System and method for controlling an autonomous worksite

• US 8,504,505 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Mintah, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernandez Rivas, Omar F
• Assistant Examiner(s): SITIRICHE, LUIS A
• Application Number:
  US12/289,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

A control system is disclosed for providing a control decision to an autonomous worksite. The control system may include a communication interface configured to collect information related to an index of the autonomous worksite. The control system may also include a storage device configured to store the collected information and a plurality of constraint models. Each constraint model may characterize the mathematical relationship between the index and at least one control variable. The control system may further include a processor coupled to the communication interface and the storage device. The processor may be configured to build an optimization model for optimizing the index, based on the plurality of constraint models and the collected information. The processor may be further configured to determine the at least one control variable associated with the autonomous worksite by solving the optimization model. The processor may also be configured to make a control decision based on the determined control variable, and provide the control decision to the autonomous worksite.

Claims

1. A control system for providing a control decision to an autonomous worksite including a plurality of machines, comprising:

an operator interface;

a communication interface configured to collect economic market information and autonomous worksite operations information;

a storage device configured to store the collected information and a plurality of autonomous worksite optimization models each characterizing a mathematical relationship between a corresponding worksite optimization index and at least one worksite dispatch control variable, wherein the plurality of autonomous worksite optimization models includes a worksite profitability model for optimizing a worksite profitability index, a worksite efficiency model for optimizing a worksite efficiency index, and a worksite productivity optimization model for optimizing a worksite productivity index; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and the storage device, wherein the processor is configured to;

allow, via the operator interface, an operator to select a worksite optimization index;

identify a worksite dispatch control variable;

using an autonomous worksite optimization model of the plurality of autonomous worksite optimization models that corresponds to the selected worksite optimization index, optimize the selected worksite productivity index based on the economic market information and on the autonomous worksite operations information, to determine an optimized value for the identified worksite dispatch control variable;

compare the optimized value for the identified worksite dispatch control variable to an actual value for the identified worksite dispatch control variable determined from the received autonomous worksite operations information;

make a dispatch control decision, based on the comparison; and

provide the dispatch control decision to the autonomous worksite.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, via the operator interface, an operator-specified dispatch control decision; and

override the dispatch control decision made by the processor with the received operator-specified dispatch control decision.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of machines includes:

a plurality of hauler trucks configured to haul materials from the mining worksite; and

a plurality of utility trucks configured to maintain a haul road.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein the economic market information includes a commodity price of the materials hauled from the mining worksite.

5. The control system of claim 3, wherein autonomous worksite information includes at least one of an overall site velocity of the plurality of mining trucks, number of trucks dispatched, operating and maintenance costs of the mining trucks, and inventory size of the materials hauled from the mining worksite.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the communication interface includes a network interface configured to collect the economic market information from an Internet.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the communication interface includes a satellite communication interface configured to collect the economic market information from a satellite.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the worksite dispatch control variable is identified from among one or more of a number of the plurality of autonomous machines, a type of the plurality of autonomous machines, a velocity of the plurality of autonomous machines, a payload of the plurality of autonomous machines, or a maintenance interval of the plurality of autonomous machines.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the economic market information includes a price of a commodity obtained from the autonomous worksite, and the worksite operations information includes one or more of a velocity of the plurality of machines, a number of dispatched machines, operating or maintenance cost of the plurality of machines, or inventory of the commodity obtained from the autonomous worksite.

8. A computer-implemented method for providing a decision to an autonomous worksite including a plurality of machines, the method comprising:

collecting economic market information and autonomous worksite operations information;

allowing, via an operator interface, an operator to select an autonomous worksite optimization index;

identifying at least one dispatch control variable for controlling dispatch of the plurality of machines;

accessing an autonomous worksite optimization model that characterizes a mathematical relationship between the selected autonomous worksite optimization index and the identified at least one dispatch control variable, wherein the plurality of autonomous worksite optimization model includes a worksite profitability model for optimizing a worksite profitability index, a worksite efficiency model for optimizing a worksite efficiency index, and a worksite productivity optimization model for optimizing a worksite productivity index;

optimizing, by at least one computer processor, the selected autonomous worksite optimization index using the accessed autonomous worksite optimization model, based on the collected economic market information and autonomous worksite operations information, to determine an optimized value for the identified at least one dispatch control variable;

comparing the optimized value for the identified at least one dispatch control variable to an actual value for the identified at least one dispatch control variable determined from the autonomous worksite operations information;

making a dispatch control decision, by the at least one computer processor and based on the comparison; and

providing the dispatch control decision to the autonomous worksite.

9. The method of claim 8, further including:

receiving, via the operator interface, an operator-specified dispatch control decision; and

overriding the dispatch control decision made by the at least one computer processor with the user specified control decision.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the economic market information includes a commodity price of products produced by the autonomous worksite, and the autonomous worksite information includes at least one of an overall site velocity, a site operating and maintenance cost, and an inventory size of products produced by the autonomous worksite.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein optimizing includes solving the accessed autonomous worksite optimization model with linear programming or non-linear programming.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one worksite dispatch control variable is identified from among one or more of a number of the plurality of autonomous machines, a type of the plurality of autonomous machines, a velocity of the plurality of autonomous machines, a payload of the plurality of autonomous machines, or a maintenance interval of the plurality of autonomous machines.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the economic market information includes a price of a commodity obtained from the autonomous worksite, and the worksite operations information includes one or more of a velocity of the plurality of machines, a number of dispatched machines, operating or maintenance cost of the plurality of machines, or inventory of the commodity obtained from the autonomous worksite.

12. An autonomous worksite system, comprising:

a plurality of trucks;

a control system configured to provide a decision to the plurality of trucks, including;

an operator interface;

a communication interface configured to collect worksite economics information and autonomous worksite operations information;

a storage device configured to store;

the collected worksite economics information and autonomous worksite operations information;

a plurality of autonomous worksite optimization models characterizing a mathematical relationship between a corresponding worksite optimization index and at least one worksite dispatch control variable, wherein the plurality of autonomous worksite optimization models includes a worksite profitability model for optimizing a worksite profitability index, a worksite efficiency model for optimizing a worksite efficiency index, and a worksite productivity optimization model for optimizing a worksite productivity index;

a processor coupled to the communication interface and the storage device, wherein the processor is configured to;

allow, via the operator interface, an operator to select a worksite optimization index;

identify a worksite dispatch control variable;

using an autonomous worksite optimization model of the plurality of autonomous worksite optimization models that corresponds to the selected worksite optimization index, optimize the selected worksite productivity index based on the collected worksite economics information and the autonomous worksite operations information, to determine an optimized value for the worksite dispatch control variable;

compare the optimized value for the identified worksite dispatch control variable to an actual value for the identified worksite dispatch control variable;

make a dispatch control decision, based on the comparison; and

provide the dispatch control decision to the plurality of trucks.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the worksite dispatch control variable is identified from among one or more of a number of the plurality of autonomous machines, a type of the plurality of autonomous machines, a velocity of the plurality of autonomous machines, a payload of the plurality of autonomous machines, or a maintenance interval of the plurality of autonomous machines.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the economic market information includes a price of a commodity obtained from the autonomous worksite, and the worksite operations information includes one or more of a velocity of the plurality of machines, a number of dispatched machines, operating or maintenance cost of the plurality of machines, or inventory of the commodity obtained from the autonomous worksite.