Method for controlling a work train

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10001783-B2
Application number	US-201514964910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2015
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a work train including a self-propelled road paver and a self-propelled feeder travelling ahead of the road paver, to a work train comprising a self-propelled road paver and a self-propelled feeder, as well as to a feeder and to a road paver for such a work train. According to one aspect of the present invention, the control of the road paver is effected automatically, to which end particularly the position of the feeder is determined and travel commands for the road paver are generated based on this information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a work train having a self-propelled road paver and a self-propelled feeder driving ahead of the road paver, comprising the steps of:
S1: driving the feeder by a machine operator at the feeder;
S2: determining position data of the feeder, the position data referring to the position or orientation of the feeder or to components or reference points arranged on the feeder relative to a reference system and/or movement data of the feeder, the movement data describing a time-dependent change of the position data referring to the feeder;
S3: generating travel commands for automatic travel control of the road paver in response to the movement data and/or position data of the feeder; and
S4: automatic travelling of the road paver using the travel commands with the road paver automatically performing or implementing the travel commands without intervention of a human or a manual input by a driver.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein steps S1 to S4 are permanently run through during working operation in a clocked manner.

3. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein step S2 comprises at least one of the following steps:
S2a: picking travel commands for the feeder from a control system of the feeder ( 2 );
S2b: generating sensor data for the position and/or orientation and/or speed of the feeder relative to the road paver; and
S2c: generating sensor data for the position and/or orientation and/or speed of the feeder relative to an external reference system.

4. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein step S3 comprises the following steps:
S3.1: generating target values for movement data and/or position data of the road paver based on the movement data and/or position data of the feeder;
S3.2: determining actual values for the movement data and/or position data of the road paver; and
S3.3: generating a travel command for automatic travel control of the road paver in consideration of the target values and the actual values for the movement data and/or position data of the road paver.

5. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein movement data and/or position data of the feeder from previous cycles are considered in step S3.

6. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein in step S3 the travel command is configured such that a distance between the feeder and the road paver is kept within a buffer interval, wherein a speed of the road paver is kept constant as long as the distance between the feeder and the road paver is within the buffer interval.

7. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein in step S3 the travel command is configured such that the road paver follows a path of the feeder, so that, when continuously performed, the road paver finally takes a current position of the feeder with a delay due to a distance and a speed.

8. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein steps S2 and S3 are performed at the road paver or steps S2 and S3 are performed at the feeder and the method thus comprises a transmission of travel commands from the feeder to the road paver, or that step S2 is performed at the feeder and step S3 is performed at the road paver and the method thus comprises a transmission of movement data and/or position data from the feeder to the road paver.

9. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein a feedback of the control of the road paver to the feeder is performed such that a warning notice is displayed at the feeder, and/or an automatic control adjustment is performed, if a distance between the feeder and the road paver is outside a buffer interval.

10. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein in step S4 the automatic travelling of the road paver is performed using the travel commands depending on a hierarchic safety system which allows overriding the travel commands by manually triggered commands.

11. The method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the manually triggered commands comprise stop commands.

12. A work train, comprising a self-propelled road paver and a self-propelled feeder, wherein the feeder travels ahead of the road paver during working operation,
wherein the road paver comprises a paver control device which is configured for automatic control of a travelling operation of the road paver, that the feeder or the road paver comprises a sensor device for generating movement data and/or position data of the feeder, and that the feeder or the road paver comprises a data processing device which is configured to generate travel commands for the paver control device in response to the movement data and/or the position data of the feeder.

13. The work train according to claim 12 ,
wherein the sensor device comprises a distance sensor device for measuring a distance between the road paver and the feeder.

14. The work train according to claim 12 ,
wherein the sensor device comprises a position sensor device which is configured for determining the position of the feeder or of the road paver relative to the other and/or relative to an external reference point or reference system.

15. The work train according to claim 14 ,
wherein the reference point or reference system comprises a total station or a satellite navigation system.

16. The work train according to claim 12 ,
wherein the work train comprises a communication device with a transmitter for contactless communication at the feeder and with a receiver at the road paver compatible to the transmitter, wherein the transmitter is configured for transmitting the movement data and/or position data of the feeder or the travel commands to the receiver.

17. The work train according to claim 12 ,
the road paver comprising a lateral operator panel,
wherein the lateral operator panel of the road paver comprises an emergency switch and/or a distance screen for displaying a distance between the road paver and the feeder, wherein the emergency switch is configured for generating a stop command which is hierarchically higher than the travel commands for automatic control of the road paver.

18. The work train according to claim 12 ,
wherein the road paver is configured without an operator platform.

Assignees

• Bomag Gmbh

Inventors

• Zahr Thomas

Classifications

• E01C19/002

  Apparatus for preparing and placing the materials and for consolidating or finishing the paving · CPC title

• E01C2301/04

  Independent shuttles · CPC title

• E01C2301/02

  Feeding devices for pavers · CPC title

• E01C19/004

  Devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path (for graders or bulldozers E02F3/841; for other soil-shifting machines E02F9/2045) · CPC title

• E01C19/48 Primary

  for laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface {, e.g. slip forms therefor, forming kerbs or gutters in a continuous operation in situ (E01C19/002, E01C23/065 take precedence; devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path E01C19/004)} · CPC title