system and method for controlling an autonomous worksite

• US 20100114808A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Mintah, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

A control system is disclosed for providing a control decision to an autonomous worksite. The control system may include a communication interface configured to collect information related to an index of the autonomous worksite. The control system may also include a storage device configured to store the collected information and a plurality of constraint models. Each constraint model may characterize the mathematical relationship between the index and at least one control variable. The control system may further include a processor coupled to the communication interface and the storage device. The processor may be configured to build an optimization model for optimizing the index, based on the plurality of constraint models and the collected information. The processor may be further configured to determine the at least one control variable associated with the autonomous worksite by solving the optimization model. The processor may also be configured to make a control decision based on the determined control variable, and provide the control decision to the autonomous worksite.

Claims

1. A control system for providing a control decision to an autonomous worksite, comprising:

a communication interface configured to collect information related to an index of the autonomous worksite;

a storage device configured to store the collected information and a plurality of constraint models, wherein each constraint model characterizes a mathematical relationship between the index and at least one control variable; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and the storage device, wherein the processor is configured to;

build an optimization model for optimizing the index, based on the plurality of constraint models and the collected information;

determine the at least one control variable associated with the autonomous worksite by solving the optimization model;

make a control decision based on the determined control variable; and

provide the control decision to the autonomous worksite.

2. The control system of claim 1, further including a user input interface configured to receive a user specified control decision, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate a value of the index based on the user specified control decision;

determine an optimized value of the index based on the control decision determined by the processor; and

compare the calculated value with the optimized value.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to override the control decision with the user specified control decision.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous worksite is a mining worksite having a plurality of mining trucks thereon, including:

a plurality of hauler trucks configured to haul materials from the mining worksite; and

a plurality of utility trucks configured to maintain a haul road.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein the collected information includes economic market information and autonomous worksite information.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the economic market information includes a commodity price of the materials hauled from the mining worksite.

7. The control system of claim 5, wherein autonomous worksite information includes at least one of an overall site velocity of the plurality of mining trucks, number of trucks dispatched, operating and maintenance costs of the mining trucks, and inventory size of the materials hauled from the mining worksite.

8. The control system of claim 5, wherein the communication interface includes a network interface configured to collect the economic market information from an Internet.

9. The control system of claim 5, wherein the communication interface includes a satellite communication interface configured to collect the economic market information from a satellite.

10. The control system of claim 4, wherein the index is one of productivity, profitability and efficiency of the autonomous worksite.

11. The control system of claim 4, wherein the control variable includes at least one of a truck dispatch rate and an overall site velocity of the plurality of trucks.

12. The control system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of constraint models include at least one of a productivity-site velocity model, a productivity-repair frequency model, a profitability-commodity model, and a haul truck dispatch model.

13. A method for providing a decision to an autonomous worksite, the method comprising:

collecting information related to an index of the autonomous worksite;

building an optimization model for optimizing the index based on a plurality of constraint models and the collected information, wherein each constraint model characterizes a mathematical relationship between the index and at least one control variable;

determining the at least one control variable by solving the optimization model;

making a control decision based on the determined control variable; and

providing the control decision to the autonomous worksite.

14. The method of claim 13, further including:

receiving a user specified control decision;

calculating a value of the index based on the user specified control decision;

determining an optimized value of the index based on the control decision determined by the processor; and

comparing the calculated value with the optimized value.

15. The method of claim 14, further including overriding the control decision made by the processor with the user specified control decision.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein collecting information includes

collecting economic market information including a commodity price of products produced by the autonomous worksite;

and

collecting autonomous worksite information including at least one of an overall site velocity, a site operating and maintenance cost, and an inventory size of the products produced by the autonomous worksite.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the index is one of productivity, profitability and efficiency of the autonomous worksite.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the control variable includes at least one of a dispatch rate of equipment used on the autonomous worksite, and an overall site velocity.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein determining at least one control variable includes solving the optimization model with linear programming or non-linear programming.

20. An autonomous mining worksite, comprising:

a plurality of mining trucks;

a control system configured to provide a decision to the plurality of trucks, including;

a communication interface configured to collect information related to an index of the autonomous worksite;

a storage device configured to store the collected information and a plurality of constraint models, wherein each constraint model characterizes a mathematical relationship between the index and at least one control variable; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and the storage device, wherein the processor is configured to;

build an optimization model for optimizing the index, based on the plurality of constraint models and the collected information;

determine the at least one control variable associated with the plurality of mining trucks by solving the optimization model;

make a control decision based on the determined control variable; and

provide the control decision to the plurality of mining trucks.