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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11650564-B2
Application number	US-202117156877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2021
Priority date	Apr 8, 2016
Publication date	May 16, 2023
Grant date	May 16, 2023

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

I claim:

1. A method comprising:
determining a construction phase of a structure to be erected and/or worked at a construction site through working steps of a construction machine;
determining a next working step for the construction machine based upon the determined construction phase of the structure;
identifying a construction element for installation at an installation location of the structure being erected and/or worked during the determined next working step;
calculating a travel path for the identified construction element during the next working step; and
automatically carrying out the next working step by the construction machine moving the identified construction element along the travel path;
wherein the identified construction element is located in a pick-up region and/or a working range of the construction machine at the construction site;
wherein determining the construction phase comprises:
determining an actual state of the structure being erected and/or worked; and
comparing the determined actual state of the structure with digital information from a structure data model, the digital information comprising:
data related to the identified construction element in relation to the structure being erected and/or worked by the construction machine;
installation location data related to the installation location for the identified construction element; and
travel path data related to the travel path for the identified construction element during the next working step; and

wherein identifying the construction element and calculating the travel path are based at least in part on the digital information of the structure data model.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a starting location of the identified construction element being the location of the identified construction element in the pick-up region and/or a working range;
receiving and processing the digital information from the structure data model; and
detecting safety concerns at the construction site;
wherein automatically carrying out the next working step by the construction machine is based at least in part on both the digital information of the structure data model and detected safety concerns; and
wherein automatically carrying out the next working step comprises automatically carrying out the next working step while avoiding contact between a detected safety concern on the construction site and the identified construction element and/or the construction machine.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying the construction element comprises identifying the construction element by one or more of a camera, an imaging sensor, a barcode scanner, and an RFID reader.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying the construction element comprises identifying the construction element by a long wavelength ID (LWID) working in the low frequency or low wave range.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising generating a virtual representation of the structure to be erected and/or worked by the construction machine at the construction site.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the travel path of the identified construction element is at least a portion of a path from the starting location of the identified construction element in the pick-up region and/or the working range to the installation location for the identified construction element.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
generating a virtual representation of the structure to be erected and/or worked by the construction machine at the construction site on a display apparatus that is arranged at the construction machine or at a control station remotely controlling the construction machine; and
superposing on the display apparatus a virtual representation of the travel path of the identified construction element and/or the installation location for the identified construction element.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
generating from a camera a real representation of the structure to be erected and/or worked by the construction machine at the construction site on a display apparatus that is arranged at the construction machine or at a control station remotely controlling the construction machine; and
superposing on the display apparatus a virtual representation of the travel path of the identified construction element and/or the installation location for the identified construction element.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the travel path is calculated by a control module forming part of the construction machine on the basis of data sent to the control module from the structure data model after identification of the identified construction element in the pick-up region and/or the working range.

10. A method comprising:
identifying a construction element for installation at an installation location of a structure located in a pick-up region and/or a working range of a construction machine at a construction site;
locating a starting location of the identified construction element being the location of the identified construction element in the pick-up region and/or a working range;
receiving and processing digital information from a building information model (BIM), the digital information relating to the identified construction element in relation to the structure, the structure being erected and/or worked by the construction machine at the construction site;
determining a construction phase of the structure by:
determining an actual state of the structure being erected and/or worked; and
comparing the determined actual state of the structure with the digital information of the BIM;

determining a next working step for the construction machine based upon the determined construction phase of the structure;
monitoring people in the construction site; and
automatically carrying out the next working step by the construction machine relating to moving the identified construction element from the starting location to the installation location on the basis of the digital information of the BIM and the monitoring;
wherein the digital information comprises:
position data that indicates the installation location for the identified construction element; and
a travel path of the identified construction element during the next working step from the starting location of the identified construction element in the pick-up region and/or the working range to the installation location for the identified construction element; and

wherein automatically carrying out the next working step comprises automatically carrying out the next working step while avoiding contact between a person on the construction site and the identified construction element and/or the construction machine.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein identifying and locating comprises detecting the construction element by a detection device selected from the group consisting of a device utilizing radio frequency identification (RFID) reader and long wavelength identification (LWID) working in the low frequency or low wave range; and
wherein monitoring comprises monitoring by a monitoring device selected from the group consisting of a camera and an imaging sensor.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein monitoring comprises continuously monitoring for people in one or more of the pick-up region, the working range, and along at least a portion of the travel path; and
wherein automatically carrying out the next working step while avoiding contact between a person on the construction site comprises continuously updating one or more of:
a timing of picking up the identified construction element at the starting location so as to

Assignees

• Liebherr Werk Biberach Gmbh

Inventors

• Bramberger Robert

Classifications

• G06Q10/06313 Primary

  Resource planning in a project environment · CPC title

• G06Q10/067

  Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G09B19/167

  Control of land vehicles · CPC title

• G06Q10/06315

  Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis · CPC title

• G06Q50/08

  Construction · CPC title