A system and method for pit design that that operates directly on a geological model without creating a three dimensional block model thereby minimizing modeling dilution. A resource in a deposit may be divided into a set of base resource units that closely conform to the resource geometry and value distribution and that can be mined by the equipment assumed to perform the excavation. A resource increment (RI) is defined by a base resource unit and any resource and waste over the base resource unit which is assumed to be excavated in conformance with slope stability and safe practices forming an approximation of a truncated inverted cone. A systematic sorting and grouping process of the RIs iterates down a list of RIs and identifies RIs and/or RI groups that add value to the pit while excluding RIs and/or RI groups that do not add value. The sorting and grouping process operates on the recognition that, for RIs analyzed later in the RI list, the cost of intersections of waste overlaying the RIs base resource unit is carried by RIs analyzed earlier in the list. The sorting and grouping process allows intersecting RIs to be evaluated, grouped into RI groups, and either included or not included in the pit so that a maximum valued pit is defined. One aspect of the novel sorting and grouping process is the identification and grouping of interdependent RIs and RI groups. Another novel aspect of this pit design system is the application of over lapping RI bases with size defined large enough to represent the minimal accessible mining space for the equipment proposed. Larger sized bases should lead to reduction in the complexity of intersecting RIs and computational time. The end result is a model of the pit including a list of RIs and/or RI groups to include in the pit and resource and/or reserve statements.

A real-time mobile communication platform comprising a remote unmanned apparatus, an earth station associated with a data receiver, status monitoring sensors, a plurality of biometric sensors, a microprocessor, a warning device, a plurality of broadband wireless communication devices, a plurality of broadband wireless communication devices, and a control room. The present disclosure teaches Real-time mobile broadband data access via satellite to mobile heavy equipment and personnel, focusing on health and safety solutions to open-pit mining operations in remote areas of the world. The system consists of a platform which allows for the integration of health and safety solutions, status monitoring systems, and transmitting broadband information in Real-time from these systems to anywhere in the world. The present disclosure's teaches: 1) Gathering information from the sensors on work vehicles and personnel; 2) Transmitting Real-time broadband data packets over a wireless appliance; 3) Translating and processing information obtained through an intelligent diagnostic application which is placed on board heavy mobile vehicles and personnel and then transmitting it via a wireless network; 4) Displaying the information collected in Real-time anywhere in the world via host computers or on a web page.

A real-time mobile communication platform comprising a remote unmanned apparatus, an earth station associated with a data receiver, status monitoring sensors, a plurality of biometric sensors, a microprocessor, a warning device, a plurality of broadband wireless communication devices, a plurality of broadband wireless communication devices, and a control room. The present disclosure teaches Real-time mobile broadband data access via satellite to mobile heavy equipment and personnel, focusing on health and safety solutions to open-pit mining operations in remote areas of the world. The system consists of a platform which allows for the integration of health and safety solutions, status monitoring systems, and transmitting broadband information in Real-time from these systems to anywhere in the world. The present disclosure's teaches: 1) Gathering information from the sensors on work vehicles and personnel; 2) Transmitting Real-time broadband data packets over a wireless appliance; 3) Translating and processing information obtained through an intelligent diagnostic application which is placed on board heavy mobile vehicles and personnel and then transmitting it via a wireless network; 4) Displaying the information collected in Real-time anywhere in the world via host computers or on a web page.

A mine safety apparatus, and related method, that records movement data of a scene, visual images of the scene and correlates the movement data with the visual images. The apparatus comprises: a slope monitoring device that records location data in the scene and tracks the location data over time to identify movement and produce visual movement overlays; an image capture device that records a plurality of visual images of the scene from a location; and a processor that stitches the visual images into a panoramic image of the entire scene and for selected Points of Interest in the scene accurately determines a coordinate so that the visual movement overlays are correctly correlated with the Points of Interest.

A method is provided for controlling bitumen recovery from an oil sands ore body in a bitumen extraction process by establishing and using a predictive ore processability model that accounts for multiple ore characteristics in planning ore deliveries from different locations of the ore body to produce a blended ore feedstock.

The invention is directed to a method of strip mining that involves dividing the pit into blocks in a diamond shape arrangement with an angular advancing strike face and removing waste material from each diagonally adjacent block so as to minimize the amount of waste material pushed by dozers and maintain the incline of ramps to gradients of 10% or less so that trucks can take mined ore from the pit.

The invention is directed to a method of strip mining that involves dividing the pit into blocks in a diamond shape arrangement with an angular advancing strike face and removing waste material from each diagonally adjacent block so as to minimize the amount of waste material pushed by dozers and maintain the incline of ramps to gradients of 10% or less so that trucks can take mined ore from the pit.

Trucks in a mine or construction site move dirt, ore, or other matter from one location to another. The ore is usually loaded using an excavator or loader. Once at the unloading destination, the truck needs to determine where to unload the ore, dirt, or matter. Different applications require the load to be dumped in different manners. The present invention encodes this knowledge into a database of preferred behaviors and creates a set of automated maneuvers that accomplish these actions. The invention assumes that the truck has a drive-by-wire kit, and that its capable of moving under computer control. The present invention comprises a system to increase the safety of mining and construction autonomous trucks in which there are one or more sensors that can detect road features, a drive-by-wire kit installed on an autonomous truck, a planning algorithm that creates trajectories which take the autonomous vehicle from a starting location to a final location, while at the same time implementing randomizing the trajectory within the traversable road to minimize the ruts or purposely driving over the high points of the support surface to flatten the ruts or purposely avoiding (or stopping the vehicle) if a sharp object is detected on the route that can possibly puncture the tires or detecting debris that has been dropped from the truck, to alert other vehicles or itself when driven along the same route or detecting and historically tracking features in the road to determine road movement, and therefore alert to possible collapses or landslides or stopping the vehicle, or avoiding deep water puddles, detected by comparing the water surface and the pre-recorded support surface from a previous pass.

Trucks in a mine or construction site move dirt, ore, or other matter from one location to another. The ore is usually loaded using an excavator or loader. Once at the unloading destination, the truck needs to determine where to unload the ore, dirt, or matter. Different applications require the load to be dumped in different manners. The present invention encodes this knowledge into a database of preferred behaviors and creates a set of automated maneuvers that accomplish these actions. The invention assumes that the truck has a drive-by-wire kit, and that its capable of moving under computer control. The present invention comprises a system to increase the safety of mining and construction autonomous trucks in which there are one or more sensors that can detect road features, a drive-by-wire kit installed on an autonomous truck, a planning algorithm that creates trajectories which take the autonomous vehicle from a starting location to a final location, while at the same time implementing randomizing the trajectory within the traversable road to minimize the ruts or purposely driving over the high points of the support surface to flatten the ruts or purposely avoiding (or stopping the vehicle) if a sharp object is detected on the route that can possibly puncture the tires or detecting debris that has been dropped from the truck, to alert other vehicles or itself when driven along the same route or detecting and historically tracking features in the road to determine road movement, and therefore alert to possible collapses or landslides or stopping the vehicle, or avoiding deep water puddles, detected by comparing the water surface and the pre-recorded support surface from a previous pass.

A method of moving waste material from a mining site using at least one excavator and a plurality of dozers, including excavating material with the at least one excavator from a dig area, said at least one excavator moving along an excavator path that is parallel with the dig area, transferring the excavated material to a plurality of slots, each of said slots are positioned at an angle to the excavator path, and pushing the transferred material by one of said plurality of dozers along the slot and away from the excavator path; wherein each slot allows each of the plurality of dozers to move between a proximal position and a distal position relative to the excavator path.