Method and apparatus for operating compacting machinery relative to a work site
DCFirst Claim
1. Apparatus for directing the operations of a mobile site compacting machine comprising:
- (a) digital data storage and retrieval means for storing a first site model representing the desired degree of compaction of a site and a second site model representing the actual degree of compaction of the site;
(b) means for generating digital signals representing in real time the instantaneous position in three-dimensional space of at least a portion of the compacting machine as it traverses the site;
(c) means for receiving said position signals and for updating the second model in accordance therewith;
(d) means for determining the difference between the first and second models in real time; and
(e) means for directing the operation of the compacting machine in accordance with the difference to bring the updated second model into conformity with the first model.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for operating compacting machinery such as landfill, earth or asphalt compactors relative to a work site to compact the site material toward a desired degree of compaction. A first model representing the desired degree of compaction of the site and a second model representing the actual degree of compaction of the site are stored in a digital data storage facility. The machine is equipped with a position receiver to determine in three-dimensional space the location of the compacting portions of the machine relative to the site. A dynamic database receives the machine position information, determines the difference between the degree of compaction of the first and second site models and generates representational signals of that difference for directing the operation of the machine to bring the actual degree of compaction of the site into conformity with the desired degree of compaction. In one embodiment, the signals representing the machine position and the difference between the first and second site models are used to generate an operator display which is updated in real time as the machine operates over the site. Alternately, the signals representing the difference between the first and second site models can be supplied to automatic machine controls for automatic or semi-automatic operation of the machine.
132 Citations
86 Claims
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1. Apparatus for directing the operations of a mobile site compacting machine comprising:
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(a) digital data storage and retrieval means for storing a first site model representing the desired degree of compaction of a site and a second site model representing the actual degree of compaction of the site; (b) means for generating digital signals representing in real time the instantaneous position in three-dimensional space of at least a portion of the compacting machine as it traverses the site; (c) means for receiving said position signals and for updating the second model in accordance therewith; (d) means for determining the difference between the first and second models in real time; and (e) means for directing the operation of the compacting machine in accordance with the difference to bring the updated second model into conformity with the first model. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of directing the operation of a mobile site compacting machine comprising the steps of:
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(a) producing and storing in a digital data storage and retrieval means both a first site model representing the desired degree of compaction of the site and a second site model representing the actual degree of compaction of the site; (b) generating signals representing in real time the instantaneous position in three-dimensional space of at least a portion of the compacting machine as it traverses the site; (c) updating the second model in accordance with said three-dimensional position signals; (d) determining the difference between the first and second site models; and (e) directing the operation of the compacting machine in accordance with the difference to bring the updated second site model into conformity with the first site model. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A system for accurately monitoring and controlling the compaction of a work site and compaction machinery operating on the work site, comprising:
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a mobile compacting machine for compacting the site, the machine equipped with positioning means to accurately determine in real time the instantaneous position of at least a portion of the machine in three dimensions as the machine traverses the site; a digital data storage facility in communication with the positioning means; a first model of a desired degree of site compaction, and a second model of the actual degree of site compaction, the first and second site models stored in the digital data storage facility; dynamic database means communicating with the digital data storage facility and the positioning means, the dynamic database means monitoring the position of the machine relative to the site in real time and updating the second site model in real time in response to the monitored position of the machine as it traverses the site, the dynamic database means further generating signals representing the difference in the degree of compaction between the first and second site models for directing the operation of the machine to bring the second updated site model into conformity with the first site model. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method for determining in real time a path of a mobile compacting machine over a work site, comprising the steps of:
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providing a model of the site subdivided into a continuous matrix of unit areas; equipping the mobile machine with means for determining a position in three-dimensional space of at least a portion of the machine as it traverses the site; tracking the position of the machine while it traverses the site as a series of coordinate points on the site model; determining the width of a compacting portion of the machine relative to the unit areas of the site model; and
, where the rate at which the coordinate points are tracked is not synchronous with the rate of travel of the machine over the unit areas of the site, determining a path for the machine in real time comprising the unit areas traversed by the compacting portion of the machine between coordinate points. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A method for precisely determining the position of a compacting machine in three-dimensional space relative to a land site using three-dimensional position signals and a digitized model of the site, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) equipping the compacting machine with positioning means for receiving the position signals; (b) producing and storing a site model representing the degree of compaction of the site in a digital data storage facility; (c) operating the compacting machine on the site while simultaneously updating the site model in the storage facility in real time according to the three-dimensional position of at least a portion of the machine relative to the site. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. An apparatus for precisely determining the position of a compacting machine in three-dimensional space relative to a land site using three-dimensional position signals and a digitized site model, comprising:
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(a) a mobile machine equipped with means for receiving the position signals and for determining the instantaneous position in three-dimensional space of at least a compacting portion of the machine as the machine traverses the site; (b) a site model of the degree of compaction of the site stored in a digital data storage facility; (c) dynamic database means communicating with the means for determining the machine position and the digital data storage facility, the dynamic database means including means for updating the site model in the storage facility in real time according to the three-dimensional position of at least the compacting portion of the machine relative to the site. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86)
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Specification