Method and system for GPS based navigation and hazard avoidance in a mining environment

• US 8,095,248 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modular Mining Systems Incorporated (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Modular Mining Systems Incorporated (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rearte, Mario Leonel, Röttig, Andree, Andrade, Paulo Rogério
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US11/849,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20090062971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/30, 701/50, 701/209, 701/301, 373/48, 374/15, 731/46, 348/211.3, 463/42, 709/219, 726/27, 707/705, 342/357.25
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

A system and method for GPS based navigation and hazard avoidance in a mining environment are described. The system includes a central application that has a dynamic roadmap definition module adapted to at least allow a user to arbitrarily define features in a geographical information systems database and import overhead imaging data corresponding to a geographical area in which said features are defined. The central application includes a remote position and attitude reception module adapted to at least receive data concerning the position of at least one remote vehicle, a transceiver module adapted for exchanging data with at least one remote vehicle; and a logging and tracking module adapted for at least logging said position of at least one remote vehicle over time. The system also has a remote application; and a communications link adapted for exchanging data between the central application and the remote application.

Claims

1. A navigation and hazard avoidance system for a mining environment comprising:

a central computer including storage and a processor running a central application, the central application including;

a dynamic roadmap definition module in communication with a geographical information systems database stored in said storage, wherein the dynamic roadmap definition module is configured to at least allow a user to arbitrarily define features in said geographical information systems database and import overhead imaging data corresponding to a geographical area in which said features are defined, wherein;

the features include a mobile heavy equipment, the mobile heavy equipment including at least one of a shovel, a bulldozer and a material removal truck, and a plurality of zones defined around each of the features, each of the plurality of zones defining a different threat level and including a different geographical area, the threat level being determined by a current position of the mobile heavy equipment;

a transceiver module in communication with a radio transceiver, configured to exchange data with at least one remote vehicle;

a remote position and attitude reception module in communication with said transceiver module and configured to at least receive data concerning a position of at least one remote vehicle; and

a logging and tracking module configured to log said position of at least one remote vehicle over time;

a position sensor configured to calculate said position of said at least one remote vehicle based on triangulation from Global Positioning System satellites;

a remote application running on a remote computer, the remote application including;

a position tracker configured to receive, from the central application, said features defined in the geographical information systems database and said overhead imaging data corresponding to the geographical area in which said features are defined,

a navigation aid configured to display said position of said at least one remote vehicle with respect to the features defined in the geographical information systems database and with respect to said overhead imaging data corresponding to the geographical area in which said features are defined, and

a violation manager configured to;

compare said position of said at least one remote vehicle to a current position of a first feature retrieved from the geographical information systems database, wherein;

determine whether said position of said at least one remote vehicle falls within one of the plurality of zones defining a different threat level defined around the first feature; and

when said position of said at least one remote vehicle falls within one of the plurality of zones defining a different threat level defined around the first feature;

sound an audible alarm to a user of the at least one remote vehicle,

return an indication having a type, the type of the indication being determined by a distance between said at least one remote vehicle and the feature; and

a communications link configured to exchange data between the central computer and the remote computer.

2. The navigation and hazard avoidance system of claim 1 wherein said position tracker is adapted to transmit the position of a remote vehicle to the central application.

3. The navigation and hazard avoidance system of claim 1 wherein said features defined in said geographical information systems database include routes and route speed limits.

4. The navigation and hazard avoidance system of claim 3 wherein said remote application further comprises a violation manager adapted for determining whether the remote vehicle is near or has exceeded a route speed limit.

5. The navigation and hazard avoidance system of claim 4 wherein said remote application is adapted for alerting said central application when a vehicle is near or has exceeded a route speed limit.

6. A computer readable medium having instructions operable to define a navigation and hazard avoidance system for a mining environment comprising:

a central application having;

a dynamic roadmap definition module configured to at least allow a user to arbitrarily define features in a geographical information systems database and import overhead imaging data corresponding to a geographical area in which said features are defined, wherein;

the features include a mobile heavy equipment, the mobile heavy equipment including at least one of a shovel, a bulldozer and a material removal truck, and a plurality of zones defined around each of the features, each of the plurality of zones defining a different threat level and including a different geographical area, the threat level being determined by the mobile heavy equipment;

a remote position and attitude reception module configured to at least receive data concerning a position of at least one remote vehicle;

a transceiver module configured to exchange data with at least one remote vehicle; and

a logging and tracking module configured to at least log said position of at least one remote vehicle over time;

a position sensor configured to calculate said position of said at least one remote vehicle based on triangulation from Global Positioning System satellites;

a remote application, the remote application including;

a position tracker configured to receive, from the central application, said features defined in the geographical information systems database and said overhead imaging data corresponding to the geographical area in which said features are defined,

a navigation aid configured to display said position of said at least one remote vehicle with respect to the features defined in the geographical information systems database and with respect to said overhead imaging data corresponding to the geographical area in which said features are defined, and

a violation manager configured to;

compare said position of said at least one remote vehicle to a position of a first feature defined in the geographical information systems database,

determine whether said position of said at least one remote vehicle falls within one of the plurality of zones defining a different threat level defined around the first feature, and

when said position of said at least one remote vehicle falls within one of the plurality of zones sounding an audible alarm to a user of the at least one remote vehicle and returning an indication having a type, the type of the indication being determined by a distance between said at least one remote vehicle and the feature; and

a communications link configured to exchange data between the central application and the remote application.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein said position tracker is adapted to transmit the position of a remote vehicle to the central application.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein said features defined in said geographical information systems database include routes and route speed limits.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8 wherein said remote application further comprises a violation manager adapted for determining whether the remote vehicle is near or has exceeded a route speed limit.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein said remote application is adapted for alerting said central application when a vehicle is near or has exceeded a route speed limit.

11. A navigation and hazard avoidance system for a mining environment comprising:

a central computer including storage and a processor running a central application, the central application being configured to allow a user to define features and import overhead imaging data corresponding to a geographical area in which the features are defined, wherein the features include a mobile heavy equipment, the mobile heavy equipment including at least one of a shovel, a bulldozer and a material removal truck, and a plurality of zones defined around each of the features, each of the plurality of zones defining a different threat level and including a different geographical area, the threat level being determined by the mobile heavy equipment;

a position sensor configured to calculate the position of a remote vehicle;

a remote application running on a remote computer, the remote application including;

a navigation aid configured to retrieve the features, the plurality of zones, and the overhead imaging data from the central computer, and display the position of the vehicle with respect to the features and the overhead imaging data, and

a violation manager configured to;

compare the position of the vehicle to a position of a first feature retrieved from the central computer,

determine whether the position of the vehicle falls within one of the plurality of zones defining a different threat level defined around the first feature, and

when the position of the vehicle falls within one of the plurality of zones, sound an audible alarm to a user of the vehicle and returning an indication having a type, the type of the indication being determined by a distance between the vehicle and the feature.