Operation control system for mining machine and operation control method for mining machine

• US 9,766,637 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2012
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Kou, Ryuuen, Tojima, Masanori, Ozaki, Tomonori
• Primary Examiner(s): Jos, Basil T
• Application Number:
  US14/362,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/17 Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 47/00 Machines for obtaining or the removal of materials in open-pit mines obtaining peat E21C49/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 17/18 Special adaptations of signalling or alarm devices for mine lifts B66B; gas-sensitive devices per se G01N
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 13/00 Control of linear speed; Control of angular speed; Control of acceleration or deceleration, e.g. of a prime mover

Abstract

An operation control system for a mining machine includes, based on travel path information including at least information on moisture content of a travel path on which a mining machine operating at a mine runs, and position information being information on a position of a travel path corresponding to the travel path information, generating speed limit information for changing a speed limit for the mining machine to run on the travel path corresponding to the travel path information.

Claims

1. An operation control system for a mining machine comprising, based on travel path information including at least information on moisture content of a travel path on which a mining machine operating at a mine runs, and position information being information on a position of a travel path corresponding to the travel path information, generating speed limit information for changing a speed limit for the mining machine to run on the travel path corresponding to the travel path information based on the travel path information, the position information and posture information,

wherein the posture information as the information on the posture of the mining machine includes information on a slip ratio λ

or a slip angle dh.

2. The operation control system for a mining machine according to claim 1, wherein the travel path information includes information on a precipitation amount of the mine or information on a watering amount on the travel path.

3. The operation control system for a mining machine according to claim 1, wherein when speed limit information for reducing the speed limit is generated, speed limit information for returning the speed limit to the speed limit before reduction is generated based on elapsed time since water is stopped to be supplied to a travel path corresponding to the speed limit information for reducing the speed limit.

4. The operation control system for a mining machine according to claim 3, wherein the speed limit information for returning the speed limit to the speed limit before reduction is generated further based on air temperature information including at least information on air temperature at the mine.

5. The operation control system for a mining machine according to claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of travel path information collection devices, placed in a plurality of places at the mine, which collect the travel path information; and

a speed limit control device which generates the speed limit information.

6. The operation control system for a mining machine according to claim 5, comprising:

a vehicle-mounted wireless communication device, mounted on the mining machine, which performs communication; and

a management-side wireless communication device, placed in a control facility at the mine, which communicates with the vehicle-mounted wireless communication device, wherein

the speed limit control device is placed in the control facility at the mine, generates the speed limit information based on the travel path information and the position information acquired via the management-side wireless communication device, and transmits the generated speed limit information via the vehicle-mounted wireless communication device to a travel control device, mounted on the mining machine, which controls a travel speed of the mining machine.

7. The operation control system for a mining machine according to claim 6, wherein

the travel path information collection device includes a collection-side wireless communication device which performs communication, and

the speed limit control device acquires the travel path information collected by the travel path information collection device via the collection-side wireless communication device and the management-side wireless communication device.

8. The operation control system for a mining machine according to claim 5, comprising a vehicle-mounted wireless communication device, mounted on the mining machine, which performs communication, wherein the speed limit control device is mounted on the mining machine, and acquires the travel path information and the position information via the vehicle-mounted wireless communication device.

9. The operation control system for a mining machine according to claim 8, wherein

the travel path information collection device includes a collection-side wireless communication device which performs communication, and

the speed limit control device acquires the travel path information collected by the travel path information collection device via the collection-side wireless communication device and the vehicle-mounted wireless communication device.

10. The operation control system for a mining machine according to claim 1, wherein

the mining machine is a driverless vehicle running based on previously acquired position information of a travel path, and

the driverless vehicle includes a travel control device which controls a travel speed on the travel path corresponding to the position information, based on speed limit information corresponding to the position information.

11. An operation control method for a mining machine comprising:

acquiring travel path information including at least information on moisture content of a travel path on which a mining machine operating at a mine runs, and position information being information on a position of the travel path corresponding to the travel path information; and

generating speed limit information for changing a speed limit for the mining machine to run on the travel path corresponding to the travel path information, based on the travel path information, the position information and posture information,

wherein the posture information as the information on the posture of the mining machine includes information on a slip ratio λ

or a slip angle dh.

12. The operation control method for a mining machine according to claim 11, wherein

a ranking of a condition of the travel path is set based on at least the travel path information and posture information as information on a posture of the mining machine, and the speed limit information is generated based on the set ranking.

13. The operation control method for a mining machine according to claim 12, wherein the travel path information includes information on a precipitation amount of the mine or information on a watering amount on the travel path.

14. The operation control method for a mining machine according to claim 11, wherein when speed limit information for reducing the speed limit is generated, speed limit information for returning the speed limit to the speed limit before reduction is generated based on elapsed time since water is stopped to be supplied to a travel path corresponding to the speed limit information for reducing the speed limit.

15. The operation control method for a mining machine according to claim 14, wherein the speed limit information for returning the speed limit to the speed limit before reduction is generated further based on air temperature information including at least information on air temperature at the mine.

16. An operation control system for a mining machine comprising, based on travel path information including at least information on moisture content of a travel path on which a mining machine operating at a mine runs, and position information being information on a position of a travel path corresponding to the travel path information, generating speed limit information for changing a speed limit for the mining machine to run on the travel path corresponding to the travel path information, based on the travel path information,

wherein the travel path information includes information on a watering amount of water used by a water truck to water the travel path.

17. The operation control system for a mining machine according to claim 16, wherein the travel path information includes information on the watering amount of the water used to water the travel path which is measured by a flow sensor provided to the water truck.