Arranging data transfer for mobile mine device

• US 20090069044A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sandvik Mining and Construction OY (Sandvik AB)
• Original Assignee: Sandvik Mining and Construction OY (Sandvik AB)
• Inventors: Pulli, Riku, Tamminen, Jani, Lintula, Teemu
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/525
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of arranging data transfer between a moving mine vehicle and a control point. At least two wireless connections are established for the mine device, the connections being arranged via different base stations. Substantially the same data are transmitted using at least the two connections. The data that have already been received via another connection are rejected.

Claims

1. A method of arranging data transfer between a moving mine vehicle and a control point, the method comprising:

establishing at least two wireless connections for the mine vehicle, the connections being arranged via different base stations;

transmitting substantially the same data using at least the two connections, and

rejecting the received data that have already been received via one of the connections.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data is tunnelled over at least two different wireless connections.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein an individual identifier is determined for data entities to be transmitted so that parallel data entities having substantially the same content have the same identifier,

the identifiers of the received data entities are checked,

a register of the identifiers of the received data entities is maintained, and

a data entity whose identifier is already in the register is rejected.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

checking, in response to the need to perform a base station handover on a first connection, whether a base station handover is being performed on a second connection, and

in response to a base station handover being performed on the second connection, delaying the performance of the base station handover on the first connection.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein wireless connections are established using a WLAN technique (Wireless Local Area Network).

6. A system for arranging data transfer of a moving mine vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one remote-controlled mine device,

a control system for remote controlling the mine device,

several base stations for arranging wireless data transfer for the mine device,

means for establishing at least two wireless connections for the mine device, the connections being arranged via different base stations,

means for transmitting substantially the same data using at least the two connections, and

means for rejecting the received data that have already been received via one of the connections.

7. A telecommunications unit for arranging data transfer for a moving mine vehicle, the telecommunications unit comprising a transceiver unit for arranging data transfer between at least one mine device and a network,

wherein the telecommunications unit is configured to establish at least two wireless connections for the mine device, the connections being arranged via different base stations,

the telecommunications unit is configured to transmit substantially the same data using at least the two connections, and

the telecommunications unit is configured to reject the received data that have already been received via one of the connections.

8. A telecommunications unit according to claim 7, wherein the telecommunications unit is configured to determine individual identifiers for the data entities to be transmitted so that parallel data entities having substantially the same content have the same identifier.

9. A telecommunications unit according to claim 7, wherein

the telecommunications unit is configured to check the identifiers of the received data entities,

the telecommunications unit is configured to maintain a register of the identifiers of the received data entities, and

the telecommunications unit is configured to reject a data entity whose identifier is already in the register.

10. A telecommunications unit according to claim 7, wherein the telecommunications unit is configured to transmit the data to be prioritised using at least two connections established via different base stations.

11. A telecommunications unit according to claim 7, wherein the telecommunications unit is configured to determine the transmission order for the packets to be transmitted.

12. A telecommunications unit according to claim 7, wherein the telecommunications unit comprises a tunnelling agent which is configured to transmit substantially the same data to at least two different tunnels and reject the data already received from the tunnels.

13. A telecommunications unit according to claim 7, wherein the telecommunications unit comprises means for arranging wireless connections using the WLAN technique (Wireless Local Area Network).

14. A telecommunications unit according to claim 7, wherein the telecommunications unit is configured to delay a handover of the first base station on the first connection in response to a base station handover being in progress on the second connection.

15. A telecommunications unit according to claim 7, wherein the telecommunications unit is configured to initiate the base station handover in response to the same base station being used at least on two connections of the mine device.

16. A telecommunications unit according to claim 7, wherein the telecommunications unit comprises a tunnelling server, which is configured to transmit substantially the same data to at least two tunnels and reject the data already received from the tunnels.

17. A mobile mine device comprising a communications unit, wherein

the communications unit is configured to establish at least two wireless connections for the mine device,

the communications unit is configured to transmit substantially the same data using at least the two connections, and

the communications unit is configured to reject the received data that have already been received via one of the connections.

18. A mine device according to claim 17, wherein the mine device comprises a control device for its remote control from a control server of a remote control system, which monitors the location of the mine device and gives control commands.

19. A data processing device according to claim 17, wherein the communications unit is configured to determine individual identifiers for the data entities to be transmitted so that parallel data entities having substantially the same content have the same identifier.

21. A data processing device according to claim 17, wherein the communications unit is configured to check the identifiers of the received data entities,

the communications unit is configured to maintain a register of the identifiers of the received data entities, and

the communications unit is configured to reject a data entity whose identifier is already in the register.

22. A data processing device according to claim 17, wherein the communications unit is configured to transmit the data to be prioritised using at least two connections established via different base stations.

23. A data processing device according to claim 17, wherein the communications unit is configured to determine the transmission order for the packets to be transmitted.

24. A data processing device according to claim 17, wherein the communications unit comprises a tunnelling server, which is configured to transmit substantially the same data to at least two tunnels and reject the data already received from the tunnels.

20. (canceled)

25. A data processing device for use in a data transfer system for a mobile mine device, wherein the data processing device comprises a telecommunications unit configured to establish at least two wireless connections for the mine device, the connections being arranged via different base stations,

wherein the telecommunications unit is configured to transmit substantially the same data using at least the two connections, and the telecommunications unit is configured to reject the received data that have already been received via one of the connections.

25-1. A computer program for controlling a data transfer device controlling the data transfer of a mobile mine device by executing a computer program code included in the computer program in the processor of a data processing device, the computer program comprising:

a computer program code portion for controlling the data processing device to establish at least two wireless connections, the connections being arranged via different base stations,

a computer program code portion for controlling the data processing device to transmit substantially the same data using at least the two connections, and

a computer program code portion for controlling the data processing device to reject the received data that have already been received via one of the connections.