METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MINING VEHICLE SAFETY ARRANGMENTS

• US 20130060458A1
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sandvik Mining and Construction OY (Sandvik AB)
• Original Assignee: Sandvik Mining and Construction OY (Sandvik AB)
• Inventors: Makela, Hannu, Sievila, Jouni, Uotila, Jarkko
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 35/08 Guiding the machine
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/025 Shuttle cars
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for a safety system of a mining vehicle. The method comprises scanning the surroundings of the mining vehicle while the mining vehicle is driven and giving a collision warning if an obstacle is detected in a safety zone of the mining vehicle. In the system, there is stored obstacle information comprising at least location information of predetermined obstacles. Location information of the obstacle detected on the basis of the scanning is compared with the location information determined in the obstacle information. Stopping of the mining vehicle, caused by the safety system due to the detected obstacle, is prevented in response to the detected obstacle being determined safe on the basis of checking the obstacle information.

Claims

1. A method for a safety system of a mining vehicle, comprising the steps of:

scanning the surroundings of the mining vehicle while the mining vehicle is being driven;

detecting an obstacle in a safety zone of the mining vehicle (1) on the basis of the scanning, wherein obstacle information comprising at least location information of predetermined obstacles is stored for the safety system; and

detecting location information of the obstacle in the safety zone of the mining vehicle on the basis of the scanning; and

comparing it with the location information determined from the obstacle information, wherein stopping of the mining vehicle due to the detected obstacle is prevented in response to the detected obstacle being determined by the obstacle information safe for propagation of the mining vehicle.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of determining the distance between the mining vehicle and the obstacle detected on the basis of the scanning;

comparing the distance with a predetermined minimum distance, and determining the location information of the obstacle in response to the distance being smaller than the predetermined minimum distance.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a computer program including computer program code means arranged to execute the steps of the method when said program is executed in a computer.

3. A method for determining control information for a mining vehicle, comprising the steps of:

scanning the surroundings of the mining vehicle while the mining vehicle is being driven; and

detecting an obstacle in a safety zone of the mining vehicle on the basis of the scanning, wherein location information of said obstacle is determined by obstacle information to be part of a set of obstacles determined as safe in response to said obstacle being detected as safe for propagation of the mining vehicle.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said obstacle is detected as safe on the basis of an input received from the user.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein obstacles may be added and removed by means of a route determination tool.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein a safety check for the obstacle is performed when the determined driving route is tested and in response to stopping of the mining vehicle caused by the safety system.

7. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the location information of obstacles detected as safe is determined as part of a data element defining the entire driving route.

17. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the location information of obstacles detected as safe is determined as part of a driving route segment.

18. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the location information of obstacles detected as safe is determined as part of a driving route in a file separate from a driving route file.

8. An apparatus comprising at least a data processing device for a safety system of a mining vehicle, the apparatus being arranged to detect an obstacle in a safety zone of the mining vehicle on the basis of scanning, wherein the apparatus is arranged to compare location information of the obstacle detected in the safety zone of the mining vehicle on the basis of the scanning with location information of obstacles determined in predetermined obstacle information, and to prevent stopping of the mining vehicle due to the detected obstacle in response to the detected obstacle being determined safe by the obstacle information safe for propagation of the mining vehicle.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the apparatus is arranged to determine the distance between the mining vehicle and the obstacle detected on the basis of the scanning, to compare the distance with a predetermined minimum distance, and to determine the location information of the obstacle in response to the distance being smaller than the minimum distance.

10. An apparatus comprising a data processing device for at least a safety system of a mining vehicle, the apparatus being arranged to detect an obstacle in a safety zone of the mining vehicle on the basis of scanning, wherein the apparatus is arranged to determine location information of the obstacle detected in the safety zone of said mining vehicle in obstacle information to be part of a set of obstacles determined as safe in response to said obstacle being detected as safe for propagation of the mining vehicle.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the apparatus is arranged to detect said obstacle as safe on the basis of an input received from a user.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the apparatus is arranged to provide the user with a route determination tool, by which obstacles may be added and removed.

13. An apparatus as claimed claim 10, wherein the apparatus is arranged to perform a safety check for the obstacle when the determined driving route is tested and in response to stopping of the mining vehicle caused by the safety system.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the apparatus is arranged to determine the location information of obstacles detected as safe as part of a data element defining the entire driving route.

15. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is a mining vehicle.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the apparatus is arranged to determine the location information of obstacles detected as safe as part of a data element defining a driving route segment

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the apparatus is arranged to determine the location information of obstacles detected as safe as part of a data element defined in a file separate from a driving route file.