GUIDED MANEUVERING OF A MINING VEHICLE TO A TARGET DESTINATION

• US 20130054133A1
• Filed: 08/24/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modular Mining Systems Incorporated (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Andree Rottig
• Inventors: Lewis, Michael W., Rttig, Andree, Van Latum, Lucas
• Granted Patent: US 8,583,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/423
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

A system and method for navigating a first heavy equipment to a target destination is provided. A location of the target destination is retrieved from a distributed objects database. The location of the target destination is at least partially determined by a position of a second heavy equipment. A position sensor identifies a current position and orientation of the first heavy equipment, and a path from the current position of the first heavy equipment to the location of the target destination is calculated. The calculated path is selected to avoid hazards. A progress of the first heavy equipment along the calculated path is monitored using the position sensor. When the first heavy equipment deviates from the calculated path, a message is outputted to an operator of at least one of the first heavy equipment and the second heavy equipment.

Claims

1. A system for navigating a haul truck through a mining environment to a target destination associated with a shovel, the target destination being located within a loading area proximate the shovel, the system comprising:

a distributed objects database, the distributed objects database storing information describing hazards, boundaries and target destinations within the mining environment;

a position sensor, the position sensor configured to identify a position and an orientation of the haul truck, the position sensor being mounted to the haul truck;

a navigation aid configured to;

retrieve a location of the target destination associated with the shovel from the distributed objects database, wherein the location of the target destination is at least partially determined by a position of the shovel, and at least one of a tail drag radius of the shovel, a corner drag radius of the shovel, and a boom radius of the shovel,

calculate a path from a current position of the haul truck to the location of the target destination, the calculated path being selected to avoid hazards within the mining environment, and

use the position sensor to monitor a progress of the haul truck along the calculated path; and

a user interface configured to display at least a portion of the calculated path to an operator of the haul truck.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the navigation aid is configured to, when the navigation aid detects the vehicle deviating from the calculated path, display a warning to an operator of the vehicle using the user interface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the navigation aid is configured to inject a dither into the calculated path to avoid rutting a surface of the mining environment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the navigation aid is configured to:

retrieve a plurality of target destinations from the distributed objects database;

filter the plurality of target destinations based upon an attribute of the haul truck; and

display the filtered target destinations using the user interface.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the attribute includes at least one of a current assignment of the haul truck, a fuel status of the haul truck, and a maintenance status of the haul truck.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the navigation aid is configured to:

identify a performance characteristic of the haul truck; and

when the haul truck deviates from the calculated path, use the performance characteristic to determine whether the haul truck is capable of returning to the calculated path.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the performance characteristic includes a turning radius of the haul truck.

8. A method for navigating a first heavy equipment to a target destination, the method comprising:

retrieving a location of the target destination from a distributed objects database, wherein the location of the target destination is at least partially determined by a position of a second heavy equipment;

using a position sensor to identify a current position and orientation of the first heavy equipment;

calculating a path from the current position of the first heavy equipment to the location of the target destination, the calculated path being selected to avoid hazards;

monitoring a progress of the first heavy equipment along the calculated path using the position sensor; and

when the first heavy equipment deviates from the calculated path, outputting a message to an operator of at least one of the first heavy equipment and the second heavy equipment.

9. The method of claim 8, including injecting a dither into the calculated path to avoid rutting a surface of a mining environment.

10. The method of claim 8, including:

retrieving a plurality of target destinations from the distributed objects database;

filtering the plurality of target destinations based upon an attribute of the first heavy equipment; and

displaying the filtered target destinations using a user interface.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the attribute includes at least one of a current assignment of the first heavy equipment, a fuel status of the first heavy equipment, and a maintenance status of the first heavy equipment.

12. The method of claim 8, including:

identifying a performance characteristic of the first heavy equipment; and

when the first heavy equipment deviates from the calculated path, using the performance characteristic to determine whether the first heavy equipment is capable of returning to the calculated path.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the performance characteristic includes a turning radius of the first heavy equipment.

14. A method for navigating a haul truck into a loading area, comprising:

providing a heavy equipment location;

on the basis of the heavy equipment location, defining at least a first and a second loading envelope in a distributed objects database; and

navigating the haul truck into one of the first and second loading envelope.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second loading envelopes are at least partially determined by a type of the power shovel and a location of the power shovel.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second loading envelopes are at least partially determined by a tail swing of a power shovel and a boom swing radius of the power shovel.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

defining at least a first and a second loading path free of pre-defined hazards; and

defining at least a first reverse point and a second reverse point in the distributed objects database.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

accessing the locations of the first and second loading envelopes, the first and second loading paths, and the first and second reverse points using a mobile computing device disposed within the haul truck.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying the locations of the first and second loading envelopes, the first and second loading paths, and the first and second reverse points on a display located in the haul truck.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising assigning one of the first and second reverse points to the haul truck based upon an expected arrival time of the haul truck at the power shovel.