SYSTEM FOR AUTONOMOUS PATH PLANNING AND MACHINE CONTROL

• US 20120136524A1
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: EVERETT, Bryan J., Vitale, Andrew J., Koehrsen, Craig L., Humphrey, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,868,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/24
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127

Abstract

A control system is disclosed for use with a mobile loading machine operating at a first location and a plurality of mobile haul machines configured to move material received at the first location to a second location. The control system may have a plurality of control modules, each associated with one of the mobile loading machine and the plurality of mobile haul machines, and a worksite controller. The worksite controller may be configured to make a determination that a position of the mobile loading machine has changed, and to generate a new travel path for the plurality of mobile haul machines based on the determination. The worksite controller may also be configured to selectively communicate the new travel path to each of the plurality of control modules. The new travel path between the first and second locations may be automatically determined in accordance with at least one user-selected goal.

Claims

1. A control system for use with a mobile loading machine operating at a first location of a worksite and a plurality of mobile haul machines configured to move material received at the first location to a second location of the worksite, the control system comprising:

a plurality of control modules, each associated with one of the mobile loading machine and the plurality of mobile haul machines; and

a worksite controller in communication with the plurality of control modules, the worksite controller being configured to;

make a determination that a position of the mobile loading machine at the first location has changed;

generate a new travel path for the plurality of mobile haul machines between the first location and the second location based on the determination; and

selectively communicate the new travel path to each of the plurality of control modules,

wherein the new travel path between the first and second locations is automatically determined in accordance with at least one user-selected goal.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one user-selected goal is associated with at least one of operational cost, machine maintenance, productivity, travel time, fuel economy, and travel footprint.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein:

the at least one user-selected goal includes a plurality of user-selected goals each having a user-defined weighting factor; and

the worksite controller is configured to determine the new travel path in accordance with the weighting factor of each of the plurality of user-selected goals.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein the weighting factors of the plurality of user-selected goals vary at different locations of the worksite.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the new travel path is generated based further on one or more of an available travel area, an isolation area, a worksite contour, and a worksite composition.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the new travel path is generated based further on one or more of a machine turning radius, a machine output capacity, a machine weight, a machine size, and a machine shape.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the new travel path is the same for more than one of the plurality of mobile haul machines, the new travel path being based on a least capable machine of the more than one of the plurality of mobile haul machines.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of control modules associated with the mobile loading machine is configured to:

determine a position of the mobile loading machine; and

automatically communicate the position of the mobile loading machine to the worksite controller based on a change in the position.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of control modules associated with the mobile loading machine is configured to:

determine a position of the mobile loading machine;

receive an input from an operator indicative of a desire for generation of the new travel path; and

communicate the position of the mobile loading machine to the worksite controller based on the input.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein the worksite controller includes an electronic terrain map of the worksite stored in memory.

11. The control system of claim 10, wherein:

each of the plurality of control modules is configured to track movement of a corresponding one of the mobile loading machine and the plurality of mobile haul machines; and

the electronic terrain map is automatically updated based on the tracked movement.

12. The control system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of control modules is configured to autonomous control at least one of the plurality of mobile haul machines to follow the new travel path.

13. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method of controlling a plurality of mobile haul machines at a worksite, the method comprising:

making a determination that a position of a mobile loading machine at a first location has changed;

generating a new travel path for the plurality of mobile haul machines from the first location to a second location based on the determination; and

selectively communicating the travel path to each of the plurality of mobile haul machines,

wherein the new travel path between the first and second locations is automatically generated in accordance with at least one user-selected goal.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the at least one user-selected goal is associated with at least one of operational cost, machine maintenance, productivity, travel time, fuel economy, and travel footprint.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein

the at least one user-selected goal includes a plurality of user-selected goals each having a user-defined weighting factor;

and

the method includes determining the new travel path in accordance with the weighting factor of each of the plurality of user-selected goals.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the weighting factors of the plurality of user-selected goals vary at different locations of the worksite.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein generating the new travel path includes generating the new travel path based further on one or more of an available travel area, an isolation area, a worksite contour, and a worksite composition.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein generating the new travel path includes generating the new travel path based further on one or more of a machine turning radius, a machine output capability, a machine weight, a machine size, and a machine shape.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further includes receiving an operator input indicative of a desire for generation of the new travel path, wherein determination that the position of the mobile loading machine at the first location has changed is based on the operator input.

20. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method of controlling a plurality of mobile haul machines at a worksite, the method comprising:

receiving an input from an operator of a mobile loading machine indicative of a desire for generation of a new travel path for the plurality of mobile haul machines;

making a determination of a current position of the mobile loading machine at a first location based on the input;

generating the new travel path for the plurality of mobile haul machines from the first location to a second location based on the determination, the new travel path being generated in accordance with at least one user-selected goal; and

autonomously controlling the plurality of mobile haul machines to follow the new travel path.