Method for automatically guiding a mining machine

• US 20060069471A1
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sandvik Tamrock Oy (Sandvik AB)
• Original Assignee: Sandvik Tamrock Oy (Sandvik AB)
• Inventors: Makela, Hannu
• Granted Patent: US 7,191,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287

Abstract

A method for automatically guiding a mining machine (14) provided with a mute determined as successive route points in the mine. In the method, data relating to the successive points are used for determining additional route between the successive route points for guiding the mining machine (14).

Claims

1. A method for automatically guiding a mining machine, in which method a route needed by a mining machine is determined for the machine as successive points in a coordinate system fixed in relation to the mine and the location of the mining machine on the route is determined using at least one positioning device provided in the mining machine, characterized in that on the basis of information relating to the route points already determined in the coordinate system, additional points are determined between the successive route points for guiding the mining machine, each additional point being provided at least with location coordinates determined on the basis of the coordinate values of the already determined points located on both sides therof.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one parameter having an impact on the guidance of the mining machine is determined for each route point and that on the basis of the already determined parameter data, corresponding parameter data are determined for each additional point.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the information relating to the route points is transmitted preferably wirelessly from the control system of the mine to the control equipment of the mining machine, the mining machine control equipment then determining a necessary number of additional points, with the required parameters, and guided the mining machine to travel on the predetermined route according to the determined route points and additional route points.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the mining machine control equipment determines a necessary number of additional points, with the required parameters, on the basis of the data stored in its memory on the coordinates and parameters of the route in question.

5. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the route is determined as interconnected successive segments stored in the memory of the control system of the mine, that each segment is determined as successive route points located at a distance from one another, and that the mining machine control equipment guides the machine to travel on the route determined with the segments.

6. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that the route points of the segments and at least their coordinates are stored in advance in the memory of the mining machine control equipment and that the route is determined by supplying only the identifiers of the route segments to the mining machine.

7. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that each point is provided with information determining the direction of movement possible at that point and at least one other value of a parameter determining the operation of the mining machine.

8. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that one parameter determining the operation of the mining machine is the maximum allowed speed and that the control equipment of the mining machine determines the speed of the machine on the basis of a target speed set for the machine, taking into account the speed values of each route point or additional route point.