RU2809488C2 - System and method for managing threshold quantities of returnable material on surface during delivery - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: systems for operating delivery vehicles.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a system for operating delivery vehicles by controlling threshold quantities of return material relative to return material in the tipping body of the delivery vehicle. The system includes a plurality of mining trucks (40), at least one loading vehicle, and a controller (110) configured to generate an initial material movement plan based on an initial number of loading vehicles (11) and mining trucks (40) and an initial threshold amount of return material, generating initial movement command signals for operating loading machines (11) and mining trucks at the work site based on the initial material movement plan. The controller (116) is further configured to generate a modified material movement plan based on the modified number of loading machines (11) and mining trucks (40) and a modified threshold amount of return material and generating modified movement command signals for operating the loading machines (11) and mining trucks at the work site based on a modified material movement plan.

EFFECT: optimizing productivity at the work site.

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Description

The present invention generally relates to movable delivery vehicles for moving material and, in particular, to a system for operating delivery vehicles by controlling threshold quantities of return material relative to return material in the tipping body of the delivery vehicle.

State of the art

Machines such as mining trucks or delivery vehicles are used in various industries to transport or move material from one location to another. When using a mining truck to deliver material after each dumping operation, some of the material may, under certain conditions, adhere to or adhere to the inside surface of the dump truck body. The material remaining in the tipping body may be referred to by various terms, such as "return material", "residual load" or "dead layer".

Return material remaining in the tipping body is undesirable as it reduces machine performance. In particular, return material reduces the usable capacity (eg, volume) of the tipping body, requiring more trips to move the desired amount of material from the loading location to the unloading location. In addition, the increased weight of the tipping body due to return material also reduces the fuel efficiency of mining trucks. Each of these reasons reduces the efficiency of the material movement process.

UK Patent Application No. 2537590 discloses a tipper truck comprising a tipper body that can be rotated by a hydraulic cylinder to empty the tipper body. The pressure parameter associated with the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic cylinder is measured. Based on the pressure parameter, the residual load in the dump body can be measured.

The above discussion of the prior art is intended only to assist the reader. It is not intended to limit the innovations described herein, nor is it intended to limit or extend the prior art discussed. Therefore, the foregoing discussion should not be taken to indicate that any particular element of the legacy system is not suitable for use in conjunction with the innovations described in this document, nor is it intended to indicate that any element is essential to the implementation of the innovations. described in this document. The implementation and application of the innovations described herein are qualified by the appended claims.

The essence of the invention

In a first aspect, a machine routing and scheduling system for movable machines at a work site comprises a plurality of mining trucks, at least one loader, and a controller. Each mining dump truck has a tipping body with an internal surface for material delivery. At least one loading machine is configured to load material into the tipping body of each mining dump truck. The controller is configured to gain access to the initial number of loaders and dump trucks operating at the work site, to gain access to the initial threshold quantity of return material for the interior surface of each dump truck based on the initial number of loaders and dump trucks operating at the work site , generating an initial material movement plan based on the initial number of loaders and dump trucks and an initial threshold amount of return material, and generating initial move command signals for operating the loaders and dump trucks at the work site based on the initial material movement plan. The controller is further configured to access a modified number of loaders and dump trucks operating at the work site, access a modified threshold quantity of return material for the interior surface of each dump truck based on the modified number of loaders and dump trucks operating at the work site work, generating a modified material movement plan based on the modified number of loaders and dump trucks and a modified threshold amount of return material, and generating modified move command signals for operating loaders and dump trucks at the work site based on the modified material movement plan.

In another aspect, a method of machine routing and planning for movable machines at a work site includes obtaining access to an initial number of loaders and mining trucks operating at a work site, wherein the dump trucks have a tipper body for delivering material, and wherein the loaders are configured with the ability to load material into the tipping body of each mining truck, and accessing an initial threshold quantity of return material for the interior of each mining truck based on the initial number of loaders and mining trucks operating at the job site. The method further includes generating an initial material movement plan based on the initial number of loaders and dump trucks and an initial threshold quantity of return material, generating initial move command signals for operating loaders and dump trucks at the work site based on the initial material movement plan, obtaining access to the modified number of loaders and dump trucks operating on site, accessing the modified return material threshold quantity for the interior of each dump truck based on the modified number of loaders and dump trucks operating on site, generating a modified material transfer plan based on the modified number of loading machines and dump trucks and the modified threshold quantity of return material, and generating modified move command signals for operating the loaders and dump trucks at the work site based on the modified material movement plan.

Brief description of graphic materials

In fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a work site in which the principles disclosed herein may be used;

In fig. 2 is a perspective view of a loading machine and a mining truck operating at the work site shown in FIG. 1;

In fig. 3 is a schematic rear view of the mining truck shown in FIG. 2, with a current monitoring sensing device located above the tipping body of a mining dump truck;

In fig. 4 is a side view of the mining truck shown in FIG. 2;

In fig. 5 is a rear perspective view of the dump truck body shown in FIG. 4;

In fig. 6 is a side view of an excavator for use with the systems disclosed herein;

In fig. 7 is a perspective view of a hydraulic console for use in conjunction with the systems disclosed herein;

In fig. 8 is a block diagram illustrating the operation of an aspect of the systems disclosed herein;

In fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the operation of a second aspect of the systems disclosed herein;

In fig. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the operation of the third aspect of the systems disclosed herein; And

In fig. 11 is a block diagram illustrating the operation of the fourth aspect of the systems disclosed herein.

Detailed description

In fig. 1 depicts an exemplary work site 100 in which one or more machines 10 may operate autonomously, semi-autonomously, or manually to move material from one location at the work site 100 to another location at the work site or to an additional location at a remote location. from the place of work. The work site 100 may be part of, for example, a mine, a construction site, a road work site, a landfill, a quarry, a forest, or any other type of site. As shown in FIG. 1, an excavator 11 is used to load the material onto the mining truck 40, although any type of machine may be used to load the material and any type of machine may be used to subsequently transport the material.

The work site 100 may contain multiple locations dedicated to specific purposes. For example, a first location may be designated as a loading location 101 in which one or more loading machines, such as an excavator 11 or other machines, are operated to fill one or more mining trucks 40 with material. A second location may be designated as a location 102 unloading, in which the mining trucks 40 unload, or unload, their payload. In the disclosed embodiment, the unloading location 102 is located at the edge of a steep slope, ridge, or cliff area, often referred to as slope 103. In this embodiment, mining trucks 40 may be operated to unload their payload over the edge of slope 103. Mining trucks 40 may follow a main path. a travel path 104 that generally extends between the loading location 101 and the unloading location 102.

The unloading location 102 can be subdivided into groups 105 of unloading facilities 106 at which the mining trucks 40 can unload their payload. It is contemplated that the unloading location 102 may have any number of groups 105. By having multiple groups 105 at the unloading location 102, more than one mining truck 40 can operate simultaneously without traffic problems or significant time delays.

The control system 115, which is generally indicated in FIG. 1 by an arrow associated with a work location 100 may function to control certain aspects of the operation of machines at a work site and also exchange information between machines and between machines and an administrative department or remote system 120. The control system 115 may be a stand-alone system or may contain other systems, including systems that are located in or associated with various machines 10, such as machine control systems, which are described below.

The control system 115 may contain components at the work site 100 and may also include components located at a distance from the work site. As a result, the functionality of the control system 115 can be distributed so that certain functions are performed at the work site 100 and other functions are performed remotely, for example, at a remote control center. To transmit signals between components, the control system 115 may include a communications system including both a wireless communications system 121 at the command center 122 and wired communications systems (not shown).

The control system 115 may include an electronic control module, or controller 116, that may receive various input signals from the wireless communication system 121, wired communication systems (not shown), control systems and sensors associated with the machines 10, or any other source. The control system 115 and controller 116 may control and provide inputs for the operation of various aspects of the work site 100, including specific tasks and operations performed by the machines 10.

The controller 116 may be an electronic controller that operates in a logical manner to perform operations, execute control algorithms, store and retrieve data, and other necessary operations. The controller 116 may contain or have access to storage, auxiliary storage devices, processors, and any other components for running the application. The storage device and auxiliary storage devices may be in the form of a read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), or an integrated circuit capable of being accessed by a controller. Various other circuits may be associated with controller 116, such as power supply circuitry, signal conditioning circuitry, trigger circuitry, and other types of circuitry.

The controller 116 may be a single controller or may include more than one controller configured to control various functions and/or elements of the control system 115. For example, controller 116 may include machine controllers associated with machines 10. The term “controller” is intended to be used in its broadest sense to include one or more controllers and/or microprocessors that may be associated with work site 100 and/or machines 10, and which can interact to control various functions and operations at the work site and in the machines. The functionality of controller 116 may be implemented in hardware and/or software regardless of functionality. The controller 116 may be based on one or more data maps that relate to operating and environmental conditions at the work site 100, as well as the characteristics and capabilities of the machines 10, which may be stored in the controller's memory. Each of these data cards may contain a set of data in the form of tables, graphs and/or equations.

The excavator 11 has several systems and components that interact to move material in the required manner. The excavator 11 may include a work equipment system 12 comprising a rotating member or platform 13, a chassis 14, and a linkage assembly 16 containing a work attachment in the form of a bucket 17. The platform 13 may be rotatably positioned on the chassis 14 and may include a cab 18 operator from which the operator may control some or all of the operations of the excavator 11. Rotation of the platform 13 relative to the chassis 14 may be effected by a rotary motor generally indicated by reference numeral 19.

The chassis 14 may provide a supporting structure for one or more traction devices 20, made in the form of tracks engaged with the ground, used to enable the forward movement of the excavator 11 along the working surface and, thus, allowing the work equipment system 12 to be a moving system working equipment. Alternatively, the traction devices 20 may be in the form of wheels, belts, or other traction devices known in the art.

Power to operate the excavator 11 may be provided by a prime mover 15. In one embodiment, the prime mover 15 may be implemented as an internal combustion engine, such as a diesel engine, a gasoline engine, a gaseous fuel engine (e.g., a natural gas engine), or an internal combustion engine. any other type of combustion known in the art. Alternatively, the prime mover 15 may be implemented as a non-combustion energy source, such as an electrical source, including a fuel cell, or an energy storage device, such as a battery coupled to the engine. The prime mover 15 may provide rotational power to drive the traction devices 20, thereby driving the excavator 11. The prime mover 15 may also provide power to other systems and components of the excavator 11.

The linkage assembly 16 may include one or more linkage members configured to move the bucket 17. In one example, the linkage assembly 16 may include a boom member 22 and a handle member 23. The first end of the boom member 22 may be pivotally connected to the platform 13, and the second end of the boom member may be pivotally coupled to the first end of the handle member 23. The bucket 17 can be hinged or movably connected to the second end of the element 23 in the form of a handle.

Each lever element may comprise and be operably coupled to one or more actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders. In particular, the boom member 22 may be driven or moved along a path by one or more boom hydraulic cylinders 25. The handle member 23 can be driven by a hydraulic handle cylinder 26. The rotation of the bucket 17 relative to the element 23 in the form of a handle can be carried out using hydraulic cylinders 27 of the working device. The lever elements can be translated or rotated in a plane generally orthogonal to the working surface. Other types of drives are also contemplated, such as electric motors, air motors, or any other drive devices.

Excavator 11 may include and be controlled by an excavator control system 30, which is generally shown in FIG. 2 arrow indicating connection with the machine. The excavator control system 30 may include an electronic control module, or controller, such as an excavator controller 31, that controls the operation of various aspects of the excavator 11, including the transmission and hydraulic systems. The excavator control system 30 and the excavator controller 31 may be identical or similar in design and operating principle to the above-described control system 115 and work site controller 116, respectively, the descriptions of which will not be repeated herein. The excavator control system 30 and the excavator controller 31 may be located on the excavator 11 and may also include components located remotely from the excavator, such as on any of the other machines 10 at the work site 100 or at the command center 122. Functionality of the excavator controller 31 may be distributed so that certain functions are performed on the excavator 11 and other functions are performed remotely.

The excavator 11 may be equipped with a plurality of sensors providing data that indicate (directly or indirectly) various operational parameters of the machine and/or operating conditions under which the machine operates. The term “sensor” is intended to be used in its broadest sense to include one or more sensors and related components that may be associated with the excavator 11 and may interact to measure various machine functions, operations and performance characteristics and/or aspects environmental conditions in which the machine operates.

The system 32 for determining the spatial arrangement of the work equipment system, generally shown in FIG. 2, with an arrow indicating communication with the excavator 11, contains a spatial location sensor 33 of the work equipment system for determining the position and orientation (i.e., heading, pitch, roll, or inclination, and yaw) of the work equipment system 12 relative to the work site 100. Position and orientation are sometimes collectively referred to as "spatial arrangement". The work equipment system attitude sensor 33 may include a plurality of individual sensors that cooperate to generate and provide to the excavator controller 31 attitude signals indicating the position and orientation of the work equipment system 12.

In one example, the implement system attitude sensor 33 may include one or more sensors that interface with a position determination system, such as a GPS or global positioning system, to function as an attitude sensor. In another example, the implement system spatial position sensor 33 may further include a slope or inclination sensor, such as a pitch sensor, for measuring the slope or inclination of the implement system 12 relative to a reference point on the ground or ground. The excavator controller 31 may use the work equipment system spatial position signals from the work equipment system spatial position sensor 33 to determine the spatial position of the work equipment system 12 at the work location 100 . In other examples, the implement system spatial arrangement sensor 33 for determining all or some aspects of the implement system 12 spatial arrangement may comprise a odometer or other sensor for measuring wheel rotation, a perception-based system, or may use other systems such as lasers, sonar, or radar.

In an embodiment, the attachment system attitude sensor 33 may comprise a first attitude sensor for determining the position of an aspect of the excavators, such as the platform 13 or chassis 14, together with a plurality of angle sensors, indicated generally by the reference numeral 34 and located adjacent one or more hinges. lever elements (i.e., a boom hinge between the platform 13 and a boom element 22, a stick hinge between a boom element 22 and a handle element 23, and a work equipment hinge between the bucket 17 and a handle element 23). In some cases, the overall position of the excavator 11 can be determined depending on the chassis 14. In these cases, a plurality of angle sensors 34 may include an angle sensor to determine the relative angle between the platform 13 and the chassis 14. The angle sensors 34 may include inertial measurement units, rotation angle encoders , potentiometers or other angular or measuring devices for measuring the relative angular position of components.

In an alternative embodiment, angle sensors 34 may measure actuator displacement and hinge angles may be calculated based on the position of the actuators and the dimensions of the linkage elements. In another alternative embodiment, any or all of the angle sensors 34 may be configured to measure angular velocity or angular acceleration rather than angular position. Regardless of the type of angle sensors 34, the excavator controller 31 may use the output signals from the angle sensors to determine the position of each arm member and bucket 17 relative to the platform 13 and/or chassis 14.

The positions of the components of the excavator 11, including the work equipment system 12, can be determined based on the kinematic model of the machine in conjunction with the dimensions of the platform 13, chassis 14, boom element 22, arm 23 and bucket 17, as well as relative positions various components. In particular, the excavator controller 31 may include a data map identifying the position of each component of the excavator 11 based on the relative positions of the various components. The excavator controller 31 may use the position of the platform 13 and/or chassis 14 in conjunction with the sizes and positions of various components to determine the position of each component of the excavator 11 relative to the work site 100 . The operational characteristics and kinematic model of the excavator 11 may be stored in or accessible to the excavator controller 31 or any other controller such as the controller 116.

With reference to FIG. 2-3, the sensing system 35 may be located or mounted adjacent to the bucket 17. The sensing system 35 may include one or more systems such as an optical system (eg, a camera system), a thermal or infrared imaging system, a radar system, a LIDAR system, and/or or any other necessary system operating with associated sensing sensors to detect the configuration of material in the rollover body 44 of the mining truck 40, as described in more detail below. In an embodiment, the sensing system 35 may be implemented as an optical system and may include sensing sensors, such as a camera system 36 having a single camera or multiple cameras. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to provide a light source 37 to enhance, supplement, or highlight contrast and/or otherwise improve the performance of the camera system 36 with respect to analyzing the rollover body 44.

Sensing sensors, such as camera system 36, may generate signals or sensing data that are received by excavator controller 31 or controller 116 and used to determine the position of return material on the interior surface 46 of the tipping body 44 of mining truck 40, as described below. To this end, the sensing system 35 may be used to generate an electronic map and/or images of the interior surface 46 of the dump body of the mining truck 40. The sensing system 35 may use a camera system 36 or any other sensors installed for the purpose of generating sensing data. In one embodiment, each camera of the camera system 36 may be mounted on the excavator 11 at a relatively high observation point, such as on a cantilever beam 38 extending from a handle member 23 adjacent to the bucket 17. Sensing sensors such as the camera system 36 , if necessary, can be located in other locations.

With reference to FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a mining truck 40 for delivering, or transporting, material. The mining truck 40 includes a frame 41 and a prime mover, such as a motor 42, operatively coupled to the drive wheels 43 to drive the machine. The mining truck 40 may utilize any type of machine propulsion and transmission mechanisms, including hydrostatic, electric, or mechanical drive.

The payload container, or tipper body 44, may be articulated on the frame 41 and configured to carry material. With reference to FIG. 5, the interior surface 46 of the rollover body 44 may have one of a variety of different configurations. The inner surface 46 may be configured with a bottom surface 47, opposing side walls 48, and a front wall 49. Referring to FIG. 4, actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders 50, may extend between the frame 41 and the tipping body 44. These actuators may be actuated as needed to discharge material from the tipping body 44.

Mining truck 40 may include a cab 51 that can be physically occupied by an operator and provides input to control the machine. The cab 51 may include one or more input devices (not shown) through which the operator can issue commands to control the propulsion and steering of the machine, as well as the unloading of the tipping body 44.

Mining truck 40 may include and be controlled by a mining truck control system 52, which is generally shown in FIG. 3 arrow indicating connection with the machine. The mining truck control system 52 may include an electronic control module, or controller, such as a mining truck controller 53, that controls the operation of various aspects of the mining truck 40, including the transmission and hydraulic systems. The mining truck control system 52 and the mining truck controller 53 may be identical or similar in design and operating principle to the above-described control system 115 and work site controller 116, respectively, the descriptions of which will not be repeated herein. The mining truck control system 52 and the mining truck controller 53 may be located on the mining truck 40 and may also include components located remotely from the mining truck, such as on any of the other machines 10 at the work site 100 or at the command center 122. The capabilities of the mining truck controller 53 may be distributed so that certain functions are performed on the mining truck 40 and other functions are performed remotely. The operating characteristics and reference profile of the mining truck 40 may be stored in or accessible by the mining truck controller 53 or any other controller such as the controller 116.

The mining truck 40 may be equipped with a plurality of generally specified sensors that provide data indicating (directly or indirectly) various operational parameters of the machine. As stated above with respect to the excavator 11, the term “sensor” is intended to be used in its broadest sense to include one or more sensors and related components that may be associated with the mining truck 40.

The plurality of sensors of the mining truck 40 may include a mining truck sensing system 54, similar in some respects to the work equipment system sensing system 32 described above. As shown in FIG. 4, the mining truck attitude detection system 54 may include a mining truck attitude sensor 55 having a plurality of individual sensors that cooperate to generate and provide to the mining truck controller 53 attitude signals indicating position and orientation (i.e., heading, pitch, roll, or tilt and yaw) of the mining dump truck 40 relative to the work site 100. The sensors associated with the mining truck 40 may include sensors identical or similar to those described above with respect to the excavator 11, and therefore their descriptions will not be repeated herein. The mining truck 40 may further include a tipping body angle sensor 56 for determining the position of the tipping body 44 relative to the frame 41 or some other reference point. The mining truck attitude detection system 54 in combination with the tipper angle sensor 56 may function as a tipper attitude sensor for determining the spatial location of the tipper body 44 relative to the work site 100 .

The mining truck control system 52 may also include a payload estimating system generally indicated by reference numeral 57. The payload estimating system 57 may determine the estimating of the payload in the tipping body 44 of the mining truck 40. In an embodiment, the payload estimating system 57 may operate by measuring pressure on hydraulic cylinders 50.

Excavators 11 and mining dump trucks 40 operating at work location 100 can be configured for autonomous, semi-autonomous or manual operation. In the case of semi-autonomous or manual operation, machines can be operated using remote control and/or control by an operator physically located in the cab. If the machine is configured to operate via a remote control system, a visual imaging system (not shown), such as a camera system, may be provided to generate visual images showing a viewpoint relative to the machine. The visual image signals may be transmitted wirelessly over the wireless network system 121 to a system remote from the machines, such as an external control system 115 .

Because the operations performed at the work location 100 by the excavator 11 and the mining truck 40 may be planned and controlled by any of the excavator control system 30, the mining truck control system 52, the control system 115, or any combination thereof, as well as the excavator controller 31, mining truck controller 51, controller 116, or any combination thereof, references herein to systems and operations of control system 115 and/or controller 116 may refer to systems and operations of any of excavator control system 30, mining truck control system 52, control system 115 or any combination thereof, as well as to the excavator controller 31, the mining truck controller 51, the controller 116, or any combination thereof.

The control system 115 may include a return material monitoring system 60 (FIG. 1) used to autonomously or semi-autonomously monitor the amount of return material in the tipper body 44 of each mining truck 40 and determine whether a threshold amount of return material has been reached. By determining that the dump body 44 is carrying an amount of returnable material that exceeds a threshold amount of returnable material, a mining truck 40 may be identified or assigned to clean the interior surface 46 to remove the returnable material. To determine whether the amount of return material exceeds a threshold amount of return material, the current profile of the inner surface 46, including the shape of the inner surface changed due to the presence of return material, can be compared with the reference profile of the inner surface not containing return material (i.e., completely empty ).

The dump bodies 44 can be designed or configured based on any combination of objectives in terms of materials to be delivered. These goals may include maximizing payload, maximizing wear resistance, maximizing delivery efficiency (i.e. maximizing tons per hour), and/or minimizing spillage. Accordingly, the supporting profile of the inner surface 46 of the dump body 44 may be different for each mining truck 40. Examples of aspects of the inner surface 46 of the dump body 44 that may differ from one dump body to another include: 1) the bottom surface 47 is flat or different shape (for example, “duck tail”); 2) inclination of the lower surface 47; 3) the height of the side walls 48 relative to the bottom surface 47; 4) the slope or angle between the bottom surface 47 and the side walls 48; 5) the height of the front wall 49 relative to the bottom surface 47; 6) the inclination or angle between the bottom surface 47 and the front wall 49; and 7) the amount of curvature at each intersection or connection between components, such as between bottom surface 47 and side walls 48, between bottom surface 47 and front wall 49, and between side walls 48 and front wall 49.

In addition, the inner surface 46 may undergo changes over time, so periodic updating of the support profiles may be required. In one example, aspects of the inner surface may change due to damage or repair work. In another example, the lining may be applied to or removed from the interior surface.

The return material monitoring system 60 may store a reference profile for each mining truck 40 operating at a job site. The reference profiles can take the form of an electronic map or a three-dimensional computer image. In some embodiments, the reference profile of each mining truck 40 may be stored along with identifying information, such as a code associated with each truck, as part of the data cards of the excavator controller 31 on board the excavator 11, in the mining truck controller 53 on board the mining truck, or at a remote location. , for example, in controller 116.

In one embodiment, the return material monitoring system 60 may operate by positioning a sensing system 35, such as a camera system 36 located adjacent to the bucket 17 of the excavator 11, in a position above the inner surface 46 of the tipper body 44 of the mining truck 40. Collection Perceptual data may be provided by the sensing system 35 and may be used to create or determine an electronic map of the current profile of the interior surface 46. Using this method, perceptual data is collected when the tipper body 44 is empty, for example, before emptying the first bucket of material into the tipper body. body 44. To do this, the sensing system 35 is positioned above the inner surface 46 of the rollover body 44 so that the received perception data contains the actual, or current, inner surface of the rollover body. As a result, the sensing system collects the current profile of the inner surface 46, including the return material.

The spatial location of the sensing system 35 can be determined by the spatial location sensor 33 of the work equipment system together with a kinematic model of the work equipment system 12. Thus, the work equipment system spatial position sensor 33, together with the kinematic model of the work equipment system 12, can function as a sensing system spatial position sensor generating signals or data of the sensing system spatial position. The perception data received by the sensing system 35 can then be combined with the spatial location of the sensing system to generate an electronic image or map of the sensing system's viewing area relative to the work site 100. This electronic map will contain the current profile of the interior surface 46 of the rollover body 44.

The spatial location of the tipping body 44 can be determined by the spatial location sensor 55 of the mining truck, as described above. If the spatial arrangement of the tipper body 44 and the support profile of the inner surface 46 of the tipper body are known, an electronic map, or model, of the support profile relative to the work site 100 can be generated.

After determining the spatial location of the current profile of the interior surface 46 of the tipper body 44 and the spatial location of the support profile, the return material monitoring system 60 may compare the current profile with the support profile to determine the amount of return material located in the tipper body. If the amount of returnable material exceeds a threshold amount (eg, a percentage of the volume or weight of the tipping body 44), the mining truck 40 may be flagged to require cleaning or emptying of the returnable material. In some cases, the location of the return material may also be a factor in determining the need, or need, for a cleaning operation.

In one example, mining trucks 40 may be sequentially sent to a treatment facility when a threshold amount of return material is exceeded. In another example, when the mining truck 40 is scheduled to be cleaned, the mining truck may be directed to a dedicated dump location 102 to facilitate subsequent cleaning. For example, the cleaning station 107 may be located near a special unloading location, or the cleaning station may be located between the unloading location 102 and the next loading location 101, such as a cleaning station 108 on the main travel path 104.

Other embodiments are also contemplated. For example, the sensing system 35 may be located adjacent to the unloading location 102, rather than on the excavators 11, so that each mining truck 40 is inspected after its most recent unloading cycle. By positioning the sensing system 35 adjacent to the dumping location 102, the current profile of each dump body 44 can be generated or determined after the most recent loading cycle. This can result in a more accurate current profile and a more efficient cleaning operation.

In another embodiment, the receiving system 35 may be located near the cleaning station 108 on the main travel path 104, with each mining truck 40 passing the receiving system on its way back to the loading location 101. From the above description, it is clear that the sensing system 35 can be located at any location in the work station 100. The sensing system 35 may be positioned at a location high enough to allow the interior surface 46 of the dump body 44 to be scanned. To enable an electronic map of return material to be generated on the scanned interior surface 46 of the dump body 44, a spatial positioning system may be coupled to each sensing system independently. from her location.

In yet another embodiment, a first sensing system 35 and a second sensing system 125 (along with a spatial positioning system) may be provided. In one embodiment, the first sensing system 35 may be located on each excavator 11, and the second sensing system 125 is also located adjacent to the cleaning station 107, 108. The first sensing system 35 may be used to generate a first current profile of the interior surface 46 of the rollover body 44 sufficient to determine the need or need for a cleaning operation, and the second sensing system 125 may be used to generate a second current profile used during the cleaning process. In some cases, the first sensing system 35 may be less complex or accurate than the second sensing system 125 in order to reduce costs or simplify its operation, while the second sensing system may be more complex or accurate to provide a more accurate current profile immediately before cleaning operation.

In a further embodiment, a payload detection system 57 may be used to determine the need or need for a clearing operation, and one sensing system 35 is provided to generate the current profile used for the clearing operation.

The excavator control system 30 may further include a return material cleaning system 61 (FIG. 1) used to autonomously or semi-autonomously clean or remove return material from the interior surface 46 of the tipping body 44. The return material cleaning system 61 may be used to clean the tipping body 44. regardless of the method in which the cleaning was prescribed. For example, such determination may be made in an automated manner, such as through return material monitoring system 60, or manually by an observer such as the operator of excavator 11. In another example, control system 115 may monitor the number of loading and unloading cycles of each mining truck 40 since the previous cleaning cycle and schedule cleaning of each mining truck after the specified number of cycles. This specified amount may depend on the characteristics of the material being delivered and the configuration of the interior surface 46 of the tipper body 44, as well as production objectives and targets described below.

Regardless of the manner in which cleaning has been assigned, once a cleaning operation has been assigned or scheduled, the mining truck 40 may be moved to a cleaning location and placed adjacent to the cleaning mechanism. In one embodiment, the cleaning mechanism may be in the form of a relatively small excavator 111, shown in FIG. 6, with a cleaning accessory such as a bucket 17. The small excavator 111 may be similar or identical to the above-described excavator 11 and have the same functionality. Like reference numbers refer to identical or similar components, and their descriptions are not repeated herein for the sake of brevity. In another embodiment, as described in more detail below, the cleaning mechanism may be a water-based system, such as hydraulic control 70 (FIG. 7), and the cleaning accessory may be a nozzle 73.

In an embodiment, the return material cleaning system 61 may operate by placing the mining truck 40 requiring cleaning adjacent to the excavator 111 at the cleaning location. In some cases, it may be desirable to fully extend the hydraulic cylinders 50 operatively coupled to the tipper body 44 in order to fully raise the tipper body to its dump position while simultaneously performing a cleaning operation. In other cases, it may be desirable to only partially extend the hydraulic cylinders 50 for the purpose of only partially lifting tipper body from its delivery position on the frame 41. The spatial arrangement of the tipper body 44 may be determined by a tipper body spatial arrangement sensor formed by a combination of the mining truck spatial arrangement system 54 and the tipper body angle sensor 56. In other words, the spatial location of the tipper body may be determined based on the spatial location of the mining truck 40 and the relative angle of the tipper body 44 relative to the frame 41.

Using the spatial arrangement of the tipper body 44, the support profile, and the current profile of the inner surface 46, the return material cleaning system 61 can determine the spatial arrangement of the support profile and the location of the return material on the inner surface of the tipper body. The location of the return material may be stored in the controller 116 as an electronic model.

The excavator 111 can be moved to a desired location adjacent to the tipping body 44. The spatial location of the excavator 111 can be determined by the spatial location sensor 33 of the work equipment system. The position of the bucket 17 of the excavator 111 can be determined based on the spatial location of the excavator and the kinematic model of the excavator. Using the kinematic model of the excavator 111 and the spatial arrangement of the excavator, as well as the spatial arrangement of the reference model of the inner surface 46 of the tipping body 44, the return material removal system 61 can determine a plan for automated removal of return material. The return material removal plan may include moving a work tool, such as a bucket 17, along a path formed or established by a plurality of cycles or paths of movement of the work tool along an interior surface 46 of the tipper body 44 along an interior surface 46 to physically engage or contact return material adhering to internal cavity.

When generating a cleaning path for a work tool, the return material cleaning system 61 may use one or more optimization parameters to prioritize or weight various aspects of the cleaning process. For example, such optimization parameters may include shortest cleaning time, maximizing the amount of material that will be cleared from the dump body 44, or minimizing the likelihood of contact between the bucket 17 and the interior surface 46 of the dump body. In one embodiment, the return material cleaning system 61 can optimize the path of the bucket 17 to clean the inner surface 46 in the minimum amount of time. Thus, the path can be designed to maximize the amount of time spent moving material while minimizing the amount of time spent repositioning bucket 17 for each material removal cycle. In another embodiment, return material cleaning system 61 may optimize the path of bucket 17 to clean the interior surface 46 as thoroughly as possible. In yet another embodiment, return material cleaning system 61 may optimize the path of bucket 17 to avoid or minimize the likelihood of contact between the bucket and the inner surface 46. In other embodiments, a combination of two or more optimization parameters may be used to achieve the desired balance between various optimization parameters.

In some cases, it may be desirable to locate the excavator 111 in a central position relative to the longitudinal axis of the tipping body 44 and perform the entire cleaning process. In other cases, it may be desirable to position the excavator 111 in a first position relative to the tipping body 44, moving the bucket 17 along a first portion of the path to complete the desired number of cleaning cycles of the cleaning process. The position of the excavator may then be changed to a second position relative to the tipping body, spaced from the first position in which the bucket 17 is moved along a second portion of the path to perform additional cleaning cycles. The process of moving the excavator 111 to additional positions and moving the bucket 17 may be repeated as desired until the cleaning attachment or tool has moved along the entire planned path.

If necessary, an additional sensing or monitoring system may be located adjacent to the cleaning location to determine whether the dump body 44 has been cleared of sufficient material. In this case, a new current profile can be generated and compared with the reference profile. In an example, the inner surface 46 may be sufficiently cleaned if the difference between the current profile and the reference profile is less than a threshold amount of return material or some other threshold value. If additional cleaning is required, a new material removal plan can be generated with a new tool path.

In another embodiment, the return material cleaning mechanism may be implemented as a robotic arm mechanism (not shown) mounted on a movable base. The robotic arm mechanism may be similar to the above-described work equipment system 12 without the drive system.

In yet another embodiment, the work site 100 may include a rock crusher (not shown), such as a hydraulic hammer or other similar device. In this case, the rock crusher can be used as a return material clearing mechanism by moving the rock crusher along a desired path without activating a secondary function such as a hammer mechanism. For example, a hydraulic hammer (not shown) can replace an excavator bucket 17 similar to the bucket shown at 111.

In another embodiment, the return material cleaning system 61 may operate in a manner similar to the method described above, but replacing it with a hydraulic remote control, hydraulic monitor, or other fluid-based system for cleaning the interior surface 46 of the rollover body. With reference to FIG. 7 shows an exemplary hydraulic console 70. The hydraulic console 70 may include an inlet 71 through which water enters the hydraulic console, a motor 72 for injecting water, and a nozzle 73 from which water exits the hydraulic console. The nozzle 73 may be configured to control the flow according to a desired pattern.

The nozzle 73 may be operatively coupled to a drive system 74 used to control the orientation and/or position of the nozzle to direct the flow of water along a desired path. For example, the drive system 74 may include motors to control the movement of the nozzle 73 along any of the axes, as well as an additional motor to control the size of the nozzle opening. The inlet 71 may be connected to a supply line 75, which is further connected to a water supply. In some embodiments, the water supply may be a tank (not shown) of a mobile water tanker (not shown). In other embodiments, the water supply may be a tank mounted at the work location 100 or take any other form.

The hydraulic console 70 may be coupled to a hydraulic console spatial determination system 78, which includes a hydraulic console spatial position sensor 79 having a plurality of individual sensors that interact to generate and provide spatial position signals indicating position and orientation (i.e., heading, pitch, roll, or tilt, and yaw) of the hydraulic remote control 70 relative to the work site 100.

The return material cleaning system 61, which utilizes the hydraulic control panel 70, can operate as described above with respect to the excavator 111 by positioning the mining truck 40 to be cleaned at a desired location relative to the hydraulic control panel 70 and positioning the tipper body in the desired angular orientation through the use of hydraulic 50 cylinders.

The spatial arrangement of the tipper body 44 may be determined by the spatial arrangement of the tipper body. Using the spatial arrangement of the tipper body 44, the support profile, and the current profile of the inner surface 46, the return material cleaning system 61 can determine the spatial arrangement of the support profile and the location of the return material on the inner surface of the tipper body. The hydraulic console 70 can be located, if desired, adjacent to the tipping body 44. The spatial location of the hydraulic console 70 can be determined using the sensor 79 of the spatial location of the hydraulic console.

Using the spatial location of the hydraulic control panel 70 as well as the spatial location of the reference model of the interior surface 46 of the rollover body 44, the return material removal system 61 can determine a return material removal plan. The return material removal plan may include directing a nozzle 73 of the hydraulic control unit 70 along a path formed or established by a plurality of cycles or paths to direct water toward the interior surface 46 of the rollover body 44 to release return material adhering to the interior cavity.

As described above, optimization parameters can be used to prioritize or weight different aspects of the cleaning process. As also described above, in some cases it may be desirable to locate the hydraulic control panel 70 in a central position relative to the tipper body 44 and perform the entire cleaning process. In other cases, it may be desirable to position the hydraulic console 70 in a first position relative to the tipper body 44, perform the desired number of cleaning cycles, and then change the position of the hydraulic console to one or more of the following positions relative to the tipper body and perform additional cleaning cycles in the following positions until the inner surface 46 will not be cleaned sufficiently.

The control system 115 may further include a vehicle routing and scheduling system 117 (FIG. 1) that operates to determine when the mining trucks 40 should be routed through the cleaning process. The machine routing and planning system 117 operates to plan the work and routes of the machines 10 operating at the work location 100 .

For example, a work site 100, such as a mine, may include a plurality of loading machines, such as excavators 11, and a plurality of mining trucks 40 operated to move material from one or more digging locations to one or more dumping locations. The machine routing and scheduling system 117 may be configured to perform a scheduling operation while optimizing certain targets associated with the material movement process. These performance targets may include minimizing the wait or downtime of excavators 11, minimizing the wait or downtime of mining trucks 40 at loading locations, minimizing the distance that mining trucks travel, maximizing material yield at work location 100, or maximizing or minimizing any other targets. Some targets may minimize operating costs, while others may maximize production. In some cases, a combination of targets may be used to maximize efficiency or some other aspect of the material movement process.

The vehicle routing and planning system 117 may generate different plans depending on the number of each type of vehicle 10 available and the desired schedule. In one embodiment, as part of the planning process, a cost may be associated with each type of machine. In one embodiment, the cost may be an hourly rate. In another embodiment, the costs may be based on the amount of material. In embodiments, the quantity may be expressed as a function of weight or volume (eg, rate per unit weight or rate per unit volume).

The machine routing and scheduling system 117 may simulate the operation of multiple machines to determine the desired job or route for each mining truck 40. In some operations, it has been found that efficient mine operation results from minimizing excavator downtime by providing sufficient mining trucks. dump trucks. In this case, the vehicle routing and planning system 117 may be used to determine the desired number of mining trucks 40 needed to minimize the downtime of excavators 11 in terms of the cost of operating the mining trucks 40, travel distances between loading locations 101 and unloading locations 102, and as well as other planned indicators.

An additional factor that will influence the operation of the machines at the job site is the amount of returnable material in the tipping body 44 of each mining truck 40. In particular, during each loading and unloading cycle (i.e., loading the mining truck 40 and then unloading material at the unloading location 102), additional return material will typically adhere to the tipping body 44. Due to the presence of return material, the current, or useful, capacity, or amount of material that can be transported from the loading location 101 to the unloading location will be reduced, as will the fuel efficiency of the return trip. Accordingly, the presence of returnable material will increase the actual hourly operating costs of the mining trucks 40. As the operating costs of the mining trucks 40 increase due to the presence of returnable material, the economics of the job site may change.

Thus, the vehicle routing and planning system 117 may also be configured to further optimize productivity at the work site 100 in terms of the amount of return material in each mining truck 40. The vehicle routing and planning system 117 may thus monitor the quantity return material in each mining dump truck 40 and determine the current, or useful, capacity of each mining dump truck. The machine routing and scheduling system 117 may compare productivity losses resulting from returnable material with productivity losses due to taking a mining truck out of service as part of a cleaning operation to remove returnable material.

In particular, as noted above, as the amount of return material increases, the payload capacity (i.e., the volume and/or weight available to transport material in the dump body 44) decreases, and thus the operating costs of each mining truck 40 increase. In one example, the vehicle routing and planning system 117 may revise or change the operating costs of each mining truck based on the amount of return material in its tipper body 44. To this end, the vehicle routing and planning system 117 may determine the initial amount of return material in the tipper body 44. each mining truck 40, and then determining or accessing each mining truck's initial usable capacity based in part on the initial amount of return material. The machine routing and planning system 117 may generate an initial material movement plan based on the number of loaders and haul trucks at job site 100 or in relation to a specific loader and the capacity of each loader, as well as the initial payload capacity of each haul truck. The excavators 11 and mining trucks 40 can then be operated at the work location 100 by generating initial move command signals to operate according to the original material movement plan.

As the mining dump trucks 40 operate at the work site 100, they will be loaded, moved around the work site, unloaded, and from time to time subjected to cleaning at cleaning points 107, 108. During such an operation, the amount of return material in the tipping body of each mining truck 40 will change. Accordingly, a return material monitoring system 60 may be used to determine the current amount of return material in the tip body 44 of each mining truck 40. The machine routing and planning system 117 may access the modified payload capacity of each mining truck 40 based in part on the current amount of return material in each haul truck, and generate a modified material transfer plan based on the number of loaders and haul trucks, as well as the modified payload capacity of each mining dump truck. The excavators 11 and mining trucks 40 can then be operated at the work location 100 by generating modified move command signals to operate according to the modified material move plan.

In operation, the vehicle routing and scheduling system 117 may compare the productivity loss due to the presence of returnable material in each mining truck 40 with the productivity loss due to the removal of one or more mining trucks from service as part of a cleaning operation to remove the returnable material. However, productivity losses resulting from the removal of a mining truck from service may include costs associated with cleaning the interior surface of the tipper body, such as the cost of operating the cleaning mechanism, and costs associated with travel time to and from the cleaning station 107, 108. In addition, productivity losses resulting from the presence of return material may be based in part on the distance between loading locations 101 and unloading locations 102.

At the same time as performing an analysis comparing productivity losses due to returnable material in the mining trucks 40 with productivity losses due to cleaning operations, the machine routing and planning system 117 determines the unit total cost of operating the machines at the job site and compares the unit total cost. Unit total costs can be expressed in any desired manner. In one example, unit total costs may be expressed as costs per unit time. In another example, unit total costs may be expressed as costs based on the amount of material moved. In such a case, the quantity of material moved can be expressed as cost per unit volume or as cost per unit weight.

In another example, the vehicle routing and scheduling system 117 may adjust the amount (eg, volume or weight) of material that can be carried by each mining truck 40 based on the amount of return material. Thus, the vehicle routing and planning system 117 may adjust the work plan for the machines 10, wherein the routing of the mining trucks 40 by the vehicle routing and planning system is based on the revised or modified costs or the revised or modified available volume or weight of material that can be hauled. every mining dump truck.

The machine routing and scheduling system 117 may also use the material characteristics of the material being moved to proactively manage or schedule cleaning operations due to return material. In particular, certain types of materials or geology may be more prone to the formation of return material. Additionally, weather conditions can play a role in the amount of returned material. The vehicle routing and scheduling system 117 may store or access a database having the expected amount of returnable material for each configuration of the mining truck 40 at the job site 100 based on the characteristics of the material being moved and the weather conditions at the job site. The database may include the expected amount of return material associated with each mining truck as a function of the number of loading/unloading cycles. In some cases, the return material information in the database may also depend on the machine or type of machine used to load each mining truck 40.

Geological samples may be taken from locations where mining operations will take place in the future. When analyzing samples, material characteristics can be stored in a database associated with the machine routing and planning system 117. Based on the material characteristics of geological samples and the types of machines that will perform mining operations in the future, it is possible to predict the expected amount of returnable material, as well as the preferred or desired options for its removal.

In one embodiment, the machine routing and planning system 117 may use the estimated amount of return material to more accurately schedule machine operations in terms of the number of mining trucks 40 required or desired. In another embodiment, the machine routing and planning system 117 may use the expected amount of return material. material to reduce the frequency of scanning of tipping bodies 44 of mining dump trucks 40 during machine operation. That is, instead of using the sensing system 35 before the first load of each loading cycle, the vehicle routing and planning system 117 can identify when the sensing system should be used to scan the tipping body. The vehicle routing and planning system 117 may be configured to direct the mining truck 40 to the scanning process after a specified number of loading/unloading cycles, and the specified number may be based on the characteristics of the material being moved.

The vehicle routing and planning system 117 may also be configured to direct the mining truck 40 to the scanning process based on the weight of the return material in the mining truck based on the payload estimate from the payload assessment system 57 . In particular, the payload estimation system 57 may determine the weight of the return material in the tipper body 44. Based on the characteristics of the material being moved, the vehicle routing and planning system 117 may determine the volume of material in the tipper body. The vehicle routing and scheduling system 117 may equate the volume of return material to a percentage of the capacity of the dump body 44 and determine that a cleaning operation is desired. In this case, the vehicle routing and planning system 117 may direct the mining truck 40 to the sensing system 35 to perform a scanning operation and then to a cleaning location to perform a cleaning operation.

Moreover, based on the characteristics of the material being moved, the machine routing and planning system 117 can determine the type of cleaning mechanism to be used. For example, the hydraulic guns 70 may be better suited for removing some materials than others. Additionally, material characteristics can be used to determine the performance characteristics and/or trajectory of the cleaning process. For example, the flow rate and pressure of the fluid, as well as the speed at which the nozzle 73 travels along its desired path. Additionally, material characteristics can also be used to improve or optimize the path along which any type of cleaning mechanism travels.

In an alternative or additional embodiment, the control system 115 may include a return material clearance scheduling system 62 (FIG. 1) used to adjust or modify the return material threshold amount for each mining truck 40 based on the productivity or operating conditions at the job site 100. As a first example, the return material threshold quantity may be set to a first value. In this case, whenever the amount of return material in the dump body 44 exceeds the cleaning threshold, a cleaning operation may be scheduled for the mining truck 40. However, if at least one mining truck 40 is taken out of service (for example, the operator is on a break, the machine is refueling, the machine is taken out for repairs, or the machine has been misrouted), fewer mining trucks may be available, and before a machine cleanup is scheduled, the return material cleanup scheduling system 62 may increase the return material threshold amount so that more return material is required. . By increasing the threshold amount of return material, the probability of downtime of the excavator 11 while waiting for the mining dump truck 40 is reduced.

If the second mining truck 40 is taken out of service, the threshold amount of return material can be reduced again. Once the mining trucks 40 are returned to service, the threshold amount of return material can be increased to or closer to the original threshold amount of return material.

In one example, the return material threshold amount may be set to 10% of the volume of the tipping body 44. As each mining truck 40 is removed from service, the return material cleanup scheduling system 62 may increase the return material threshold amount by 5%. Thus, removing the first mining truck from service results in an increase of up to 15%. Removal of the second mining truck 40 results in an increase in the threshold amount of returnable material to 20%.

Increases and decreases in the return material threshold may or may not be linear. For example, when the first mining truck 40 is removed from service, the threshold amount of return material may be increased by a first amount. When the second mining truck 40 is removed from service, the threshold amount of returnable material may increase by a second, larger amount. Using the above example, decommissioning the first mining truck 40 would result in any increase in the threshold amount of returnable material to be greater than 15%, but decommissioning the second mining truck would result in an increase in the threshold amount of returnable material to greater than 20%. Thus, it is less likely that the return material monitoring system 60 will schedule a cleaning operation for the mining truck.

In an alternative embodiment, the vehicle routing and planning system 117 may be configured to continue routing mining trucks scheduled for cleaning between loading locations 101 and unloading locations 102. The vehicle routing and scheduling system 117 may be configured to release mining trucks 40 that are scheduled for cleaning after comparing the costs of less efficient movement or operation of mining trucks with significant amounts of return material against the potential costs of idling excavator 11.

Likewise, if one of the loading machines, such as excavators 11, is taken out of service, it may be desirable to reduce the threshold amount of return material to improve the efficiency of the material transfer process. In one example, removing the excavator 11 from service may result in a reduction in the threshold amount of returnable material from 10% to 5%.

Industrial applicability

The industrial applicability of the systems described herein will be readily apparent from the above discussion. The foregoing discussion applies to systems used in conjunction with machines such as mining trucks 40 delivering material to a job site 100. Such work sites may include a mine, landfill, quarry, construction site, road work site, or any other site where material is transported. Return material located in the tipping body 44 of the mining truck 40 may reduce the operational efficiency of the material transfer process.

With reference to FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of the operation of a process for autonomously or semi-autonomously determining whether a cleaning operation should be scheduled for the dump body 44 of a mining truck 40. At step 130, one or more threshold quantities of return material may be stored in the controller 116. The threshold amount of return material may set a percentage of the empty dump body 44 or a volume of material. In an embodiment, if the threshold amount of return material is set as a percentage, the threshold amounts of return material may be identical for all mining trucks 40 operating at the work site 100. In other embodiments, particularly if the threshold amount of return material is set as a volume of material, the threshold amount of return material may be different for different mining trucks 40.

In some cases, multiple threshold quantities of return material may be stored for each mining truck 40. Several threshold quantities of return material can be used as part of a priority determination scheme to determine the priority of the subsequent cleaning operation. For example, for each mining truck 40, a first threshold amount of return material having a first percentage and a second threshold amount of return material having a second, higher percentage may be used. If the first threshold quantity is exceeded, a mining truck cleaning operation may be scheduled. Depending on the operation of other machines at the work site 100, such a cleaning operation may not occur immediately. In this case, the mining truck 40 may continue to operate to transport material at the work location 100 between the loading location 101 and the unloading location 102. If the amount of return material in the tipping body 44 continues to increase, the amount of return material may eventually exceed the second percentage. If the second percentage of returnable material is exceeded, the mining truck 40 may receive higher priority for the cleaning operation.

At step 131, a reference profile for each dump body 44 may be stored in the controller 116. Each reference profile may be associated with a unique identification code or other identifier associated with each mining truck 40 and is contained in a database associated with the compilation system 117 vehicle routes and planning. At step 132, the machines 10 may be operated at the work location 100. Thus, loading machines, such as excavators 11, can load material into mining trucks 40 at loading locations 101. The loaded mining trucks 40 can then be moved to unloading locations 102 where the material is unloaded. The empty mining trucks 40 may then be returned back to the loading locations 101 to begin the next loading/unloading cycle.

Once the empty mining truck 40 is positioned at the loading location 101, a loading vehicle such as an excavator 11 may move its bucket 17 filled with material to a position above the tipping body 44. Since a sensing sensor such as a camera system 36 may be located on the member 23 in the form of a handle adjacent to the bucket 17, moving the excavator in this way at step 133 places the camera system over the tipping body 44.

When the mining truck 40 is located adjacent to the excavator 11, the identification code of the mining truck 40, and thus the tipper body 44, may be communicated to the controller 116 at step 134. In one embodiment, the wireless communication system on board the mining truck 40 may communicate the identification code of the mining truck to the controller 116, and the controller may use this identification code to identify the tipper body 44. At step 135, the controller 116 may determine the support profile of the tipper body 44 of the mining truck 40 based on the identification code of the mining truck.

At step 136, the spatial location of the tipper body 44 can be determined. The position or spatial location of the tipper body 44 can be determined based on the spatial location signals of the tipper body from the spatial location sensor 55 of the mining truck. At step 137, the current profile of the interior surface 46 of the rollover body 44 can be determined using the camera system 36. At step 138, based on the spatial location of the work equipment system from the spatial location of the work equipment system sensor 33 and the kinematic model of the work equipment system 12, the spatial location of the work equipment system 12 can be determined. 36 camera system layout.

At step 139, the difference between the reference profile and the current profile of the inner surface 46 of the rollover body 44 can be determined. In one embodiment, the reference profile can be depicted as an electronic map related to the work site 100, and the current profile can also be depicted as electronic map related to the place of work. These two electronic maps can be compared to a difference reflecting the return material retained within the tipping body 44.

At decision step 140, controller 116 may determine whether the difference between the reference profile and the current profile exceeds a threshold amount of return material. If the threshold amount of return material is not exceeded, the machines 10 can continue to operate and steps 132-140 are repeated. If the threshold amount of return material is exceeded, at step 141, the controller 116 may schedule a cleaning operation for the mining truck 40. In some cases, the mining truck 40 can be sent to a cleaning location relatively quickly. In other cases, the mining truck 40 may continue to operate along with other machines, and steps 132-140 are repeated until the mining truck is sent to a cleanup station.

With reference to FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of an offline or semi-autonomous cleaning operation. At step 145, a reference profile for each rollover body 44 may be stored in controller 116. Each support profile may be associated with a unique identification code or other identifier associated with each mining truck 40. At step 146, a kinematic model and performance characteristics of the cleaning mechanism, such as excavator 111. In embodiments where other types of cleaning mechanisms, such as hydraulic control 70, are used, the kinematic model may not be stored.

At step 147, the dump body 44 of the mining truck 40 to be cleaned can be positioned at the desired cleaning location in the desired orientation. In an embodiment, to assist the cleaning process, the hydraulic cylinders 50 may be fully extended to position the tipper body 44 in its fully raised position. In other embodiments, the hydraulic cylinders 50 may be extended only partially to only partially lift the tipper body 44.

At step 148, the identification of the mining truck 40, and thus the dump body 44, may be communicated to the controller 116. In one embodiment, the wireless communication system on board the mining truck 40 may communicate the identification code of the mining truck to the controller 116, and the controller may use this identification code for identifying the tipping body 44.

At step 149, the controller 116 may access an electronic card of return material located on the interior surface 46 of the rollover body 44. In one embodiment, the electronic card may be generated during an offline or semi-autonomous process of determining whether a cleanup operation, as set forth above in the block -scheme shown in Fig. 8, desirable or necessary. In an embodiment where the cleaning operation of the dump body 44 has been scheduled without generating an electronic return material card (eg, manually assigned), an electronic return material card may be generated at the cleaning station 107, 108.

At step 150, a cleaning mechanism such as an excavator 111 may be optionally located adjacent to the tipper body 44. At step 151, the spatial location of the tipper body 44 can be determined. The position or spatial arrangement of the tipper body 44 can be determined based on the spatial location signals of the tipper body from sensor 55 of the spatial location of the mining dump truck.

At step 152, the spatial location of the cleaning tool, such as bucket 17, can be determined based on signals or work equipment system spatial position data from the work equipment system spatial position sensor 33 and a kinematic model of the work equipment system 12. In other words, the work equipment system spatial position sensor 33 functions as a cleaning system spatial position sensor and generates cleaning tool spatial position signals, which are used in conjunction with a kinematic model to determine the cleaning tool spatial position.

At step 153, controller 116 may generate a path to move bucket 17 to physically engage or contact return material adhered to the interior surface 46 of tip body 44. At step 154, controller 116 may generate move command signals to move bucket 17 along a path to perform cleaning operations on the inner surface 46 of the tipping body 44.

In some embodiments, the operation outlined in steps 145-154 may be completed upon completion of step 154. In other embodiments, an additional scanning operation may be performed in step 155. The scanning operation may be performed by a sensing sensor, such as a camera system 36, to generate an updated current profile of the interior surface 46 of the rollover body 44, as described above. The updated current profile, together with the spatial location of the sensing sensor, can be used to generate an updated electronic map of the current profile relative to the work site 100. To generate an updated electronic map of the return material in the tipper body 44, the updated electronic map of the current profile relative to the work location 100 can be compared with the electronic map of the reference profile relative to that work location. At step 156, the updated electronic return material card can be compared with a threshold quantity of return material to determine if any additional cleaning operations are required. If additional cleaning operations are not required, the mining truck 40 may be returned to service at the work site 100. If additional purification is required, steps 153-156 can be repeated.

With reference to FIG. 10 depicts a block diagram of an aspect of the operation of the vehicle routing and planning system 117. At step 160, multiple threshold quantities of return material may be stored or accessed by the controller 116. Each threshold amount of return material can be expressed in any way, for example, as a percentage of the volume of the empty tipping body. Another threshold amount of return material may be used based on the composition of the loaders and mining trucks 40 used at the work site 100. For example, it may be desirable to use a lower threshold amount of return material when each excavator 11 is assigned a larger number of mining trucks 40, and a relatively high threshold amount of return material when a smaller number of mining trucks are assigned to each excavator. At a higher return material threshold, assigning a cleaning operation to each mining truck 40 is less likely. Accordingly, more mining trucks 40 will remain in service, and thus the likelihood of downtime of a loader such as excavator 11 will be reduced.

As described above, a plurality of return material thresholds may be identical for each mining truck 40 or may differ, for example, depending on the size and/or configuration of the mining truck or its tipper body 44. In some cases, the return material thresholds may depend on the material being delivered. material.

At step 161, the controller 116 may determine the initial number of machines, including the number of loading machines and mining trucks 40, operating at the work site 100. At step 162, the controller 116 may select or assign to each mining truck 40 a threshold amount of return material based on the initial number of loaders and mining trucks, as well as the composition of loading vehicles and mining trucks operating at the job site 100. Because the ratio of mining trucks to loaders may vary at different locations within the job site 100, different threshold quantities of return material may be used at different locations at the job site. For example, the first threshold amount of return material may be used for all mining trucks 40 assigned to the first excavator 11, and the second threshold amount of return material may be used for all mining trucks assigned to the second excavator.

At step 163, the machine routing and planning system 117 may generate an initial material movement plan for operating machines, such as excavators 11 and mining trucks 40, at a job location based on the initial number of machines operating at job location 100. The initial material transfer plan may also be based on an initial threshold amount of return material that was selected based on the initial number of loaders and dump trucks operating at work location 100.

At step 164, the machines can be operated and moved around the work site 100 according to the original material movement plan. To this end, the controller 116 (eg, the excavator controller 31, the mining truck controller 53) may generate initial motion command signals to direct the movement of the machines.

As mining trucks 40 perform each loading/unloading cycle, return material may tend to accumulate on the interior surface 46 of each dump truck body 44. Accordingly, at certain times it may be desirable to remove one or more mining trucks 40 from service to allow the cleaning operation to be performed. In addition, other mining trucks 40 may be taken out of service for other reasons, including operator interruption, machine refueling, need for maintenance or machine breakdown, or misdirection of the machine. In this case, the number of mining trucks assigned to each loading machine may be reduced. In other cases, a loading machine, such as excavator 11, may be taken out of service for any of a variety of reasons. In these cases, the number of mining trucks 40 assigned to each of the remaining loading vehicles may be increased.

From the above description it is clear that the ratio or composition of loading machines and mining dump trucks 40 during operation at the work site 100 may change. Accordingly, at decision step 165, the controller may determine whether the number of operating machines at the work site has changed, and thus whether the composition or ratio of loading and delivery vehicles has changed. If the number of machines operating at work location 100 has not changed (and thus the ratio of machines has not changed), the machines can continue to operate based on the original material movement plan and steps 164-165 are repeated.

If the number of machines operating at work location 100 has changed, and thus the ratio has changed, the machine routing and planning system 117 may generate a modified original material movement plan in terms of the new number of machines, and steps 162-165 are repeated. Specifically, at step 162, controller 116 may select or assign to each haul truck 40 a new or modified threshold amount of return material based on the new or modified number of loaders and dump trucks, as well as the composition of loaders and dump trucks operating at the work location 100 . At step 163, based on the modified number of machines operating at work location 100, a new or modified material transfer plan may be generated. At step 164, machines can be operated and moved around the work site 100 according to a modified material movement plan by generating modified move command signals to direct the movement of the machines.

With reference to FIG. 11 is a block diagram of another aspect of the operation of the vehicle routing and planning system 117. At step 170, the controller 116 may store or access the operating costs and/or capacity (eg, volume) of each machine operating at the work site 100. In this way, the operating cost and/or capacity of each loading machine such as excavators 11 can be saved. In addition, the operating cost and/or capacity of each mining truck 40 can also be saved. Since the operating cost and/or capacity of each mining truck 40 may vary or change depending on the amount of return material in the dump body 44, the controller 116 may contain a plurality of operating costs of each mining truck 40, each of which corresponds to the amount of return material. Operating costs may be expressed as a function of time, volume of material moved, weight of material moved, or in any other appropriate manner.

At step 171, a system such as return material monitoring system 60 may be used to determine the amount of return material in the tip body 44 of each mining truck 40. The process at step 70 may correspond to scanning or otherwise determining the amount of return material in one or more tipper bodies 44 along with accessing stored data from previous scans or determinations of the amount of return material in other tipper bodies. In other words, the interior surface 46 of each rollover body 44 may not be scanned at the same time.

At step 172, the machine routing and planning system 117 may generate a material movement plan for operating machines, such as excavators 11 and mining trucks 40, at the work location 100 based on one or more factors, including the amount of return material in each mining truck. 40. Specifically, in an embodiment, the vehicle routing and planning system 117 may be configured to schedule mining truck routes 40 based on the payload capacity of each mining truck based on the amount of return material in each mining truck.

In some cases, the vehicle routing and planning system 117, at decision step 173, may further compare the productivity loss due to the presence of returnable material in each mining truck 40 with the productivity loss due to the removal of one or more mining trucks from service as part of a cleaning operation to remove returnable material. . In one example, the machine routing and scheduling system 117 may determine the unit total operating costs for the machines at the job site 100 (or that part of the job site such as a particular loader and the mining trucks assigned to that particular loader) in terms of presence return material. Various methods are provided for determining specific total operating costs. In addition, various other methods other than cost-based methods for optimizing the performance of machines at the job site 100 are contemplated.

As the vehicle routing and scheduling system 117 operates, it can determine whether the costs of operating in the presence of return material in the mining trucks 40 exceed the costs associated with the cleanup operation. In particular, the vehicle routing and planning system 117 may determine unit total operating costs involving the mining trucks 40 carrying returnable material. The vehicle routing and scheduling system 117 may also determine the unit total cost associated with removing one or more mining trucks 40 from material handling operations and performing a cleanup operation while the remaining mining trucks continue to operate. Based on the determination of the unit total operating costs including the haul trucks 40 with the return material, and the unit total operating costs based on the remaining mining trucks during the removal of one or more mining trucks for a cleaning operation, the vehicle routing and scheduling system 117 may determine whether change the route or direction of one or more mining dump trucks to cleaning points 107, 108.

If, at decision step 173, the cost of operating in the presence of return material exceeds the costs associated with the cleaning operation, move command signals may be generated at step 174 to direct one or more mining trucks 40 to the cleaning station 107, 108. In this case, the material transfer plan generated at step 172 may route the remaining mining trucks 40 at step 175 to optimize productivity at work site 100. Such optimization may include one or more optimization parameters or goals, such as reducing overall costs, maximizing the amount of material moved, or any other desired parameter or goal.

After completion of each cleaning operation, the empty mining truck 40 may be returned to service 176 by directing the empty mining truck to the desired loading location 101. Once the empty mining truck 42 is returned to service, a new analysis of the return material in each mining truck and a new material transfer plan can be generated, with steps 171-177 repeated.

If, at decision step 173, the cost of operating in the presence of return material does not exceed the costs associated with the cleaning operation, move command signals may be generated at step 177 to route all of the mining trucks 40 to optimize productivity at the job site 100. Mining trucks 40 may be operated at work location 100, and steps 171-177 may be repeated each time the mining truck is scanned or otherwise determined to return material.

From the above description, it is clear that the machine routing and planning system 117 can operate continuously to optimize productivity at the work site 100. Thus, whenever there is a change in the amount of return material, it may be desirable to generate a new material transfer plan and/or determine whether it is desirable to send one or more mining trucks 40 to a cleanup operation. Changes in the amount of return material may occur, for example, each time the tipper body 44 is scanned or after the tipper body is cleaned.

It should be understood that the foregoing description provides examples of the disclosed system and method. All references to the present invention or examples thereof are intended to refer to the specific example being discussed and are not intended to imply any limitation as to the scope of the present invention more generally. All statements of distinction and disparagement with respect to certain features are intended to indicate no preference for those features, but not to exclude them from the scope of the present invention entirely, unless otherwise indicated.

The statements of ranges of values herein are only intended to serve as a concise means of individually referring to each individual value falling within the range unless otherwise stated herein, and each individual value is included in the description as if it were separately set forth in this document. All methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Accordingly, the present invention includes all modifications and equivalents to the subject matter set forth in the appended claims as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, the present invention covers any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof, unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly inconsistent with the context.

Claims (15)

1. A machine routing and planning system for the routing and operation of mobile machines at the work site (100), the system containing: a plurality of mining trucks (40), each mining truck having a tipper body (44) for delivering material, the tipper body having an interior surface (46); at least one loading machine (11) for loading material into the tipping body (44) of each mining dump truck; And controller (116) configured to: gaining access to the initial number of loading machines (11) and mining dump trucks (40) operating at the work site (100); obtaining access to an initial threshold quantity of returnable material for the interior surface (46) of each mining truck (40) based on the initial number of loading vehicles (11) and mining trucks operating at the work site; generating an initial material movement plan based on the initial number of loading machines (11) and mining trucks (40) and the initial threshold quantity of return material; generating initial movement command signals for operating loading machines (11) and mining dump trucks (40) at the work site based on the initial material movement plan; gaining access to a modified number of loading machines (11) and mining dump trucks (40) operating at the work site (100); obtaining access to a modified threshold quantity of return material for the inner surface (46) of each mining truck (40) based on the modified number of loading machines (11) and mining trucks (40) operating at the work site (100); generating a modified material movement plan based on the modified number of loading machines (11) and mining trucks (40) and the modified threshold amount of return material; And generating modified movement command signals for the operation of loading machines (11) and mining dump trucks (40) at the work location (100) based on a modified material movement plan. 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a return material monitoring system for determining the amount of return material in the tipping body (44) of each mining dump truck (40). 3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that each material movement plan is based on the useful volume of the tipping body (44) of each mining dump truck (40). 4. A method for routing and operating mobile machines (40) at a work location (100), including steps performed by the system according to any one of claims. 1–3.