Method and control system for positioning a mine vehicle

• US 7,643,934 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sandvik Mining and Construction OY (Sandvik AB)
• Original Assignee: Sandvik Mining and Construction OY (Sandvik AB)
• Inventors: Makela, Hannu
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaud; Gertrude Arthur
• Application Number:
  US10/550,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 701/205, 701200-202, 701/207, 701/300, 701/301, 348/119, 340/903, 340/992
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/00 Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0236 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A method and a control system for positioning a mine vehicle. Measurement of a distance travelled by the mine vehicle is based on monitoring rotation of a wheel. In the invention, an error caused in the distance measurement by wear of the wheel is compensated for automatically when the distance value obtained from monitoring is corrected by a correction factor. The value of the correction factor is updated at predetermined intervals during use.

Claims

1. A method of determining a distance travelled by an underground mine vehicle provided with positioning,

the mine vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

several wheels;

an engine;

power transmission for transmitting a torque from the engine to at least one wheel; and

a control system including at least a first control unit arranged in the vehicle; and

monitoring rotation of at least one wheel and calculating a length of the distance travelled in the control system on the basis of a monitoring result and diameter of the wheel monitored;

and the method comprising;

determining a correction factor based upon a trend in a change in the wheel diameter;

correcting a value of the distance travelled obtained by calculating by way of the correction factor,

and updating the value of the correction factor at predetermined intervals.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising

performing a check on the vehicle positioning at predetermined intervals, comprising determining the real position of the vehicle, and determining a deviation between the real position of the vehicle and a planned route,

determining a correction in the driving direction of the vehicle corresponding to the deviation,

adding distance corrections in a driving direction that have come up during a predetermined reference period to a counter in the control system,

and updating the correction factor on the basis of the ratio between the length of the distance measured during the reference period and the correction value added to the counter during the reference period.

3. A method according to claim 1, comprising teaching the planned route of the vehicle to the control system in advance and storing an environmental model of topographical wall surface profiles surrounding the planned route in the control system,

monitoring environmental data on profiles of the wall surfaces surrounding the vehicle during use,

performing a positioning check by comparing the monitored environmental data to the environmental model stored in the control system, determining a real position of the vehicle on the basis of the comparison, determining the deviation from the planned route and calculating a distance correction in the driving direction of the vehicle.

4. A method according to claim 1, comprising taking account only a portion of a new correction factor determined on a basis of the positioning check when forming the new correction factor, whereby an effect of single deviations are reduced but the trend in the wear of tires is taken into account.

5. A method according to claim 1, comprising transmitting data related to the control system of the mine vehicle between the first control unit and a second control unit external to the mine vehicle.

6. A control system for an underground mine vehicle, comprising:

a first control unit,

and wherein

the control system being arranged to determine a distance travelled by the vehicle on basis of a monitoring rotation of at least one wheel of the mine vehicle and diameter of the wheel monitored,

the control system is arranged to automatically correct a result from the distance measurement by a correction factor,

and a value of the correction factor is arranged to be updated at predetermined intervals, and thus a trend in a change of the wheel diameter is taken into account.

7. A control system according to claim 6, wherein

the control system is arranged to check positioning of the vehicle at predetermined intervals and to determine a correction proposal for positioning in a driving direction of the vehicle,

the control system includes a counter, which is arranged to add up correction proposals during a predetermined reference period,

and the control arrangement is arranged to determine a correction factor value on basis of a ratio between a length of a distance measured during the reference period and the correction value added to the counter during the reference period.

8. A control system according to claim 6, wherein

an electronic environmental model of topographical wall surface profiles surrounding the planned route is stored in the control system,

the control system is arranged to form electronic environmental data on basis of topographical surface profiles of space surrounding the mine vehicle,

and the control system is arranged to check positioning of the vehicle by comparing environmental data to an environmental model.

9. A control system according to claim 6, wherein the control system comprises at least one laser scanner for checking positioning of the vehicle.

10. A control system according to claim 6, wherein the control system comprises a data transmission unit, by means of which a first control unit is arranged to communicate with at least a second control unit external to the mine vehicle.

11. A method of determining a distance travelled by an underground mine vehicle provided with positioning,

the mine vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

several wheels;

an engine;

power transmission for transmitting a torque from the engine to at least one wheel; and

a control system including at least a first control unit arranged in the vehicle; and

monitoring rotation of at least one wheel and calculating a length of the distance travelled in the control system on the basis of a monitoring result and diameter of the wheel monitored;

and the method comprising;

determining a correction factor, the correction factor changing in relation to a change in the wheel diameter;

correcting a value of the distance travelled obtained by calculating by way of the correction factor;

updating the value of the correction factor at predetermined intervals;

storing an environmental model of topographical surface wall profiles surrounding the planned route in the control system;

monitoring environmental data on profiles of the wall surfaces surrounding the vehicle during use;

performing a positioning check by comparing the monitored environmental data to the environmental model stored in the control system; and

determining a real position of the vehicle on the basis of the comparison, determining the deviation from the planned route and calculating a distance correction in the driving direction of the vehicle.

12. A control system for an underground mine vehicle, comprising:

a first control unit,

and wherein the control system being arranged to determine a distance travelled by the vehicle on basis of a monitoring rotation of at least one wheel of the mine vehicle and diameter of the wheel monitored,

the control system is arranged to automatically correct a result from the distance measurement by a correction factor,

and a value of the correction factor is arranged to be updated at predetermined intervals, and thus a trend in a change of the wheel diameter is taken into account,

wherein an electronic environmental model of topographical wall surface profiles surrounding the planned route is stored in the control system,

the control system is arranged to form electronic environmental data on basis of topographical surface profiles of space surrounding the mine vehicle,

and the control system is arranged to check positioning of the vehicle by comparing environmental data to an environmental model.

13. A method of determining a distance travelled by an underground mine vehicle provided with positioning,

the mine vehicle comprising:

a chassis;

several wheels;

an engine;

power transmission for transmitting a torque from the engine to at least one wheel; and

a control system including at least a first control unit arranged in the vehicle; and

monitoring rotation of at least one wheel and calculating a length of the distance travelled in the control system on the basis of a monitoring result and diameter of the wheel monitored;

and the method comprising;

determining a correction factor, the correction factor changing in relation to a change in the wheel diameter;

correcting a value of the distance travelled obtained by calculating by way of the correction factor,

and updating the value of the correction factor at predetermined intervals;

recognizing at least two reference points in the mine the distance between these reference points being known by the control system,

measuring the distance between the at least two reference points,

comparing the measurement result of the distance to the predetermined reference distance for obtaining a correction factor,

and updating the correction factor when driving past the reference points.