Enhanced heavy equipment proximity sensor

• US 20130271274A1
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William Ebert
• Original Assignee: William Ebert
• Inventors: Ebert, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,872,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/24 Safety devices , e.g. for preventing overload E02F9/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/28 Small metalwork for digging elements, e.g. teeth scraper bits ploughs for agriculture A01B15/00; teeth of harrows A01B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/147 using electro-magnetic technology, e.g. tags or radar
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A safety system for an ore processing facility using a mobile mechanisms such as dozer-type wheeled vehicles operating in proximity with an excavator providing ore to a remote milling site. The excavator or earth moving mechanism has a positioning sensor (such as GPS) generating data indicative of the location of the earth moving mechanism and each of the mobile mechanisms also include positioning sensors. An analysis mechanism receives the positioning sensor data from the earth moving mechanism and the positioning sensor data from said mobile mechanisms and creates a distance calculation which is used alert the alarm in the earth moving mechanism and the alarm in the mobile mechanism if said distance calculation is less than a prescribed value.

Claims

1. A vehicle proximity alert system comprising:

a) an earth moving mechanism having,

1) A positioning sensor generating data indicative of the a location of the earth moving mechanism, and,

2) an alarm;

b) a mobile mechanism adapted to be used near said earth moving mechanism, said mobile mechanisms having,

1) a positioning sensor generating data indicative of the location of the mobile mechanism; and

,

2) an alarm; and

,

c) an analysis mechanism adapted to;

1) receive the positioning sensor data from the earth moving mechanism and the positioning sensor data from said mobile mechanism and create therefrom a distance calculation; and

,

2) alert the alarm in the earth moving mechanism and the alarm in the mobile mechanism if said distance calculation is less than a prescribed value.

2. The vehicle proximity alert system according to claim 1, wherein the positioning sensor of the earth moving mechanism and the positioning sensor of the mobile mechanism both employ Global Positioning System technology.

3. The vehicle proximity alert system according to claim 2, wherein said analysis mechanism is located on the earth moving mechanism.

4. The vehicle proximity alert system according to claim 3, wherein there are more than one mobile mechanisms and wherein said analysis mechanism communicates with all of the mobile mechanisms.

5. The vehicle proximity alert system according to claim 2, wherein said analysis mechanism is located on the mobile mechanism.

6. The vehicle proximity alert system according to claim 2, wherein said earth moving mechanism includes:

a) a scoop with teeth thereon, each of said teeth having at least one transmitter transmitting a signal; and

,

b) a presence sensor directed towards said scoop and receiving signals from said transmitters in the at least seven teeth, said presence sensor activating said alarm in the earth moving mechanism if a signal from at least two transmitters is not received by the presence sensor.

7. The vehicle proximity alert system according to claim 6, wherein said presence sensor operates at predetermined intervals.

8. A vehicle proximity alert system comprising:

a) an earth moving mechanism having, a positioning sensor generating data indicative of the a location of the earth moving mechanism, and,

b) a mobile mechanism adapted to be used near said earth moving mechanism, said mobile mechanisms having a positioning sensor generating data indicative of the location of the mobile mechanism; and

,

c) an analysis mechanism adapted to;

1) receive the positioning sensor data from the earth moving mechanism and the positioning sensor data from said mobile mechanism and create therefrom a distance calculation; and

,

2) alert a user of the earth moving mechanism and a user of the mobile mechanism if said distance calculation is less than a prescribed value.

9. The vehicle proximity alert system according to claim 8, wherein the positioning sensor of the earth moving mechanism and the positioning sensor of the mobile mechanism both employ Global Positioning System technology.

10. The vehicle proximity alert system according to claim 9, wherein said analysis mechanism is located on the earth moving mechanism.

11. The vehicle proximity alert system according to claim 9, wherein said analysis mechanism is located on the mobile mechanism.

12. The vehicle proximity alert system according to claim 9, wherein said mobile mechanism and the earth moving mechanism each contain an analysis mechanism.

13. The vehicle proximity alert system according to claim 12, wherein said earth moving mechanism includes:

a) a scoop with teeth thereon, each of said teeth having at least one transmitter transmitting a signal; and

,

b) a presence sensor directed towards said scoop and receiving signals from said transmitters in the at least seven teeth, said presence sensor activating said alarm in the earth moving mechanism if a signal from a single transmitter is not received by the presence sensor.

14. The vehicle proximity alert system according to claim 13, wherein said presence sensor operates at predetermined intervals.

15. An excavation system comprising:

a) an earth moving mechanism having an alarm and,

1) a scoop with teeth thereon, each of said teeth having at least one transmitter transmitting a signal,

2) a presence sensor directed towards said scoop and receiving signals from said transmitters in the teeth, said presence sensor activating said alarm in the earth moving mechanism if a signal from at least two transmitters is not received by the presence sensor, and,

3) a positioning sensor generating data indicative of the a location of the earth moving mechanism;

b) a mobile mechanism adapted to be used near said earth moving mechanism, said mobile mechanisms having an alarm and a positioning sensor generating data indicative of the location of the mobile mechanism; and

,

c) an analysis mechanism adapted to;

1) receive the positioning sensor data from the earth moving mechanism and the positioning sensor data from said mobile mechanism and create therefrom a distance calculation; and

,

2) alert the alarm in the earth moving mechanism and the alarm in the mobile mechanism if said distance calculation is less than a prescribed value.

16. The excavation system according to claim 15, wherein the positioning sensor of the earth moving mechanism and the positioning sensor of the mobile mechanism both employ Global Positioning System technology.

17. The excavation system according to claim 16, wherein said analysis mechanism is located on the earth moving mechanism.

18. The excavation system according to claim 17, wherein there are more than one mobile mechanisms and wherein said analysis mechanism communicates with all of the mobile mechanisms.

19. The excavation system according to claim 16, wherein said analysis mechanism is located on the mobile mechanism.