×

Collision avoidance for electric mining shovels

  • US 8,346,512 B2
  • Filed: 08/06/2007
  • Issued: 01/01/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method of reducing the probability of a collision between a shovel component of a shovel machine, whose trajectory is substantially controlled by an operator input command, and a second object, the method comprising:

  • receiving an input command indicative of first control data from a human operator;

    generating model data indicative of a virtual construct of the physical environment proximal the shovel component;

    processing the first control data to predict future dynamics of the shovel component in the environment;

    determining whether, on the basis of the predicted dynamics and the model data, the shovel component is predicted to collide with a second object in the environment;

    in the case that the shovel component is predicted to collide with a second object in the environment, modifying the first control data to define second control data for which the shovel component is not predicted to collide with the second object in the environment; and

    providing the second control data to a controller coupled to the shovel component such that the shovel component is controlled in accordance with the second control data for substantially avoiding the collision of the shovel component with the second object, the controller substantially bringing the shovel component to a stop by regenerating kinetic energy through an electric drive associated with the shovel component when a collision would otherwise occur.

View all claims
  • 3 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×