Swing automation for rope shovel

• US 8,768,579 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joy Global Surface Mining Inc. (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Harnischfeger Technologies Inc. (Mitsui & Company Limited)
• Inventors: Taylor, Wesley P., Linstroth, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHUDY, ANGELINA M
• Application Number:
  US13/446,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20120263566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 414/694
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/308 working outwardly
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/435 for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/437 providing automatic sequences of movements, e.g. linear excavation, keeping dipper angle constant
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/439 Automatic repositioning of the implement, e.g. automatic dumping, auto-return E02F3/438 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/46 with reciprocating digging or scraping elements moved by cables or hoisting ropes ; Drives or control devices therefor E02F3/205, E02F3/905 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/54 Cable scrapers E02F3/48, E02F3/52 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/026 mounted on machines equipped with dipper- or bucket-arms
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/04 Loading devices mounted on a dredger or an excavator loading devices in general B65G hopper dredgers, also equipment for unloading the hopper
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 7/06 Delivery chutes or screening plants or mixing plants mounted on dredgers or excavators for back-filling E02F5/226 takes precedence; separating equipment in general B03; delivery chutes in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2033 Limiting the movement of frames or implements, e.g. to avoid collision between implements and the cabin sub-groups of E02F3/431 of E02F3/435 take precedence; for turntables E02F9/123
• 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 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool

Abstract

A system and method for various levels of automation of a swing-to-hopper motion for a rope shovel. An operator controls a rope shovel during a dig operation to load a dipper with materials. A controller receives position data, either via operator input or sensor data, for the dipper and a hopper where the materials are to be dumped. The controller then calculates an ideal path for the dipper to travel to be positioned above the hopper to dump the contents of the dipper. In some embodiments, the controller outputs operator feedback to assist the operator in traveling along the ideal path to the hopper. In some embodiments, the controller restricts the dipper motion such that the operator is not able to deviate beyond certain limits of the ideal path. In some embodiments, the controller automatically controls the movement of the dipper to reach the hopper.

Claims

1. A rope shovel including an automated swing system, the rope shovel comprising:

a swing motor;

a hoist motor;

a crowd motor;

a dipper that is operable to dig and dump materials and that is positioned via operation of the hoist motor, crowd motor, and swing motor; and

a controller including an ideal path generator module, a boundary generator module, a dipper control signal module,

the ideal path generator module configured to

receive dump location information indicating a desired position of the dipper corresponding to a dump location at which the dipper is to dump materials therein,

receive information indicating a performance limit of at least one of the swing motor, the hoist motor, and the crowd motor,

receive current dipper data related to at least one of a dipper position, a dipper movement, and a dipper state, the current dipper data including a current swing motor parameter, a current hoist motor parameter, and a current crowd motor parameter,

calculate an ideal swing path of the dipper based on the dump location information and the at least one of the dipper position, the dipper movement, and the dipper state,

calculate, based on the calculated ideal swing path and the performance limit, an ideal hoist path and an ideal crowd path, and

output a signal related to at least one of the calculated ideal swing path, the calculated ideal hoist path, and the calculated ideal crowd path;

the boundary generator module configured to

receive the signal related to the at least one of the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path, and

generate boundaries for the ideal hoist path and the ideal crowd path; and

the dipper control signal module configured to

receive operator controls related to controlling movement of the dipper using the hoist motor, the crowd motor, and the swing motor,

receive the current dipper data,

receive the boundaries from the boundary generator module, and

compare the current dipper data to the boundaries, and when the current dipper data indicates that the dipper is at or outside of the boundaries, adjust the operator controls to maintain the dipper within the boundaries.

2. The rope shovel of claim 1, the ideal path generator module further receiving a swing aggressiveness level from an operator, wherein the ideal swing path is calculated based on the swing aggressiveness level.

3. The rope shovel of claim 1, wherein the current dipper data further includes a current position of the swing motor, the hoist motor, and the crowd motor.

4. The rope shovel of claim 1, wherein the dump location information is received from one of global positioning satellite (GPS) data and a memory storing a location of an previous operator-controlled dump.

5. The rope shovel of claim 1, further including a feedback module that

receives the current dipper data including a current swing motor position, current hoist motor position, and current crowd motor position,

receives the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path, and

provides an operator with at least one of audio, visual, and tactile feedback of the current dipper data relative to the dump location information.

6. The rope shovel of claim 5, wherein the feedback module illustrates the dump location information and current dipper data.

7. The rope shovel of claim 1, wherein the boundaries are one of a ramp function, a constant window, and a polynomial curve.

8. The rope shovel of claim 1, further comprising a mode selector module that

receives an operator mode selection that indicates one of at least three modes of swing automation, and

controls the rope shovel to operate in the selected swing automation mode.

9. The rope shovel of claim 8, wherein the at least three modes of operation include at least three of the following:

no swing automation mode, trajectory feedback mode, teach mode, motion restriction mode, and full automation mode.

10. The rope shovel of claim 8, wherein the mode selector module

receives system information indicating at least one equipment fault, and

as a result, controls the rope shovel to operate in a different swing automation mode.

11. The rope shovel of claim 1, wherein the dipper control signal module is further configured to

receive the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path, and

generate controls signals to control the swing motor, hoist motor, and crowd motor according to the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path, respectively.

12. The rope shovel of claim 11, further comprising a hopper alignment system including at least one of a camera and a laser scanner, the hopper alignment system

determining when the dipper is within a predetermined range of the dump location,

controlling the dipper control signal module to perform visual servoing of the dipper to align the dipper with the dump location.

13. A method of generating an ideal path for swinging a rope shovel, the rope shovel including a swing motor, a hoist motor, a crowd motor, and a dipper, the dipper operable to dig and dump materials and that is positioned via operation of the hoist motor, crowd motor, and swing motor, the method comprising:

receiving, by a controller, dump location information indicating a desired position of the dipper corresponding to a dump location at which the dipper is to dump materials therein,

receiving, by the controller, information indicating a performance limit of at least one of the swing motor, the hoist motor, and the crowd motor,

receiving, by the controller, current dipper data related to at least one of a dipper position, a dipper movement, and a dipper state, the current dipper data including a current swing motor parameter, a current hoist motor parameter, and a current crowd motor parameter,

calculating, by the controller, an ideal swing path of the dipper based on the dump location information and the at least one of the dipper position, the dipper movement, and the dipper state,

calculating, by the controller and based on the calculated ideal swing path and the performance limit, an ideal hoist path and an ideal crowd path, and

outputting, by the controller, a signal related to at least one of the calculated ideal swing path, the calculated ideal hoist path, and the calculated ideal crowd path

generating boundaries for the ideal hoist path and the ideal crowd path;

receiving operator controls related to controlling movement of the dipper using the hoist motor, the crowd motor, and the swing motor, and

comparing the current dipper data to the boundaries, and when the current dipper data indicates that the dipper is at or outside of the boundaries, adjusts the operator controls to maintain the dipper within the boundaries.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a swing aggressiveness level from an operator, wherein the ideal swing path is calculated based on the swing aggressiveness level.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the current swing motor parameter is a position of the swing motor, the current hoist motor parameter is a position of the hoist motor, and the current crowd motor parameter is a position of the crowd motor.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the dump location information is received from one of global positioning satellite (GPS) data and a memory storing a location of an previous operator-controlled dump.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising

providing an operator with at least one of audio, visual, and tactile feedback of the current dipper data relative to the dump location information.

18. The rope shovel of claim 17, further comprising illustrating the dump location information and current dipper data.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the boundaries are one of a ramp function, a constant window, and a polynomial curve.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising

receiving an operator mode selection that indicates one of at least three modes of swing automation, and

controlling the rope shovel to operate in the selected swing automation mode.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least three modes of operation include at least three of the following:

no swing automation mode, trajectory feedback mode, teach mode, motion restriction mode, and full automation mode.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising

receiving system information indicating at least one equipment fault, and

as a result, controlling the rope shovel to operate in a different swing automation mode.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising

generating controls signals to control the swing motor, hoist motor, and crowd motor according to the ideal swing path, the ideal hoist path, and the ideal crowd path, respectively.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising

determining when the dipper is within a predetermined range of the dump location, performing visual servoing of the dipper to align the dipper with the dump location using at least one of a camera and a laser scanner.