Control unit for dumping of material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019106859-A1
Application number	US-201616094024-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 19, 2016
Priority date	Apr 19, 2016
Publication date	Apr 11, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A control unit is provided for controlling the dumping of a material entity from an implement of a working machine into a receiver. The control unit is adapted to determine a loading operation information including a current loading condition indicative of the distribution of the material that is currently accommodated by the receiver, and material characteristic information comprising one or more properties of the material of the material entity that is present in the implement. The control unit is adapted to, on the basis of the loading operation information, determine a dumping position within the receiver at which dumping position the material entity is to be dumped.

First claim

1 . A control unit for controlling the dumping of a material entity from an implement of a working machine into a receiver, wherein the control unit is adapted to determine a loading operation information comprising:
a current loading condition indicative of the distribution of the material that is currently accommodated by the receiver, and a material characteristic information comprising one or more properties of the material of the material entity that is present in the implement, the control unit being adapted to, on the basis of the loading operation information, determine a dumping position within the receiver at which dumping position the material entity is to be dumped.

2 . The control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the material entity comprises or substantially consists of granular material such as at least one of sand, soil, clay, earth and gravel.

3 . The control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is adapted to determine the dumping position, on the basis of the loading operation information, each time a new material entity is intended to be dumped into the receiver.

4 . The control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the material characteristic information comprises information indicative of how the material entity will spread out when dumped from the implement.

5 . The control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the material characteristic information comprises the density of the material entity.

6 . The control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the material characteristic information comprises a friction angle of the material entity.

7 . The control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is adapted to determine at least one of the one or more properties of the material by determining a digging force needed to dig into a source of material from which the material entity is taken.

8 . The control unit according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit is adapted to determine at least one of the one or more properties of the material by determining at least one of a vertical insertion depth of the implement into the source of material and the angle of the implement relative to a horizontal plane.

9 . The control unit according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit is adapted to determine at least one of the one or more properties of the material using the digging force determined in a Mohr-Coulomb model and/or a Chen and Liu Upper Bound model.

10 . The control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the loading operation information further comprises the location of the receiver.

11 . The control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the loading operation information further comprises an inclination of the receiver.

12 . The control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is adapted to, for each position of a set of predetermined different possible dumping positions within the receiver, simulate a new loading condition that the receiver would assume if the material entity would have been dumped in the dumping position using the material characteristic information, the control unit further being adapted to compare the new loading conditions obtained for each one of the different dumping positions and to select the dumping position on the basis of the comparison.

13 . The control unit according to claim 12 , wherein the control unit is adapted to determine a dumping result parameter indicative of the new loading condition.

14 . The control unit according to claim 13 , wherein the dumping result parameter comprises at least one of the centre of gravity and the uppermost position of the material.

15 . The control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver and the material currently loaded into the receiver form a current material receiving surface, the control unit being adapted to determine characteristics of at least a portion of the material receiving surface.

16 . The control unit according to claim 15 , wherein the control unit is adapted to, for each one of the plurality of different possible dumping positions within the receiver, simulate how the material entity will be spread over at least the portion of the material receiving surface.

17 . A control assembly for controlling the dumping of a material entity from an implement of a working machine into a receiver, the control assembly comprising a control unit for controlling the dumping of a material entity from an implement of a working machine into a receiver, wherein the control unit is adapted to determine a loading operation information comprising:
a current loading condition indicative of the distribution of the material that is currently accommodated by the receiver, and a material characteristic information comprising one or more properties of the material of the material entity that is present in the implement, the control unit being adapted to, on the basis of the loading operation information, determine a dumping position within the receiver at which dumping position the material entity is to be dumped, the control assembly further comprising a receiver determining means for determining a current loading condition of the receiver and a material characteristics determining means for determining a material characteristic information of the material entity loaded into the implement.

18 . The control assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the receiver determining means comprises a receiver perception assembly for generating a surface model of the interior of the receiver and the material accommodated by the receiver, the receiver perception assembly preferably comprising at least one of a camera and a laser sensor.

19 . The control assembly according to claim 18 , wherein the receiver perception assembly is adapted to generate a three-dimensional surface model of the interior of the receiver and the material accommodated by the receiver.

20 . The control assembly according to claim 19 , wherein the receiver perception assembly comprises at least one of a time-of-flight camera, a stereo camera, a structured light camera and an actuated laser range finder.

21 . The control assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the material characteristics determining means comprises an implement load sensor and/or an implement inclination sensor.

22 . The control assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the material characteristics determining means comprises an implement perception assembly for generating a surface model of the material entity loaded into the implement, the receiver perception assembly preferably comprising at least one of a camera and a laser sensor.

23 . A working machine, such as an excavator or a wheel loader, comprising a control unit according to claim 1 .

24 . A method for controlling the dumping of a material entity from an implement of a working machine into a receiver, wherein the method comprises
determining a loading operation information comprising:
a current loading condition indicative of the distribution of the material that is currently accommodated by the receiver, and
a material characteristic information comprising one or more properties of the material of the material entity loaded into the implement,
further, the method comprising, on the basis of the loading operation information, determining a dumping position within the receiver at which the material entity is to be dumped.

25 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the material enti

Assignees

• Volvo Constr Equip Ab

Inventors

• Frank Martin

Classifications

• G01F22/00

  Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G01G19/00

  Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in the preceding groups {(electric measuring arrangements involving comparison with a reference value G01R17/00)} · CPC title

• E02F9/2029 Primary

  Controlling the position of implements in function of its load, e.g. modifying the attitude of implements in accordance to vehicle speed (control for hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2203, E02F9/2221 and E02F9/2253 take precedence) · CPC title

• E02F9/2041

  Automatic repositioning of implements, i.e. memorising determined positions of the implement (for dipper-arms or bucket-arms E02F3/434, E02F3/437, E02F3/438, E02F3/439 take precedence) · CPC title

• E02F3/435 Primary

  for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like · CPC title