CN106441293B

CN106441293B - Mining machine with distance measuring system and method for monitoring the position of a mining machine

Info

Publication number: CN106441293B
Application number: CN201610881595.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 罗纳德·约翰·迈克菲; P·B·里德
Original assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization CSIRO
Current assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization CSIRO
Priority date: 2015-08-07
Filing date: 2016-08-08
Publication date: 2021-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 2036-08-08
Also published as: CN106441293A; AU2016200789B1; CN205981226U

Abstract

The invention relates to a mining machine with a distance measuring system and a method of monitoring the position of a mining machine. This range finding system includes: an electromagnetic output device (102) providing a first beam (104) of electromagnetic radiation along a first beam path (106); an electromagnetic input device (108) receiving a first beam of reflected electromagnetic radiation (110) from the object (7) to determine a distance (114) of the ranging system (100) from the object (7); and a housing (120) including a sidewall (122) surrounding a central axis (136) of the housing (120). The electromagnetic output device (102) and the electromagnetic input device (108) are disposed within the housing (120) such that the electromagnetic input device (108) is located outside a second beam path (124) of a second beam (126) of electromagnetic radiation, the second beam being defined by specular reflection (128) of the first beam (104) on the sidewall (122). The mining machine (3) further has a data port (40) which outputs relative position data of the mining machine (3) to the object based at least on the distance (114).

Description

Mining machine with distance measuring system and method for monitoring the position of a mining machine

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to mining machines having a ranging system.

Background

The mining machine may be required to be moved to different locations in the mine as required. Some mining machines are vehicles that are to be navigated through roadways in a mine. The environment in the mine can pose challenges to known methods of determining vehicle location.

Mine sites may include dust-full conditions where traditional lane markings for roads may become obscured by dust and other debris. Further, the mine may operate in underground or other low visibility conditions that may affect visual observation. Further, navigation using satellite-based transmission signals (or local area transmission signals) may be difficult due to obstructions in the soil or multipath of the signals.

Other navigation methods may be used, such as dead reckoning the position based on the results of accelerometers and gyroscopes. Further, the results of the speedometer and/or odometer may also be used. However, wheel slip on a damaged surface can cause errors. Errors in the track estimation algorithm accumulate, which in turn causes long-term errors in the system.

Distance information may also assist in determining the position of an observer, as well as assist in navigation. The distance information, in combination with other information, such as the orientation of the object relative to the observer, can be used to construct a map with topographical information or other form of representation of the location of the object and/or the contour of the object in the environment. The distance information may also assist in determining the position of the observer to assist in navigation.

In a known form, a distance measuring device is provided at the observation location, and the device includes a laser transmitter to transmit a laser beam towards the object. The light beam reflects from the object and the reflection of the light is detected by a sensor of the distance measuring device. The time of flight of light from the laser emitter to the object and from the object to the sensor is measured. This time of flight is used together with the speed of light to determine the distance between the ranging device and the object at the observation location.

Another challenge in mining areas is: the mine may have hazardous materials such as flammable gases, vapors, liquids, dust, etc. It is therefore important to reduce, minimize or eliminate potential ignition sources from the mining machine.

WO2005/003875(SANDVIK TAMROCK OY) discloses a method and system for monitoring the location of a mining vehicle in a mine. WO2007/009149(common weatal SCINTIFIC AND input concrete RESEARCH organic) discloses a method and apparatus for determining structural changes in mining operations.

Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification should not be taken as an admission that: any or all of these materials form part of the prior art base or are common general knowledge in the technical field related to the present application as it exists before the priority date of each claim of the present application.

Disclosure of Invention

A mining machine (3) comprising:

-a ranging system (100) comprising:

-an electromagnetic output device (102) providing a first beam (104) of electromagnetic radiation along a first beam path (106);

-an electromagnetic input device (108) receiving the first beam of reflected electromagnetic radiation (110) from an object (7) to determine a distance (114) of the ranging system from the object (7); and

-a housing (120) comprising a side wall (122) surrounding a central axis (136) of the housing (120), the side wall (122) being transparent to the electromagnetic radiation provided by the electromagnetic output device (102),

wherein the electromagnetic output device (102) and the electromagnetic input device (108) are arranged within the housing (120) such that the electromagnetic input device (108) is located outside a second beam path (124) of a second beam (126) of electromagnetic radiation, the second beam being defined by a specular reflection (128) of the first beam (104) on the side wall (122),

-a data port (40) outputting relative position data of the mining machine (3) to the object based at least on the determined distance (114).

The mining machine (3) may further comprise:

-a processing device (9) determining a first position of the mining machine (3) based on the relative position data and an object position of the object.

The mining machine (3) may further comprise:

-a first sensor system (5) which determines movement data of the mining machine (3) based on a track-pushing algorithm;

wherein the processing device (9) is further arranged to:

-determining a second position of the mining machine (3) based on:

-said first position; and

-the movement data of the mining machine based on a track-pushing algorithm.

The first position may be an absolute position.

The mining machine (3) may further comprise:

-a processing device (9) which determines a second position of the mining machine (3) on the basis of the following data:

-said relative position data; and

-the movement data of the mining machine based on a track-pushing algorithm.

Determining the second position of the mining machine may be further based on starting position data of the mining machine (3).

The ranging system may further include:

-a data storage (11), wherein object position data associated with the object position of the object (7) is stored in the data storage (11).

The mining machine may be a longwall mining machine.

The mining machine may be a continuous mining machine.

The housing (120) may further include one or more features that prevent gas outside of the housing from being ignited by an ignition trigger from inside the housing.

The one or more features may include a sealing element (130) that, in cooperation with the sidewall (122), seals an interior of the housing (120) from an exterior of the housing (120) such that the one or more sealing elements (130) prevent gas from the exterior of the housing (120) from being ignited by an ignition trigger from the interior of the housing (120).

The ranging system (100) may further comprise a first support element (132) rotatable within the housing (120) about a first axis of rotation (134), wherein the electromagnetic output device is supported by the first support element (132) such that rotation of the first support element (132) steers the first beam (104) provided by the electromagnetic output device (102).

The electromagnetic output device (102) may be offset from the first axis of rotation (134) such that the first beam path (106) from the electromagnetic output device (102) to the sidewall (122) does not intersect the first axis of rotation (134).

The first axis of rotation (134) may be coaxial with the central axis (136).

The mining machine (3) may further comprise a second support element (140) providing support between the electromagnetic output device (102) and the first support element (132), wherein the second support element (140) is rotatable around a second axis of rotation (142), and wherein rotation of the second support element (140) steers the first beam (104) provided by the electromagnetic output device (102).

The second axis of rotation (142) may be perpendicular to the first axis of rotation (134).

In the mining machine, the electromagnetic input device may be supported by a first support element such that the first support element the electromagnetic input device is turned to receive the reflected electromagnetic radiation from the first beam of the object.

The mining machine (3) may further comprise a control module to steer the first beam (104) to a plurality of orientations to provide a plurality of distance determinations of the object in the surrounding environment.

The plurality of distance determinations of the object in the surrounding environment may be represented as data in a three-dimensional point cloud.

The electromagnetic output device (102) may include a laser transmitter that provides the first beam (104) in the form of a laser. The electromagnetic input device (108) may comprise a light sensor that receives laser light reflected from the object (7).

The electromagnetic output device (102) may provide the first beam (104) of electromagnetic radiation in one or more of the ultraviolet, visible, and/or infrared spectrums.

The sidewall (122) may be a cylindrical sidewall.

The range finding system may further include a processor that generates a three-dimensional image of the surrounding environment based on the plurality of range determinations.

The ranging system may further include:

-a laser emitter providing said first beam in the form of laser light,

wherein the electromagnetic output device comprises a first reflector that redirects the first beam onto the path of the first beam.

The ranging system may further include:

a light sensor detecting laser light reflected from the object,

wherein the electromagnetic input device comprises a second reflector that redirects the reflected laser light towards the light sensor.

An angle of incidence between the first beam path and a surface normal of the sidewall may be greater than 5 degrees.

An angle of incidence between the first beam path and a surface normal of the sidewall may be less than a critical angle of the sidewall (122).

The ranging system may further include:

-a second support element providing support between the electromagnetic output device and the first support element, wherein the second support element is rotatable about a second axis of rotation, wherein rotation of the second support element steers the first beam provided by the electromagnetic output device,

wherein the second axis of rotation is perpendicular to the first axis of rotation.

The distance measuring system can conform to international standards IEC 60079-0 and IEC 60079-1, and U.S. standards ANSI/UL 1203: 2006, British Standard BS EN 60079-1: 2007 and australian standard AS 60079.1: 2007.

The ranging system may include:

-a laser transmitter providing a first beam of laser light along a first beam path;

-a light sensor receiving reflected laser light from the first beam of the object to determine a distance of the ranging system from the object;

-a housing comprising a cylindrical side wall that is transparent to light provided by the laser emitter, wherein the housing comprises one or more features that prevent gas outside the housing from being ignited by an ignition trigger inside the housing; and

-a first support element rotatable within the housing, wherein the laser emitter and the light sensor are supported by the first support element such that rotation of the first support element steers the first beam provided by the laser emitter; and is

Wherein the laser emitter and the light sensor are disposed within the housing such that the light sensor is located outside a second beam path of a second beam of electromagnetic radiation, the second beam defined by specular reflection of the first beam on the cylindrical sidewall.

The ranging system may further include a controller to:

diverting the first beam toward a reflector;

determining an intensity value representative of the intensity of light reflected off the reflector and received by the light sensor; and

determining a level of contamination by the smut particles based on the intensity values.

A method of monitoring a position of a mining machine comprising:

-receiving from a data interface (40) in the above mining machine (3) relative position data of the mining machine (3) to an object (7) having an object position;

-receiving an output of a first sensor system (5) representing movement data of the mining machine (3) based on a track-pushing algorithm;

-determining a second position of the mining machine (3) based on:

-the relative position data of the mining machine (3); and

-the movement data of the mining machine (3) based on a track-pushing algorithm.

The method may further comprise the steps of;

-determining a first position of the mining machine (3) based on the relative position of the mining machine to the object (7) and the object position.

The step of determining a second position of the mining machine (3) may be further based on the first position of the mining machine.

The method may further comprise:

-receiving object position data associated with the object (7) in a data storage from the data storage;

-wherein the step of determining the first position is further based on received object position data associated with the object (7).

The step of determining the second position of the mining machine (3) may be further based on starting position data of the mining machine (3).

A method of determining structural changes in a tunnel in a coal mining operation includes:

-receiving a first profile scan of the tunnel, wherein the first profile scan is based on receiving a plurality of relative position data from a data port (40) in the above mining machine (3);

-storing the first profile scan in a data memory;

-subsequently receiving a second profile scan of the tunnel, wherein the second profile scan is based on receiving a plurality of relative position data from the same mining machine (3) or different sensor systems;

processing the first and second profile scans to determine any structural changes of the surface of the tunnel that correspond to the profile deformation of the tunnel.

The tunnel may be located within a coal mine.

The method may include performing a plurality of distance determinations to a plurality of points on the coal face.

Optional features described with respect to any aspect of the machine or method or system apply similarly to other aspects also described herein, where appropriate.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the following:

figure 1 is a top plan view of a mining machine travelling in a mine;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a ranging system that provides a first beam of electromagnetic radiation to an object to determine a distance to the object;

figure 3 is a flow chart of a method of monitoring the position of a mining machine;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart diagram of a method of determining structural changes of a tunnel;

FIG. 5a is a vertical cross-section through a tunnel showing the structural variation of the profile of the tunnel walls and/or roof over time;

figure 5b is a vertical section of a tunnel showing a mining machine;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a 3D cross-sectional view of a longwall underground coal mining operation;

figure 7 is a side view of the continuous mining machine;

figure 8a is a schematic view of a system connected in a mining machine;

figure 8b shows a mining machine in communication with a communication network and other network elements;

FIG. 9 shows a simplified diagram of a ranging system positioned to measure a distance of an object in a surrounding environment;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the electromagnetic output device, the electromagnetic input device, and the first and second support elements of the ranging system;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the ranging system of FIG. 2 showing a first beam of reflected electromagnetic radiation provided by the electromagnetic output device and received by the electromagnetic input device;

FIG. 12 is a top view of the ranging system of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a simplified top view of the ranging system of FIG. 11 showing the electromagnetic output devices at three different azimuthal orientations about the first axis of rotation and showing an embodiment of refraction of the first beam;

14(a) -14 (c) are simplified side views of FIG. 11 showing the electromagnetic input device at three different tilt angle orientations about the second axis of rotation and showing embodiments of the refractive effect of the first beam;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a ranging system having a controller module, a computer system, and a display;

16(a) to 16(c) show the range of possible tilt angles of a first beam in one form of ranging system;

figures 17(a) to 17(d) show perspective views of an alternative form of housing for the ranging system;

18(a) -18 (b) are perspective views of an electromagnetic input device having a cover to protect the electromagnetic input device from harmful magnetic radiation;

19(a) -19 (b) are perspective views of a ranging system including a reflector to test the operation of the ranging system;

FIG. 20 is a top view of the ranging device showing two configurations of the electromagnetic output device and the electromagnetic input device to determine distance to the same location on the object;

21(a) to 21(b) are top views of alternative forms of distance measuring device; and

fig. 22(a) to 22(c) are top views of alternative forms of housing of the ranging system.

Detailed Description

SUMMARY

An overview of the mining machine 3 will now be described with reference to figures 1 and 2. The mining machine 3 comprises a ranging system 100 to determine relative position data of the mining machine 3 to the object 7 with the object position. The object 7 may be any object, such as a wall 12 of a mine that is detectable by the ranging system 100.

The distance measuring system 100 of the mining machine 3 will now be briefly described with reference to figure 2. The ranging system 100 comprises an electromagnetic output device 102 to provide a first beam 104 of electromagnetic radiation along a first beam path 106 to the object 7. The first beam 104 is reflected from the object 7 to provide reflected electromagnetic radiation 110. Ranging system 100 also includes an electromagnetic input device 108 to receive a first beam of reflected electromagnetic radiation 110 from object 7 to determine a distance 114 of ranging system 100 to object 7. The distance 114 of the ranging system 100 to the object 7 may then be used to determine a distance between the mining machine 3 and the object 7, which may be used to determine at least a portion of the relative position data of the mining machine 3 to the object 7. The system 100 also includes a housing 120 having a sidewall 122 about a central axis 136 that is transparent to electromagnetic radiation provided by the electromagnetic output device 102. The electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108 are disposed within the housing 120 such that the electromagnetic input 108 is located outside a second beam path 124 of a second beam 126 of electromagnetic radiation, the second beam 126 being defined by a specular reflection 128 of the first beam 104 on the sidewall 122. The mining machine 3 may also comprise a data port 40 to output relative position data of the mining machine 3 to the object 7 at least based on the determined distance. The data port 40 may provide an output to a component of the mining machine 3 or a component external to the mining machine 3.

Mining machine 3, having ranging system 100, advantageously eliminates or reduces the negative effects of specular reflection 128 of first beam 104, which may blind electromagnetic input device 108, provide erroneous readings, reduce the effectiveness or longevity of electromagnetic input device 108, and/or otherwise affect the range determination of ranging system 100.

In one embodiment, the object 7 may be a feature of a rock face of a wall 12 of a mine. In another embodiment, the object 7 may be a reflector provided as a marker. The ranging system 100 may also allow determining the direction (i.e. the relative orientation) between the mining machine 3 and the object position. Thus, in one embodiment, the relative position data may comprise the distance and relative direction (e.g. defined with a polar coordinate system) between the object positions of the mining machine 3 and the object 7. It will be appreciated that the relative position data may be expressed in other ways, such as in a cartesian system.

The mining machine 3 may determine the first position of the mining machine 3 with the processing device 9 on the basis of the determined relative position data of the mining machine 3 to the object 7 and the object position of the object 7. In one embodiment, the object position of object 7 is known and the known position can be retrieved from data store 213.

The mining machine 3 may further comprise a first sensor system 5 to determine movement data of the mining machine 3 based on a track-pushing algorithm. In some embodiments, the first sensor system 5 may include accelerometers and gyroscopes to provide line and angular acceleration (or alternatively, displacement) data to allow determination of movement data based on a track extrapolation algorithm. This may include an inertial navigation system. The first sensor system 5 may comprise an odometer for determining the distance travelled and a compass (such as a digital compass based on the magnetometer output) for determining the direction of the mining machine 3.

Referring to fig. 1, the mining machine 3 may first determine a first position 30 with a ranging system 100. The mining machine 3 may then travel along the path 10. The first sensor system 5 may determine movement data of the mining vehicle 3 based on dead reckoning of the relative displacement of the vehicle from the first position 30 along the path 10. The processing device 9 may then determine a second position of the mining machine 3 based on the first position 30 and the dead reckoning-based movement data of the mining machine 3.

This allows the mining machine 3 to determine the second position 32 of the vehicle 3 after determining the first position, which is determined on the basis of the ranging system 100. It also allows the mining machine to determine locations between subsequent location determinations (e.g., between range determinations to the ranging system 100) based on subsequent outputs of the relative location data.

The mining machine 3, determining the position based on the relative position data, may determine the position more accurately than with a system relying only on a track-pushing algorithm. The construction of the mining machine 3 may be advantageous over other systems because the ranging system 100 may allow relative position data to be determined without the need to locate expensive identifiers at reference positions. For example, known systems may include the use of radio frequency identification technology (known as RFID), which requires pre-positioning an RFID tag at a known location. To provide location data to the vehicle, the vehicle may be equipped with a reader so that when the vehicle is in closer proximity, the reader may be able to read the RFID tags associated with known locations. Such known techniques may result in costs, such as the labor of pre-positioning the RFID tag and the cost of the equipment itself. Furthermore, some RFID tags are passive transponders that require the respective reader to be located within a certain operating distance. Other systems may be based on optical readers, such as systems with pre-positioned bar codes, whereby a bar code scanner is used to determine a particular bar code approaching a vehicle. However, dust and other interference can reduce the effectiveness of such systems. Known systems and methods include the subject matter of International publication WO2005/003875(SANDVIK TAMROCK OY).

The construction of the mining machine 3 including the ranging system 100 may include one or more sealing elements 130, the sealing elements 130 together with the side walls 122 sealing the inside of the housing 120 from the outside of the housing 120. This configuration may advantageously prevent ignition of gas outside of the housing 120 by the ignition trigger from affecting the inside of the housing.

The mining machine 3 may be a continuous mining machine or a longwall mining machine.

Method of monitoring the position of a mining machine

A method 9100 of monitoring the position of the mining machine 3 will now be described with reference to figure 3.

The method comprises a receiving step 9110 of receiving relative position data of the mining machine to the object 7 from a data port 40 in the mining machine 3.

The method may further comprise a determining step 9112 of determining the first position 30 of the mining machine 3 based on the received relative position data of the mining machine 3 to the object 7 and the object position. This may be shown in figure 1 with the mining machine 3 in a first position 30. The method 9100 can further include a receiving step 9114 of receiving object position data related to the object 7 in the data storage from the data storage 213, wherein the determining step 9112 of determining the first position is further based on the received object position data related to the object 7. In one embodiment, the object position data may be represented as an absolute position of the object 7.

The method further comprises receiving 9120 an output of the first sensor system 5, the output representing movement data of the mining machine based on a track-pushing algorithm. This may occur as the mining machine 3 travels along the path 10 (as shown in figure 1).

The method further comprises determining 9130 a second position 32 of the mining machine 3 based on the relative position data of the mining machine 3 and the movement data of the mining machine based on a track-pushing algorithm. The second position 32 of the mining machine is shown in figure 1.

The step of determining 9130 the second position may also be based on the first position 30 of the mining machine 3. For example, the second location may be determined by first determining the first location 30 and determining the second location 32 based on movement data along the path 10 from the first location 30 to the second location 32.

The step 9130 of determining the second position 32 of the mining machine 3 may also be based on the starting position data of the mining machine 3. The start position data may be a known start position for the mining machine 3, such as a pre-measured position in a mine.

Method for determining structural changes in tunnels

A method 9200 of determining structural changes in a tunnel 9251 is now described with reference to fig. 4, 5a, and 5 b.

Fig. 5a shows a vertical cross-section of a tunnel 9251. As shown in solid lines, the tunnel 9251 includes a roof 9253, sidewalls 9255, 9257, and a floor 9259. Fig. 5a also shows a tunnel 9251 with exaggerated convergence behavior, which represents the structural change represented by the dashed line 9265. Dashed lines 9265 illustrate variations in the shape of the

side walls

9255, 9257 and the top 9253. The ground 9259 may also vary. It can be seen that the uppermost corner 9261 is generally supported by the surrounding strata. On the other hand, the side corner 9263 variant. This structural change can occur as a result of material being removed from the adjacent upstanding wall 9257. It can therefore be seen that the profile of the tunnel 9251 has changed, which may represent a danger to personnel and coal mining equipment. The convergence shown in fig. 5a may represent formation collapse in the mine coal (or other material). This convergence is a structural change of the surface of the tunnel 9251. Figure 5b shows a mining machine 3 with a ranging system 100 travelling through a tunnel 9251.

The steps of the method 9200 will now be described.

The method 9200 includes a receiving step 9210 of receiving a first contour scan of a tunnel 9251, wherein the first contour scan is based on a plurality of received relative position data. The first contour scan may be represented in a three-dimensional point cloud of the environment. Alternatively, the profile scan may be represented by a plurality of cross-sectional views, such as the vertical cross-sectional view in fig. 5 a. In one embodiment, the first contour scan of the tunnel 9251 can provide a contour of the tunnel shown in solid lines for the top 9253, sidewalls 9255, 9257, and floor 9259 (i.e., the tunnel 9251 has no converging behavior).

The method 9200 further includes a storing step 9200 (discussed below) that stores the first profile scan in the data store 213.

The method 9200 includes subsequently receiving 9230 a second profile scan of the tunnel 9251, wherein the second profile scan is based on receiving a plurality of relative position data from the same mining machine 3 or a different sensor system. As an example, the second contour scan of tunnel 9251 occurs after the convergence behavior of the tunnel. Thus, the second profile scan can provide the profile shown by dashed line 9265.

Method 9200 also includes a process step 9240 of processing the first and second profile scans to determine any structural variations on the tunnel surface that correspond to variations in the tunnel profile. Referring to fig. 5a, it is apparent that there is a difference in the first and second contours (which may be the difference between the solid lines of the top 9253,

side walls

9255, 9257, and floor 9259 compared to the dashed lines 9265).

Advantageously, method 9200 can allow for determination of structural changes, such as survival, which can be a maintenance or security issue. It is to be appreciated that the second profile scan (or one or more subsequent profile scans) can be stored in the digital memory 213 so that the process step 9240 can be performed at a later time.

In some embodiments, the profile scan may be stored to determine structural changes over time. Information derived from the profile scan can be used to allocate resources, such as maintenance resources, to the tunnel. It may also be used as part of a security system to determine unsafe situations or potentially unsafe situations.

In some embodiments, the method may be performed by a distributed network element. For example, the first mining machine 3 may pass through the tunnel 9251, whereby the first mining machine sends a first profile scan (or relative position data) to the data storage. The second mining machine may traverse the tunnel 9251 at a subsequent time, whereby the second mining machine sends a second profile scan (or relative position data) to the data store or another data store. The processing device may then receive the first and second profile scans from the data store or another data store and determine any structural changes.

It should be appreciated that the method may be modified. An example of a method for monitoring and determining structural changes that can be used in the mining machine 3 according to the invention is disclosed in PCT/AU2005/001039(common weather h SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH organic) (publication number WO2007/009149), which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Detailed description of the components of the mining machine 3

The details of the mining machine 3 will now be described.

Type of mining machine 3

There are a wide variety of mining machines 3, the variety depending on the type of mine, the material, the function of the mining machine 3 in the mine, and others. Types of mining machines include longwall mining machines, continuous mining machines. Other mining machines include vehicles such as trucks, articulated haulers, loaders, dozers, and the like.

Longwall mining machine

Longwall mining is typically used to mine coal. Longwall mining may utilize one or more mining machines 3, such as a gateroad traversing structure 6309 or a shearer 6301 as discussed below.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a 3D cross-sectional view (not to scale) of a longwall underground coal mining operation. Here, a longwall shearer 6301 is provided which passes through coal panels 6303 in a coal seam 6305 from side to side. Rectangular roadways known as gateroads 6307 are provided on each side of the coal seam 6305. The gateroad 6307 cuts into the rock and/or coal seam 6305 such that the direction and dimensions of the gateroad 6307 are consistent with precise parameters such as dimensions and 3D positioning and orientation. Typically, the gateroads 6307 extend parallel to each other. The gateroad traversing structure 109 is provided in one or two gateroads 6307. A mechanical linkage 6311 connects the gateroad traversing structure 6309 and the shearer 6301. Typically, the mechanical linkage 6311 is a track arrangement over which the shearer 6301 can travel.

The gateroad traversing structure 6309 forms part of a mining machine installation associated with mining, and the gateroad traversing structure 6309 adopts a particular retreat position in the gateroad 6307. The shearer 6301 travels back and forth along a track arrangement forming a mechanical linkage 6311. As the shearer 6301 moves, coal is removed from the coal panels 6303. After the shearer 6301 travels from one side of the coal panel 6303 to the other, the gateroad traversing structure 6309 is backed off in the direction of arrow 6313, bringing the shearer 6301 into position to further mine coal from the fresh face of the coal panel 6303. The above process is repeated, advancing the face until the coal seam 6305 is removed.

The gateroad 6307 may be at least initially in the form of a tunnel. As described herein, the tunnel 9251 located underground may be subject to convergence behavior. Thus, in one embodiment, the gateroad traversing structure 6309 as mining machine 3 may include a ranging system 100 as described herein. Advantageously, this may allow for monitoring the location of the traversing structure 6309 in method 9100, and/or facilitate method 9200 in determining structural changes in the tunnel 9251 in a coal mining operation.

Continuous mining machine

The "room and pillar" system is another technique used in mining, which may be used in coal mining. This may include removing coal from the coal seam (which becomes a "house") while leaving portions of the coal seam ("pillars") in place to support the overburden roof material.

A typical machine for a room pillar system is a connection mining machine, as shown in fig. 7. Continuous mining machine 7301 includes a rotating drum 7303 with a plurality of cutting teeth 7305. The cutting teeth 7305 engage the wall of the coal seam to scrape the coal from the coal face of the coal seam. The crushed coal at front portion 7309 of connecting mining machine 7301 is then transferred by conveyor 7307 to rear portion 7311 of continuous mining machine 7301. Continuous mining machine 7301 may also include continuous track 7313 for mobility. Thus, continuous miner 7301 may scrape, transport (via a conveyor), and move itself.

Continuous mining machine 7301 may move through a room (the room is considered a tunnel) that is subject to convergence behavior. Thus, in one embodiment, continuous mining machine 7301 may be equipped with a laser ranging system 100 as described herein. Advantageously, this allows for the method 9200 of monitoring the location of continuous mining machine 7301 in method 9100 and/or facilitating determination of structural changes in a room (such as tunnel 9251) in a mining operation.

First sensor system 5

The first sensor system 5 may comprise sensors to determine movement data of the mining machine 3. The first sensor system 5 may comprise sensors to determine movement data, which may include determining parameters such as linear and angular acceleration, velocity (and/or velocity), displacement and orientation. These parameters may in turn be used to determine movement data, such as the displacement of the mining machine (from the previous position), based on a track-pushing algorithm. It should be understood that clock and time information may also be used to determine movement data.

The sensors may include accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, speedometers, odometers, and the like. It will be appreciated that the output from other components of the mining machine 3 may also assist the first sensor system 5 in determining movement data based on a track extrapolation algorithm. For example, the mining machine may provide an output indicative of a steering angle of the wheels, which may be used to determine the direction of movement.

In one embodiment, the first sensor system 5 comprises an inertial measurement unit to provide outputs regarding linear acceleration and angular rate in one or more axes. The inertial measurement unit may also include sensors to output orientation information, such as from a magnetometer. One embodiment of an inertial measurement unit is provided by LORD MicroStrain under the trademark 3DM-GX4-25, which includes a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyroscope, and a three-axis magnetometer. The output from the inertial measurement unit may be combined with time information to determine movement data.

Another embodiment of the first sensor system 5 may comprise sensors to provide directional information (such as magnetometers, or derived from gyroscopes). The sensor system may also include an odometer. Thus, movement data may be determined by combining direction information and odometer output.

Processing device, computer system, and network

Figure 8a shows a schematic view of the connection system in the mining machine 3. The mining machine 3 comprises a processing device 9, which in one embodiment is a computer system 205 (described in detail below). Ranging system 100 may output relative position data to computer system 205 through data port 40. The computer system 205 may also communicate with the first sensor system 5 to receive movement data of the mining machine 3. Actuators 8201 of the mining machine 3, such as a propulsion (e.g. powertrain) and steering system, may also be in communication with the computer system 205. A network interface 8203, such as a wireless communication network interface, is provided to facilitate communication between the mining machine 3 and the network 8205.

One embodiment of computer system 205 (shown in FIG. 15) includes a processor 209, processor 209 being coupled to a program memory 211, a data memory 213, and a communication port 207. The program memory 211 is a non-transitory computer readable medium such as a hard disk, a solid state disk, or a CD-ROM.

Software, which is an executable program, stored on the program memory 211 causes the processor 209 to perform tasks such as determining the first and second position of the mining machine 3 based on relative position data, movement data or object position.

The processor 209 may store relative position data (including the determined distance 114), movement data, profile scan data, environmental conditions, time and date, object position (such as an absolute position of the object), other information related to the object (e.g., a surface profile of the object), and the like in the data storage 213. The information in the data store 213 may be retrieved for later analysis.

Referring to figure 8b, the mining machine 3 may communicate with a communication network 8205. Other network elements may include a monitoring device 8207 and a network data storage 8209 communicating with the mining machine 3 via a network 8205. It should be understood that fig. 8b is merely an exemplary embodiment and that other network element configurations may also be used. Further, the mining vehicle 3 may have more than one computer system 205 and/or components thereof.

The mining machine 3 may send data from the ranging system 100, the first sensor system 5 and/or other information from the computer system 205 via the communication network 8205. The mining machine 3 may also receive data from the monitoring device 8207 and/or the network data storage 8209 via the communication network 8205. Advantageously, the communications network 8205 may allow sharing of data from one of the network elements. For example, the method 9200 of determining a structural change may be performed by the monitoring device 8207 based on first and second profile scans from one or more mining machines. This may improve the detection of structural changes if, for example, the route is frequently used by a large number of mining machines while each mining opportunity does not frequently use the same route.

Ranging system 100

Ranging system 100 may provide relative position data based on the determined distance to object 7. The ranging system 100 may also provide directional information to the object 7. The distance and direction to the object 7 can then be used to acquire relative position data between the mining machine 3 and the object 7. As described above, the ranging system 100 may be used to detect an object 7, such as a wall 12 of a mine. Facilitating navigation of the mining machine (3) and avoiding inadvertent collisions with the wall 12 and/or other mining devices is important during operation of the mining machine (3) in a mine.

In one embodiment, the ranging system 100 in the mining machine 3 may perform a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) of the surrounding environment. This may allow the mining machine 3 to "create a map" for an unknown surroundings.

The ranging system 100 can also be used to detect other objects 7 in the surroundings, including other mining machines 3 or even parts of the mining machine itself. For example, in longwall coal mining, the mechanical link 6311, such as a rail, needs to move as the gateroad traversing structure 6309 is forced back. The rails need to be positioned in specific locations to ensure optimal efficiency of coal mining. Thus, in one embodiment, the laser ranging system 100 may be used to determine the position of at least a portion of the mechanical link 6311. This may be the relative and/or absolute position of the mechanical linkage 6311. The determined position may then be used to determine whether the mechanism link 6311 needs to be moved to a particular position.

An embodiment of a ranging system 100 will now be generally described with reference to fig. 2 and 9.

Figure 9 is a simplified diagram of a ranging system 100 provided on the mining machine 3 to determine range information relative to the environment 1. The environment 1 comprises objects 7 ', 7 ", 7"' within the line of sight of the ranging system 100. The ranging system 100 can be steered to the direction a to determine a first distance 15 between the mining machine 3 and the first object 7 ', whereby the first object 7' is in the first direction a relative to the mining machine 3. Similarly, the ranging system 100 may be steered to determine the second distance 17 in the direction B to the second object 7 ". A plurality of distance determinations may also be made on one object, as indicated by the third and

fourth distances

18 and 19 in directions C and D on the third object 7 "'. Distance determinations may be made multiple times in multiple directions and the distance information combined to provide contour information of the environment, such as in a three-dimensional point cloud. In one example application, object 7' "is a coal face in an underground coal mine. Providing contour information (i.e., mapping the surface of the coal face using the rangefinder disclosed herein) has the following advantages: less personnel enter the unsupported portion of the mine and the machine can be controlled more efficiently.

Referring to fig. 2, ranging system 100 also includes a first support element 132, the first support element 132 being rotatable within housing 120 about a first axis of rotation 134. The electromagnetic output device 102 is supported by the first support element 132 such that rotation of the first support element 132 steers the first beam 104 provided by the electromagnetic output device 102. This allows the ranging system 100 to steer the first beam 104 to determine distance in multiple directions. The second support element 140 is disposed between the electromagnetic output device 102 and the first support element 132, and the second support element 140 is rotatable about the second axis of rotation 142 to provide more degrees of freedom to steer the first beam 104. In the illustrated embodiment, this configuration avoids specular reflection 128 of the first beam blinding the electromagnetic input device 108 for a full 360 degrees of rotation of the first support element 132 about the first axis of rotation 134.

The components of ranging system 100 will now be discussed in detail.

First and second support members

The first and

second support elements

132 and 140 will now be described with reference to fig. 10 to 12. The first support member 132 rotatably supports the second support member 140. The second support element 140, in turn, rotatably supports the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108.

The first support element 132 is rotatable about a first axis of rotation 134 to provide an azimuthal direction φ to steer the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108. In one embodiment, first support element 132 is rotatable about a full 360 degrees to allow ranging system 100 to make multiple distance measurements to scan the surrounding environment.

The first support member 132 is operatively connected to an actuator 203 (shown in fig. 15) to rotate the first support member 132, and the supported second support member 140, the electromagnetic output device 102, and the electromagnetic input device 108 rotate together. In one form, the actuator is a motor, such as a stepper motor, that receives actuation input from the controller module 201. The actuator is operable to directly actuate the first support element 132 (such as direct drive), or indirectly actuate the first support element 132, such as through a gear mechanism or belt drive. In one form, a gear mechanism or belt drive provides a reduction in drive rotational speed to allow the first support element 132 to move with greater precision.

Second support element 140 is rotatable about a second axis of rotation 142 different from first axis of rotation 134 to provide more degrees of freedom to supported electromagnetic output device 102 and electromagnetic input device 108. The second support element 140 supports the electromagnetic output device 102 offset from the first axis of rotation 134 such that a first beam path from the electromagnetic output device 102 to the sidewall 122 does not intersect the first axis of rotation 134. This configuration, along with the coaxial first axis of rotation and the central axis 136, provides the beam path 106 with an angle of incidence with the cylindrical sidewall 122 that is neither zero nor near zero degrees. In other words, the beam path 106 is not along the surface normal 111 of the cylindrical sidewall 122, as shown in fig. 12. Thus, the specular reflection 128 of the first beam 104 on the cylindrical sidewall 122 provides a second beam path 124 that is directed away from the second beam 126 of the electromagnetic output device 102, and more importantly, the second beam path 124 is directed away from the electromagnetic input device 108 that is proximate to the electromagnetic output device 102.

Further, preferably, the beam path 106 may have an angle of incidence with the cylindrical sidewall 122 that is neither 90 degrees nor close to 90 degrees. The large angle may result in significant specular reflection of the electromagnetic radiation, thereby reducing the electromagnetic radiation 110 to be received by the electromagnetic input device 108.

In one form, the electromagnetic output device 102 is supported by the second support element 140 such that the first beam 104 provided by the electromagnetic output device 102 is substantially perpendicular to the second axis of rotation 142.

In one embodiment, the second axis of rotation 142 is perpendicular to the first axis of rotation 134. The second support element 140 provides for adjustment of the elevation angle θ of the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108 relative to a horizontal plane 138 perpendicular to the first axis of rotation 134. The movement of the second support element 140 may be by an actuator 203, such as those described above.

The first support element 132 and the second support element 140 allow steering the first beam 104 of electromagnetic radiation by being rotatable around

different axes

134, 142. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the second axis of rotation 142 need not be perpendicular to the first axis of rotation 134 to provide additional degrees of freedom. However, the perpendicular arrangement of these axes of rotation may facilitate easy control and calculation of the direction of the first beam 104.

Electromagnetic output device and electromagnetic input device

The electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108 are operable to provide time-of-flight information to allow determination of distance. In one form, the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108 are substantially co-located (or adjacent to each other) and the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108 are oriented in the same direction by the first support element 132 and the second support element 140. Generally, this includes directing electromagnetic output device 102 and electromagnetic input device 108 toward object 7, although some variation may be included to account for refraction, displacement, or other alignment, as will be discussed in detail below.

In one approach, the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108 are in the form of laser rangefinders. Accordingly, the electromagnetic output device 102 may be in the form of a laser transmitter that emits one or more laser pulses for the first beam 104. The electromagnetic input device 108 may be in the form of a light sensor that is sensitive to laser light. One embodiment of a laser transmitter may include a laser diode. The wavelengths of the laser light may include 850nm, 905nm, 1535 nm. In one form, the power output of the laser is controlled to ensure that the laser output meets safety requirements, such as being an eye safe laser and/or preventing the laser from becoming an ignition trigger. In one form, the combined power of the laser and other components in the housing 120 (such as motors, actuators, light sensors, controllers, radio communication modules, etc.) is less than 6W. In one embodiment, the effective radiated power (9kHz to 60GHz) from the device is preferably no more than 10W, more preferably no more than 6W and even more preferably no more than 4W. Preferably, the laser has an effective radiation power of not more than 1W and more preferably not more than 150 mW. In a particular embodiment, the device complies with IEC 60079-0: 2011 (9kHz to 60GHz), preferably for group I gases (e.g. for coal mining environments).

To provide the distance determination, a laser pulse (in the first beam 104) is provided by the electromagnetic output device 102, which travels through the side wall 122 of the housing 120 towards the object 7. This light reflects from object 7 and at least some of the reflected laser light 110 travels back through sidewall 122 toward ranging system 100 to be received by electromagnetic input device 108. The time of flight between the electromagnetic output device 102 of the light pulse and the electromagnetic input device receiving the reflection is used to determine the distance. For a system 100 in which the electromagnetic output device 102 is located near the electromagnetic input device 108, the distance, or at least an approximation of the distance, may be determined by the following equation:

distance (time of flight x speed of light through a medium)/2 (equation 1)

It should be understood that this formula may be varied to account for known variables or constants. For example, the laser of the first beam 104 traveling through the housing 120 may travel at a speed less than the speed of light through air. The variation may include calculating a time delay for a light pulse traveling through the sidewall 122. In one form, an average thickness of the sidewalls 122 may be used. In another form, the distance that beam 104 has to travel through the housing in a given orientation of electromagnetic output device 102 is used. In another embodiment, there may be a delay in the response time of one or more components. This can be taken into account by modifying equation 1 or by calibration of the system 100.

In one form, the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108 are housed within a housing (not shown). The housing is supported by the second support element 140 together with the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108 accommodated in the housing. Thus, when the first and

second support elements

132, 140 rotate, the housing (along with the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108) also rotates. The housing is sealed to reduce dust contamination. In further embodiments, the housing is sealed to reduce the risk of an ignition trigger inside the housing igniting a gas (or other flammable material) outside the housing. This provides an additional layer of security to that provided by the sealed enclosure 120. In another form, the housing may also include a filter covering the electromagnetic input device 108 that allows wavelengths of the reflected electromagnetic radiation 110 to transmit, but absorbs or reflects one or more other wavelengths.

One embodiment of laser rangefinder system 100 may include a commercially available laser rangefinder or a component thereof. One embodiment of a laser rangefinder unit includes a laser rangefinder unit model UTM-30LX, supplied by Hokuyo Automatic Co.Ltd. The laser rangefinder unit includes an electromagnetic output device 102 having a 905nm wavelength laser and an electromagnetic input device 108 that is turned to provide a 270 degree horizontal scan range. The laser rangefinder unit has a universal serial bus interface for interfacing with the controller module 201.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the electromagnetic output device 102 comprises a laser rangefinder that outputs electromagnetic radiation in the infrared spectrum. However, it should be understood that other wavelengths may be used, including electromagnetic radiation in the visible and/or ultraviolet spectrum. Further, in some alternatives, other wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum may be suitable.

Outer casing

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the housing comprises a side wall 122 and a sealing element 130, the sealing element 130 being in the form of a circular cap 133 received on top of the side wall 122. A sealing element 130 in the form of a base (not shown) is also provided to engage the bottom of the cylindrical sidewall 122. The base may be a part of the body (or an extension of the body) of the mining machine 3.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sidewall 122 is a curved sidewall that extends about the central axis 136 to form a cylindrical sidewall. In this embodiment, the wall extends 360 degrees around the central axis 136. This facilitates scanning of the ranging system 100 (and in particular the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108 disposed on the first support element 132) in multiple directions. In one embodiment, this allows the first support element 132 to rotate around the ranging system 100 and scan a full 360 degrees.

In one embodiment, the first axis of rotation 134 is coaxial with the central axis 136 of the cylindrical sidewall 122. This arrangement may enable simplified calculations and/or calibration of ranging system 100. In particular, it can simplify the calculation (and/or calibration) of the change in direction or displacement of the first beam 104 as it passes through the cylindrical sidewall 122, because the angle between the first beam 104 and the surface normal 111 is independent of the azimuthal direction φ.

In an alternative form, the sidewall 122 may include more than one individually curved surface or face and may be other shapes. Fig. 17(a) to 17(d) show an alternative form of the housing 120. Fig. 17(a) shows a housing having a curved sidewall 122 that is at least partially a curved sidewall resembling the surface of a cone. Fig. 17(b) shows a sidewall 122 having multiple facets, which resembles a hexagonal prism. Fig. 17(c) shows yet another alternative housing 120 having planar sidewalls 122 to form a housing resembling a quadrangular pyramid. Fig. 17(d) shows another embodiment in which the housing 120 includes a hemispherical sidewall 122.

As described above, the configuration of the sealing member 130 and the cylindrical sidewall 122 seals the interior of the housing 120 from the exterior of the housing 120. In one form, the seal is a hermetic seal that prevents or substantially prevents the transfer of gas between the interior and exterior of the enclosure 120. The hermetic seal prevents or reduces the risk of an ignition trigger (such as an electrical spark) within the housing 120 from propagating and causing ignition of the gas outside the housing 120. This is advantageous when ranging system 100 is used in an environment with combustible fuels, such as hydrocarbon gases (e.g., methane), coal dust, etc., that may be present in underground coal mines.

It should be understood that in other embodiments, the seal formed by the sealing element 130 and the cylindrical sidewall 122 may not be a perfect hermetic seal. In one form, the tight fit between the seal 130 and the cylindrical sidewall 122 may provide an effective barrier to prevent a flame or other ignition trigger from propagating from the interior of the housing 120 to the exterior of the housing 120. In one embodiment, one or more gaps may exist between the cylindrical sidewall 122 and the sealing element 130. Alternatively, the cylindrical sidewall 122 and/or the sealing element 130 may include one or more gaps. In one approach, the one or more gaps and the enclosure 120 generally meet the construction requirements of a fire-proof enclosure, such as IEC 60079-0 ED.6.0 b: 2011 and IEC 60079-1Ed.7.0 b: 2014 or one or more other criteria discussed herein.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing element 130 is removably connected to the cylindrical sidewall 122. This allows access to and maintenance on components such as the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108 that are not within the housing 120. In another embodiment, the sealing element 130 may be permanently attached to the cylindrical sidewall 122 to maintain the integrity of the seal and/or to prevent or reduce the possibility of damage to the housing 120 and components therein. In yet another embodiment, one or more sealing elements 130, such as a circular cap 133 or base 134, may be integrally formed with the circular sidewall 122.

In some embodiments, sealing element 130 is formed at least in part from steel or engineering grade plastic. The sealing element 130 may be formed from or covered by a material that is non-reflective or substantially non-reflective to the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic output device 102. This reduces the chance and/or intensity of multiple reflections of electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic output device 102 within the housing 120 that can be received by the electromagnetic input device 108.

The side walls 122 of the housing 120 are fabricated from a material selected to be sufficiently transparent to allow transmission of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic output device 102. In one embodiment, the material comprises glass that is transparent to the wavelength of light produced by the laser emitter, in this context "transparent" meaning that there may be some attenuation of the radiation, but the intensity of the transmitted radiation is sufficient to allow detection of radiation reflected from the object.

The material of the cylindrical sidewall 122 may be transparent to wavelengths other than the wavelength of the electromagnetic output device 102. In one embodiment, it is desirable to exclude these other wavelengths from being received by the electromagnetic input device 108. This may include providing a coating on the cylindrical sidewall 122 that reflects other wavelengths to prevent such electromagnetic radiation outside the housing 120 from entering the housing and being received by the electromagnetic input device 108. Alternatively, the cylindrical sidewall 122 may be provided with a coating to absorb such other wavelengths. In another embodiment, the housing may be constructed of a material that is inherently opaque to one or more other wavelengths. In yet another embodiment, a filter may be provided outside of the housing or inside the housing to filter out or reduce the intensity of such other wavelengths from being received by the electromagnetic input device 108.

In one embodiment of ranging system 100, cylindrical sidewall 122 is formed of hard glass having a thickness of approximately 10 mm. The inner diameter of the cylindrical sidewall 122 has a radius of 150 mm. This embodiment includes the electromagnetic output device 102 offset 30mm from the first axis of rotation 134 (and the central axis 136), and the electromagnetic output device 102 provides the first beam 104 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the second axis of rotation 142. These dimensions provide a first beam 104, the first beam 104 being incident on the sidewall 122 at an angle away from the surface normal 111. Preferably, the surface of the side wall 122 should be smooth and consistent to prevent or reduce twisting in the bundle.

With reference to the operating wavelength of the ranging system, the side walls preferably possess the following optical properties:

the interior surface of the sidewall has a specular reflection (measured at 5 degrees of incidence angle) of preferably no more than 10%, more preferably no more than 5% and even more preferably no more than 2% and more preferably no more than 1%; and is

The transparency of the sidewalls (measured at 5 degree incidence angle) is such that at least 90% transmission, more preferably 95% transmission and more preferably 98% transmission of the operating wavelength.

The combination of low internal reflection and high transmission facilitates excellent rangefinder performance and reliability. Low internal reflection can be achieved by using an anti-reflection coating, such as Claryl, available from DSM (the Netherlands)^TM。

The transparency of the sidewall 122 may allow the first beam to pass through the sidewall 122 in multiple positions (and orientations) as the first beam is steered upon rotation of the first support element (132) and the second support element (140). This may be compared to a sidewall 122 having an aperture (or window) that may only allow the first beam to pass through at a particular localized location of the sidewall (i.e., at the aperture), which may limit the ability to divert the first beam.

Controller module, computer system and display

Fig. 15 shows an embodiment of the ranging system 100, the ranging system 100 further comprising a control module 201 to provide an input to an actuator 203 to operatively move the first support element 132 and the second support element 140 to steer the first beam 104 of the electromagnetic output device 102. This allows a plurality of distance determinations to be made for one or more objects 7 in the surrounding environment. The control module 201 is also connected to the electromagnetic output device 102 to control the generation of the first beam 104, such as providing commands to operatively generate laser pulses. In addition, the control module 201 is coupled to the electromagnetic input device 108 to receive information from the electromagnetic input device 108, such as information from a light sensor. In one form, the controller 201 includes a timing module (not shown) to determine the time of flight based on the time difference from the time the laser beam travels from the electromagnetic output device 102 to the time the reflected light 110 is received by the electromagnetic input device 108. In one form, the timing module includes an oscillating quartz, and the controller counts the number of oscillations between generating the laser beam and receiving the signal from the light sensor. The controller then multiplies the number of counts by a constant to determine the distance. For example, the oscillation frequency may be 256MHz, which results in a resolution of 1.17 m.

In one form, the controller module is an ATmega640 microcontroller manufactured by Atmel.

The computer system may communicate with the controller module 201 through a communication port 207. The computer system may be the computer system 205 described above or another computer system.

In this computer system, the software stored on the program memory 211 causes the processor 209 to perform tasks such as determining the distance of the object 7 to the ranging system 100 (and hence the mining machine 3), the relative orientation of the object 7 to the ranging system 100, the relative position of the object and/or the absolute position of one or more points on the surface of the object 7. Such information may be determined based on time-of-flight information received from controller module 201 and information relating to the orientation of electromagnetic input device 102, steered beam 104, and/or control inputs to actuators 203.

Additional tasks may include the processor 209 directing the control module 201 to perform a scan (determined by a plurality of distances) over a selected area at a selected time. This may include special instructions to operate actuator 203 and electromagnetic output device 102.

The processor 209 may then store the distance of the object 7 to the ranging system 100 and other information in the data storage 213, such as the position of the ranging system, environmental conditions, time and date, time-of-flight information of the laser beam, information determining the orientation of the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108, and the position of the mining machine 3. This information in data storage 213 may be retrieved for analysis or mapping of the environment surrounding ranging system 100.

In another embodiment, the processor may perform a method of generating a three-dimensional image of the surrounding environment based on a plurality of distance determinations and respective directions of the distance determinations. In one form, the images are stored in a data store 213. In yet another embodiment, the image of the surrounding environment is visually presented to the user on the visual display 216. This may include a three-dimensional point cloud.

Operation of the ranging system to avoid specular reflection from interfering with the second input

The operation of an embodiment of ranging system 100 will now be discussed. The ranging system 100 is operable to provide scanning of the object 7 around the ranging system 100 over a full 360 degree arc around the central axis 136. This is accomplished by rotating the first support element 132 about the first axis of rotation 134 to a selected orientation phi. The ranging system 100 is also operable to make distance determinations at different tilt angles θ by rotating the second support element 140 about the second rotation axis 142. This is illustrated in the embodiment shown in fig. 16(a) through 16(c), which show a range of tilt angles for the first beam 104 that includes a tilt angle of approximately +/-40 degrees from the horizontal plane 138. However, it should be understood that other embodiments may include turning at an angle of inclination greater than 40 degrees or less from horizontal.

Thus, during use, ranging system 100 directs a first beam in multiple directions, which must be transmitted through housing 120 to multiple respective locations. Advantageously, ranging system 100 directs first beam 104 to sidewall 122 to avoid specular reflection 128 of first beam 104 from blinding electromagnetic input device 108.

Referring to fig. 11 and 12, this is achieved by directing the first beam 104 from the electromagnetic output device 102 to be incident on the sidewall 122 at an angle significantly away from the surface normal 111. As a result, a specular reflection 128 of the first beam 104, shown as the second beam 126 along the second beam path 124, is directed away from the electromagnetic input device 108 (and the adjacently positioned electromagnetic output device 102).

In the embodiment shown in fig. 11 and 12, the angle of incidence of the first beam 104 to the sidewall 122 is always away from the surface normal 111, regardless of azimuthal orientation (rotation from the first support element 132 about the first axis of rotation 134) or inclination angle (rotation from the second support element 140 about the second axis of rotation 142). This is achieved by providing the electromagnetic output device 102 (and the corresponding first beam path 106) offset from the common first axis of rotation 134 and the central axis 136 of the substantially cylindrical sidewall 122.

With respect to the above embodiments, it should be appreciated that the first beam 104 incident on the sidewall 122 at an angle close to, but not exactly on, the surface normal 111 can still provide specular reflection that can affect the electromagnetic input device 108. For example, a first beam 104 having an angle of incidence of 1 or 2 degrees to the sidewall 111 may reflect a substantial amount of electromagnetic radiation back toward the electromagnetic output device 102 and the adjacently positioned electromagnetic input device 108. However, in some embodiments, it is desirable that the angle of incidence of the first beam 104 to the sidewall 122 be greater than 5 degrees. In another embodiment, the angle of incidence is at least 10 degrees. In yet another embodiment, the angle of incidence is at least 12 degrees or at least 15 degrees or at least 20 degrees. The larger angle of incidence may be advantageous to reduce the effect of the second beam 126 of electromagnetic radiation on the electromagnetic input device 108 by moving the second beam 126 away from the electromagnetic output device 102 and the co-located electromagnetic input device 108.

In one embodiment, first support element 132 rotates at approximately 0.25 revolutions per second along with the other support components of ranging system 100. The second support element 140, along with the supported electromagnetic output device 108 and electromagnetic input device 102, may rotate at approximately 40 revolutions per second. The continuous rotation of the

support members

132, 140 allows the ranging system 100 to produce multiple distance determinations. It should be understood that other rotational speeds may be used.

In one embodiment, first support element 132 and second support element 140 are rotatable about respective axes to 360 degrees or more. This allows the distance of a point on object 7 from two or more configurations of electromagnetic output device 102 to be determined. This allows redundant measuring devices or stereo measuring devices of the distance of the object surface or environment. This is shown in fig. 20: the first configuration of electromagnetic output devices 3102 'provides a corresponding first beam 3104' directed toward point 3112 on object 7. The reflected electromagnetic radiation (not expressly shown) is then received by electromagnetic input device 3108'. The electromagnetic output device and the electromagnetic input device can then be moved to the second configuration by movement of the support element. In the second configuration, the electromagnetic output devices 3102 "provide respective first beams 3104" that are directed toward the same point 3112 on the object. The reflected radiation is then received through electromagnetic input device 3102 ".

The above-described embodiment is one solution, and it should be understood that in other embodiments, different configurations may be used to provide the first beam 104 incident on the sidewall 122 at an angle that results in a specular reflection 128, the specular reflection 128 being the second beam 126 directed toward the electromagnetic input device 108. For example, in one alternative, the electromagnetic output device 102 is a first reflector (e.g., a mirror or prism) that redirects laser light from a laser emitter to provide a first beam 104 on a first beam path 106. In another embodiment, the electromagnetic input device 108 includes a second reflector that redirects the reflected laser light 110 to one or more photosensors. In this embodiment, one or more first and second reflectors are used to provide an offset for the laser emitter and/or the light sensor to prevent the second beam 124 from blinding the light sensor. Examples of such alternatives are described below.

It should be understood that, beyond the particular embodiments described herein, other arrangements may achieve the result that the second electromagnetic input (108) is positioned outside the second beam path (124) of the second beam (126) of electromagnetic radiation. Such other settings may be designed by specifying a plurality of first beam paths (106) from the electromagnetic output device (102) that may be used during functioning of the ranging system (100). From there, respective second plurality of beam paths may be calculated based on specular reflections from the first beam path (106). The designer may thus design the ranging system (100) such that the electromagnetic input device (108) is disposed outside each second beam path (124) when the ranging system (100) is configured such that the electromagnetic output device (102) provides each respective first beam (104).

Refraction of a first beam passing through the sidewall

As noted above, the substantially cylindrical sidewall 122 aids in the calculation and/or calibration of the ranging system 100. Fig. 13 shows a top view of the electromagnetic output devices 1102 ', 1102 ", 1102" ' at three positions around the first rotation axis 134 at different azimuthal angles (which may be 0 or not shown), phi "and phi '". As the first beams 1104 ', 1104 ", 1104'" pass through the cylindrical sidewall 122, the different index of refraction of air (within the housing 120 and outside the housing 120) compared to the index of refraction of the material of the cylindrical sidewall 122 results in refraction of the first beams 1104 ', 1104 ", 1104'". This changes the path of the first beam, which may include a change in direction and/or cause the path of the first beam to move. In fig. 13, this is illustrated by the first beams 1104 ', 1104 ", and 1104'" incident on the cylindrical sidewall 122. The paths of the transmitted first beams 1104A ', 1104A ", and 1104A'" are changed by an angle a from the respective initial beam paths 1106 ', 1106 ", and 1106'", as shown in fig. 13. Since the first axis of rotation 134 and the central axis 136 are coaxial and the cylindrical sidewall 122 is substantially cylindrical, the change in path of the first beam 1104, at least in a component of the path in a direction perpendicular to the central axis 134, is substantially constant. That is, the change to the transmit path of the first beams 1104A ', 1104A ", and 1104A'" is substantially the same for the azimuth direction Φ about the central axis 136 as shown in fig. 6 (as indicated by the angle α).

It will be appreciated that the change to the path shown by angle a is not unique and, depending on the nature and physical configuration of the material, the change to the path of the first beam may include a displacement within the beam. In yet another alternative, the first emitted beams 1104A ', 1104A ", 1104A'" may have paths that are displaced and directed toward a different direction than the incident beams 104 ', 104 ", 104'". It should be appreciated that the path of the reflected radiation 110 through the sidewall 122 and received by the electromagnetic input device 108 can be calculated by similar principles as described for the first beam 1104.

For clarity, in the description, only the change in the component of the beam path in the direction perpendicular to the central axis 136 is depicted in fig. 6. The change in the path of the first beam 104 due to the relative tilt angle θ of the electromagnetic output device 102 will now be described with reference to fig. 14(a) to 14 (c).

Fig. 14(a) shows the electromagnetic output device 2102 oriented at an oblique angle of 0 degrees, such that the first beam 2104' is substantially parallel to the plane 138 perpendicular to the central axis 136. In this orientation, the first beam 2104B 'emitted is substantially parallel and coaxial to the first beam 2104' with respect to the oblique angle component due to substantially zero refraction in the oblique angle component.

Fig. 14(b) shows electromagnetic output device 2102 "oriented at an intermediate tilt angle θ" above plane 138 perpendicular to central axis 136. In this configuration, the emitted first beam 2104B "has a changed path relative to the first beam 2104" because the angle of inclination of the electromagnetic output device causes the first beam 2104 "to be incident on the cylindrical sidewall 122 at an angle of incidence greater than zero degrees. The deviation between the emitted first beam 2104B "and the first beam 2104B" is a displacement β ". It is to be understood, however, that the deviation is not limited to a displacement, but may alternatively or also be a change in direction of the beam path as described above.

Fig. 14(c) shows electromagnetic output device 2102 "'oriented at a high tilt angle θ"' above plane 138 perpendicular to central axis 136. In this configuration, the emitted first beam 2104B '"has a greater altered path relative to the first beam 2104'", because a greater tilt angle of the electromagnetic output device results in a greater angle of incidence, which results in greater refraction and consequent displacement of the first beam in the tilt angle component. The deviation of the emitted first beam 2104B ' "and the first beam 2104 '" is a displacement β ' ". In this embodiment, β' "is larger than β" and the displacement β increases with increasing tilt angle θ.

In one form, the change in path of the first beam (including α and β) can be calculated by snell's law (equation 2) along with the corresponding refractive index.

Where theta is the path angle of light measured from the surface normal of the boundary between media 1 and 2,

v is the speed of light in the respective medium, and

n is the refractive index of the respective medium.

In one form, the configuration of the electromagnetic output device 102 is provided to avoid all internal reflections of the first beam 104 when the first beam is incident on the cylindrical sidewall 122. This configuration may include providing first support element 132 and second support element 130 such that electromagnetic output device 102 is not oriented to provide first beam 104 with an angle of incidence above the critical angle of air-to-sidewall, or sidewall-to-air, boundary.

Variants and alternatives of distance measuring systems

Further variations and alternatives of the ranging system 100 will now be described.

Shielded electromagnetic input

Fig. 18(a) and 18(b) illustrate one embodiment of an electromagnetic input device 308, the electromagnetic input device 308 having a photosensor 310 shielded by a cover 312. In one embodiment, the shroud 312 is in the form of a hollow tube that forms the channel 314. In use, the cover 312 is able to move with the rest of the electromagnetic input device 308 such that the channel is generally directed towards the object 7 being measured by the ranging system 100. The channel allows the reflected electromagnetic radiation 110 from the object 7 to pass through the cover 312 to be detected by the light sensor 310. Instead, the shield blocks electromagnetic radiation from a selectable direction (e.g., second beam 316 or third and subsequent beams 318) from being received directly by light sensor 310. This may be advantageous to prevent the second beam 316, which is reflected multiple times from the sidewall 122, from being received directly by the light sensor 310. In addition, the cover 312 may shield the light sensor 310 from other sources of electromagnetic radiation that may affect the light sensor 310, such as light (for illumination), light from the sun, electromagnetic radiation from multiple paths of reflected electromagnetic radiation, or electromagnetic radiation from other ranging equipment operating in the area.

In one embodiment, the cover 312 may include an anti-reflective surface. As shown in fig. 18(b), an anti-glare shield 320 may be included to protect the light sensor 310.

Dust pollution test

In use, dust or other contaminants may adhere to the housing 120, which may reduce the performance and effectiveness of the ranging apparatus 100. For example, dust on the exterior of the housing 120 or on the interior of the housing may attenuate or otherwise interfere with the first beam 104 and/or reflect the electromagnetic radiation 110. This may reduce the effective range of the ranging apparatus or at worst prevent the range determination altogether.

In some embodiments, the dust is a combustible dust, such as coal dust or soot. In such environments, increased levels of dust, whether inside or outside the enclosure, can present an increased safety risk. Periodic maintenance checks of the housing may be undertaken to ensure that the dust level does not reach an elevated level which may adversely affect the performance of the device or raise safety risks.

In one embodiment, ranging apparatus 100 includes means for determining the contamination level and performance of ranging device 100. Preferably, the rangefinder triggers an alarm or shuts down the device if the contamination level exceeds a predetermined amount. In one embodiment, the predetermined amount corresponds to an increased level of contamination with risk of ignition. Referring to fig. 19(a), the ranging apparatus 100 includes a reflector 351 disposed outside the housing 120, the reflector 351 having a reflecting surface 353. The reflector 351 provides a reflective surface 353 having a known reflectivity to provide a test (or calibration) surface. The reflector 351 may be mounted on the body of the mining machine 3.

In one form, the contamination test includes the ranging system 100 providing the first beam 104, the first beam 104 passing through the sidewall 122 and being reflected from the reflective surface 353, and the reflected electromagnetic radiation 110 passing through the sidewall 122 to be received by the electromagnetic input device 108. The intensity of the received electromagnetic radiation 110 may be compared to the past intensity of the reflected electromagnetic radiation 110 reflected from the reflective surface 353. The reduction in intensity may be indicative of degraded performance, such as dust contaminating the exterior of the sidewall 122, the interior of the sidewall, or other components (such as on the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108). The decrease in intensity may also be indicative of a contaminated reflective surface 353.

Fig. 19(b) shows another embodiment having a reflector 355 with a reflective surface 357 inside the housing 120. This allows for contamination testing for determining contamination inside the enclosure 120, such as contamination on the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108. Alternatively, it may be used to determine the condition of electromagnetic output device 102 and electromagnetic input device 108. For example, over time and with use, there may be a degradation in the intensity of the electromagnetic output device 102 or the sensitivity of the electromagnetic input device 108 to electromagnetic radiation.

In another form, the results of the contamination test from outside the housing 120 as shown in fig. 19(a) are compared with the results of the contamination test inside the housing 120 as shown in fig. 19 (b). This comparison can provide an indication of contamination of the side walls 122 of the housing 120, thereby compensating for or eliminating contamination or degradation of performance of the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108.

In another embodiment, ranging system 100 monitors the signal-to-noise ratio of electromagnetic input device 108. A reduced signal-to-noise ratio may indicate dust contamination of one or more components of the ranging system 100. This can be used as an alternative, or in conjunction with the contamination test described above.

In one form, the program in the program memory 211 causes the processor 209 to instruct the control module 201 to perform the contamination test described above. This may be performed at regular intervals during operation, at start-up, at shut-down or if the radiation received at the electromagnetic input device 108 has been determined to be lower than desired for a given object 7 distance and/or material of the object 7. Further, in response to determining that ranging system 100 is contaminated, the program may prompt an operator to service ranging system 100 and/or shut down ranging system 100. This is important in environments where pollution is a risk of fire.

In one form, the controller 201 determines the time difference between the electromagnetic output device 102 sending the pulse of electromagnetic radiation and the electromagnetic input device 108 receiving the reflected pulse of electromagnetic radiation without determining the intensity of the received electromagnetic radiation. In other words, the electromagnetic input device 108 acts as a trigger to stop the counting of clock pulses. This avoids the need for super-block analog-to-digital (a/D) conversion and thus reduces the cost, complexity and energy consumption of the controller.

To determine the contamination of the rangefinder or the presence of particles in the environment or on the sidewall 122, the controller 201 will switch the electromagnetic output device 102 from the pulsed mode to the continuous mode and switch the controller port connected to the electromagnetic input device 108 from the triggered mode to the a/D mode. Since the electromagnetic output device 102 is continuous, a low speed A/D conversion provided by a common microcontroller may be used.

The result (which represents a digital value of the intensity of the received electromagnetic radiation) can then be compared by the processor 209 to a threshold value stored on the data storage 213. If the result is below the threshold, the processor 209 determines that the contamination is above an acceptable level. The processor 209 may then activate an alarm or activate a control light to indicate to the operator that there is excessive contamination. This process of determining contamination may be performed periodically. Preferably, this process is performed every 10 seconds or after ten turns about the central axis 136.

In one form, stored in memory 213 are azimuth and tilt angle values of the electromagnetic output that indicate the direction from electromagnetic output device 102 to a reference mirror (e.g., reflective surfaces 353, 357). When the orientation and tilt angle of electromagnetic output device 102 are equal to or within a certain range of the stored values (e.g., within 1 degree), processor 209 may then send control data to control module 201 to cause electromagnetic output device 102 to switch to a continuous output.

When the orientation and tilt angle of the electromagnetic output device 102 is equal to or within a certain range of the stored values (e.g., within a range of 1 degree), the processor 209 also sends control data to the control module 201 to cause the controller port connected to the electromagnetic input device 108 to be switched to the a/D conversion.

In this way, the distance to the reference mirrors 353, 357 is not determined, but instead contamination can be measured at each revolution of the electromagnetic output device 102 about the axis 134, without having to start and stop the movement of the electromagnetic output device 102, which reduces mechanical stress on the components.

Electromagnetic output device and modification of electromagnetic input device configuration

A variation of the ranging system 4100 will now be described with reference to fig. 21 (a). In this variation, the electromagnetic output device 4102 includes a reflector, such as a mirror. The electromagnetic output device 4102 redirects the beam of electromagnetic radiation from the emitter 152 to provide a first beam 104 of electromagnetic radiation. The electromagnetic input device 4108 also includes a reflector, which may also be a mirror. The electromagnetic input device 4108 redirects the reflected electromagnetic radiation 110 towards the electromagnetic radiation sensor 154. In this embodiment, the use of one or more reflectors in conjunction with the geometry of the sidewall 122 provides a second beam path 124 of the second beam 126 that avoids blinding the sensor 154.

In another variation, the reflectors of the electromagnetic input device 4108 and the electromagnetic output device 4102 are formed by a common reflector.

Another variation of the ranging system 5100 will now be described with reference to fig. 21 (b). In this modification, the electromagnetic output device 5102 and the electromagnetic input device 5108 are rotatably supported and steered by the second support element 5140 and the first support element 5140. In this variation, the electromagnetic output device 5102 provides a first beam 104, the first beam 104 being incident on the sidewall 122 along or substantially near the surface normal. The resulting specular reflection 128 provides a second beam 126 on a second beam path 124 that is directed back toward the electromagnetic output device 5102. However, in this configuration, the electromagnetic input device 5108 is located outside of the second beam path 124 to avoid or reduce the effect of specular reflection on the electromagnetic input device 5108.

Variations of the side walls of the housing

Variations of ranging

systems

6100, 7100, 8100 having differently configured side walls including an outer side wall and an inner side wall will now be described with reference to fig. 22(a) to 22 (c).

Referring to fig. 22(a), ranging system 6100 has a housing 120 with an inner sidewall 6122a surrounding electromagnetic output device 102 and electromagnetic input device 108. The outer sidewall 6122b then surrounds the inner sidewall 6122 a. In this embodiment, the aperture 6131 is defined between the outer sidewall 6122b and the inner sidewall 6122 a.

The outer sidewall 6122b and the inner sidewall 6122a can be made of different materials. The advantages of using different materials are: it is possible to combine the different properties of the materials individually. For example, the outer sidewall 6122b may be made of a material having high impact resistance to provide an impact resistant barrier. The inner sidewall 6122a may be made of a material having high pressure resistance, such as at least 100kPAa, or at least 500kPa, or at least 1000 kPa. In one embodiment, the outer sidewall 6122b is constructed of glass to provide scratch resistance. The inner sidewall 6122a is constructed of a transparent plastic (such as polycarbonate) to provide a pressure resistant barrier. Thus, the combination of the outer sidewall 6122b and the inner sidewall 6122a can be configured to meet one or more user requirements, which can include meeting industry standards as discussed herein.

In another variation, the outer sidewall 6122b and the inner sidewall 6122a are made of the same material with the same or different wall thicknesses. In one embodiment, the outer sidewall 6122b and the inner sidewall 6122a are constructed of glass. The advantage of having two side walls may be: the outer sidewall 6122b can be a sacrificial barrier that can be replaced as desired without exposing the electromagnetic output device 102 and the electromagnetic input device 108 to contaminants. This is particularly advantageous if the replacement is done in an environment such as a dusty environment often encountered in mines.

Advantageously, the aperture 6131 between the outer sidewall 6122b and the inner sidewall 6122a can provide a balance to reduce impact effects on the outer sidewall 6122b, avoiding impact on the inner sidewall 6122a and system components housed therein. For example, the outer sidewall 6122b may absorb the impact causing its deformation. However, the apertures 6131 provide spacing away from the inner sidewall 6122a so that impact forces are not directly transferred to the surface of the inner sidewall 6122 a.

Another embodiment of a ranging system 7100 is shown in fig. 22(b), which includes an inner sidewall 7122a made of rigid material surrounded by an outer sidewall in the form of a protective film 7122 b. The protective film 7122b may be a peelable transparent plastic film that can be removed and replaced when the film is scratched, otherwise damaged, or contaminated. Advantageously, the protective film 7122b may provide a low cost and easily replaceable sacrificial barrier to allow easy maintenance of the transparency of the housing 120. The protective film 7122b may comprise similar polyester films to those used on racing windshields, such as the films available under the product names LCL-600-XSR and LCL-800-XSR from MADIO corporation of Wolben, Mass. and the 5-7 mil films sold by the corporation.

Yet another embodiment of ranging system 8100 is shown in fig. 22(c) and includes an inner sidewall 8122a laminated or adhered to an outer sidewall 8122b through the use of an adhesive layer 8123. The adhesive layer may comprise a liquid resin made from a plastic polymer formulated from an acrylic or silicone based compound. The adhesive layer may be of the type that includes a photoinitiator that will tend to cure the applied resin very quickly when exposed to UV light. One such adhesive may be the Deco-Coat line from Eposies Etc, Starline road 21 (zip code 02921), Klebsiella, Rodrian. In one embodiment, the binder comprises polyvinyl butyral (PVB). Preferably, the adhesive layer reduces the propensity and size of the housing to provide multiple reflections of the electromagnetic radiation source and to provide an impact barrier between the inner and outer walls.

In an exemplary embodiment, the housing 120 comprises a double-walled glass cylinder comprised of an inner sidewall 8122a and an outer sidewall 8122b (the inner and outer sidewalls being formed of glass cylinders) laminated together using PVB (polyvinyl butyral) 8123 or other suitable laminating/adhesive substance.

The outer sidewall 6122b and the inner sidewall 6122a may produce a plurality of corresponding light reflection and refraction points, such as

locations

6128a, 7128a, 8128a on the

inner wall

6122a, 7122a, 8122a and

locations

6128b, 7128b, 8128b on the

outer sidewall

6122b, 7122b, 8122 b. These effects can be adjusted by calibration and/or calculation like the one described before, but taking into account multiple reflections and refractions.

Other features of ranging system 100

In one form, the electrical and electronic components (including the laser, motor and controller) within the housing 120 of the ranging apparatus 100 do not consume more than 6W of power to reduce the risk of ignition by heating of the ranging system. It should be understood that the maximum level of power consumption may vary depending on relevant standards of a country or a region.

Preferably, the ranging system 100 complies with the International standards IEC 60079-0, IEC 60079-1, American Standard ANSI/UL 1203: 2006, British Standard BS EN 60079-1: 2007 and australian standard AS 60079.1: 2007 (more preferably two or more). In a preferred embodiment, the ranging system also meets 1 set of gas criteria (e.g., coal mining environment). It will be appreciated that some variations of the ranging system may comply with other standards as required for a particular application, which may include other gas group standards such as group IIA, IIB, IIC gas standards.

Applications of

Mining machine 3 and ranging system 100 may be particularly suitable for use in environments susceptible to fire or explosion, particularly when exposed to an ignition source. In some embodiments, the ranging system 100 of the mining machine 3 is used to determine the distance of objects in a mine, particularly in a coal mine. The atmospheric environment in a coal mine can contain explosive and/or flammable coal dust, methane, and oxygen mixtures.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the general scope of the disclosure. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. A mining machine (3) comprising:

-a ranging system (100) comprising:

-an electromagnetic input device (108) receiving the first beam of reflected electromagnetic radiation (110) from an object (7) to determine a distance (114) of the ranging system from the object (7);

-a housing (120) comprising a side wall (122) surrounding a central axis (136) of the housing (120), the side wall (122) being transparent to the electromagnetic radiation provided by the electromagnetic output device (102); and

a first support element rotatable within the housing about a first axis of rotation,

wherein the electromagnetic output device (102) and the electromagnetic input device (108) are disposed within the housing (120) and supported by the first support element such that rotation of the first support element diverts the first beam provided by the electromagnetic output device and diverts the electromagnetic input device to receive the reflected electromagnetic radiation from the first beam of the object;

wherein the first axis of rotation (134) is coaxial with the central axis (136); and is

Wherein the electromagnetic output device is offset from the first axis of rotation (134) such that: the first beam path from the electromagnetic output device to the sidewall does not intersect the first axis of rotation (134), and the electromagnetic input device (108) is located outside a second beam path (124) of a second beam (126) of electromagnetic radiation, the second beam being defined by specular reflection (128) of the first beam (104) on the sidewall (122),

2. The mining machine (3) of claim 1, further comprising:

3. The mining machine (3) of claim 2, further comprising:

wherein the processing device (9) is further arranged to:

-determining a second position of the mining machine (3) based on:

-said first position; and

-the movement data of the mining machine based on a track-pushing algorithm.

4. A mining machine (3) as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the first position is an absolute position.

5. The mining machine (3) of claim 1, further comprising:

-said relative position data; and

-the movement data of the mining machine based on a track-pushing algorithm.

6. The mining machine (3) of claim 1, the mining machine (3) further comprising a second support element (140) providing support between the electromagnetic output device (102) and the first support element (132), wherein the second support element (140) is rotatable about a second axis of rotation (142), and wherein rotation of the second support element (140) steers the first beam (104) provided by the electromagnetic output device (102).

7. The mining machine (3) of claim 6, wherein the second axis of rotation (142) is perpendicular to the first axis of rotation (134).

8. The mining machine (3) of claim 1, the mining machine (3) further comprising a control module to steer the first beam (104) to a plurality of orientations to provide a plurality of distance determinations of the object in a surrounding environment.

9. The mining machine (3) of claim 8, wherein the plurality of distances of the object in the surrounding environment are determined to be represented as data in a three-dimensional point cloud.

10. The mining machine (3) of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electromagnetic output device (102) comprises a laser emitter providing the first beam (104) in the form of laser light, and wherein the electromagnetic input device (108) comprises a light sensor receiving laser light reflected from the object (7).

11. The mining machine (3) of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electromagnetic output device (102) provides the first beam (104) of electromagnetic radiation in one or more of the ultraviolet, visible and/or infrared spectra.

12. The mining machine (3) of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the side wall (122) is a cylindrical side wall.

13. A method of monitoring a position of a mining machine, the method comprising:

-receiving from a data interface (40) in the mining machine (3) according to any of claims 1-12 relative position data of the mining machine (3) to an object (7) having an object position;

-determining a second position of the mining machine (3) based on:

-the relative position data of the mining machine (3); and

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of;

-determining a first position of the mining machine (3) based on the relative position data of the mining machine to the object (7) and the object position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining a second position of the mining machine (3) is further based on the first position of the mining machine.

16. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising:

-wherein the step of determining the first position is further based on the received object position data associated with the object (7).

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining the second position of the mining machine (3) is further based on starting position data of the mining machine (3).

18. A method of determining structural changes in a tunnel in a mining operation, the method comprising:

-receiving a first profile scan of the tunnel, wherein the first profile scan is based on receiving a plurality of relative position data from a data port (40) in a mining machine (3) according to any of claims 1-12;

-storing the first profile scan in a data memory;

-subsequently receiving a second profile scan of the tunnel, wherein the second profile scan is based on receiving a plurality of relative position data from the same mining machine (3) or different sensor systems; and is

-processing the first and second profile scans to determine any structural variations of the surface of the tunnel corresponding to the profile deformations of the tunnel.