SYSTEM FOR COORDINATING MILLING AND PAVING MACHINES

• US 20170167089A1
• Filed: 12/10/2015
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Power Systems Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Power Systems Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: MARSOLEK, John Lee
• Granted Patent: US 9,879,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/00 Machines, tools or auxiliary devices for preparing or distributing paving materials, for working the placed materials, or for forming, consolidating, or finishing the paving surface stabilisation E01C21/00; apparatus specially adapted for reconditioning or repairing paving E01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/004 Devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path for graders or bulldozers E02F3/841; for other soil-shifting machines E02F9/2045
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/48 for laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface , e.g. slip forms therefor, forming kerbs or gutters in a continuous operation in situ E01C19/002, E01C23/065 take precedence; devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/06 Devices or arrangements for working the finished surface working freshly laid paving E01C19/42 - E01C19/44, E01C23/02; mining picks E21C35/18; Devices for repairing or reconditioning the surface of damaged paving; Recycling in place or on the road
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/07 Apparatus combining measurement of the surface configuration of paving with application of material in proportion to the measured irregularities measuring means only E01C23/01 G01B
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/088 Rotary tools, e.g. milling drums for forming recesses to receive marking materials E01C23/0946
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/127 rotary, e.g. rotary hammers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0293 Convoy travelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction

Abstract

A system for coordinating a cold planer and a paver is disclosed. The system may include a first sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of a position of the cold planer; a production monitoring system associated with the cold planer and configured to determine a milling rate of the cold planer; a communication device configured to exchange information between the cold planer and the paver; and a controller. The controller may be configured to receive a second signal indicative of a position of the paver and a third signal indicative of a paving rate of the paver, determine a current distance between the cold planer and the paver based on the first and second signals, determine a target distance based on the current distance and a comparison of the milling rate and the paving rate, and determine a difference between the target distance and the current distance.

Claims

1. A system for coordinating a cold planer and a paver, comprising:

a first sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of a position of the cold planer;

a production monitoring system associated with the cold planer and configured to determine a milling rate of the cold planer;

a communication device configured to exchange information between the cold planer and the paver; and

a controller in electronic communication with the first sensor, the production monitoring system, and the communication device, the controller being configured to;

receive, via the communication device, a second signal indicative of a position of the paver and a third signal indicative of a paving rate of the paver;

determine a current distance between the cold planer and the paver based on the first and second signals;

determine a target distance between the cold planer and the paver based on the current distance and a comparison of the milling rate and the paving rate; and

determine a difference between the target distance and the current distance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system further includes a display device; and

the controller is configured to generate a graphical user interface on the display device, the graphical user interface being indicative of the difference between the target distance and the current distance between the cold planer and the paver.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the display device is located on the cold planer, the paver, and an off-board computer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system further includes a second sensor associated with the cold planer and configured to generate a fourth signal indicative of an operating parameter associated with the cold planer; and

the controller is configured to determine the target distance based further on the fourth signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine an amount of remaining time until the operating parameter reaches a threshold based on the fourth signal; and

determine the target distance based on the amount of remaining time.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second sensor is a bit wear indicator associated with a cutting bit on a milling drum of the cold planer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the production monitoring system includes a depth sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a depth of a milling drum associated with the cold planer below a surface to be milled; and

the controller is configured to generate a model of a space to be filled by the paver based on the depth of the milling drum, a width of the milling drum, and the position of the cold planer over a period of milling time.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine an amount of paving material required to fill the space to be filled by the paver based on the model;

receive a signal indicative of an amount of available paving material via the communication device; and

determine a difference between the amount of required paving material and the amount of available paving material.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to generate a control signal based on the difference between the amount of required paving material and the amount of available paving material, the control signal being indicative of a command to:

automatically reduce the milling rate of the cold planer;

or

generate a graphical object on a display device indicative of the difference between the amount of required paving material and the amount of available paving material.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine an amount of required paving time to fill the space based on the model and the paving rate of the paver;

receive a signal indicative of an amount of available paving time via the communication device; and

determine a difference between the amount of required paving time and the available paving time.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to generate a control signal based on the difference between the amount of required paving time and the amount of available paving time, the control signal being indicative of a command to:

automatically reduce the milling rate of the cold planer;

or

generate a graphical object on a display device indicative of the difference between the amount of required paving time and the amount of available paving time.

12. A method of coordinating a cold planer and a paver, comprising:

receiving a first signal indicative of a position of the cold planer;

determining a milling rate of the cold planer via a production monitoring system associated with the cold planer;

receiving, via a communication device, a first signal indicative of a position of the paver and a second signal indicative of a paving rate of the paver;

determining a current distance between the cold planer and the paver based on the position of the cold planer and the position of the paver;

determining a target distance between the cold planer and the paver based on the current distance and a comparison of the milling rate and the paving rate; and

determining a difference between the target distance and the current distance.

13. The method of claim 12, further including generating a graphical user interface on a display device, the graphical user interface being indicative of the difference between the target distance and the current distance between the cold planer and the paver.

14. The method of claim 12, further including:

receiving a fourth signal indicative of an operating parameter associated with the cold planer; and

determining the target distance based further on the fourth signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the fourth signal is a signal indicative of a wear level of a cutting bit associated with a milling drum of the cold planer.

16. The method of claim 14, further including:

determining an amount of remaining time until the operating parameter reaches a threshold based on the fourth signal; and

determining the target distance based on the amount of remaining time.

17. The method of claim 12, further including:

receiving a signal indicative of a depth of a milling drum associated with the cold planer; and

generating a model of a space to be filled by the paver based on the depth of the milling drum, a width of the milling drum, and the position of the cold planer over a period of milling time.

18. The method of claim 17, further including:

determine an amount of paving material required to fill the space to be filled by the paver based on the model;

receiving a signal indicative of an amount of available paving material via the communication device;

determining a difference between the amount of required paving material and the amount of available paving material; and

generating a control signal based on the difference between the amount of required paving material and the amount of available paving material, the control signal being indicative of a command to;

automatically reduce the milling rate of the cold planer;

or

generate a graphical object on a display device indicative of the difference between the amount of required paving material and the amount of available paving material.

19. The method of claim 17, further including:

determining an amount of required paving time to fill the space based on the model and the paving rate of the paver;

receiving a signal indicative of an amount of available paving time via the communication device;

determining a difference between the amount of required paving time and the available paving time; and

generating a control signal based on the difference between the amount of required paving time and the amount of available paving time, the control signal being indicative of a command to;

automatically reduce the milling rate of the cold planer;

or

generate a graphical object on a display device indicative of the difference between the amount of required paving time and the amount of available paving time.

20. A cold planer, comprising:

a frame;

a milling drum connected to the frame;

a conveyor pivotally connected to the frame and configured to load milled material into a receptacle;

a first sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of a position of the cold planer;

a production monitoring system associated with the cold planer and configured to determine a milling rate of the cold planer;

a display device positioned within an operator station of the cold planer;

a communication device configured to exchange information between the cold planer and the paver; and

a controller in electronic communication with the first sensor, the production monitoring system, and the communication device, the controller being configured to;

receive, via the communication device, a second signal indicative of a position of the paver and a third signal indicative of a paving rate of the paver;

determine a current distance between the cold planer and the paver based on the first and second signals;

determine a target distance between the cold planer and the paver based on the current distance and a comparison of the milling rate and the paving rate;

determine a difference between the target distance and the current distance

generate a graphical user interface on the display device indicative of the difference between the target distance and the current distance between the cold planer and the paver.