Self-propelled civil engineering machine system with field rover

• US 8,989,968 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH (Deere & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH (Deere & Company)
• Inventors: Fritz, Matthias, Barimani, Cyrus, Hhn, Gnter, Berning, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US13/756,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20140107883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/408, 701/469, 342/357
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/004 Devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path for graders or bulldozers E02F3/841; for other soil-shifting machines E02F9/2045
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/42 Machines for imparting a smooth finish to freshly-laid paving courses other than by rolling, tamping or vibrating for distributing only E01C19/12; hand-actuated smoothing tools E01C19/44
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/088 Rotary tools, e.g. milling drums for forming recesses to receive marking materials E01C23/0946
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/06 Surveyors' staffs; Movable markers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A civil engineering machine has a machine control unit configured to determine data which defines the position and/or orientation of a reference point on the civil engineering machine in relation to a reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine. A geometrical shape to be produced on the ground is preset in either a machine control unit or a field rover control unit. The field rover is used to determine a position of at least one identifiable point of the preset geometrical shape in the independent reference system. Curve data defining a desired curve in the independent reference system, corresponding to the preset shape, is determined at least partially on the basis of the position of the at least one identifiable point of the preset geometrical shape in the independent reference system.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a self-propelled civil engineering machine, the civil engineering machine including a reference point, the method comprising:

(a) presetting of a geometrical shape for a structure to be produced or the ground to which changes are to be made;

(b) determining with a field rover a position of at least one identifiable point of the preset geometrical shape in a reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine;

(c) determining curve data defining a desired curve, on the basis of the preset geometrical shape for the structure to be produced or the ground to which changes are to be made and on the basis of the position of the at least one identifiable point of the preset geometrical shape in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine, the desired curve being that curve along which the reference point on the civil engineering machine is to move in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine;

(d) determining data which defines a position and/or orientation of the reference point on the civil engineering machine in relation to the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine; and

(e) controlling the civil engineering machine with a machine control unit, as a function of the curve data defining the desired curve, in such a way that that the reference point on the civil engineering machine moves along the desired curve;

wherein during step (b) the field rover is separate from the civil engineering machine, and after step (b), data representing the position of the at least one indentifiable point of the present geometrical shape are transferred from the field rover to the machine control unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

step (a) is performed with a rover control unit of the field rover.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein step (a) comprises the input into the rover control unit of parameters defining the geometrical shape.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein step (a) comprises the selection with the rover control unit of one geometrical shape from a plurality of geometrical shapes.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein step (a) is performed when the field rover is located remotely from the civil engineering machine.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein step (a) is performed when the field rover is mounted on the civil engineering machine.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

step (a) is performed with the machine control unit of the civil engineering machine.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

step (c) is performed with a rover control unit of the field rover.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein:

step (c) is performed when the field rover is located remotely from the civil engineering machine; and

the method further comprises transferring the curve data from the rover control unit to the machine control unit.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein:

step (c) is performed when the field rover is mounted on the civil engineering machine.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

step (c) is performed with the machine control unit of the civil engineering machine.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

mounting the field rover on the civil engineering machine, and using the mounted field rover at least in part to perform step (d).

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

step (d) is performed entirely separately from any action of the field rover.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

mounting the field rover on the civil engineering machine, and using a rover control unit of the field rover as the machine control unit of step (e).

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

in step (d), an initial position of the reference point on the civil engineering machine in relation to the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine is not on the desired curve; and

further including, prior to step (e), controlling of the civil engineering machine with the machine control unit in such a way that the reference point on the civil engineering machine moves to a point on the desired curve.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

in step (a), the geometrical shape is initially defined by initial shape data in a machine-related coordinate system defined relative to the civil engineering machine; and

in step (c) the curve data is determined in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine by transforming the initial shape data.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

steps (a), (b) and (c) are performed simultaneously by using the field rover to determine a series of surveyed positions in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine, to select for at least some of the surveyed positions whether the positions are part of a straight line portion or part of a curved portion of the desired curve, and to define the desired curve corresponding to the series of surveyed positions.

18. A self-propelled civil engineering machine system, comprising:

a civil engineering machine including a machine chassis;

a working unit arranged on the chassis and operable to produce a structure on the ground or to make changes to the ground;

a drive unit operable to perform movements of the civil engineering machine in translation and/or rotation on the ground;

a machine control unit operable to control movements of the civil engineering machine in translation and/or rotation on the ground; and

a field rover mounted on the civil engineering machine and being removable from the civil engineering machine so that the field rover may be used separately from the civil engineering machine, the field rover including a rover control unit, the rover control unit including a rover position data determination component operable to determine position data to define the position of the field rover in relation to a reference system which is independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine;

wherein each of the following components is included in at least one of the machine control unit and the rover control unit;

a shape selection component operable to preset a geometrical shape for the structure to be produced or for the ground to which changes are to be made;

a machine position data determination component operable to determine position data to define the position and/or orientation of a reference point on the civil engineering machine in relation to the reference system which is independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine;

a curve data determination component operable to determine curve data to define a desired curve based on the preset geometrical shape of the structure to be produced or the ground to which changes are to be made and based on a desired position and orientation of the preset geometrical shape in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine, the desired curve being that curve along which the reference point on the civil engineering machine is to move in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine; and

a drive control component operable to control the drive unit, as a function of the curve data defining the desired curve, in such a way that the reference point on the civil engineering machine moves along the desired curve.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the machine control unit includes the shape selection component, the machine position data determination component, the curve data determination component and the drive control component.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the rover control unit also includes the shape selection component and the curve data determination component.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the civil engineering machine includes a docking station for receiving the rover and interfacing the rover control unit with the machine control unit; and

when docked with the civil engineering machine, the rover position data determination component comprises at least a part of the machine position data determination component.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein:

both the machine control unit and the rover control unit include the shape selection component.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein:

only one of the machine control unit and the rover control unit include the shape selection component.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein:

both the machine control unit and the rover control unit include the curve data determination component.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein:

only one of the machine control unit and the rover control unit include the curve data determination component.

26. The civil engineering machine system according to claim 18, wherein:

the rover position data determination component includes a DGPS receiver for decoding GPS satellite signals from a satellite-based global positioning system and correcting signals from a reference station for determining the position of the field rover.

27. The civil engineering machine system according to claim 18, wherein:

the rover position data determination component includes a receiver belonging to a non-satellite measuring system for determining the position of the field rover.

28. The civil engineering machine system according to claim 18, wherein:

the rover shape selection component includes an input unit operable for the input of parameters to define the geometrical shape of the structure to be produced or the ground to which changes are to be made.

29. The civil engineering machine system according to claim 28, wherein the parameters are parameters which define the length of a straight line and/or the radius of an arc of a circle.

30. The civil engineering machine system according to claim 18, wherein:

the shape selection component includes an input unit operable to select one geometrical shape from a plurality of pre-defined geometrical shapes.

31. The civil engineering machine system according to claim 30, wherein the rover control unit has a storage unit which co-operates with the input unit and in which the plurality of pre-defined geometrical shapes are stored.

32. The civil engineering machine system according to claim 30, wherein the input unit is operable to modify a pre-determined geometrical shape.

33. The civil engineering machine system according to claim 18, wherein:

the drive control component is configured to control the drive unit to steer the reference point on the civil engineering machine to a point on the desired curve when the reference point is not initially located on the desired curve.

34. A self-propelled civil engineering machine system, comprising:

a civil engineering machine including a machine chassis;

a working unit arranged on the chassis and operable to produce a structure on the ground or to make changes to the ground;

a drive unit operable to perform movements of the civil engineering machine in translation and/or rotation on the ground; and

a machine control unit operable to control movements of the civil engineering machine in translation and/or rotation on the ground, the machine control unit including;

a machine position data determination component operable to determine position data to define the position and/or orientation of a reference point on the civil engineering machine in relation to a reference system which is independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine, the machine position data determination component including a field rover mounted on the civil engineering machine, the field rover being removable from the civil engineering machine so that the field rover may be used separately from the civil engineering machine to survey positions in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine.

35. The civil engineering machine system according to claim 34, wherein:

the machine control unit is included in the field rover and comprises a field rover control unit.

36. The civil engineering machine of claim 34, wherein:

the machine control unit further comprises a machine shape selection component operable to preset a geometrical shape for the structure to be produced or for the ground to which changes are made.

37. The civil engineering machine of claim 36, wherein:

the machine control unit further comprises a machine curve data determination component operable to determine curve data to define the desired curve based on the preset geometrical shape of the structure to be produced or the ground to which changes are to be made and based on a desired position and orientation of the preset geometrical shape in the reference system independent of the position and orientation of the civil engineering machine.