SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MEASURING FORCES IN EARTH MOVING MACHINERY AND CONTROL THEREOF, AND AUTOMATIC OR SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINERY

Abstract

System (1-3) for earth moving machinery (100), comprising: a plurality of wear elements (10-15) adapted for coupling with a blade (111) of digging implements (110) of an earth moving machine (100); one or more sensors (20) for measuring forces, each sensor of the one or more sensors (20) being arranged in one wear element of the plurality of wear elements (10-15) or between two wear elements of the plurality of wear elements (10-15); and central control means (50) for processing measurements of the one or more sensors (20) in order to calculate force withstood by the wear elements (10-15).

Claims

1. A system for earth moving machinery, comprising: a plurality of wear elements adapted for coupling with a blade of digging implements of an earth moving machine; one or more sensors for measuring forces, each sensor of the one or more sensors being arranged in one wear element of the plurality of wear elements or between two wear elements of the plurality of wear elements; and central control means for processing measurements of the one or more sensors in order to calculate force withstood by the wear elements.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one sensor of the one or more sensors is arranged in a cavity formed in the respective wear element in which the at least one sensor is arranged.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor is arranged in a wall delimiting the cavity.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein: one or more wear elements of the plurality of wear elements having at least one sensor arranged therein have axial, transversal and vertical axes; and one, some or each sensor in the cavity is/are arranged in one or more walls delimiting the cavity with respect to the transversal or vertical axis thereof, and/or one, some or each sensor in the cavity is/are arranged in a wall delimiting the cavity with respect to the axial axis thereof.

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the central control means provide output instructions at least based on the processed measurements so that the output instructions comprise at least one of: emitting a warning in the form of at least one perceptible signal and/or reducing a breakout force of the machine when the processed values exceed a predetermined excessive force threshold; and emitting a warning in the form of at least one perceptible signal and/or increasing the breakout force when the processed values are less than a predetermined optimal force threshold.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein increasing and reducing the breakout force comprises at least one of: increasing and reducing, respectively, pressure applied to cylinders of a hydraulic system of the machine; changing an angle of attack of the digging implements so as to increase and reduce, respectively, the breakout force; and changing a trajectory followed by the digging implements so as to increase and reduce, respectively, the breakout force.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the central control means are configured to receive one or more inputs of the machine, and the central control means provide the output instructions further based on the one or more inputs.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the one or more inputs comprise one or more of: power that the machine supplies, breakout force, energy consumption, and performance of a hydraulic system of the machine.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein one, some or each sensor of the one or more sensors is arranged in any one of: teeth, tooth bars and fixing elements of the plurality of wear elements.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein each sensor of the one or more sensors is arranged in the tooth bars.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein each sensor of the one or more sensors is arranged in the teeth or the fixing elements.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein one, some or each sensor of the one or more sensors is arranged between two wear elements of the plurality of wear elements.

15. An earth moving machine comprising: digging implements; a plurality of wear elements adapted for coupling with a blade of the digging implements; one or more sensors for measuring forces, each sensor of the one or more sensors being arranged in one wear element of the plurality of wear elements or between two wear elements of the plurality of wear elements; and central control means for processing measurements of the one or more sensors in order to calculate force withstood by the wear elements.

16. The earth moving machine according to claim 15, further comprising a control center for operating the machine, and wherein: the central control means provide output instructions at least based on the processed measurements so that the output instructions comprise at least one of: emitting a warning in the form of at least one perceptible signal and/or reducing a breakout force of the machine when the processed values exceed a predetermined excessive force threshold; and emitting a warning in the form of at least one perceptible signal and/or increasing the breakout force when the processed values are less than a predetermined optimal force threshold; the central control means are communicatively coupled with the control center; the central control means provide the output instructions to the control center for operating the machine; and the control center operates the machine at least based on the output instructions such that the machine is at least partially operated by instructions provided by the control center.

17. The earth moving machine according to claim 16, further comprising: computer vision means; first means for detecting both position and orientation of a boom of the machine; second means for detecting both position and orientation of a stick of the machine; and third means for detecting both position and orientation of the digging implements.

18. The earth moving machine according to claim 17, wherein the control center operates the machine at least based on the output instructions such that the machine is completely operated by instructions provided by the control center.

19. A method comprising the steps of: providing a system in an earth moving machine, the system comprising: a plurality of wear elements adapted for coupling with a blade of digging implements of an earth moving machine; and one or more sensors for measuring forces, each sensor of the one or more sensors being arranged in one wear element of the plurality of wear elements or between two wear elements of the plurality of wear elements; measuring strains or unitary deformations with the one or more sensors; processing the measurements of the one or more sensors with central control means so as to calculate forces based on the measurements; and determining, the central control means, an action to be performed based on the calculated forces so that: when the calculated forces exceed a predetermined excessive force threshold, the action is at least one of: emitting a warning in the form of at least one perceptible signal, and reducing a breakout force of the machine in an automatic manner; and when the calculated forces are less than a predetermined optimal force threshold, the action is at least one of: emitting a warning in the form of at least one perceptible signal, and increasing the breakout force in an automatic manner.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein increasing and reducing the breakout force comprises at least one of: increasing and reducing, respectively, pressure applied to cylinders of a hydraulic system of the machine; changing an angle of attack of the digging implements so as to increase and reduce, respectively, the breakout force; and changing a trajectory followed by the digging implements so as to increase and reduce, respectively, the breakout force.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein: the machine comprises a control center for operating the machine; the action determined with the central control means comprises at least of: reducing the breakout force of the machine in an automatic manner when the calculated forces exceed a predetermined excessive force threshold; and increasing the breakout force in an automatic manner when the calculated forces are less than a predetermined optimal force threshold; the control center operates the machine at least based on the action such that the machine is at least partially operated by instructions provided by the control center.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the control center operates the machine at least based on the action such that the machine is completely operated by instructions provided by the control center; and wherein the machine further comprises: computer vision means; first means for detecting both position and orientation of a boom of the machine; second means for detecting both position and orientation of a stick of the machine; and third means for detecting both position and orientation of the bucket.

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0097] To complete the description and in order to provide for a better understanding of the invention, a set of drawings is provided. Said drawings form an integral part of the description and illustrate embodiments of the invention, which should not be interpreted as restricting the scope of the invention, but just as examples of how the invention can be carried out. The drawings comprise the following figures:

[0098] FIGS. 1-3 show systems according to different embodiments in block diagram form.

[0099] FIGS. 4 and 5 are a perspective view and a longitudinal section elevational view of a part of a system according to an embodiment that includes a tooth with sensors; in FIG. 5 are also shown force vectors resulting from the use of an earth moving machine with said system.

[0100] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section elevational view of a system according to an embodiment that includes a tooth and a tooth bar assembly with sensors.

[0101] FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section plan view of a system according to an embodiment that includes a tooth and a tooth bar assembly with sensors.

[0102] FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section elevational view of a system according to an embodiment that includes a tooth bar with sensors.

[0103] FIG. 9 is a longitudinal section elevational view of a system according to an embodiment with sensors at least in a tooth bar.

[0104] FIGS. 10A-10B and 11A-11B are perspective views of sections of systems according to embodiments with sensors at least in tooth bars.

[0105] FIG. 12 diagrammatically shows a sensor for systems according to embodiments.

[0106] FIG. 13 is a longitudinal section elevational view of a system according to an embodiment with sensors between wear elements.

[0107] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of part of a system according to an embodiment with sensors at least in a tooth bar.

[0108] FIGS. 15-17 are perspective views of parts of systems according to embodiments with fixing elements in the form of clamps that have sensors.

[0109] FIGS. 18A-18B show, from different views, a system according to an embodiment with sensors within a cavity in a tooth bar; FIG. 18C shows a body with the sensors of FIG. 18B.

[0110] FIGS. 19A and 19B are perspective views of a tooth bar and a tooth of a system according to an embodiment with sensors at least in a part of a tooth bar to be received in the housing of a tooth.

[0111] FIG. 20 shows a graph with a force measurement made with a sensor on the bucket of an earth moving machine.

[0112] FIG. 21 shows a graph with a plurality of force measurements with sensors on a cylinder in the boom of a machine.

[0113] FIGS. 22A-22B show graphs with force values of two teeth of a system according to an embodiment.

[0114] FIGS. 23A-23E show graphs with calculated forces and angles of the bucket by processing measurements of a system according to an embodiment.

[0115] FIG. 24 shows an operator remotely controlling an earth moving machine having a system according to an embodiment.

[0116] FIGS. 25A-25C show different examples of force exerted on a bucket or angles of attack as calculated with systems according to embodiments.

[0117] FIGS. 26A and 26B show graphs with two modes of operation of systems according to embodiments.

[0118] FIG. 27 shows, in block diagram form, exemplary processing by central control means of systems according to embodiments.

[0119] FIG. 28 shows, in block diagram form, a method according to an embodiment.

[0120] FIGS. 29-32 show exemplary ways of adjusting excavation and load operations of an earth moving machine.

DESCRIPTION OF WAYS OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0121] FIG. 1 shows a system 1 according to some embodiments. The system 1 includes a plurality of wear elements 10 adapted for coupling with a blade of a bucket or a shovel of an earth moving machine. The plurality of wear elements 10 at least comprises teeth 11, tooth bars 12, fixing elements 13, 14, and front and/or side guards 15; different examples of some of these wear elements will be described below with reference to other figures.

[0122] The system 1 also includes one or more sensors 20 that is/are arranged in one wear element (attached either to a surface thereof, or to a cavity formed in the wear element) of the plurality of wear elements 10, or between two wear elements (attached either to a space between the surfaces thereof, or to a cavity formed between the two wear elements) of the plurality of wear elements 10. By way of example, the system 1 may comprise thirty sensors 20, fifteen of which are arranged such that there are three sensors in each tooth 11 out of five teeth, and the remaining fifteen sensors 20 are arranged such that there are three sensors in each tooth bar 12 out of five tooth bars.

[0123] Each sensor in one of the wear elements provides measurements for calculating force values according to one of the axes, thus at least three sensors are arranged per wear element so as to calculate forces in all three axes.

[0124] The sensor(s) 20 is/are configured to measure forces while being arranged in or between wear elements; for instance, the sensor(s) are capable of measuring strains or unitary deformations, which relate to the force applied to the wear elements.

[0125] FIG. 2 shows a system 2 according to some embodiments. The system 2 includes the plurality of wear elements 10, the one or more sensors 20, and both control electronics 40 and central control means 50.

[0126] The control electronics 40 are communicatively coupled with both the one or more sensors 20 (via wired or wireless communications) and the central control means 50 (via wireless or wired communications; the central control means 50 are preferably not arranged in the same wear element or between the same wear elements, but outside of the wear elements, thus in these cases preferably the communications are wireless) so as to provide the measurements of the sensors 20 to the latter 50 by way of a communications module (not illustrated). Each sensor 20 may have respective control electronics 40, or several sensors 20 arranged in the same wear element 10 or between the same wear elements 10 may share one or more control electronics 40. The control electronics 40 receive the measurements, digitizes them with an analog-to-digital converter, and provides a data stream output with the measurements as digitized or after processing the same; for instance, the control electronics may apply a digital filter to the measurements in order to filter out noise.

[0127] The central control means 50 comprise, preferably for each sensor 20 of the system, at least one processor 51, at least one memory 52, and a communications module 53. The central control means 50 receive the measurements from the control electronics 40 and process them so as to calculate force values exerted on the wear elements 10. By means of the communications module 53, these values may then be sent to a control center of a machine incorporating the system 2 for informing the operator about the forces applied to the wear elements 10 during the excavation procedure so that he/she may make decisions on how to operate the machine with knowledge of that data, whether different wear elements may be more suitable for the excavation procedure, and/or whether there is a risk of failure of the wear elements and replacement thereof is convenient. The control center may also process the received force values to provide instructions at least based on the same.

[0128] Also, owing to the at least one processor 51, the central control means 50 are capable of providing instructions so as to, for example, command provision of one or more user perceptible signals indicative of a condition of the wear elements 10 or a recommended level of breakout force as determined by the at least one processor 51 using the measurements, and/or instructions so as to, for example, control or assist in the operation of the machine incorporating the system 2 by changing the breakout force, the angle of attack of the bucket of the machine and/or the trajectory followed by the bucket of the machine. The central control means 50 transmit such instructions to the control center of the machine, which in turn may run the instructions as received from the means 50, or process them and modify them in accordance with any measurements the control center has from other components of the machine.

[0129] For the provision of the instructions by the central control means 50, the means 50 may also receive, from the machine (e.g. from the control center or from different units thereof), input(s) regarding the status of other components of the machine. Accordingly, the processor(s) 51 of the means 50 processes such input(s) together with the calculated force values, and provides the instructions based on both sources of data.

[0130] In order to calculate the forces, a set of equations defining the mechanical behavior of the sensed element are stored in the at least one memory 52 of the central control means 50 that output force values when strains or unitary deformations are received. This set of equations relies on laws of physics and preferably sets static equilibrium conditions such that both the sums of forces is equal to zero and the sums of momentums is equal to zero as known in the art. As in that situation the wear element is in equilibrium and neither moves nor is deformed, the wear element has a given rigidity that can be modelled through simulations, and then the factors in the equations that relate the strains or unitary deformations to the forces exerted on the wear element are calibrated by way of experimental tests so as to arrive at values of the factors that make possible to provide accurate forces values based on the measurements. Said values of the factors thus are calibrated taking into account the positions of the sensors in the wear elements and the number of sensors used when the system is installed in the bucket of a machine.

[0131] The system 2 also comprises one or more power supplying devices 25, such as one or more batteries, for at least powering the control electronics 40. Preferably, but not necessarily, one or more of said power supplying device(s) 25 are arranged in the wear elements 10; in this way, whenever the wear elements 10 are replaced, the sensors 20, the control electronics and the power supplying device(s) 25 are replaced as well.

[0132] Preferably, one or more power supplying device(s) 25 are arranged at a same location of the central control means 50 for powering the same. The central control means 50 are preferably arranged outside of the wear elements 10 (where space is scarce and, thus, it is challenging to allocate additional processors, memories, and power supplying devices), for example in the cab of the machine. In these cases, the central control means 50 may also be powered by a power supplying device of the machine itself.

[0133] In some embodiments, the sensor(s) 20 may have control electronics 40 embedded thereon as to reduce the overall dimensions of sensors and control electronics; for instance, the sensor(s) 20 may have an analog-to-digital converter embedded thereon and a communications module. This can be the case when the space (in or between the wear elements) for arrangement of the sensor(s) 20 and the control electronics 40 requires as much minimization as possible for fitting said components therein. It can be appreciated that the data that can be provided by the system 2 makes possible to tailor the wear elements (for instance, their dimensions, shapes, number, etc.) to the conditions faced by the machine, so as the dimensions of the wear elements may be reduced and therefore avoid overengineering, the size for allocating the sensor(s) 20 and control electronics 40 becomes more limited.

[0134] FIG. 3 shows a system 3 according to some embodiments. The system 3 includes the plurality of wear elements 10, the one or more sensors 20, the one or more power supplying devices 25, the control electronics 40, and the central control means 50. The system 3 also includes the machine 100 with the bucket 110 and control center 150 thereof. The control center 150 is provided with at least one processor 151, at least one memory 152, and a communications module 153 for wired and/or wireless data transmission and reception. The bucket 110 is coupled with a stick 108, in turn coupled with a boom 106.

[0135] In some embodiments, such as in the one of FIG. 3, the machine 100 is semi-automatic, i.e. it is operated by an operator with at least the assistance of the central control means 50 and the control center 150, or automatic, i.e. it is operated by the central control means 50 and the control center 150, and comprises computer vision means 120, first means 125 for detecting both position and orientation of the boom 106, second means 130 for detecting both position and orientation of the stick 108, and third means 135 for detecting both position and orientation of the bucket 110. The control center 150 may operate each of: moving means (not illustrated) of the machine 100 with the aid of the computer vision means 120, the boom with the aid of the first means 125, the stick with the aid of the second means 130, and the bucket 110 with the aid of the third means 135; also, the central control means 50 provide instructions to the control center 150 for adjusting the breakout force, the angle of attack of the bucket 110 or the trajectory of the bucket (each of which may be adjusted by operating the boom and/or the bucket 110), and/or for informing the operator (if any) of the machine 100 by commanding the provision of user perceptible signals or transmission of data indicative of: a status of the wear elements 10, computed force values, possible changes to the breakout force, angle of attack and/or trajectory based on the computations made by the central control means 50, etc. To this end, the control center 150 either transmits the data to a e.g. remote station by means of the communications module 153, or provides the user perceptible signals by way of user presenting means (not illustrated) of the machine 100, e.g. screen, loudspeakers, LEDs, vibrating devices, etc.

[0136] FIG. 4 shows part of a tooth 11 (in which the housing 19 shown in FIG. 5 is not represented) as a wear element of a system according to an embodiment, whereas in FIG. the tooth 11 is shown in its entirety. The tooth 11 has a first end 31 adapted for ground engaging during excavation operations as known in the art (hereinafter referred to as front part), and a second end 32 (hereinafter referred to as rear part) adapted for receiving a tooth bar (as shown for instance in FIGS. 6-7) that supports the tooth 11 so that it may remain attached to a bucket of an earth moving machine (as shown for instance in FIGS. 25A-25C).

[0137] The tooth 11 comprises a cavity 16a formed on the side of the second end 32, i.e. on the side where the tooth bar is received. The cavity 16a is a region that is open from said side, and said region is free from the tooth bar upon attachment thereto, that is to say, the tooth bar does not reach said cavity 16a once installed. Within said cavity 16a one or more sensors 20a-20b are arranged for measuring forces that the tooth 11 is subjected to, the most significant ones usually being during excavation and load operations whereby, ideally, the first end 31 engages the ground, something that ultimately depends upon: the digging force, the trajectory of the bucket, the angle of attack of the bucket, the arrangement of the wear elements on the blade thereof, and the geometry of the wear elements.

[0138] In this embodiment, within the cavity 16a are arranged four sensors 20a-20b, two of which are not seen due to the perspective of the tooth 11. The four sensors 20a-20b are arranged such that each one of them is attached to one of the walls delimiting the cavity 16a according to the Y and Z axes illustrated; in this sense, the measurement of force is preferably made at a point that is as close as possible to where said force is withstood. When the sensors are arranged in these locations, the strains or unitary deformations applied to the tooth 11 are measurable over a considerable portion of the structure of the tooth 11 as the magnitude and components of the strains or deformations on each of the sides usually differs from the magnitude and components of the strains or deformations on the other sides. This, in turn, provides richer amount of real data that can be used to calculate the force the tooth 11 (or other wear element in those embodiments in which the sensor or sensors are arranged in a different wear element) is subjected to.

[0139] In other embodiments, one or more sensors or each sensor 20a-20b are arranged in the wall delimiting the cavity 16a according the X axis illustrated; said wall is usually flat, thereby simplifying attachment of the sensor thereto.

[0140] The one or more sensors 20a-20b are e.g. strain gauges, which can be flat or cylindrical, pressure gauges, relative displacement gauges, optical fiber strips, piezoelectric strips or pressure sensors.

[0141] As it is known in the art, according to Hooke's law, stress relating to force and stress relating to voltage are linked because both have their own lineal proportionality which can be determined and linked mathematically under one and the same constant of proportionality. Thus, under a given deformation in the sensors 20a-20b, for example, strain gauges, the voltage varies, and the force that the tooth 11 has received can be determined, subject to calibration.

[0142] For the sake of clarity only, hereinafter the X axis will be referred to as axial or longitudinal direction, the Y axis will be referred to as lateral or transversal direction, and the Z axis will be referred to as vertical direction; it is readily apparent that the axes and the names thereof could be defined differently without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0143] As seen in FIG. 5, the tooth 11 has the cavity 16a connected with a housing 19 that houses part of a tooth bar upon attachment to the tooth 11. As aforementioned, within said cavity 16a the four sensors 20a-20d (one of the sensors 20d overlaps another sensor 20b due to the section representation) are arranged on walls thereof, in particular in side walls, whereas in other embodiments one, some or all sensors are arranged in the front wall (i.e. the wall closest to the first end 31 and delimiting the cavity 16a with respect to the axial direction).

[0144] The cavity 16a has a tapered shape such that it is narrower in the part of the cavity 16a closer to the first end 31 (as shown with the width arrow w.sub.1), i.e. front part, than the part of the cavity 16a closer to the second end 32 (as shown with the width arrow w.sub.1), and a first thickness defined between the outer part of the tooth 11 and the cavity 16a being thicker in the front part than in the rear part (as shown with the thickness arrows t.sub.1 and t.sub.2).

[0145] The geometry of the cavity 16a formed in the tooth 11 (or that is formed in other wear elements as described later on) may be such that it takes into account both deformation and voltage so that the measurements can be sensitive enough, and at the same time not extremely sensitive so that the measurements are not to be confused with electronic noise. Accordingly, the geometry of the cavity 16a is also such that it is robust enough to withstand the working stresses typical of excavation procedures, and furthermore not exceed a maximum deformation limit, in which the sensors 20a-20b would be damaged due to the deformation, making impossible to take the measurements (this occurs when the elastic area of the materials of the sensors 20a-20d is exceeded, since they would be permanently deformed). Also, the geometry of the housing 19 can be modified with respect to housings when no cavity is formed so that the contact points are constant, in this way the distance between the application force and the reaction point does not vary because, otherwise, that could be a source of errors in the measurements that worsen the accuracy of the forces calculated based on the measurements.

[0146] Preferably, the sensor(s) is/are arranged in portions of walls whose thickness is substantially constant for more accurate and stable measurements.

[0147] FIG. 6 shows a system according to an embodiment that, in addition to the sensors (not illustrated), comprises central control means 50, and control electronics 40 arranged within the cavity 16a formed in the tooth 11.

[0148] In this example, a tooth bar 12 is shown attached to the tooth 11 once it is received within the housing of tooth 11. As also seen in FIG. 7 for example, a pin 14 secures the tooth bar 12 to the tooth 11. In spite of the introduction of the tooth bar 12 in the tooth 11, it can be observed by way of the dashed lines that the cavity 16a is free from the tooth bar 12 and, thus, can allocate components for measuring forces.

[0149] The control electronics 40 are connected to the sensors, either wirelessly or in wired form, and sends signals either wirelessly or by cable to the central control means 50, which in this embodiment are located outside of the wear elements 11-12 (for example in the cab of the machine 100). The signals include measurements of the sensors within the cavity 16a, thus the force or pressure exerted on the teeth 11 can be obtained in real time.

[0150] The central control means 50 calculate force values based on these measurements, and owing to the communication between the machine 100 (e.g. a control center thereof) and the control electronics 40 or sensors, any instructions 55 developed by the control center means 50 may be provided to the machine 100 for managing the work of the machine, and/or inform an operator thereof about any determinations made by the central control means 50. Also, the central control means 50 may send data to the sensors or the control electronics 40 thereof for commanding, for instance, activation or deactivation of the measurements, adjustment of sampling rates or transmission rates, etc.

[0151] In order to prevent accidental damage to the control electronics 40 and or the sensors within the cavity 16a, one or more elements for protecting them are preferably provided so as to isolate the components inside the cavity 16a against moisture, water and dirt. In this sense, a protective element in the form of a solid plate 70, for example, of metal, such as steel, is arranged in said cavity 16a, and/or the cavity 16a is coated with a protective substance, such as silicone or resin, thereby partially or completely filling up any free space within the cavity 16a. Furthermore, the control electronics 40 may be housed within a protective case resistant against hits and the ingress of particles that affect the correct functioning thereof.

[0152] FIG. 7 shows a plan view of a system according to an embodiment that is similar to that of FIG. 6, in which the tooth 11 has a different geometry and the cavity 16b formed therein is not tapered, but rather the side walls thereof (i.e. those delimiting the cavity 16b with respect to the Y axis) have a constant thickness. In this plan view, the pin 14 mechanically coupling the tooth bar 12 with the tooth 11 is better seen than in FIG. 6.

[0153] The teeth 11 and tooth bars 12 of the systems of FIGS. 6-7 are of a size such that the tooth bar 12 is preferably welded to the blade of a bucket (not illustrated).

[0154] FIG. 8 shows a system according to an embodiment that includes a plurality of sensors 20a-20e within a cavity 16c of the tooth bar 12.

[0155] The cavity 16c is formed in a portion of the tooth bar 12 were it branches off into the two arms, between which the blade of a bucket is received and housed. Within the cavity 16c at least five sensors 20a-20e have been arranged such that two sensors 20b, 20c are arranged on a wall delimiting the cavity 16c in the vertical direction, two sensors 20d, 20e are arranged on an opposite wall delimiting the cavity 16c in the vertical direction too, and one sensor 20a is arranged on a wall delimiting the cavity 16c in the axial direction. Other arrangements and numbers of sensors are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0156] In this embodiment, the tooth 11 does not have a cavity formed therein because no sensors are arranged in the tooth 11, but in other embodiments sensors may be arranged in the tooth 11 in addition to the tooth bar 12, in which case a cavity may be formed in the tooth 11 as well.

[0157] FIG. 9 shows a system according to an embodiment that includes one or more sensors within cavities 16d formed in arms of the tooth bar 12.

[0158] The tooth bar 12 is attached to the tooth 11 by way of a pin 14, and receives the blade 110 of a bucket between the arms of the tooth bar 12. The tooth bar 12 is mechanically coupled with the blade 111 by means of fixing elements 13, 14, which are a clamp 13 (in this case a C-clamp), and a wedge 14.

[0159] The cavities 16d are one or more through holes formed in each arm, and within which one or more sensors are introduced; an example of such sensor(s) is illustrated in FIG. 12. It has been found out that forming the cavities 16d in the portion of the arms closest to the location where the arms branch off provides a good trade-off between mechanical properties of the tooth bar 12 (to withstand the forces during ground engaging) and precision in the force measurements of the sensor(s). The diameter of these cavities 16 is preferably 10 millimeters or less, and greater than or equal to 2 millimeters, and the diameter is more preferably of 5 millimeters.

[0160] FIGS. 10A-10B show a system according to an embodiment similar to that of FIG. 9, where the cavities 16d are formed in the same portions of the arms as in the embodiment of FIG. 9, and also in the portion where the arms branch off.

[0161] Within such cavities 16d a sensor 20a, 20b, for instance in the form of a strain gauge (which is e.g. cylindrical), is introduced for measuring strains or unitary deformations of the tooth bar 12.

[0162] FIGS. 11A-11B show a system according to an embodiment similar to that of FIG. 9, where the cavities 16e are formed in the same portions of the arms as in the embodiment of FIGS. 10A-10B, and also in the portion where the arms branch off.

[0163] The cavities 16e are holes of a diameter preferably not greater than 25 millimeters, and more preferably within a range of 15 to 25 millimeters (both endpoints being included). These cavities 16e are not through holes, thus they only feature one opening. Within said cavities 16e one or more sensors 20, 20b, such as, but not necessarily, cylindrical strain gauges or relative displacement gauges are arranged for measuring forces.

[0164] FIG. 12 shows a section of a cavity, such as the cavity 16d of the embodiment of FIGS. 9, 10A-10B, with a strain gauge 21 introduced therein.

[0165] The strain gauge 21 is attached to a cylinder 23 made of e.g. steel that comprises a through hole 22 where the strain gauge 21 is introduced and attached.

[0166] In this example, the diameter of the cylinder 23 is of about 4 or 5 millimeters, and is less than the diameter of the cavity 16d formed in the tooth bar 12; the diameter of the through hole 22 in the cylinder is of about 2 millimeters. The cylinder 23 attaches to the walls of the cavity 16d by means of adhesive 24, for example, so that the cylinder 23 does not get out from the cavity 16d during operation of the machine incorporating the system.

[0167] The strain gauge 21 provides the measurements made to control electronics or central control means that are usually outside of the cavity 16d by way of a cable (not illustrated). In addition to transmitting the measurements, the cable prevents ingress of particles within the cavity 16d as it takes up at least part of the diameter of the hole of the cavity 16d, thereby reducing the probability of the sensor being damaged due to particles.

[0168] FIG. 13 shows a system according to an embodiment in which sensors 20a, 20b are arranged between different wear elements. In particular, the sensors 20a, 20b are arranged within a space between the fixing element 13a (a C-clamp) and the tooth bar 12.

[0169] From the measurements of the sensors 20a, 20b, the force withstood by the fixing element 13a, or by the tooth bar 12, or preferably by both, may be calculated.

[0170] FIG. 14 shows part of a system according to an embodiment in which one or more sensors 20 are arranged on a sheet or case (in this example, a case is shown), said sheet or case being arranged in a cavity 16f formed in a side or arm of a tooth bar 12.

[0171] The cavity 16f is formed in a portion of an arm of the tooth bar 12 that is close to a location from where the two arms branch off. The cavity 16f is formed on the outer side of the arm, that is to say, on the side opposite to where the blade of a bucket is received.

[0172] The sheet or case is attached to the tooth bar 12 in the cavity 16f by means of either fixed attachment or releasable attachment. Concerning the former, the sheet or case can be attached by welding it to the cavity, or with adhesive, in which case it is preferred that the adhesive is as rigid as possible so that the forces applied to the cavity 16f are not lessened by the adhesive, something that would reduce the values measured by the sensor(s) 20. As indicated, fixing by means of releasable attachment is also possible by providing at least one threaded joint (preferably a plurality of such joints for reliably securing the sheet or case to the tooth bar 12); to this end, the cavity 16f is provided with holes for receiving the threaded joints.

[0173] By arranging the sheet or case in this fashion, the tooth bar 12 can be first mounted on the blade of the bucket, welded if necessary, and then the sheet or case with the sensors 20 is mechanically coupled with the tooth bar 12. In case of malfunction or failure of the components on the sheet or case (sensors, control electronics if any, power supply device or devices, etc.), replacing the same can be carried out without withdrawing the tooth bar 12 from the blade of the bucket.

[0174] Preferably, a protective case is attached to the sheet or case so that, if the tooth bar 12 is to be welded to the blade of the bucket for mechanical coupling thereof or the weld joints are to be desoldered, when said protective case (with the sheet or case therewithin) is already arranged in the cavity 16f, the same may avoid the damaging of the components due to high temperatures reached during the welding or desoldering tasks.

[0175] In some embodiments, both arms have such a cavity 16f formed therein so as to receive a sheet or case with one or more sensors 20, in this way the forces withstood by each arm can be computed.

[0176] FIG. 15 shows part of a system according to an embodiment in which a board 20 incorporating one or more sensors (not illustrated) thereon is attached to a fixing element 13b.

[0177] The fixing element 13b is a C-clamp for fixing a tooth bar to a blade of a bucket so that a welded joint needs not or cannot be provided, which is typically the case when the blade and/or the tooth bar is of large dimensions and a welded joint may not be reliable enough for operation of the machine.

[0178] The board 20 can be provided with control electronics in addition to the sensor(s) so that upon attachment thereof to a side of the C-clamp, the control electronics are already connected to the sensor(s).

[0179] A similar arrangement of a board 20 is shown in FIG. 17, which shows part of a system according to another embodiment in which the C-clamp 13c is shaped such that it comprises a recessed portion. In the recessed portion an elastic component (not illustrated) is typically arranged for securing the mechanical coupling between the C-clamp and a wedge. The board 20 is arranged on a wall within this recessed portion, and the elastic component is still arrangeable in the recessed portion and on top of the board 20 so as to secure the mechanical coupling as aforementioned.

[0180] FIG. 16 shows a part of a system according to another embodiment in which a C-clamp 13c with recessed portion comprises a sensor 20 arranged thereon. In this case, a relative displacement gauge is attached to a side of the recessed portion.

[0181] FIGS. 18A-18B show a system according to an embodiment in which a tooth bar 12 (only a portion thereof is illustrated) has a plurality of sensors 20 arranged therein.

[0182] The sensors 20 are attached to different sides of a body 25 (illustrated separately on FIG. 18C). Said body 25 is precompressed and arranged within a cavity 16g of the tooth bar 12 adapted for receiving a fixing element, which mechanically couples the tooth bar 12 with a tooth 11 whenever the former is received in a housing of the latter. The sensors 20 are attached to the body 25, which in this example features the shape of an extruded hexagon that fits within the cavity 16g, but other shapes are possible as well without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, for example a cylindrical shape. The body 25 is made of a material having an elastic modulus that enables it to reproduce deformations undergone by the cavity 16g; by way of example, the body 25 may be made out of plastic, resin, aluminum, etc.

[0183] When force is exerted on the tooth 11 (as illustrated with the arrow extending from the first end 31 towards the other end of the tooth 11 and arriving at the tooth bar 12, said arrow being illustrated in a curvilinear form to denote the different directions with which the force can be exerted on the tooth 11 as also shown with the three straight arrows next to the first end 31), force is exerted on the tooth bar 12 thereby deforming the cavity 16g thereof as illustratively shown by way of a plurality of ellipses in FIG. 18A. Hence, the body 25 within the cavity 16g reproduces said deformation.

[0184] Depending on the deformation of the body 25, some sensors 20 or others will measure the strains or unitary deformations of the body 25, and the force values can be calculated from the measurements. In these cases, for example one pin may be introduced from each side of the cavity 16g for mechanically coupling the tooth bar 12 with the tooth 11, and the body 25 is arranged between the two pins.

[0185] In some other embodiments, the sensors 20 are attached to walls of the cavity 16g of the tooth bar 12, in which case the body 25 is not provided. In this way, the sensors 20 measure the strains or unitary deformations when the cavity 16g gets deformed. It is also possible to machine a greater diameter than that of the cavity 16g along the way thereof so that the sensors 20 are attached to the walls on that greater diameter, thereby not blocking the passage of the fixing element.

[0186] FIGS. 19A and 19B are perspective views of a tooth bar 12 and a tooth 11 of a system according to an embodiment.

[0187] In FIG. 19A only part of the tooth bar 12 is illustrated, in particular an exterior part of what is sometimes referred to as the nose of the tooth bar 12, which is the part received in a housing of a tooth (such as the housing 19 of FIG. 5). On different faces or recessed portions of the nose of the tooth bar 12, a plurality of sensors 20a-20d (two of which 20b, 20d are shown with dashed lines to illustrate that are attached to an opposite face of the tooth bar 12 and would be not visible otherwise) are arranged for measuring forces. In this sense, the sensors 20a-20d will measure the magnitude and directions of the deformations of the nose (as illustrated with arrows for the sake of clarity only).

[0188] The tooth bar 12 with the sensors 20a-20d is shown within the housing of the tooth 11 in FIG. 19B. It can be observed that the sensors 20a-20d are on the outer part of the tooth bar 12 that is within the housing of the tooth 11.

[0189] Although not illustrated, the systems described with reference to the examples of FIGS. 4-11B, 13-19B may comprise further components as per described, for instance, in FIGS. 1-3.

[0190] FIG. 20 shows a graph that includes a force measurement of a sensor on the bucket of an earth moving machine during an entire earth moving operation.

[0191] The graph qualitatively shows the level of force whose magnitude measured with a single sensor on the bucket during: a charge 191 operation, a transport 192 operation, and a discharge 193 operation.

[0192] As it can be seen, the most demanding operation is the charge 191 operation, during which the machine and the wear elements may break if excessive breakout force is applied. It can also be appreciated that having a sensor on the bucket only provides magnitude of force values that may not be enough to determine the actual status of the wear elements or the machine, that is to say, there is no sufficient data to infer whether the wear elements and the machine are underperforming, overperforming, are about to suffer imminent failure, the earth moving operation is efficient, etc. Further, even though these data can be useful for operating the machine, they are not representative of the force exerted on the wear elements, which are the elements actually engaging the ground.

[0193] FIG. 21 shows a graph with a plurality of force measurements made with sensors on a cylinder in the boom of a machine.

[0194] The graph includes force measurements, in kilonewtons, corresponding to the vertical (illustrated with a dashed line) and axial (illustrated with a solid line) directions, and the magnitude of the resulting force measurements (illustrated with a dotted line).

[0195] Albeit force measurements of two different components can be provided with such sensors (corresponding to the X-Z plane), force measurements corresponding to the lateral direction are not provided, which are relevant for the status of components of the machine. Therefore, arranging sensors in a cylinder of the boom does not provide sufficient data to determine the status of at least the bucket and the wear elements.

[0196] FIGS. 22A-22B show graphs with force values of two teeth of a system according to an embodiment; the force values have been plotted versus time.

[0197] The force values have been calculated by means of central control means of the system, which processed measurements of at least three sensors arranged in a first tooth of the wear elements, thereby providing force values for the first tooth according to the axial (dotted line), transversal (dash-dotted line) and vertical (solid line) directions as shown in FIG. 22A. The central control means also processed measurements of at least three sensors arranged in a second tooth of the wear elements so as to provide force values for the second tooth according to the axial (dotted line), transversal (dash-dotted line) and vertical (solid line) directions as shown in FIG. 22B. The first and second teeth of the plurality of wear elements are next to each other, that is to say, no other teeth were in-between them.

[0198] As it can be observed, in spite of the proximity of the two teeth, there are notable differences in the force values of a same component between the two teeth. In this sense, in the force values for the first tooth in the axial direction (which is at the edge of the blade) are, during some periods of times, three or four times smaller than respective values for the second tooth. Likewise, the force values for the first tooth in the vertical direction are, during some periods of times, about three times smaller than respective values for the second tooth.

[0199] The central control means, the control center of the machine, and/or an operator can use these force values for different wear elements, preferably in the three axes, to extract information regarding e.g. the reaction of the terrain with the different wear elements, which wear elements are being subjected to greater forces and in which direction, characteristics of the terrain being engaged (fragmentation, hardness, compactness, etc.), etc. This information, in turn, can assist the operator or enable the central control means or control center to determine: the trajectory followed by the bucket, the angle of attack that may be more suitable in the current situation, and/or the amount of force to be applied. Also, the monitoring of the force values over time also makes possible to determine whether any wear element is about to break, further characteristics of the terrain, energy consumption, etc.

[0200] FIGS. 23A-23C show graphs with calculated forces, in kilonewtons, for a single tooth bar having sensors arranged therein. Particularly, FIG. 23A shows the force values corresponding to the axis direction, FIG. 23B shows the force values corresponding to the lateral direction, and FIG. 23C shows the force values corresponding to the vertical direction.

[0201] Also, FIGS. 23D and 23E show graphs with angles with which the force has been applied to the tooth bar according to the force values of FIGS. 23A-23C. This means that two different angles can be calculated from the force values and, upon combined processing of these angles, the direction of the forces can be determined. To this end, the angle values of FIG. 23D are the tangent angle of the force values in the axial direction divided by the force values in the vertical direction, whereas the angle values of FIG. 23E are the tangent angle of the force values in the axial direction divided by the force values in the lateral direction.

[0202] So not only the force values are calculated, but also the angle values. Moreover, the angle of attack may be defined, in some embodiments, as the tangent angle of the ratio of force values according to the axial direction over force values according to the vertical direction, thus as illustrated in FIG. 23D.

[0203] It is readily apparent that both sets of values can be used for determining whether too much force is being exerted on the wear elements and whether any corrective action needs be taken.

[0204] FIG. 24 shows an operator 300 remotely controlling an earth moving machine 100 having a system according to an embodiment.

[0205] The machine 100 is partially (i.e. semi-automatic) controllable with systems according to embodiments, but in some cases may be completely (i.e. automatic or autonomous) controllable with systems according to embodiments.

[0206] The machine 100 comprises a cab 102, moving means 104, a boom 106, a stick 108 coupled with the boom 106, and a bucket 110 coupled with the stick 108. Each of the boom 106, the stick 108 and the bucket 110 are moveable and rotatable by means of a hydraulic system that includes a plurality of cylinders 105.

[0207] The operator 300 is remote from the machine 100, in particular at a controlling station 250 provided with user input means 260 (e.g. joysticks, keyboard, buttons, etc.) and user presenting means 270 (e.g. screens, loudspeakers, LED indicators, etc.) The controlling station 250 transmits data to and receives data from the machine 100 by way of a wireless communication link. The machine 100 transmits data related to computervision means thereof, and means thereof indicative of the position and orientation of the boom, the stick and the bucket. The machine 100 may also transmit data related to the status of other components thereof, including but not limited to forces computed and/or instructions provided by central control means of a force measuring system incorporated in the machine 100.

[0208] The operator 300 is able to see that data owing to the user presenting means 270, and remotely control the machine 100 by way of the user input means 260. The controlling station 250 transmits the user instructions inputted via the user input means 260 to the machine 100, in particular to a control center thereof, which in turn runs the instructions as they are received, or are automatically adjusted based on the different data of the machine 100.

[0209] FIGS. 25A-25C show different examples of force exerted on a bucket 110 or angles of attack as calculated with systems according to embodiments.

[0210] As it can be appreciated from these figures, the existence of said system makes possible to detect how the ground exerts force on the different wear elements 10 (coupled with the blade 111 of the bucket) when the ground is engaged during excavation and load operations. At least one sensor is arranged in each teeth, tooth bar or fixing elements of the wear elements 10 that provide each GET, or between two of these wear elements 10 that provide each GET.

[0211] In this sense, FIG. 25A shows two different force components applied to all the wear elements 10 with similar magnitudes in each one of them. A first component (illustrated with a solid line) is along the axial direction and a second component (illustrated with a dashed line) is along the vertical direction. The force corresponding to the first component is not excessive according to a predetermined excessive force threshold set for forces according to the axial direction, whereas the force corresponding to the second component is excessive according to a predetermined excessive force threshold set for forces according to the vertical direction, thereby existing a risk situation (illustrated with an exclamation mark for the sake of clarity only). Hence, the central control means of the system, in addition to having calculated these forces based on the measurements of the sensors, can provide instructions in the form of a warning or a change in how the machine operates.

[0212] When a system for measuring force is not capable of calculating force for each of these components, the system could end up determining that there is no risk if, for example, the magnitude of the force calculated is less than a predetermined excessive force threshold set for magnitude values, but which is not representative of the resulting torque applied to the wear elements owing to the second component of the force, which is calculable with the present systems and methods. In addition to the calculation of forces in the three axes, the system of the present disclosure may enable (thanks to the measurements) estimation of RMS energy, angles that result in more stress applied on the wear elements, etc.

[0213] Turning to FIG. 25B, this example shows exemplary directions in which ground may engage the wear elements 10 and, based on measurements of the sensors, which angle of attack is calculated by the central control means of systems to be as the most effective for the excavation procedure or the least harmful for the wear elements 10, under the current set of conditions.

[0214] The central control means calculate that contacting the ground according to the solid arrow is the less harmful for the wear elements 10. Accordingly, should the ground be engaged as indicated with the dashed arrows, the wear elements 10 would become more damaged, thus lower BOF would be applied so as to avoid failure of the wear elements 10, yet the excavation procedure is going to be less effective as less material can be collected in this way. And even worse for the integrity of the wear elements 10 is that they engage the ground according to the dotted arrows, which result in a high risk of damaging the wear elements 10 at a greater rate (as illustrated with the exclamation marks).

[0215] Therefore, in accordance with the measurements, the central control means are capable of determining a preferred angle of attack. Albeit only arrows with the direction with which the ground is to be engaged by the wear elements 10, it is readily apparent that the angle of attack is defined by the angle formed between the arrow and the axial direction. Therefore, in this example, the preferred angle is approximately −15°, and a tolerable range of possible angles of attack with angles less preferred the farthest it deviates from −15° is approximately from −60° to 30°.

[0216] FIG. 25C shows another example in which the wear elements 10 engage ground with such an angle of attack that mainly forces along the X axis are exerted on the elements 10. However, the five teeth do not receive the force evenly. The teeth closest to the left side of the bucket 110 have a force applied thereto of greater magnitude than the teeth closest to the right side of the bucket 110; more particularly, each tooth has force exerted thereon with lower magnitude than the teeth that are at the left side thereof.

[0217] Accordingly, the first two teeth on the left side receive a force that is excessive in accordance with a predetermined excessive force threshold, whereas the three teeth on the right side (i.e. the middle one, and the two on the right) receive a force that is not excessive in accordance with a predetermined excessive force threshold.

[0218] It is readily apparent that a single sensor on the bucket 110, for example, would not be capable of detecting that an excessive force is applied on some teeth but not on the other ones. In fact, it may occur that the force calculated based on measurements of such single sensor are below a predetermined excessive force threshold and, thus, it is not detected that a risk situation exists.

[0219] In the example of FIGS. 25A-25C, five teeth are provided on the bucket 110, whereas in other examples the number of teeth is e.g. four, and more than five, in which case the number is typically smaller than twenty. For instance, in some examples, there are eight teeth arranged, ten teeth, fourteen teeth, fifteen teeth, etc. Also, the bucket 110 can have a different shape, and such that the blade 111 thereof is also differently shaped as known in the art.

[0220] FIG. 26A show a graph with a first exemplary mode of operation of systems according to embodiments, whereas FIG. 26B shows another graph with a second exemplary mode of operation.

[0221] In the first exemplary mode, the sensor or sensors in wear elements continuously (i.e. analog operation) frequency measure strains or unitary deformations 200. Said measurements are sampled at a given frequency as shown with deltas 205. The sampled measurements are transmitted by the sensor(s) or control electronics to central control means at a given frequency as shown with pulses 210; each transmission consumes more energy than the sampling and, therefore, the useful life of e.g. battery or batteries is considerably influenced by the transmissions. The frequent transmission of measurements is carried out irrespective of the measured strain or unitary deformation 200, thus, for instance, it can be used to calculate force withstood by wear elements throughout the entire operation of the machine, which involves charge, transport and discharge tasks.

[0222] In the second exemplary mode, the sensor or sensors measure in the same manner, yet the sampling is carried out depending upon the measured strains or unitary deformations. When the measurements thus exceed certain threshold, which may be set as indicative of excavation and load operations or a considerable amount of force being applied to wear elements, the sampling is carried out at a greater frequency than in the first exemplary mode so as to gather more data about the operation that is in progress in order to warn an operator or adjust the way the ground is engaged for more efficient or less risky charging with the GETs. During these times, the transmissions 210 are made for computing the forces and provide output instructions whenever determined by the central control means according to the criteria set thereon. It is also possible to increase the transmissions 210 frequency based on the value of the measurements so that the greater the value of the measurements is, the greater the frequency becomes, and whenever the value of the measurements reduces, so does the frequency of the transmissions 210.

[0223] Both the first and second modes can be selectively used in the central control means of a same system so as to improve reaction times or gather data with different energy profiles. The second mode results in a greater power consumption during the charging that makes possible to have quicker response times, but may result in periods where no measurements are transmitted because the value of the measurements is low, whereas the first mode results in a homogeneous power consumption that makes possible to have information during the entire excavation procedure. By combining both modes, and adjusting the different frequencies thereof, the energy that can be provided by power supplying device(s) may last long times. FIG. 27 shows, in block diagram form, exemplary processing by central control means 50 of systems according to embodiments.

[0224] The systems at least comprise: the central control means 50, which include a plurality of processors 51, memories 52 and communications modules (not illustrated), a plurality of sensors 20, each of which preferably has control electronics 40 (one for sensor 20, or one for several sensors 20) connected thereto, and a plurality of wear elements 10. The control center 150 of a machine is part of the systems in some embodiments.

[0225] Each sensor or groups of sensors 20 measures strains or unitary deformations of a respective group of wear elements (in this case, tooth 11, tooth bar 12, and fixing element or elements 14). In this example are shown two groups of wear elements, but there may be one only, or more than two (as illustrated with dots).

[0226] One or more processors and memories 51, 52 of the central control means 50 process measurements of a sensor or group of sensors 20 so as to calculate forces withstood by respective wear element(s) 11, 12, 14. The force values are then provided to other one or more processors and memories (illustrated with the top-most block of central control means 50), which receive the force values corresponding to each wear element 10 so monitored and: provide them to the control center 150 as they are (the control center 150, in turn, may produce instructions at least based on these force values), and/or process all the force values to determine whether any wear element or elements 10 is underperforming or overperforming according to predetermined thresholds set therein and provide output instructions based on the determinations made, which are then sent to the control center 150.

[0227] In some embodiments, the other one or more processors and memories receive inputs from the control center 150 or other units of the machine, and process said inputs together with the force values so as to determine whether any corrective action may need be taken. In this sense, the inputs do not have to be limited to sensing data of components of the machine, but parameters of the machine or the operation may also be relevant for carrying out the calculations, for example: type of bucket of the machine or of the machine itself (that is to say, geometry, mass and/or dimensions thereof, etc.), type of terrain (type of material, hardness thereof, how compacted it is, etc.), breakout force, inertia information, etc.

[0228] Likewise, in some embodiments, the other one or more processors and memories store and/or receive historical data of calculated force values and other inputs of the machine in order to apply machine learning techniques during processing of force values of the GETs, thereby making possible to adjust the output instructions produced based on previous values that progressively enhance the results of the machine learning techniques. The historical data used in machine learning are preferably processed by means of tagging tasks whereby personnel reviews the data together with, for instance, logs registered by an operator or camera footage; in this way, the personnel classifies the different sets of data for supervised training, thereby enhancing the result of the classifications and outputs made by the machine learning techniques in subsequent excavation procedures.

[0229] The data computed by the central control means 50 can be used during operation of the machine itself, and also for ulterior analysis thereof so as to determine how the wear elements and the machine behaved, and whether other wear elements (e.g. size thereof, shape thereof, number of teeth, etc.) may be more suitable for the scenario in which the machine was.

[0230] FIG. 28 shows, in block diagram form, a method 400 according to an embodiment.

[0231] The method 400 includes a step 410 of providing a system according to the present disclosure whereby forces withstood by wear elements of the system can be measured. The wear elements of the system are coupled with a blade of a bucket of an earth moving machine.

[0232] The method 400 further includes a step 420 of measuring forces (e.g. strains, unitary deformations) with the sensor(s) of the system.

[0233] The method 400 further includes a step 430 of processing the measurements in order to calculate forces withstood by the wear elements. Central control means of the system carry out the processing such that the means process 432 the measurements of each sensor in order to calculate the forces withstood and the force values calculated in said processing 432 are then processed 434 together (when more than one sensor is in the system) with the force values calculated for the other sensors, in this way it can be determined the behavior of the wear elements by means of all the measurements. That is to say, firstly the measurements of each sensor are processed 432, and then the calculated force values are processed 434 in combination for assessing the force withstood by the wear elements; the result may then be provided 450 to a control center of a machine, for example.

[0234] The method may further include determining, with the central control means, an action 440a-440c to be performed based on the combined force values 434, and providing said action in the form of output instructions that are transmitted to a control center in step 450.

[0235] The actions to be performed are, for instance: [0236] emitting 440a a warning in the form of at least one perceptible signal whenever the calculated force values of step 434 exceed a first predetermined threshold (e.g. predetermined excessive force threshold), or are less than a second predetermined threshold (e.g. predetermined optimal force threshold); [0237] increasing 440b a breakout force of the machine by either assisting an operator thereof (by adjusting the commands of the operator) or automatically commanding the machine to do so whenever the calculated force values of step 434 are less than the second predetermined threshold; and [0238] reducing 440c a breakout force of the machine by either assisting an operator thereof (by adjusting the commands of the operator) or automatically commanding the machine to do so whenever the calculated force values of step 434 are greater than the first predetermined threshold.

[0239] Lastly, the method 400 includes repeating 460 the calculation 432, 434 of force values in accordance with further measurements 420 of the sensor(s), determination 440a-440c of an action based upon them (if any action needs to be taken), and providing 450 the force values or output instructions to the control center. The steps are preferably repeated 460 during the entire excavation procedure.

[0240] FIGS. 29-32 show exemplary ways of adjusting excavation and load operations of an earth moving machine.

[0241] Concerning FIG. 29, material 500 to be charged is e.g. homogeneous and loose (or uncompacted). The machine moves the bucket 110, by means of the boom and stick thereof, according to a trajectory 550 intended to engage the material 500 with the wear elements that forms an angle with respect to the material 500 that is as close as possible to being 90°. Once engaged, the force values calculated by the central control means are monitored in case excessive force is being exerted on the wear elements. Then, the bucket 110 is rotated according to rotating motion 560, thereby causing a change in the angle of attack of the bucket 110 as the material 500 is charged for introduction in the bucket 110; this is preferably carried out such that the bucket 110 is as parallel as possible to the surface of the material 500. Then, when the bucket 110 is filled up with the material 500, the rotating motion 560 continues so as to have the bucket 110 facing upwardly so that the material 500 does not fall off from it, at which point the machine moves towards a truck onto which it discharges the material 500.

[0242] In FIG. 30, material 501 to be charged is e.g. homogeneous and compacted. The machine moves the bucket 110 according to a trajectory 550 like the one described with reference to FIG. 29. Upon engaging the material 501 with the GETs, the forces as calculated by the central control means exceed a predetermined excessive force threshold. The central control means provide output instructions for either emitting a warning to inform an operator of the machine (if any, that is, if the operator is not autonomous) or modifying (or assisting the operator to modify) the trajectory of the bucket 110 so that it is moved upwardly and downwardly in small movements (as illustrated with arrows) while trying to perform the rotating motion 560 for charging the material 501. These movements are intended to open up the material 501, which is compacted, so as to reduce the force exerted by it on the GETs and allow to further charge the material 501. The material 501 frees and the bucket 110 further rotates until the material 501 fills up the bucket 110, then the machine transports it to the truck and discharges it.

[0243] FIG. 31 shows material 502 to be charged that is e.g. heterogenous and loose. The trajectory 550 followed by the bucket 110 is the same as explained in the two previous examples. When the material 502 is contacted by the wear elements, the calculated forces are below the predetermined excessive force threshold. During the rotating motion to fill up the bucket 110 with the material 502, a rock 570 blocks the movement of the bucket 110 and exerts a force on the GETs that is excessive according to the threshold. In this case, the breakout force can be either maintained or reduced so as to lower the risk of damaging the wear elements, and the same up-and-down motion of FIG. 30 is attempted with the bucket 110 in case it is possible to stop being blocked by the rock 570 and continue the rotating motion 551 for filling up the bucket 110 with the material 502.

[0244] Lastly, in FIG. 32, the characteristics of the material 503 are not known. The machine moves the bucket 110 according to the aforementioned trajectory 550 so as to engage the material 503. After engaging the material 503, the forces are calculated and the angle thereof as well, thereby revealing that a first force F.sub.1 is of greater magnitude than F.sub.2, which unlike F.sub.1 is not in the axial direction of the wear elements. Based on the calculated angle and the magnitude of both forces, the trajectory of the bucket 110 is to be adjusted so that the angle of attack is such that F.sub.2 is substantially in the axial direction of the wear elements; to this end, the central control means provide instructions accordingly, either for informing the operator or for automatically adjusting the trajectory or the angle of attack. In this way, lower force is exerted on the wear elements and the charging operation can be effected more efficiently and with fewer damages on the wear elements.

[0245] In this text, the term “comprises” and its derivations (such as “comprising”, etc.) should not be understood in an excluding sense, that is, these terms should not be interpreted as excluding the possibility that what is described and defined may include further elements, steps, etc.

[0246] On the other hand, the invention is obviously not limited to the specific embodiment(s) described herein, but also encompasses any variations that may be considered by any person skilled in the art (for example, as regards the choice of materials, dimensions, components, configuration, etc.), within the general scope of the invention as defined in the claims.