Method and system for driving a mining and/or construction machine in a safe manner without the risk of collision

• US 9,594,376 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epiroc Rock Drills AB (Epiroc AB)
• Original Assignee: Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB (Atlas Copco AB)
• Inventors: Larsson, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/261,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20150057886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/50, 701/2, 701/301, 701/23, 701/540
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/22 including control of suspension systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0064 using a remote, e.g. cordless, transmitter or receiver unit, e.g. remote keypad or mobile phone
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/095 Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/10 Path keeping cruise control for automatically following a preceding vehicle B60W30/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/148 Semi-trailers, articulated vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/415 Wheel loaders
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/417 Articulated frame vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/00 Transport specially adapted to underground conditions mine cars B61D; transport in general, loading unless specially adapted to underground conditions B65G
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/025 Shuttle cars
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for driving a mining and/or construction machine, where said machine is arranged to be controlled by an operator by means of maneuvering means, where said operator, when driving said machine, provides steering commands by means of said maneuvering means for maneuvering said machine. The method comprises, when said machine is being driven in an environment having at least a first obstacle—estimating a path that, has been requested by said operator by means of said steering commands,—by means of a control system determining whether said machine when moving according to said requested path will be driven within a first distance from said first obstacle, and—when said machine, when travelling along said path, will be driven within a first distance from said first obstacle, influencing the path of said machine by means of said control system.

Claims

1. Method for driving a mining and/or construction machine, where said machine is arranged to be controlled by an operator by means of maneuvering means, where said operator, when driving said machine, provides steering commands by means of said maneuvering means for maneuvering said machine, wherein the method comprises, when said machine is being driven in an environment having at least a first obstacle:

estimating a path that has been requested by said operator by means of said steering commands,

by means of a control system determining whether said machine when moving according to said requested path will be driven within a first distance from said first obstacle, and

when said machine, when travelling along said path, will be driven within a first distance from said first obstacle, influencing the path of said machine by means of said control system.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein said environment comprises a plurality of obstacles, wherein the method further comprises:

by means of said control system determining whether said machine when moving according to said requested path will be driven within a first distance from at least one of said plurality of obstacles, and

when said machine when travelling along said path will be driven within a first distance from at least one of said plurality of obstacles, influencing the path of said machine by means of said control system.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein driving of said machine according to the path requested by said operator is prevented.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein driving according to the path requested by the operator is prevented by maneuvering said machine by means of said control system according to another path, being different from the path requested by the operator.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein, when driving said machine, the machine is controlled according to steering commands given by said operator for as long as the path being requested by said steering commands will result in the machine being driven with more than a first distance to said at least one obstacle.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein, when driving said machine, the machine is controlled essentially according to the steering commands given by said operator for as long as the path being requested by said steering commands results in the machine being driven by more than a first distance to said at least one obstacle, where, during said control, a path is selected by said control system that essentially corresponds to the steering commands given by the operator.

7. Method according to claim 1, further comprising, when determining whether said machine when moving according to said requested path will be driven within a first distance from an obstacle, determining a shortest distance to obstacles along said requested path, where said machine is driven according to said requested path when said shortest distance to an obstacle along said requested path exceeds said first distance.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein said first distance is determined based on a lateral and/or longitudinal distance to at least one obstacle along said path.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein, when determining a distance to an obstacle for said requested path, said path is defined as area in front of the machine having a width corresponding to the width of the machine with the addition of a first safety distance, wherein obstacles within said area constitutes obstacles in said path.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein said lateral safety distance of said machine is set to different values for each side of said machine, respectively.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein said difference in safety distance at least partially is determined by said operator.

12. Method according to claim 9, wherein the safety distance of the outer side of the machine when turning is dependent on the turning angle of the machine.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein the steering angle dependent safety distance is dependent of the length of the machine in front of the front wheel axle in the direction of travel.

14. Method according to claim 12, wherein the safety distance on the outer side of the machine when turning, which is dependent on the turning angle of the machine, is applied only in front of the machine.

15. Method according to claim 1, wherein said first distance is a stopping distance for said machine at a current speed, or said stopping distance with the addition of a second distance.

16. Method according to claim 1, further comprising, when influencing the path of said machine:

by means of said control system determining a plurality of possible paths of said machine, and wherein a drivability is determined for each of said paths, and

by means of said path requested by said operator and said drivability of said paths, select one of said plurality of paths.

17. Method according to claim 16, wherein a path where the distance to an obstacle along said path is below said first distance is considered non-drivable.

18. Method according to claim 16, further comprising, when none of said paths are considered drivable, retard said machine.

19. Method according to claim 16, wherein said paths represent different steering angles, respectively, of said machine.

20. Method according to claim 16, wherein said possible paths consist of tracks, such as, for example, circular arcs, where said tracks constitutes tracks that said machine would follow when set to said steering angles, respectively.

21. Method according to claim 16, further comprising:

determining if drivable paths exist for a higher speed than the current speed, where the speed of said machine is increased when drivable paths for a higher speed exist.

22. Method according to claim 16, further comprising:

determining a first speed of said machine,

compare said first speed with a second speed, wherein said second speed is dependent on a steering angle of said vehicle and/or operator commands and/or distance to obstacle in the surroundings, and

by means of said control system increase or decrease the speed of said machine in dependence of said second speed when said first speed deviates from said second speed.

23. Method according to claim 22, wherein said paths are separated from each other by a steering angle separation in the interval 0-10 degrees.

24. Method according to claim 16, further comprising selecting one of said plurality of paths based on a weighted parameter value, wherein when determining said weighted parameter value the path requested by the operator is represented by a first weight and the drivability of a path, respectively, is represented by a second weight.

25. Method according to claim 1, further comprising determining said first distance starting from a position in front of a reference point on said machine, such as in front of the center of the front axle of the machine with respect to the direction of travel.

26. Method according to claim 25, wherein said second position constitutes a position at which said machine will be present within a first time.

27. Method according to claim 1, wherein a distance to said obstacle is determined by means of sensors arranged on said machine.

28. Method according to claim 1, wherein said maneuvering means consists of maneuvering means at a location being remote from said machine, wherein said machine is arranged to be remote controlled by said operator.

29. Method according to claim 28, wherein, in said remote control, picture data from a camera directed in the direction of travel of said machine is shown on a display, wherein movement of said machine in the direction of travel is shown in a direction inwards into said display irrespective if the machine is moved in a forward or reverse direction.

30. Method according to claim 1, wherein said maneuvering means are arranged at said machine, and wherein said machine is arranged to be maneuvered from a maneuvering position onboard said machine.

31. Method according to claim 1, further comprising performing said determination of said path a plurality of times per second.

32. System for driving a mining and/or construction machine, where said machine is arranged to be controlled by an operator by means of maneuvering means, where said operator, when driving said machine, provides steering commands by means of said maneuvering means for maneuvering said machine, wherein the system comprises means for, when said machine is being driven in an environment having at least a first obstacle:

estimating a path that has been requested by said operator by means of said steering commands,

by means of a control system determining whether said machine, when moving according to said requested path, will be driven within a first distance from said first obstacle, and

when said machine, when travelling along said path, will be driven within a first distance from said first obstacle, influencing the path of said machine by means of said control system.

33. Mining—

and/or construction machine, wherein said machine comprises a system according to claim 32.

34. Mining—

and/or construction machine according to claim 33, wherein said machine constitutes an articulated machine.