METHOD FOR MONITORING TIRES OF MORE THAN 30 INCHES VIA VIDEO MEANS

Abstract

The solution proposed by the invention consists of a method for monitoring the tyres of vehicles transporting excavations in mines, using tyre handling equipment, said tyres being equipped with radio frequency identification tags and physical parameter sensors; said method also using a database comprising the identifiers of the vehicles, the identifiers of the tyres, the identifiers of the sensors and of the positions of the tyres on the axles.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. A method (P) for monitoring the tires of transport vehicles (20) in mines, using tire handling equipment (TH), the tires (33) being equipped with radio frequency identification tags (24) and physical parameter sensors (23), the method (P) using a database (B) containing identifiers of the vehicles (20), identifiers of the tires, identifiers of the sensors and of the positions of the tires on the axles, and the method (P) including the following steps: receiving, via the tire handling equipment (TH), an instruction containing a position of a tire to be replaced on a transport vehicle; identifying, via the tire handling equipment (TH), the transport vehicle by means of a video acquisition and processing system, the vehicle being equipped with a detectable visual identifier; activating, via the tire handling equipment (TH), detection of the tire to be replaced on the vehicle by radio frequency means; activating, via the tire handling equipment (TH), detection of the axle and the position of the tire on the vehicle axle by means of a video acquisition and processing system; replacing, via the tire handling equipment (TH), the tire to be replaced with a replacement tire; and updating the database (B) with the identifiers of the vehicle and of the replacement tire and a position of the replacement tire on the axle.

15. The method (P) according to claim 14, further comprising a step in which the tire handling equipment (TH) activates detection of a storage area for used tires by means of a video acquisition and processing system.

16. The method (P) according to claim 15, further comprising a step in which the tire handling equipment (TH) places the worn tire in the used tire storage area.

17. The method (P) according to claim 14, further comprising a step in which the tire handling equipment (TH) activates detection of a replacement tire storage area by means of a video acquisition and processing system.

18. A device (D) for carrying out the method according to claim 17, the device comprising: a video acquisition and processing system equipped with at least one camera, optionally having suitable lighting to identify the vehicles which are provided with a visual identifier detectable by the image acquisition and processing system; reading means for reading the identification tags of the sensors and of the tires; calculation and image processing means to detect the axles and the position of the tires on the axles of the vehicle; and a database which associates the identifiers of the tires and of the vehicle on which they are fitted, and the positions on the axles.

19. The device (D) according to claim 18, wherein the video acquisition means comprise a 3D camera.

20. The device (D) according to claim 18, wherein the video acquisition means comprise a video system with two 2D cameras.

21. The device (D) according to claim 18, wherein the tires comprise a system having a passive identification tag and a sensor attached to the inside of the tire comprising a reader communicating with the passive identification tag.

22. The device (D) according to claim 21, wherein the sensor and passive identification tag is provided with an active electronic module for measuring and transferring physical parameters of the tire comprising: at least one sensor; a power supply to operate the sensor; and a data transmission module to transmit physical data received from the sensors to a remote receiver, wherein the sensor is optionally able to read the passive identification tag.

23. The device (D) according to claim 18, wherein detection of tire storage areas uses GPS means.

24. The device (D) according to claim 18, wherein detection of the position of the tires on the axles of the vehicle uses GPS means and a local beacon.

25. Tire handling equipment (TH) for the tires of transport vehicles in mines, the tire handling equipment (TH) being equipped with the device according to claim 18.

26. The tire handling equipment (TH) according to claim 25, wherein the tire handling equipment (TH) further comprises a screen for monitoring the steps of the method.

Description

[0078] The invention will be better understood from a reading of the description which follows, given as a non-limiting example and with reference to drawings 1 to 5, in which:

[0079] FIGS. 1-A to 1-E present an overview of the device used by the invention;

[0080] FIG. 2 shows the handling equipment with its video acquisition equipment;

[0081] FIG. 3 shows the equipment of a transport vehicle relating to the invention;

[0082] FIG. 4-A shows a transport vehicle, and FIG. 4-B shows the associated visual signature for the image processing algorithm;

[0083] FIGS. 5-A, 5-B, 5-C show the work areas around the transport vehicles of the mine.

[0084] In FIGS. 1-A to 1-E, general reference 10 represents stocks of new, worn, or replacement tyres 11. Reference 12 is a visual recognition identifier of the storage area. Reference 20 relates to the mine transport vehicles, reference 21 refers to tyres equipped with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags and sensors. Reference 22 denotes the visual recognition identifier of the vehicle. General reference 40 denotes the industrial vision system, having a camera 41 equipped with an integrated lighting system, a calculation unit 42 with image processing software. The general reference TH relates to the handling equipment in a top view, including grip forks 32 for gripping the tyre 33, held vertically when moving. Finally, reference 50 refers to the monitoring system, with the database 51 and the central station 52 with the monitoring screens.

[0085] FIG. 2 shows a top view of handling equipment with a camera 41 positioned at the front close to the axis of the centre of the tyre 33 so that it can be filmed in the direction of movement. The tyre 33 is gripped between the gripping forks 32 of the handling equipment which communicates with the central base via the antennas 31.

[0086] FIG. 3 shows a transport vehicle denoted by general reference 20 whose tyres 33 are equipped with RFID identifiers 24 and sensors 23. The vehicle is detectable by the vision system thanks to the visual identifier 22.

[0087] FIG. 4-A shows a transport vehicle with its visual signature 4-B or its reference image which is used in the image processing algorithms to recognise the vehicles.

[0088] FIGS. 5-A, 5-B, 5-C respectively show a rigid dumper, an articulated dumper and a loader in a top view which are the mine vehicles in relation to the invention. These figures also show the working areas Z1, Z2, Z3, and Z4 which are the places where, for example, the activities of fitting and removing the tyres are performed by means of the handling equipment.

[0089] One exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described during the removal of a tyre on a twin rear axle.

[0090] The operator of the handling equipment, informed by the central station, knows the work area to visit in order to replace the defective tyre. This may involve the right front tyre, for example, but the operator of the handling equipment does not know either the identifier of the tyre to be replaced or the identifier of its sensor. Moreover, for the sake of traceability, in addition to the identifiers, the axle on which the tyre is fitted as well as the position of the tyre on this axle are information to be entered in the monitoring database.

[0091] The removal operation takes place according to the following steps: [0092] a. the handling equipment positions itself in the working area by advancing towards the transport vehicle in accordance with the information received from the central station; [0093] b. the camera is activated for the detection of the axle and the position of the tyre on this axle in order to feed the database; [0094] c. the tyre to be changed is removed using the handling equipment; [0095] d. the gripped tyre is transported from the working area to the storage area by the handling equipment; [0096] e. on the way to the storage area, the operator of the handling equipment activates the radio frequency (RFID) reading of the tyre and sensor tags. The tyre must be sufficiently far away from the vehicle with the other tyres fitted, and sufficiently far away from the storage area to obtain only the responses of the identifiers of the transported tyre and of the associated sensor; [0097] f. the camera of the handling equipment is activated for the detection of the storage area where the tyre is placed; [0098] g. the monitoring database is updated with the identifiers of the tyres, the sensors and their location on the axle, and/or their storage position.

[0099] The vehicles exist according to configurations of two or four axles with single or twin mounts on the central and rear axles depending on their destination of use. A reference image is associated with each transport vehicle configuration. FIGS. 4-A and 4-B show, for example, the transport vehicle and the associated reference image respectively.

[0100] The axle on which the tyre to be changed is fitted and its position on this axle must be identified in order to update the database. The axle and the position on the axle are detected by means of a three-dimensional (3D) camera.

[0101] After removal, the tyre is still gripped between the forks of the handling equipment and is in the vertical position, aligned parallel to the direction of movement. The camera is located at the front of the handling equipment close to the axis of the tyre so as to film in the direction of movement thanks to the space bounded by the diameter of the rim. This diameter is generally within the range from 49 to 63 inches.

[0102] The axle detection is performed while the handling equipment advances towards the transport vehicle with the 3D camera activated. The camera transmits the images to the processing unit which compares them with the reference image in order to identify the axle concerned in the working area.

[0103] The position of the tyre on the axle must then be determined in the case of a twin mount. The tyre either occupies the inner position on the axle or it occupies the outer position. The video acquisition system with the associated image processing is used to determine this position.

[0104] The position on the axle is again determined by the movement of the handling equipment towards the vehicle with the 3D camera activated. The images of the vehicle hub are transmitted to the processing unit in real time. The processing unit calculates the distance between the camera and the hub. If the distance between the camera and the hub is less than the minimum distance between the camera and the sidewall of the tyre, the position of the tyre on the axle is on the inside, otherwise it is located on the outside.