Distributed Mine Management System

• US 20090096637A1
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Modular Mining Systems Incorporated (Komatsu)
• Original Assignee: Modular Mining Systems Incorporated (Komatsu)
• Inventors: Villarreal Antelo, Marco Antonio, Wilson, Robert Arthur JR., White, James William, Olson, Jonathan P.
• Application Number:
  US12/132,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20090096637A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/993
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• 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

A distributed mine management system contains a central computer having a first database controlled by a first controller. At least one mobile computer is in communication with a piece of mobile equipment. Each of the mobile computers has a second database controlled by a second controller. The mobile computers store high, medium and low priority data about the status of the mobile equipment in the second database according to the priority of the information. The mine management system includes a remote worksite computer and an intermittent communication path between the remote worksite computer and the central computer. A wireless communication network enables communication between the first controller and the second controller, wherein said mobile computer is operable independent of the first logic unit.

Claims

1. A distributed mine management system comprising:

at least one piece of mobile equipment;

a central computer having a central database controlled by a mine control unit;

at least one mobile computer in communication with the mobile equipment, the mobile computer having a mobile database controlled by a mobile control unit;

at least one wireless communication device enabling communication between said mine control unit and said mobile control unit, wherein said mobile computer unit is operable independent of the mine control unit; and

a remote worksite computer having an intermittent data communication path with said central computer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said intermittent data communication path includes a mobile hotspot.

3. A method for managing the movement of equipment at a mine site, said method comprising:

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

storing information regarding the status of the mobile equipment on the mobile computer joined to the mobile equipment, where storing information regarding the status of the mobile equipment on the mobile computer joined to the mobile equipment comprises identifying high, medium and low priority data regarding the status of the mobile equipment and storing high, medium and low priority information regarding the status of the mobile equipment;

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

receiving instruction from the central computer at the mobile computer;

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

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

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising synchronizing a plurality of data stored in the mobile computer unit with a plurality of data stored in the central computer wherein high priority information regarding the status of the mobile equipment is synchronized first, followed by medium priority information regarding the status of the mobile equipment, followed by low priority information regarding the status of mobile equipment.

5. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium, said computer program product being useable with a programmable computer processor to track mobile equipment at a site, said computer program product comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

tracking information regarding a status of the mobile equipment with a mobile computer in communication with the mobile equipment;

storing information regarding the status of the mobile equipment on the mobile computer joined to the mobile equipment, where storing information regarding the status of the mobile equipment on the mobile computer joined to the mobile equipment comprises identifying high, medium and low priority data regarding the status of the mobile equipment and storing high, medium and low priority information regarding the status of the mobile equipment;

transmitting information regarding the status of the mobile equipment from the mobile computer in communication with the mobile equipment to a central computer;

receiving instruction from the central computer at the mobile computer;

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

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

6. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising the program step of synchronize a plurality of data stored in the mobile computer unit with a plurality of data stored in the central computer wherein high priority information regarding the status of the mobile equipment is synchronized first, followed by medium priority information regarding the status of the mobile equipment, followed by low priority information regarding the status of mobile equipment.