INTEGRATED AUTOMATION SYSTEM WITH PICTURE COMPILATION SYSTEM

• US 20120046927A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Ltd. (Rio Tinto Limited)
• Original Assignee: University of Sydney
• Inventors: Nettleton, Eric, Hennessy, Ross, Durrant-Whyte, Hugh, Göktogan, Ali Haydar, Ramos, Fabio Tozeto, Hatherly, Peter James
• Granted Patent: US 9,297,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/32 operating autonomously
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/205 Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles E02F3/8866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 41/26 Methods of surface mining machines for obtaining, or the removal of, materials in open-pit mines E21C47/00; Layouts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 17/00 Methods or devices for use in mines or tunnels, not covered elsewhere mine lighting F21, H05B
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45004 Mining
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for generating a data representation of a geographical region as an adjunct to conducting autonomous operations within the region. The method comprises receiving information specifying a plurality of localised caused zones having operation-defined geographical boundaries within the region; receiving heterogeneous data descriptive of the region; associating the received data with respective localised zones; fusing the received data associated with the localised zones into data representations of the localised zones; and integrating the data representations of the localised zones into a common data representation of the geographical region.

Claims

1. A method of generating a data representation of a geographical region as an adjunct to conducting autonomous operations within the region, the method comprising:

a) receiving information specifying a plurality of localised zones having operation-defined geographical boundaries within the region;

b) receiving heterogeneous data descriptive of the region;

c) associating the received data with respective localised zones;

d) fusing the received data associated with the localised zones into data representations of the localised zones; and

e) integrating the data representations of the localised zones into a common data representation of the geographical region.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein receiving heterogeneous data comprises receiving data descriptive of at least one equipment unit deployed in the region.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein step b) comprises receiving data relating to a mobile equipment unit and step c) comprises associating the data relating to the mobile equipment unit with a localised zone in which the mobile equipment unit is located.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the autonomous operations are for the extraction of at least one resource from the region and wherein the data representations of the localised zones and the common data representation of the geographic region each comprise models selected from the group consisting of:

a pre-extraction model descriptive of the zone or region and the at least one resource within the zone or region;

an equipment model descriptive of equipment operating in the zone or region; and

a post-extraction model descriptive of extracted material within the zone or region.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the pre-extraction model comprises a spatial description of the zone or region.

6. The method of claim 4 or 5 wherein the pre-extraction model comprises an estimate of the distribution of the at least one resource in the zone or region.

7. The method of any one of the preceding claims comprising providing information from the data representations to a control system that controls the autonomous operations within the region.

8. The method of any one of the preceding claims comprising defining a hierarchical structure for the data representations corresponding to a hierarchical organisation of the localised zones.

9. The method of any one of the preceding claims comprising

receiving information specifying updated boundaries of at least one localised zone.

10. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein the geographic region comprises a mine.

11. The method of any one of claims 4 to 10 wherein the received data comprises information descriptive of the at least one resource and selected from the group consisting of chemical, physical, geological, geophysical, mineralogical and contextual properties of the resource.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the pre-extraction model comprises a description of a distribution and grade of the at least one resource.

13. The method of any one of claims 1-9 wherein the geographic region is selected from the group consisting of an agricultural region, a forestry region and a marine region.

14. An apparatus for generating a data representation of a geographical region as an adjunct to conducting autonomous operations within the region, the apparatus comprising:

a) means for receiving information specifying a plurality of localised zones having operation-defined geographical boundaries within the region;

b) means for receiving heterogeneous data descriptive of the region;

c) means for associating the received data with respective localised zones;

d) means for fusing the received data associated with the localised zones into data representations of the localised zones; and

e) means for integrating the data representations of the localised zones into a common data representation of the geographical region.

15. 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, wherein the environment is divided into a hierarchy of localised zones having operation-defined geographical boundaries, the system comprising:

a managing unit to configure a plurality of model compilers corresponding to the localised zones, each model compiler comprising modelling units selected from the set consisting of;

a) a pre-extraction modelling unit configured to receive data from a first plurality of heterogeneous sensors and to fuse the data into a pre-extraction model descriptive of the corresponding localised zone;

b) an equipment modelling unit configured to receive equipment data relating to one or more of the equipment units operating in the corresponding localised zone and to combine the equipment data into an equipment model; and

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 extracted material.

16. The system of claim 15 comprising a model compiler corresponding to the environment and configured to integrate the models of the model compilers corresponding to the localised zones into a common representation of the environment.

17. The system of claim 15 or 16 wherein the model compilers corresponding to the localised zones comprise interface modules to enable communication between the model compiler and data systems of equipment operating in the corresponding localised zone.

18. A computer program comprising machine-readable code for controlling the operation of a data processing system on which the code executes to perform a method of generating a data representation of a geographical region as an adjunct to conducting autonomous operations within the region, the method comprising:

a) receiving information specifying a plurality of localised zones having operation-defined geographical boundaries within the region;

b) receiving heterogeneous data descriptive of the region;

c) associating the received data with respective localised zones;

d) fusing the received data associated with the localised zones into data representations of the localised zones; and

e) integrating the data representations of the localised zones into a common data representation of the geographical region.

19. A computer program product comprising machine-readable code recorded on a machine-readable recording medium for controlling the operation of a data processing system on which the code executes to perform a method of generating a data representation of a geographical region as an adjunct to conducting autonomous operations within the region, the method comprising:

a) receiving information specifying a plurality of localised zones having operation-defined geographical boundaries within the region;

b) receiving heterogeneous data descriptive of the region;

c) associating the received data with respective localised zones;

d) fusing the received data associated with the localised zones into data representations of the localised zones; and

e) integrating the data representations of the localised zones into a common data representation of the geographical region.