TARGET DESTINATION SELECTION FOR A MINING VEHICLE

• US 20150292895A1
• Filed: 06/19/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modular Mining Systems Incorporated (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Modular Mining Systems Incorporated (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lewis, Michael W., Rottig, Andree, Van Latum, Lucas
• Granted Patent: US 9,644,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 target destination selection for a mining vehicle are present. A position sensor is mounted to a haul truck. The position sensor is configured to identify a position of the haul truck. A distributed objects database stores information describing hazards, boundaries and target destinations within a mining environment. A navigation aid is connected to the position sensor. The navigation aid is configured to access the distributed objects database to identify a plurality of potential target destinations for the haul truck using the position of the haul truck, identify at least one attribute of the haul truck, and filter the plurality of potential target destinations using the at least one attribute to generate a filtered list of target destinations. A user interface is configured to display the filtered list of target destinations for selection by an operator of the haul truck.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a position sensor mounted to a haul truck, the position sensor configured to identify a position of the haul truck;

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

a navigation aid connected to the position sensor, the navigation aid being configured to;

access the distributed objects database to identify a plurality of potential target destinations for the haul truck using the position of the haul truck,

identify at least one attribute of the haul truck, and

filter the plurality of potential target destinations using the at least one attribute to generate a filtered list of target destinations; and

a user interface connected to the navigation aid, the user interface being configured to display the filtered list of target destinations for selection by an operator of the haul truck.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of potential target destinations include static features within the mining environment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of potential target destinations include dumping destinations.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the navigation aid is configured to:

determine an amount of material carried by the haul truck; and

filter out dumping destinations from the plurality of potential target destinations when the haul truck is carrying less than a threshold amount of material.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of potential target destinations include bays at a crusher.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the navigation aid is configured to:

determine a type of material carried by the haul truck; and

filter out one or more potential target destination based on the type of material carried by the haul truck.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the navigation aid is configured to determine the type of material carried by the haul truck by determining a type of material in the mining environment at the position of the haul truck.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the navigation aid is configured to:

access the distributed objects database to identify one or more bays that are being repaired; and

filter out the one or more bays that are being repaired from the plurality of potential target destinations.

9. A method, comprising:

accessing a distributed objects database to identify a plurality of potential target destinations for a haul truck using a position of the haul truck, the distributed objects database storing information describing hazards, boundaries and target destinations within a mining environment;

identifying at least one attribute of the haul truck;

filtering the plurality of potential target destinations using the at least one attribute to generate a filtered list of target destinations; and

displaying the filtered list of target destinations on a user interface for selection by an operator of the haul truck.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of potential target destinations include static features within the mining environment.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of potential target destinations include dumping destinations.

12. The method of claim 11, including:

determining an amount of material carried by the haul truck; and

filtering out dumping destinations from the plurality of potential target destinations when the haul truck is carrying less than a threshold amount of material.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of potential target destinations include bays at a crusher.

14. The method of claim 13, including:

determining a type of material carried by the haul truck; and

filtering out one or more bays from the plurality of potential target destinations based on the type of material carried by the haul truck.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the type of material carried by the haul truck includes determining a type of material in the mining environment at the position of the haul truck.

16. The method of claim 13, including:

accessing the distributed objects database to identify one or more bays that are being repaired; and

filtering out the one or more bays that are being repaired from the plurality of potential target destinations.

17. A method, comprising:

identifying a plurality of potential target destinations for a haul truck, at least one of the plurality of potential target destinations being determined by an operator of a shovel;

identifying at least one attribute of the haul truck;

filtering the plurality of potential target destinations using the at least one attribute to generate a filtered list of target destinations; and

displaying the filtered list of target destinations on a user interface for selection by an operator of the haul truck.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of potential target destinations include dumping destinations.

19. The method of claim 18, including:

determining an amount of material carried by the haul truck; and

filtering out dumping destinations from the plurality of potential target destinations when the haul truck is carrying less than a threshold amount of material.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of potential target destinations include bays at a crusher and including:

determining a type of material carried by the haul truck; and

filtering out one or more bays from the plurality of potential target destinations based on the type of material carried by the haul truck.