Method and device for planning and/or controlling and/or simulating the operation of a construction machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10921771-B2
Application number	US-201716091920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2017
Priority date	Apr 8, 2016
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A method and a device for planning and/or controlling and/or simulating the operation of a construction machine, in particular in the form of a crane, using a structure data model which contains digital information on a structure to be erected and/or to be worked on. A construction machine which can be linked to such a structure data model and/or can be controlled using such a structure data model. A construction machine data model which contains digital information on different construction machine models is linked to the structure data model or the BIM, characteristics of the available construction machines are already taken into consideration during the planning process, a simulator for training construction machine tasks is configured using the structure data model, and the controller of the construction machine is adapted to the structure data model with respect to specific control functions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of planning and controlling the operation of a construction machine comprising:
automatically selecting by means of a machine selection module a construction machine suitable for the erection and/or working of a structure with reference to a structure data model that includes digital information on the structure, wherein the automatic selection by means of the machine selection module comprises:
providing a machine data model that includes digital information on different construction machine models;
automatically identifying relevant information from the structure data model with reference to criteria that are specified by the machine data model and relate to machine data in which the different construction machine models differ;
automatically comparing the identified relevant information from the structure data model with the machine data in which the different construction machine models differ from the machine data model; and
automatically selecting the construction machine suitable for the erection and/or working of the structure with reference to the comparison;

wherein the selected construction machine comprises:
a construction machine control apparatus for controlling the selected construction machine;
a data communication device for receiving and processing digital information on the structure from the structure data model;
a control configuration module for influencing at least one control function of the selected construction machine control in dependence on the received digital information on the structure from the structure data model; and
a working range boundary setting module; and

automatically determining by means of an installation location determination module an installation location of the selected construction machine relative to the structure to be erected and/or to be worked, using both digital information retrieved from the structure data model and digital information retrieved from the machine data model, wherein the automatic determination by means of the installation location determination module comprises:
automatically identifying relevant information from the structure data model, wherein at least two pieces of the identified relevant information from the structure data model are structure dimensions and structure contours;
automatically identifying relevant information from the machine data model, wherein at least a piece of the identified relevant information from the machine data model is a working range of the selected construction machine;
automatically comparing with a collision determination module the determined installation location and the retrieved working range of the selected construction machine with the retrieved structure dimensions and structure contours of the structure data model for a collision check, checking a sufficient range and/or possible collisions;
adapting a working range boundary function carried out by the construction machine control apparatus by the working range boundary setting module on the basis of the comparing with the collision determination module in order to automatically restrict the working range of the selected construction machine with reference to the collision check; and
updating the structure data model using the automatically restricted working range of the selected construction machine.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least another piece of the identified relevant information read from the structure data model is selected from the group consisting of structure height, weight of the heaviest construction element to be moved, area of the structure in elevation, cross-sectional extent of the structure in elevation, and maximum distance between a construction element delivery station and a construction element destination; and
wherein at least another piece of machine data from the machine data model is selected from the group consisting of machine lifting height, maximum hoist weight, and machine range.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:
checking a specific installation position location of the selected construction machine relative to the structure to be erected and/or to be worked using digital information from the structure data model, wherein the checking comprises:
automatically identifying relevant information from the structure data model, wherein at least two pieces of the identified relevant information from the structure data model are structure dimensions and structure contours;
automatically identifying relevant information from the machine data model, wherein at least a piece of the identified relevant information from the machine data model is the working range of the selected construction machine; and
automatically comparing the working range of the selected construction machine with structure dimensions and contours for a collision check, checking a sufficient range and/or possible collisions.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the working range of the selected construction machine is automatically restricted with reference to the collision check and the structure data model is updated using the automatically restricted working range.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the order and/or the times of a delivery of parts of the selected construction machine is/are automatically fixed with reference to the structure data model by a logistics module communicating with the structure data model.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5 , wherein transport units required for the delivery of the parts of the selected construction machine are automatically determined by the logistics module with reference to the structure data model.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:
providing digital information from the structure data model to a simulator for simulating the operation of the selected construction machine on the basis of the information provided; and
generating a virtual representation of the structure to be erected and/or to be worked on a display apparatus of a control station of the simulator with the aid of the provided digital information from the structure data model.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7 , wherein digital information on different construction phases of the structure to be erected and/or to be worked is accessed from the structure data model by a construction phase selection module and a virtual representation of the structure in different construction phases is represented on the display apparatus of the simulator.

9. The method in accordance with claim 7 , wherein digital information relating to the working and/or moving of a construction element is read out of the structure data model by a job simulation module and a virtual representation of the construction element to be worked and/or of the movement path of the construction element to be worked relative to the structure is represented on the display apparatus of the simulator.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein digital information from the structure data model is provided to a plurality of simulators; and
wherein a respective virtual representation of the structure to be erected and/or to be worked is generated by graphical simulation modules of the plurality of simulators on the basis of the information provided from the structure data model and is displayed on display apparatus of the simulators.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the plurality of simulators are controlled in coordination with one another by a higher ranking simulator control apparatus; and
wherein the graphical simulation modules of the plurality of simulator

Assignees

• Liebherr Werk Biberach Gmbh

Inventors

• Bramberger Robert

Classifications

• G06Q10/00 Primary

  Administration; Management · CPC title

• G05B19/19 Primary

  characterised by positioning or contouring control systems, e.g. to control position from one programmed point to another or to control movement along a programmed continuous path · CPC title

• G06Q10/06315

  Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis · CPC title

• G09B19/167

  Control of land vehicles · CPC title

• G06F30/13

  Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads · CPC title