wherein said mobile computer unit is operable independent of the first logic unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the site comprises a mining site.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an access point in communication with the central computer unit and in communication with the Internet, wherein the second database is accessible through the Internet, the access point, and the central computer unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication devices enable communication between a plurality of second logic units.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a central SQL server in communication with the first logic unit and a mobile SQL server in communication with the second logic unit, whereby the first logic unit issues commands to the second logic unit through the servers.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a messaging and database replication server in communication with the first logic unit and a message and database replication client in communication with the second logic unit, whereby the messaging and database replication client uploads local changes to the messaging and database replication server, which changes are communicated to the first logic unit.

7. A method for tracking mobile equipment at a site, said method comprising the steps of:

tracking information regarding a status of the mobile equipment with a mobile computer unit joined to the mobile equipment;

storing information regarding the status of the mobile equipment on the mobile computer unit joined to the mobile equipment; and

transmitting information regarding the status of the mobile equipment from the mobile computer unit joined to the mobile equipment to a central computer unit.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

receiving instruction from the central computer unit at the mobile computer unit;

interrupting communication between the central computer unit and the mobile computer unit; and

directing the mobile equipment to act with the mobile computer unit based on the received instruction while communication is interrupted.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of synchronizing a plurality of data stored in the mobile computer unit with a plurality of data stored in the central computer unit.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of tracking information further comprises tracking a location of the mobile equipment.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of tracking information further comprises tracking functionality data of the mobile equipment.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising predicting an arrival time for a predetermined destination using the mobile computer unit;

and relaying the predicted arrival time to the central computer unit.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising assigning tasks for mobile equipment comprising the steps of:

creating an assignment set including an ordered queue of the mobile equipment assigned to each loading unit;

finding a neediest path which minimizes (mobile equipment travel time)*((average feed rate of the path)-(target feed rate for the path);

evaluating cost for allocating each unallocated truck to the path; and

for the smallest total truck value for cost, allocating one of the mobile equipment to the assignment set.

14. A system for tracking mobile equipment at a site comprising:

means for tracking information regarding a status of the mobile equipment;

means for storing information regarding the status of the mobile equipment on the mobile equipment; and

means for transmitting information regarding the status of the mobile equipment from the mobile equipment to a central computer unit.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for receiving instruction from the central computer unit at the mobile equipment;

interrupting communication between the central computer unit and the mobile equipment; and

directing the mobile equipment to act based on the received instruction while communication is interrupted.

16. A method for assigning tasks for mobile equipment, said method comprising the steps of:

creating an assignment set including an ordered queue of the mobile equipment assigned to each loading unit;

finding a neediest path which minimizes (mobile equipment travel time)*((average feed rate of the path)-(target feed rate for the path);

evaluating cost for allocating each unallocated truck to the path; and

for the smallest total truck value for cost, allocating one of the mobile equipment to the assignment set.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code dispersed therein for tracking mobile equipment at a site, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

tracking information regarding a status of the mobile equipment with a mobile computer unit joined to the mobile equipment;

storing information regarding the status of the mobile equipment on the mobile computer unit joined to the mobile equipment; and

transmitting information regarding the status of the mobile equipment from the mobile computer unit joined to the mobile equipment to a central computer unit.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising the program steps of:

receiving instruction from the central computer unit at the mobile computer unit;

interrupting communication between the central computer unit and the mobile computer unit; and

directing the mobile equipment to act with the mobile computer unit based on the received instruction while communication is interrupted.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising the program step of synchronizing a plurality of data stored in the mobile computer unit with a plurality of data stored in the central computer unit.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the step of tracking information further comprises tracking a location of the mobile equipment.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the step of tracking information further comprises tracking functionality data of the mobile equipment.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising the program step of predicting an arrival time for a predetermined destination using the mobile computer unit;

and relaying the predicted arrival time to the central computer unit.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising the program step of assigning tasks for mobile equipment by:

creating an assignment set including an ordered queue of the mobile equipment assigned to each loading unit;

finding a neediest path which minimizes (mobile equipment travel time)*((average feed rate of the path)-(target feed rate for the path);

evaluating cost for allocating each unallocated truck to the path; and

for the smallest total truck value for cost, allocating one of the mobile equipment to the assignment set.