Excavator data acquisition and control system and process

• US 5,704,142 A
• Filed: 06/13/1996
• Issued: 01/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Stump, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pezzuto, Robert
• Application Number:
  US08/663,491
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 37/348, 37/352, 37/355, 37/357, 37/900, 37/902, 172/4, 172/9.5, 172/7, 172/5, 405/128, 405/157, 405/234, 414/685, 414/694, 342/22, 342/25, 342/129, 364/424.07
• US Class Current: 37/348
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/06 with digging elements mounted on an endless chain E02F5/109 takes precedence; with digging elements mounted on an endless chain per se E02F3/08
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/145 control and indicating devices
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2029 Controlling the position of implements in function of its load, e.g. modifying the attitude of implements in accordance to vehicle speed control for hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2203, E02F9/2221 and E02F9/2253 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/262 with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 39/00 Devices for testing in situ the hardness or other properties of minerals, e.g. for giving information as to the selection of suitable mining tools
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/876 Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/885 for ground probing prospecting or detecting using electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/30 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/00 Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/12 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/17 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005

Abstract

A data acquisition system for acquiring geological information from a subsurface includes a geologic imaging system that is used to survey the subsurface of a site or route. A geologic characterization unit may also be employed to enhance the geologic imaging data obtained by the geologic imaging system. The acquired data are processed to provide detailed geologic information for the subsurface. In one embodiment, a memory stores geologic filter data including geologic profile data for numerous types of known geology. A processor, cooperating with the memory and data acquisition unit, uses the geologic filter data to remove content from the acquired geologic imaging data corresponding to known geology, thereby providing for immediate recognition of unknown and suspect subsurface characteristics. In another embodiment, the memory stores excavation difficulty data associated with known types of geology. The processor associates a reflected electromagnetic signal received by the geologic imaging system with the excavation difficulty data to produce estimated excavation difficulty data for the subsurface. The geologic imaging system may include a ground penetrating radar system having a plurality of antennas oriented in an orthogonal relationship to provide three-dimensional imaging of a subsurface.

Claims

1. A data acquisition system for acquiring geological information from a subsurface, comprising:

a data acquisition unit to acquire geological information from the subsurface, the data acquisition unit including a signal processing unit to transmit an earth penetrating source signal into the subsurface and to receive a reflected signal from the subsurface;

a memory to store geologic filter data representative of known subsurface geology; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the data acquisition unit that filters content of the reflected signal corresponding to the known subsurface geology using the geologic filter data, the filtered reflected signal indicating a presence of a subsurface characteristic other than a characteristic associated with the known subsurface geology.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit comprises a ground penetrating radar unit.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display coupled to the processor to display an image representative of the filtered reflected signal.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is coupled to two antennas orientated in an orthogonal relationship to transmit the earth penetrating source signal into the subsurface and to receive the reflected signal from the subsurface.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a display coupled to the data acquisition unit to display a three-dimensional image of the subsurface.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a geographic positioning unit to determine a location of the subsurface subjected to the earth penetrating source signal.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a geology characterization device to determine physical characteristics of the subsurface.

8. A data acquisition system for acquiring geological information at a site, comprising:

a ground penetrating radar unit to transmit a source electromagnetic signal into a subsurface at the site and to receive a reflected electromagnetic signal from the subsurface;

a memory to store excavation difficulty data associated with known types of geology and to store reflected signal data corresponding to the reflected electromagnetic signal; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the ground penetrating radar unit that associates the reflected signal data with the excavation difficulty data to produce estimated excavation difficulty data for the subsurface at the site.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a display coupled to the ground penetrating radar unit to display images of the subsurface using one of the reflected electromagnetic signal and the reflected signal data.

10. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the ground penetrating radar unit is coupled to two antennas orientated in an orthogonal relationship to transmit the source electromagnetic signal into the subsurface and to receive the reflected electromagnetic signal from the subsurface.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a display coupled to one of the ground penetrating radar-unit and the processor to display a three-dimensional image of the subsurface using one of the reflected electromagnetic signal and the reflected signal data.

12. The system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a geographic positioning unit to determine a location of the subsurface subjected to the source electromagnetic signal.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the geographic positioning unit comprises a plurality of ground-based transponders and a Global Positioning System transponder proximate the ground penetrating radar unit.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the geographic positioning unit comprises a plurality of radar transponders and a radar transponder proximate the ground penetrating radar unit.

15. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the geographic positioning unit comprises a plurality of ultra-sonic radar transponders and an ultra-sonic transponder proximate the ground penetrating radar unit.

16. The system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a geology characterization device coupled to the processor, the geology characterization device including any one of a Schmidt hammer, a point load tester, and a seismic sensor.

17. A method of characterizing a subsurface, including the steps of:

acquiring geological imaging data for the subsurface;

providing geologic filter data associated with known types of subsurface geology; and

removing content of the geological imaging data corresponding to the known types of subsurface geology using the geologic filter data to produce filtered geologic imaging data representative of a characteristic of the subsurface other than a characteristic associated with the known types of subsurface geology.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, including the further step of displaying an image of the subsurface using the filtered geologic imaging data.

19. A method of characterizing a subsurface, including the steps of:

acquiring geologic imaging data for the subsurface;

providing excavation difficulty data associated with known types of geology; and

associating the geologic imaging data for the subsurface with the excavation difficulty data to produce estimated excavation difficulty data for the subsurface.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, including the further step of displaying an image of the subsurface using the geologic imaging data.