Zone passage control in worksite

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11599124-B2
Application number	US-201817053339-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2018
Priority date	May 9, 2018
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A method for zone passage control in an underground worksite having a plurality of operation zones for autonomously operating mobile vehicle operations includes the steps of receiving position information of at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle in a fusion zone merged of at least a first zone and a second zone associated with a first passage control unit, and in response to detecting a mobile object by a second passage control unit associated with the first zone, performing: checking position of the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle, in response to an autonomously operating mobile vehicle being positioned in the second zone, preventing a control command to stop the autonomously operating mobile vehicle in the second zone, and demerging the first zone and the second zone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for zone passage control in an underground worksite having a plurality of operation zones for autonomously operating mobile vehicle operations, the method comprising:
receiving position information of at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle in a fusion zone merged of at least a first zone and a second zone, the first zone and the second zone being separated by a first passage control unit, the first passage control unit being associated with both the first zone and the second zone, the first passage control unit being inactive; and
in response to detecting a mobile object by a second passage control unit associated with the first zone, performing:
checking position of the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle;
in response to the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle being positioned in the second zone, preventing a control command to stop the autonomously operating mobile vehicle in the second zone;
demerging the first zone and the second zone; and
activating the first passage control unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each zone is assigned a state parameter, and the first zone and the second zone merged into the fusion zone each have assigned a first state parameter value indicating autonomous operation.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising updating the state parameter of the first zone to a second state parameter value indicating manual operation in response to the demerging.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising in response to the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle being positioned in the first zone causing a control command to stop the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle in the first zone.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising in response to detecting a mobile object by the first passage control unit after the demerging, causing a control command to stop the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle positioned in the second zone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first passage control unit associated with both the first zone and the second zone is classified as an intermediate passage control unit, wherein the second passage control unit associated with the first zone is classified as a border passage control unit, and further comprising updating the classification of the first passage control unit as a border passage control unit in response to the demerging.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fusion zone further comprises a third zone separated from the second zone by a third passage control unit, the third passage control unit being associated with both the second zone and the third zone, the method further comprising maintaining a merging of the second zone and the third zone after the demerging of the first zone and the second zone.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a state change of the second zone after the demerging of the first zone and the second zone;
remerging the first zone and the second zone into the fusion zone or a new fusion zone in response to state parameter information of the first zone and the second zone indicating autonomous operation; and
preventing a control command to stop the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle in the first zone and/or the second zone in response to the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle being detected by the first passage control unit associated with the first zone remerged with the second zone.

9. An apparatus for zone passage control in an underground worksite including a plurality of operation zones for autonomously operating mobile vehicle operations, the apparatus comprising a processor and memory, the memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the apparatus to:
receive position information of at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle in a fusion zone merged of at least a first zone and a second zone, the first zone and the second zone being separated by a first passage control unit, the first passage control unit being associated with both the first zone and the second zone, the first passage control unit being inactive; and
in response to receiving a signal about a detection of a mobile object by a second passage control unit associated with the first zone:
check a position of the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle;
in response to the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle being positioned in the second zone, prevent a control command to stop the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle in the second zone;
demerge the first zone and the second zone; and
activate the first passage control unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each zone is assigned a state parameter, and the first zone and the second zone merged into the fusion zone each have assigned a first state parameter value indicating autonomous operation.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further configure the apparatus to update the state parameter of the first zone to a second state parameter value indicating manual operation in response to the demerging.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further configure the apparatus to, in response to the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle being positioned in the first zone, cause a control command to stop the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle in the first zone.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further configure the apparatus to, in response to receiving a signal about a detection of a mobile object by the first passage control unit after the demerging, cause a control command to stop the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle positioned in the second zone.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first passage control unit associated both the first zone and the second zone is classified as an intermediate passage control unit, wherein the second passage control unit associated with the first zone is classified as a border passage control unit, and wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further configure the apparatus to update the classification of the first passage control unit as border passage control unit in response to the demerging.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the fusion zone further comprises a third zone separated from the second zone by a third passage control unit, the third passage control unit being associated with both the second zone and the third zone, and wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further configure the apparatus to maintain a merging of the second zone and the third zone after the demerging of the first zone and the second zone.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, further configure the apparatus to:
detect a state change of the second zone after the demerging of the first zone and the second zone;
remerge the first zone and the second zone into the fusion zone or a new fusion zone in response to state parameter information of the first zone and the second zone indicating autonomous operation; and
prevent a control command to stop the at least one autonomously operating mobile vehicle in the first zone and/or the second zone in response to the at least one autonomously

Assignees

• Sandvik Mining & Construction Oy

Inventors

• Ruokojarvi Jarkko
• Lehtinen Antti
• Kallio Janne

Classifications

• E21F17/00 Primary

  Methods or devices for use in mines or tunnels, not covered elsewhere (mine lighting F21, H05B) · CPC title

• G08G1/09

  Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions ({railroad crossing signals B61L; reflectors E01F, G08B}; indicating arrangements for variable information by selection or combination of individual elements G09F9/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0285

  using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network · CPC title

• G05D2201/021

  Physics · mapped topic

• G05D1/0289 Primary

  with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93) · CPC title