Systems and methods for managing a worksite based on battery power

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12065791-B2
Application number	US-202117498104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2021
Priority date	Oct 11, 2021
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods determine a current production rate of a piece of equipment processing first paving material at a worksite, receive first information indicative of an amount of power within a battery of the piece of equipment, receive second information indicative of a characteristic of the worksite, and determine predicted production rate of the piece of equipment to process second paving material at the worksite. The systems and methods further determine an amount of power required by the piece of equipment to process the second paving material at the worksite and determine that the amount of power within the battery of the piece of equipment is insufficient for the amount of power required by the piece of equipment to process the second paving material at the worksite.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
receiving first data associated with paving material being prepared for a worksite at a paving material plant;
receiving second data associated with a first amount of power within a battery of a machine operating at the worksite;
receiving third data associated with one or more operating parameters of the machine to perform an operation at the worksite;
determining, based at least in part on the first data and the third data, a second amount of power for the machine to complete the operation;
determining that the first amount of power is less than the second amount of power;
determining, based at least in part on the first amount of power being less than the second amount of power, an action to be performed at the worksite or the paving material plant;
causing performance of the action; and
causing a notification of the action to be output on at least one of a first device associated with the machine or a second device associated with the paving material plant.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operating parameters comprise at least one of:
a depth of a paving mat being prepared by the machine at the worksite;
a length of a paving mat being prepared by the machine at the worksite; or
a width of a paving mat being prepared by the machine at the worksite.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises:
commissioning an additional machine at the worksite;
reducing an amount of the paving material being prepared by the paving material plant for the worksite; or
ceasing the paving material being supplied to the worksite.

4. The system of claim 1 , the acts further comprising:
receiving fourth data associated with a third amount of power within a second battery of a second machine operating at the worksite;
receiving fifth data associated with one or more second operating parameters of the second machine to perform a second operation at the worksite;
determining, based at least in part on the first data and the fifth data, a fourth amount of power for the second machine to complete the second operation;
determining that the third amount of power is greater than the fourth amount of power; and
causing the second machine to perform the second operation.

5. The system of claim 1 , the acts further comprising:
receiving fourth data associated with a third amount of power within a second battery of a second machine operating at the worksite;
receiving fifth data associated with one or more second operating parameters of the second machine to perform a second operation at the worksite;
determining, based at least in part on the first data and the fifth data, a fourth amount of power for the second machine to complete the second operation;
determining, that the third amount of power is less than the fourth amount of power; and
determining, based at least in part on the third amount of power being less than the fourth amount of power, a second action to be performed at the worksite or the paving material plant.

6. A method, comprising:
determining a current production rate of a piece of equipment processing first paving material at a worksite;
receiving first information indicative of an amount of power within an energy storage device of the piece of equipment;
receiving second information indicative of a characteristic of the worksite;
determining, based at least in part on the characteristic, a historical amount of power required by the piece of equipment;
determining, based at least in part on the current production rate, the historical amount of power, the first information, and the second information, a predicted production rate of the piece of equipment to process second paving material at the worksite;
determining, based at least in part on the predicted production rate of the piece of equipment, an amount of power required by the piece of equipment to process the second paving material at the worksite;
determining that the amount of power within the energy storage device of the piece of equipment is insufficient for the amount of power required by the piece of equipment to process the second paving material at the worksite; and
causing an action to be performed associated with reducing paving mat defects at the worksite.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining the action to perform based at least in part on the amount of power within the energy storage device being insufficient for the amount of power required by the piece of equipment, the action comprising:
commissioning a second piece of equipment to replace the piece of equipment at the worksite;
commissioning a third piece of equipment at the worksite to charge the energy storage device of the piece of equipment;
transmitting a first request to a paving material plant to refrain from supplying the second paving material;
transmitting a second request to a paving material plant to reduce an amount of the second paving material; or
adjusting an operating parameter of the piece of equipment.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising causing output of a notification, the notification indicating at least one of:
the action; or
that the amount of power within the energy storage device of the piece of equipment is insufficient for the amount of power required by the piece of equipment.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the characteristic comprises:
a temperature of the paving material;
a temperature at the worksite;
a dimension of a paving mat being prepared at the worksite; or
a speed of the piece of equipment.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the piece of equipment comprises:
a paving machine configured to deposit the first paving material at the worksite; or
a compacting machine configured to compact the first paving material at the worksite.

11. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining a second current production rate of a second piece of equipment processing the first paving material at the worksite;
receiving third information indicative of a second amount of power within a second energy storage device of the second piece of equipment;
determining, based at least in part on the second current production rate, the second information, and the third information, a second predicted production rate of the second piece of equipment to process the second paving material at the worksite;
determining, based at least in part on the second predicted production rate of the second piece of equipment, a second amount of power required by the second piece of equipment to process the second paving material at the worksite; and
determining that the second piece of equipment has sufficient power to process the second paving material at the worksite.

12. A method, comprising:
determining a first amount of power within a first energy storage device of a first piece of equipment operating at a worksite;
determining a second amount of power within a second energy storage device of a second piece of equipment operating at the worksite;
determining a first operating parameter of the first piece of equipment;
determining a second operating parameter of the second piece of equipment;
determining, for the first piece of equipment and based at least in part on the first operating parameter, a historical amount of power required to perform a first operation associated with processing paving material at the worksite;
determ

Assignees

• Caterpillar Paving Products Inc

Inventors

• Romero Francisco
• Marsolek John L
• Dershem Brian R
• Anderson Jonathan A

Classifications

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• E01C2301/00

  Machine characteristics, parts or accessories not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• E01C19/02

  for preparing the materials {(E01C19/002, E01C19/45, E01C19/46, E01C21/00, E01C23/065 take precedence; producing hydraulic cement concrete in general B28C5/00 - B28C9/00)} · CPC title

• G06Q10/06315

  Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis · CPC title

• E01C19/282

  self-propelled, e.g. with an own traction-unit (E01C19/285 - E01C19/288 take precedence) · CPC title