SWING AUTOMATION FOR ROPE SHOVEL

• US 20120263566A1
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Surface Mining Inc. (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Harnischfeger Technologies Inc. (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Inventors: Taylor, Wesley P., Linstroth, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,768,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/694
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/308 working outwardly
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/435 for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/437 providing automatic sequences of movements, e.g. linear excavation, keeping dipper angle constant
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/439 Automatic repositioning of the implement, e.g. automatic dumping, auto-return E02F3/438 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/46 with reciprocating digging or scraping elements moved by cables or hoisting ropes ; Drives or control devices therefor E02F3/205, E02F3/905 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/54 Cable scrapers E02F3/48, E02F3/52 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/026 mounted on machines equipped with dipper- or bucket-arms
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/04 Loading devices mounted on a dredger or an excavator loading devices in general B65G hopper dredgers, also equipment for unloading the hopper
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/06 Delivery chutes or screening plants or mixing plants mounted on dredgers or excavators for back-filling E02F5/226 takes precedence; separating equipment in general B03; delivery chutes in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2033 Limiting the movement of frames or implements, e.g. to avoid collision between implements and the cabin sub-groups of E02F3/431 of E02F3/435 take precedence; for turntables E02F9/123
• 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 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool

Abstract

A system and method for various levels of automation of a swing-to-hopper motion for a rope shovel. An operator controls a rope shovel during a dig operation to load a dipper with materials. A controller receives position data, either via operator input or sensor data, for the dipper and a hopper where the materials are to be dumped. The controller then calculates an ideal path for the dipper to travel to be positioned above the hopper to dump the contents of the dipper. In some embodiments, the controller outputs operator feedback to assist the operator in traveling along the ideal path to the hopper. In some embodiments, the controller restricts the dipper motion such that the operator is not able to deviate beyond certain limits of the ideal path. In some embodiments, the controller automatically controls the movement of the dipper to reach the hopper.

Claims

1. A rope shovel including an automated swing system, the rope shovel comprising:

a swing motor;

a hoist motor;

a crowd motor;

a dipper that is operable to dig and dump materials and that is positioned via operation of the hoist motor, crowd motor, and swing motor; and

a controller including an ideal path generator module that

receives dump location information indicating a dump location at which the dipper is to dump materials therein,

receives current dipper data,

calculates an ideal swing path,

calculates, based on the ideal swing path, an ideal hoist path and an ideal crowd path, and

outputs the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path.

2. The rope shovel of claim 1, the ideal path generator module further receiving a swing aggressiveness level from an operator, wherein the ideal swing path is calculated based on the swing aggressiveness level.

3. The rope shovel of claim 1, wherein the current dipper data indicates a current position of the swing motor, the hoist motor, and the crowd motor.

4. The rope shovel of claim 1, wherein the dump location information is received from one of global positioning satellite (GPS) data and a memory storing a location of an previous operator-controlled dump.

5. The rope shovel of claim 1, further including a feedback module that

receives the current dipper data including a current swing motor position, current hoist motor position, and current crowd motor position,

receives the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path, and

provides an operator with at least one of audio, visual, and tactile feedback of the current dipper data relative to the dump location information.

6. The rope shovel of claim 5, wherein the feedback module illustrates the dump location information and current dipper data.

7. The rope shovel of claim 1, further comprising a boundary generator module that

receives the current dipper data including a current swing motor position, current hoist motor position, and current crowd motor position,

receives the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path, and

generates boundaries for the ideal hoist path and the ideal crowd path.

8. The rope shovel of claim 7, further comprising a dipper control signal module that

receives the boundaries from the boundary generator module,

receives the current dipper data,

receives operator controls for controlling movement of the dipper via the hoist motor, crowd motor, and swing motor,

compares the current dipper data to the boundaries, and when the current dipper data indicates that at least one of the hoist motor and crowd motor is at or outside of the boundaries, adjusts the operator controls to maintain the hoist motor and crowd motor within the boundaries.

9. The rope shovel of claim 7, wherein the boundaries are one of a ramp function, a constant window, and a polynomial curve.

10. The rope shovel of claim 1, further comprising a mode selector module that

receives an operator mode selection that indicates one of at least three modes of swing automation, and

controls the rope shovel to operate in the selected swing automation mode.

11. The rope shovel of claim 10, wherein the at least three modes of operation include at least three of the following:

no swing automation mode, trajectory feedback mode, teach mode, motion restriction mode, and full automation mode.

12. The rope shovel of claim 10, wherein the mode selector module

receives system information indicating at least one equipment fault, and

as a result, controls the rope shovel to operate in a different swing automation mode.

13. The rope shovel of claim 1, further comprising a dipper control signal module that

receives the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path,

generates controls signals to control the swing motor, hoist motor, and crowd motor according to the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path, respectively.

14. The rope shovel of claim 14, further comprising a hopper alignment system including at least one of a camera and a laser scanner, the hopper alignment system

determining when the dipper is within a predetermined range of the dump location,

controlling the dipper control signal module to perform visual servoing of the dipper to align the dipper with the dump location.

15. A method of generating an ideal path for swinging a rope shovel, the rope shovel including a swing motor, a hoist motor, a crowd motor, and a dipper, the dipper operable to dig and dump materials and that is positioned via operation of the hoist motor, crowd motor, and swing motor, the method comprising:

receiving dump location information indicating a dump location at which the dipper is to dump materials therein,

receiving current dipper data,

calculating an ideal swing path,

calculating, based on the ideal swing path, an ideal hoist path and an ideal crowd path, and

outputting the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a swing aggressiveness level from an operator, wherein the ideal swing path is calculated based on the swing aggressiveness level.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the current dipper data indicates a position of the swing motor, the hoist motor, and the crowd motor.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the dump location information is received from one of global positioning satellite (GPS) data and a memory storing a location of an previous operator-controlled dump.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising

receiving the current dipper data including a current swing motor position, current hoist motor position, and current crowd motor position,

receiving the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path, and

providing an operator with at least one of audio, visual, and tactile feedback of the current dipper data relative to the dump location information.

20. The rope shovel of claim 19, further comprising illustrating the dump location information and current dipper data.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising

receiving the current dipper data including a current swing motor position, current hoist motor position, and current crowd motor position,

receiving the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path, and

generating boundaries for the ideal hoist path and the ideal crowd path.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising

receiving the boundaries from the boundary generator module,

receiving the current dipper data,

receiving operator controls for controlling movement of the dipper via the hoist motor, crowd motor, and swing motor,

comparing the current dipper data to the boundaries, and when the current dipper data indicates that at least one of the hoist motor and crowd motor is at or outside of the boundaries, adjusts the operator controls to maintain the hoist motor and crowd motor within the boundaries.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the boundaries are one of a ramp function, a constant window, and a polynomial curve.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising

receiving an operator mode selection that indicates one of at least three modes of swing automation, and

controlling the rope shovel to operate in the selected swing automation mode.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least three modes of operation include at least three of the following:

no swing automation mode, trajectory feedback mode, teach mode, motion restriction mode, and full automation mode.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising

receiving system information indicating at least one equipment fault, and

as a result, controlling the rope shovel to operate in a different swing automation mode.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising

receiving the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path,

generating controls signals to control the swing motor, hoist motor, and crowd motor according to the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path, respectively.

28. The method of claim 27,

determining when the dipper is within a predetermined range of the dump location,

performing visual servoing of the dipper to align the dipper with the dump location using at least one of a camera and a laser scanner.