CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AUTONOMOUS OPERATION

• US 20120044043A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Ltd. (Rio Tinto Limited)
• Original Assignee: Sydney The University of Business Liaison Office
• Inventors: Nettleton, Eric, Hennessy, Ross, Durrant-Whyte, Hugh, Göktogan, Ali Haydar, Singh, Surya P N
• Granted Patent: US 9,146,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/3.7
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 41/26 Methods of surface mining machines for obtaining, or the removal of, materials in open-pit mines E21C47/00; Layouts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4148 characterised by using several processors for different functions, distributed (real-time) systems G05B19/4141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33342 Master slave, supervisor, front end and slave processor, hierarchical structure

Abstract

A hierarchical control system (203) for supervising operations of an autonomous operator located within a defined geographical region containing a localised zone having an operation-defined boundary. The control system (203) has a primary controller (604) associated with the defined geographical region and a secondary controller (605) associated with the localised zone. The secondary controller (605) is responsive to the supervisory control of the primary controller (604). The autonomous operator, if located within the localised zone, is responsive to the supervisory control of the secondary controller (605).

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A hierarchical control system for supervising operations of an autonomous operator located within a defined geographical region containing a plurality of localised zones having operation-defined geographical boundaries, wherein the control system comprises:

a primary controller associated with the defined geographical region, and

a plurality of secondary controllers, wherein each one of the plurality of secondary controllers is associated with a respective one of the localised zones,

wherein each of the secondary controllers is responsive to the supervisory control of the primary controller, and

wherein the autonomous operator, in a given localised zone, is responsive to the supervisory control of the secondary controller that is associated with the given localised zone.

3. The hierarchical control system as claimed in claim 2 wherein a sub-zone is nested within a said localised zone, with an autonomous operator being locatable within the sub-zone, and the hierarchical control system further comprises:

a tertiary controller associated with the sub-zone, wherein the tertiary controller is responsive to the secondary controller of the localised zone in which the sub-zone is located.

4. The hierarchical control system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the controllers operate hierarchically.

5. The hierarchical control system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the controllers are substantially identical.

6. The hierarchical control system as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

a localised zone information unit associated with each controller, wherein the

localised zone information unit provides its associated controller with information specific to the localised zone.

7. The hierarchical control system as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

an operator information unit associated with each controller, wherein the operator information unit provides its associated controller with information specific to an operator located within the localised zone that the controller is associated with.

8. The hierarchical control system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the defined geographical region comprises an open pit mine site and wherein the localised zones respectively embrace distinct mine operation areas within the mine site.

9. The hierarchical control system as claimed in claim 2 in bidirectional communication with a data representation system that provides a real-time description of the geographical region.

10. The hierarchical control system as claimed in claim 9 further in bidirectional communication with a planning system that creates plans to be implemented by the hierarchical control system.

11. The hierarchical control system as claimed in claim 8 and employed in a mine automation system, and integrated with the data representation system and the planning system.

12. (canceled)