Automotive milling machine, as well as method for discharging milled material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764910-B2
Application number	US-201514827450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2015
Priority date	Aug 22, 2014
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

In an automotive milling machine, comprising a machine frame, comprising a controller for the travelling and milling operation, comprising a working drum, comprising a transport conveyor slewable relative to the machine frame, where the transport conveyor discharges the milled material onto a point of impingement on a loading surface of different transport vehicles, where the controller comprises a detection and control unit which monitors the alterable position of the loading surface of the transport vehicle by an image-recording system comprising no less than one sensor which continuously generates no less than one digital image of, as a minimum, the loading surface, it is provided for the following features to be achieved: the detection and control unit comprises an analysis device which detects faults or errors in the image generated by the no less than one sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automotive milling machine comprising:
a machine frame;
a working drum supported from the machine frame for milling off milled material;
a transport conveyor arranged to receive the milled material milled off by the working drum and to discharge the milled material onto a loading surface of a transport vehicle, the transport conveyor being slewable relative to the machine frame;
an image recording system arranged to monitor an alterable position of the loading surface of the transport vehicle, via at least one sensor configured to generate at least one digital image of the loading surface; and
a controller configured to detect an error in the at least one digital image.

2. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to generate a warning signal in the event of an error.

3. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to generate a control signal in the event of an error.

4. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
each image of the at least one digital image is made up of a plurality of image pixels; and
the controller is configured to monitor an alteration over time of at least a part of the image pixels of the at least one digital image.

5. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to monitor an alteration over time of a mark present in an image field of the digital image.

6. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
each image of the at least one digital image is made up of a plurality of image pixels; and
the controller is configured to monitor at least a part of the image pixels of the at least one digital image for unchanging image information, and to issue a signal in the event a part of the image information remains unchanged over a specifiable period of time.

7. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to detect an undesirable change in position of the at least one sensor by detecting a mark present in an image field of the at least one digital image.

8. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
each image of the at least one digital image is made up of a plurality of image pixels; and
the controller is configured to monitor a presence of a maximum signal in at least a part of the image pixels, and to issue a signal in the event of glare.

9. The automotive milling machine of claim 8 , wherein:
the image recording system is configured to provide a dimming of the at least one sensor in the event of glare.

10. The automotive milling machine of claim 8 , wherein:
the image recording system is configured to pivot the at least one sensor by a small angular amount without significantly changing an image field of the at least one digital image in the event of glare.

11. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to control travelling operation and milling operation of the milling machine.

12. The automotive milling machine of claim 1 , in combination with at least one transport vehicle movable independently of the milling machine and positionable relative to the milling machine such that the milled material worked off by the milling machine is dischargeable onto the transport vehicle.

13. A method of discharging worked-off milled material of an automotive milling machine onto a loading surface of a transport vehicle, the method comprising:
(a) working off milled material with a working drum of the milling machine;
(b) transporting the milled material from the working drum with a transport conveyor and discharging the milled material from the transport conveyor onto the loading surface of the transport vehicle, the transport conveyor being slewable relative to a machine frame of the milling machine;
(c) continuously monitoring an alterable position of the loading surface of the transport vehicle relative to at least one of the machine frame and the transport conveyor by continuously generating at least one digital image of the loading surface with an image-recording system; and
(d) analyzing the at least one digital image with an analysis system to detect errors in the at least one digital image.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
in the event of detection of an error in step (d), generating a warning signal.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
in the event of detection of an error in step (d), generating a control signal.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
step (d) further comprises monitoring an alteration over time of at least a part of a plurality of image pixels of the at least one digital image to detect a frozen image.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
step (d) further comprises detecting a frozen image by monitoring an alteration over time of a mark present in an image field of the at least one digital image, the mark being alterable in a defined manner.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
controlling travelling operation and milling operation of the milling machine with a controller; and
receiving signals from the analysis system in the controller.

Assignees

• Wirtgen Gmbh

Inventors

• Berning Christian
• Winkels Sebastian
• Kroell Harald
• Krista Tobias

Classifications

• G05D2201/0202

  Physics · mapped topic

• G05D1/0246

  using a video camera in combination with image processing means · CPC title

• B65G67/22 Primary

  Loading moving vehicles · CPC title

• B65G41/002

  Pivotably mounted · CPC title

• E01C23/088 Primary

  Rotary tools, e.g. milling drums {(for forming recesses to receive marking materials E01C23/0946)} · CPC title