Command for underground

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9797247-B1
Application number	US-201715452329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 7, 2017
Priority date	Nov 21, 2016
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A control system and related method for controlling the machine in a mine. The control system may comprise a LADAR, an interface device, a processor and an AECM. The LADAR may be configured to capture scan data of physical mine walls. The interface device may be configured to display a mine map illustrating a section of the mine. The processor may be configured to add a virtual wall to the mine map in response to a first user input. The processor may be configured to add a temporary wall to the mine map in response to a second user input. The temporary wall may be based on scan data of a physical mine wall captured by the LADAR. The AECM is configured to control an operation of the machine, based on the mine map, to avoid collision of the machine with the virtual wall or the temporary wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for a machine, the control system comprising:
a LADAR disposed on the machine, the LADAR configured to capture scan data of one or more physical mine walls of a mine;
an interface device disposed remotely from the machine, the interface device configured to display a mine map illustrating a section of the mine, the mine map including one or more vehicle routes and one or more mine walls, the interface device configure to receive and transmit a plurality of user inputs to a processor;
the processor configured to add a virtual wall to the mine map in response to a first user input received from the interface device, the first user input identifying a placement of the virtual wall on the mine map, the processor further configured to add a temporary wall to the mine map in response to a second user input received from the interface device, the temporary wall based on scan data of a physical mine wall captured by the LADAR; and
an AECM disposed on the machine, the AECM configured to control an operation of the machine, based on the mine map, to avoid collision of the machine with the virtual wall or the temporary wall added to the mine map.

2. The control system of claim 1 , in which the machine further includes a parking brake, and in which the AECM is further configured to apply the parking brake if the machine comes within a predetermined distance of the virtual wall or the temporary wall added to the mine map.

3. The control system of claim 1 , in which the processor is further configured to add a restricted area to the mine map in response to a third user input received from the interface device, the third user input identifying a placement of the restricted area on the displayed mine map.

4. The control system of claim 3 , wherein the restricted area is a no-entry area.

5. The control system of claim 3 , wherein the restricted area is a restricted operation area.

6. The control system of claim 5 , in which the processor is further configured to restrict a speed of the machine while the machine is operating in the restricted operation area.

7. The control system of claim 1 , in which the processor is further configured to add a parking-brake zone to the mine map in response to a third user input received from the interface device, the third user input identifying a placement of the a parking-brake zone on the displayed mine map.

8. A method for controlling a machine in a mine, the machine including an AECM and a LADAR disposed on the machine, the AECM configured to control an operation of the machine based on a mine map, the method comprising:
displaying the mine map on an interface device disposed remotely from the machine, the mine map including one or more vehicle routes and one or more mine walls;
adding a virtual wall or a temporary wall to the mine map, wherein the virtual wall is added in response to a first user input received from the interface device, the first user input identifying a placement of the virtual wall on the displayed mine map, wherein the temporary wall is added in response to a second user input received from the interface device, the temporary wall is based on scan data of a physical mine wall captured by the LADAR;
displaying the virtual wall or the temporary wall on the mine map; and
automatically avoiding, by the AECM, collision of the machine with the virtual wall or the temporary wall.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising applying a parking brake if the machine comes within a predetermined distance of the virtual wall or the temporary wall.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising adding a restricted area to the mine map in response to a third user input received from the interface device, the third user input identifying a placement of the restricted area on the mine map displayed on the interface device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the restricted area is a no-entry area.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the restricted area is a restricted operation area.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising restricting a speed of the machine, by the AECM, while the machine is operating in the restricted operation area.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising adding a parking-brake zone to the mine map in response to a third user input received from the interface device, the third user input identifying a placement of the parking-brake zone on the mine map displayed on the interface device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising automatically applying, by the AECM, a parking brake of the machine and placing a transmission of the machine into neutral when the machine enters the parking-brake zone.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising causing, by the AECM, the machine to drive in a direction away from the parking-brake zone when the machine enters the parking-brake zone.

17. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
adding a bias area to the mine map in response to a third user input received from the interface device, the third user input identifying a placement of the bias area on the mine map displayed on the interface device; and
forcing, by the AECM, the machine to drive closer to one side of the vehicle route while the machine is operating in the bias area.

18. A control system for a machine, the control system comprising:
a LADAR disposed on the machine, the LADAR configured to capture scan data of one or more physical mine walls of a mine;
an interface device disposed remotely from the machine, the interface device configured to display a mine map including one or more vehicle routes and one or more mine walls, the interface device configure to receive and transmit a plurality of user inputs to a processor;
the processor configured to modify the mine map in response to a first user input received from the interface device, the first user input including instructions to place a virtual wall on or to remove a virtual wall from the mine map and to display the mine map, as modified, on the interface device; and
an AECM disposed on the machine, the AECM configured to control an operation of the machine, based on the mine map, to avoid collision of the machine with the virtual wall when the virtual wall is part of the mine map.

19. The control system of claim 18 , in which the processor is further configured to modify the mine map in response to a second user input received from the interface device, wherein the second user input includes instructions to add a temporary wall to the mine map based on scan data of a physical mine wall captured by the LADAR, and in which the AECM is further configured to control operation of the machine, based on the mine map, to avoid collision of the machine with the temporary wall when the temporary wall is part of the mine map.

20. The control system of claim 18 , in which the processor is further configured to modify the mine map based on a second user input received from the interface device, wherein the second user input includes instructions to add or remove a no-entry area, a restricted operation area or a parking-brake zone.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Nelson Anthony Keith Nathan
• May Shane A
• Kandula Suneel Venkata

Classifications

• B60W2510/188

  Parking lock mechanisms · CPC title

• B60W30/095

  Predicting travel path or likelihood of collision · CPC title

• B60W30/146

  Speed limiting · CPC title

• B60W2556/45

  External transmission of data to or from the vehicle · CPC title

• B60W30/0956 Primary

  the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters · CPC title