METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EXPLOITING INFORMATION FROM HETEROGENEOUS SOURCES

• US 20090240481A1
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Ltd. (Rio Tinto Limited)
• Original Assignee: Sydney The University of Business Liaison Office
• Inventors: Ramos, Fabio Tozeto, Hatherly, Peter James, DURRANT-WHYTE, Hugh
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system and method are described for generating a model of an environment in which a plurality of equipment units (104) are deployed for the extraction of at least one resource from the environment. The system comprises a pre-extraction or in-ground modelling unit (204) configured to receive data from a first plurality of heterogeneous sensors in the environment and to fuse the data into a pre-extraction model descriptive of the environment and the at least one resource. An equipment modelling unit (208) is configured to receive equipment data relating to the plurality of equipment units operating in the environment and to combine the equipment data into an equipment model. A post-extraction or out-of-ground modelling unit (206) is configured to receive data from a second plurality of sensors and to fuse the data into a post-extraction model descriptive of material extracted from the environment, wherein at least one of the equipment units operates to extract the at least one resource from the environment. Information from at least one of the pre-extraction model, the equipment model and the post-extraction model is communicable to the equipment units for use in controlling operation of the equipment units in the environment. The environment may be a mine.

Claims

1. A system for generating a model of an environment in which a plurality of equipment units are deployed for the extraction of at least one resource from the environment, the system comprising:

a) a pre-extraction modelling unit configured to receive data from a first plurality of heterogeneous sensors in the environment and to fuse the data into a pre-extraction model descriptive of the environment and the at least one resource;

b) an equipment modelling unit configured to receive equipment data relating to the plurality of equipment units operating in the environment and to combine the equipment data into an equipment model;

c) a post-extraction modelling unit configured to receive data from a second plurality of sensors and to fuse the data into a post-extraction model descriptive of material extracted from the environment, wherein at least one of the equipment units operates to extract the at least one resource from the environment; and

wherein requested information from at least one of the pre-extraction model, the equipment model and the post-extraction model is communicable to the equipment units for use in controlling operation of the equipment units in the environment.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the pre-extraction model comprises a spatial description of the environment.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the pre-extraction model comprises an estimate of a distribution of the at least one resource in the environment.

4. The system according to claim 1 comprising a local modelling unit associated with at least one of the equipment units, the local modelling unit configured to receive prior estimates of a region of the environment from the pre-extraction model unit and to generate a posterior estimate dependent on the prior estimate and measurements from one or more local sensors.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein the pre-extraction modelling unit is configured to fuse the posterior estimate with the pre-extraction model.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the heterogeneous sensors provide information at multiple spatial scales and the pre-extraction modelling unit comprises a registration unit configured to spatially register the information dependent on the equipment model.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein the pre-extraction modelling unit fuses data from the heterogeneous sensors using algorithms describing spatial correlations between the input data.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the post-extraction modelling unit reconciles information about material extracted from the environment relating to transportation and stockpiling of the material.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein the pre-extraction modelling unit, the equipment modelling unit and the equipment modelling unit communicate with one another to reconcile the pre-extraction model, the post-extraction model and the equipment model.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the environment comprises a mine.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the environment is selected from the group consisting of an agricultural region, a forestry region and a marine region containing the at least one resource for extraction.

12. A system for generating a model of a mine in which a plurality of equipment units are deployed for the extraction of at least one resource from the mine, the system comprising:

a) an in-ground modelling unit configured to receive data from a first plurality of heterogeneous sensors in the mine and to fuse the data into an in-ground model descriptive of the mine and the at least one resource;

b) an equipment modelling unit configured to receive equipment data relating to the plurality of equipment units deployed in the mine and to combine the equipment data into an equipment model;

c) an out-of-ground modelling unit configured to receive data from a second plurality of sensors and to fuse the data into an out-of-ground model descriptive of material extracted from the mine, wherein at least one of the equipment units operates to extract the at least one resource from the resource; and

wherein requested information from at least one of the in-ground model, the equipment model and the out-of-ground model is communicable to the equipment units for use in controlling operation of the equipment units in the mine.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein the in-ground model comprises a geometric description of the mine.

14. The system according to claim 12 wherein the in-ground model comprises resource information descriptive of the resource and selected from the group consisting of chemical, physical, geological, geophysical, mineralogical and contextual properties of the resource.

15. The system according to claim 12 wherein the in-ground model comprises a description of a distribution and grade of the at least one resource.

16. The system according to claim 12 wherein the out-of-ground model reconciles information about material extracted from the mine relating to transportation and stockpiling of the material.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the out-of-ground modelling unit is configured to reconcile material conservation of material monitored in the out-of-ground model.

18. The system according to claim 12 wherein the equipment units comprise at least one of a haul truck, a shovel, a face inspection unit, a drill, a charging unit, a survey unit and a real-time assay unit.

19. The system according to claim 12 wherein the in-ground modelling unit, equipment modelling unit and out-of-ground modelling unit update the respective in-ground model, equipment model and out-of-ground model in real time.

20. A system for exploiting a mine, comprising:

a database storing an in-ground model and an equipment model;

a communication module for exchanging data with a plurality of operation units;

a fusion module adapted to fuse in-ground information relative to geometrical, geological and geophysical properties of an in-ground material into said in-ground model in order to update said in-ground model, to fuse equipment information relative to pieces of equipment into said equipment model in order to update said equipment model, and to fuse out-of-ground information relative to geophysical, chemical and grade properties of an out-of-ground material with information about said in-ground model and said equipment model in order to create an out-of-ground model.

21. A method of generating a model of an environment in which a plurality of equipment units are deployed for the extraction of at least one resource from the environment, the method comprising:

a) receiving data from a first plurality of heterogeneous sensors in the environment;

b) fusing the data into a pre-extraction model descriptive of the environment and the at least one resource;

c) receiving equipment data relating to the plurality of equipment units operating in the environment;

d) combining the equipment data into an equipment model;

e) receiving data from a second plurality of sensors;

f) fusing the data from the second plurality of sensors into a post-extraction model descriptive of material extracted from the environment, wherein at least one of the equipment units operates to extract the at least one resource from the environment; and

g) communicating information from at least one of the pre-extraction model, the equipment model and the post-extraction model to the equipment units for use in controlling operation of the equipment units in the environment.

24. A computer readable medium, having a program recorded thereon, where the program is configured to make a computer execute the method of f claim 21.

22. A method of generating a model of a mine in which a plurality of equipment units are deployed for the extraction of at least one resource from the mine, the method comprising:

a) receiving data from a first plurality of heterogeneous sensors in the mine;

b) fusing the data into an in-ground model descriptive of the mine and the at least one resource;

c) receiving equipment data relating to the plurality of equipment units deployed in the mine;

d) combining the equipment data into an equipment model;

e) receiving data from a second plurality of sensors;

f) fusing the data into an out-of-ground model descriptive of material extracted from the mine, wherein at least one of the equipment units operates to extract the at least one resource from the resource; and

g) communicating information from at least one of the in-ground model, the equipment model and the out-of-ground model to the equipment units for use in controlling operation of the equipment units in the mine.

25. A computer readable medium, having a program recorded thereon, where the program is configured to make a computer execute the method of claim 22.

23. A method for managing an out-of-ground material within a mine, the method comprising:

storing data relating to a geometry and a geology of an in-ground material within said mine;

updating said data using input from at least one operation unit once said in-ground material has been excavated and corresponds to said out-of-ground material; and

tracking a movement of said out-of-ground material within said mine from excavation to stock-piling.

26. A computer readable medium, having a program recorded thereon, where the program is configured to make a computer execute the method of claim 23.