Zone passage control in worksite

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429853-B2
Application number	US-201515538412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 29, 2014
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A system for zone passage control for a zone of an autonomously operating mobile object includes at least a set of detection units to detect at least one mobile object entering and/or exiting the zone, a set of identification units arranged to identify the mobile object entering and/or exiting the zone, and a central controller being arranged in operational connection with the set of the detection units and with the set of the identification units. An admissibility level for a mobile object to enter the zone is determined and a control signal to stop at least one autonomously operating mobile object existing in the zone is provided in response to the determined admissibility level being negative for the mobile object entered the zone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for zone passage control for a zone of an autonomously operating mobile vehicle in a worksite divided into a plurality of operation zones by checkpoints, the system comprising:
a set of checkpoints between the plurality of operation zones, wherein access and exit to each operation zone is provided through the checkpoints;
a set of detection units, each detection unit being placed at a checkpoint and being arranged to detect at least one mobile object entering and/or exiting the zone;
a set of identification units, each identification unit being placed at a checkpoint and being arranged to identify the mobile object entering and/or exiting the zone; and
a central controller arranged in operational connection with the set of the detection units and with the set of the identification units, wherein the central controller is configured to determine a state of the zone on the basis of data supplied by at least one of the set of the detection units and the set of the identification units, the state of the zone including data about at least one of a number and a type of mobile objects existing in the zone and a number and a type of mobile objects entering or exiting the zone, to determine, on the basis of the determined state of the zone, an admissibility level for a mobile object to enter the zone, wherein the admissibility level for the mobile object to enter the zone is set to be positive if it is determined on the basis of the determined state of the zone that the mobile object is allowed to enter the zone or the admissibility level for the mobile object to enter the zone is set to be negative if it is determined on the basis of the determined state of the zone that the mobile object is not allowed to enter the zone, and to provide, on the basis of the determined admissibility level, a control signal to stop at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle existing in the zone in response to the determined admissibility level being negative for the mobile object entered the zone.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the central controller is further configured to update the state of the zone on the basis of data supplied by at least one of the set of the detection units and the set of the identification units in response to a mobile object being detected to enter or exit the zone, and to determine, on the basis of the updated state of the zone, the admissibility level for a mobile object to enter the zone.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the central controller is further configured to determine, on the basis of the state of the zone, an admissibility level for a mobile object to exit the zone.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a set of indication units to indicate admissibility level for the mobile object to enter and/or exit the zone, the set of the indication units being arranged in operational connection with the central controller.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the central controller is configured to determine the admissibility level for any mobile object entering the zone to be negative in response to at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle existing in the zone.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a non-autonomously operating mobile object is at least one of an unmanned remotely controllable mobile work machine, a manned mobile work machine and a human being.

7. An autonomously operating mobile vehicle including a system for a zone passage control of an autonomously operating mobile vehicle in a worksite divided into a plurality of operation zones by checkpoints, the system comprising:
a set of checkpoints between the plurality of operation zones, wherein access and exit to each operation zone is provided through the checkpoints;
a set of detection units, each detection unit being placed at a checkpoint and being arranged to detect at least one mobile object entering and/or exiting the zone;
a set of identification units, each identification unit being placed at a checkpoint and being arranged to identify the mobile object entering and/or exiting the zone; and
a central controller arranged in operational connection with the set of the detection units and with the set of the identification units, wherein the central controller is configured to determine a state of the zone on the basis of data supplied by at least one of the set of the detection units and the set of the identification units, the state of the zone including data about at least one of a number and a type of mobile objects existing in the zone and a number and a type of mobile objects entering or exiting the zone, to determine, on the basis of the determined state of the zone, an admissibility level for a mobile object to enter the zone, wherein the admissibility level for the mobile object to enter the zone is set to be positive if it is determined on the basis of the determined state of the zone that the mobile object is allowed to enter the zone or the admissibility level for the mobile object to enter the zone is set to be negative if it is determined on the basis of the determined state of the zone that the mobile object is not allowed to enter the zone, and to provide, on the basis of the determined admissibility level, a control signal to stop at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle existing in the zone in response to the determined admissibility level being negative for the mobile object entered the zone.

8. A method for zone passage control for a zone of an autonomously operating mobile vehicle in a worksite divided into a plurality of operation zones by checkpoints, the method comprising:
detecting, at a checkpoint, at least one mobile object entering and/or exiting the zone;
identifying, at a checkpoint, the mobile object entering and/or exiting the zone;
determining a state of the zone on the basis of data provided by at least one mobile object detected entering and/or exiting the zone and of the identified mobile object entering and/or exiting the zone, the state of the zone including data about at least one of a number and a type of mobile objects existing in the zone and a number and a type of mobile objects entering or exiting the zone;
determining, on the basis of the determined state of the zone, an admissibility level for a mobile object to enter the zone, wherein the admissibility level for the mobile object to enter the zone is set to be positive if it is determined on the basis of the determined state of the zone that the mobile object is allowed to enter the zone or the admissibility level for the mobile object to enter the zone is set to be negative if it is determined on the basis of the determined state of the zone that the mobile object is not allowed to enter the zone; and
providing, on the basis of the determined admissibility level, a control signal to stop at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle existing in the zone in response to the determined admissibility level being negative for the mobile object entered the zone.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising updating the state of the zone on the basis of data provided by at least one of the at least one mobile object detected entering and/or exiting the zone and of the mobile object identified entering and/or exiting the zone, and determining on the basis of the updated state of the zone, the admissibility level for a mobile object to enter the zone.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising determining on the basis of the state of the zone the admissibility level for a mobile object to exit the zone.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising indicating the admissibi

Assignees

• Sandvik Mining & Construction Oy

Inventors

• Ruokojarvi Jarkko
• Lehtinen Antti
• Kallio Janne

Classifications

• F16P3/142

  using image capturing devices · CPC title

• F16P3/08 Primary

  in connection with the locking of doors, covers, guards, or like members giving access to moving machine parts · CPC title

• E21F17/18

  Special adaptations of signalling or alarm devices (for mine lifts B66B; gas-sensitive devices per se G01N) · CPC title

• G05D1/0287

  involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16) · CPC title

• G05D1/0246 Primary

  using a video camera in combination with image processing means · CPC title