Method And Device For Determining An Area Cut With A Cutting Roll By At Least One Construction Machine Or Mining Machine

Abstract

In a method for determining an area milled by at least one construction machine or at least one mining machine by means of a milling drum (2) by means of working a predetermined area in several milling trajectories by at least one machine (1), determining the length of the milling trajectories along which a milling operation has taken place by evaluating the continuous machine positions, adding up the previously milled partial areas taking into account the length of the milling trajectory and the installed width of the milling drum (2), wherein the partial area currently milled along the milling trajectory is checked, either continuously or subsequently, for overlapping or multiple overlapping with any previously milled partial areas, and any partial areas which overlap are deducted, as overlapping areas, from the added-up previously milled partial areas, the total added-up partial areas milled minus the total overlapping areas established give the milled area.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A construction machine comprising: a milling drum having a milling width; at least one GNSS receiver configured to generate positioning data corresponding to substantially continuous positions of the construction machine along a trajectory worked thereby; and a controller operatively associated with the at least one GNSS receiver to receive the positioning data, and configured to: compute a distance traveled along the trajectory based at least in part on the received positioning data; and compute, based on at least the computed distance traveled, a usage value corresponding to milling work performed along the trajectory in two dimensional or three dimensional coordinates.

17. The construction machine of claim 16, wherein the controller is further operatively associated with a stationary GNSS receiver or a data reference service to receive reference positioning data for determining the substantially continuous positions of the construction machine along the trajectory worked thereby.

18. The construction machine of claim 16, wherein in the event of interference with reception of the at least one GNSS receiver, the controller is configured to compute substitute positioning data for missing or incorrect positioning data.

19. The construction machine of claim 18, wherein: the controller is configured to interpolate the substitute positioning data for missing or incorrect positioning data based on one or more previous machine positions and one or more further machine positions on the trajectory.

20. The construction machine of claim 18, wherein: the controller is configured to interpolate the substitute positioning data for missing or incorrect positioning data based on a recorded distance traveled and steering angle data of the construction machine.

21. The construction machine of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to determine when milling work is being performed, and wherein the usage value is only computed along portions of the computed distance traveled along the trajectory for which the milling work is performed.

22. The construction machine of claim 21, wherein the controller is configured to determine when milling work is being performed based on one or more of: whether the milling drum is rotating; whether a transport conveyor of the construction machine is in operation; and an output generated from an engine of the construction machine.

23. A system comprising: one or more construction machines, each construction machine including a milling drum having a milling width, at least one GNSS receiver configured to generate positioning data corresponding to substantially continuous positions of the respective construction machine along a trajectory worked thereby, and a controller; and an external computer operatively associated via a communications network with the respective controllers for the one or more construction machines to receive at least the positioning data, and configured to: compute distances traveled along the respective trajectories based at least in part on the received positioning data; and compute, based on at least the computed distances traveled, respective usage values corresponding to milling work performed by each of the one or more construction machines along the respective trajectories and stored in two dimensional or three dimensional coordinates.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the controller is further operatively associated with a stationary GNSS receiver or a data reference service and configured to receive reference positioning data for determining the substantially continuous positions of the construction machine along the trajectory worked thereby.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein, for any of the one or more construction machines, and in the event of interference with reception of the respective at least one GNSS receiver, the respective controller and/or the external computer are configured to compute substitute positioning data for missing or incorrect positioning data.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein: the respective controller and/or the external computer are configured to interpolate the substitute positioning data for missing or incorrect positioning data based on one or more previous machine positions and one or more further machine positions on the trajectory.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein: the respective controller and/or the external computer are configured to interpolate the substitute positioning data for missing or incorrect positioning data based on a recorded distance traveled and steering angle data of the construction machine.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the respective controller and/or the external computer are configured to determine when milling work is being performed, and wherein the usage value is only computed along portions of the computed distance traveled along the trajectory for which the milling work is performed.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the respective controller and/or the external computer are configured to determine when milling work is being performed based on one or more of: whether the milling drum is rotating; whether a transport conveyor of the construction machine is in operation; and an output generated from an engine of the construction machine.

30. A method of determining usage of at least one construction machine including a milling drum having a milling width, and at least one GNSS receiver configured to generate positioning data corresponding to substantially continuous positions of the construction machine along a trajectory worked thereby, the method comprising: computing a distance traveled along the trajectory based at least in part on the generated positioning data; and computing, based on at least the computed distance traveled, a usage value corresponding to milling work performed along the trajectory in two dimensional or three dimensional coordinates.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving reference positioning data from a stationary GNSS receiver or a data reference service for determining the substantially continuous positions of the construction machine along the trajectory worked thereby.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising, for any of the one or more construction machines, and in the event of interference with reception of the respective at least one GNSS receiver, computing substitute positioning data for missing or incorrect positioning data.

33. The method of claim 32, comprising interpolating the substitute positioning data for missing or incorrect positioning data based on one or more previous machine positions and one or more further machine positions on the trajectory.

34. The method of claim 32, comprising interpolating the substitute positioning data for missing or incorrect positioning data based on a recorded distance traveled and steering angle data of the construction machine.

35. The method of claim 30, comprising: determining when milling work is being performed based on one or more of: whether the milling drum is rotating; whether a transport conveyor of the construction machine is in operation; and an output generated from an engine of the construction machine; wherein the usage value is only computed along portions of the computed distance traveled along the trajectory for which the milling work is performed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The following is shown:

[0045] FIG. 1 a construction machine in the design of a road milling machine,

[0046] FIG. 2 a view of the road milling machine from the rear, and

[0047] FIG. 3 different milling trajectories of a surface to be worked.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a construction machine, namely a road milling machine, and is depicted to represent all types of machines with a milling drum 2 that work a ground surface or traffic surface.

[0049] These include mining machines which are used to mine deposits, for example, in opencast mining and which are also called surface miners.

[0050] The machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a machine frame 3 in which the milling drum 2 is supported in a rigid or height-adjustable manner. The machine 1 is carried by a chassis which, in FIG. 1, is formed by crawler tracks 5. The milled material can be loaded onto a transport vehicle by means of a transport conveyor 11. On its top side, the machine frame 3 carries an operator's platform 9 which may consist of a cabin. An operator sits or stands in the operator's platform 9 who controls the functions of the machine 1 by means of a machine control system 26. Said machine functions are, for example, advance speed, steering, milling depth of the milling drum 2 etc. The machine 1 is provided with a position determination device 24 that is capable of forwarding its information to a computer 20 for further processing, wherein said computer 20 may also be integrated in the machine control system 26. Moreover, it may be intended for the position determination device 24 to be integrated in the computer 20.

[0051] Above the operator's platform 9, for example, on the roof of the operator's cabin, a GNSS receiver 14 may be arranged as part of the position determination device 24, said GNSS receiver 14 being preferably arranged in such a manner that it is in a common vertical plane 15 with the milling drum axis 7 of the milling drum 2 when the machine 1 is aligned horizontally.

[0052] The GNSS receiver 14 forms a reference point on the machine 1 whereby the current machine position can be determined.

[0053] Other reference points on the machine 1 may also be selected in which case the positioning data for computing the machine position must then be corrected accordingly. The machine position relevant for computing is the centre of the milling drum 2 in relation to its longitudinal extension. A single GNSS receiver 14 is therefore preferably located vertically above said central position of the milling drum 2 when the machine 1 is standing on a horizontal plane or the machine frame 3 is aligned horizontally. Even if the GNSS receiver is attached in precisely this position, the positioning data require correction. A correction could only be omitted if the machine worked on a horizontal plane all the time and, in doing so, remained in parallel alignment to the same in both longitudinal and transverse direction. As soon as a transverse or longitudinal inclination of the machine 1 relative to the horizontal plane is present, a correction must be made, which is nearly always the case. Appropriate slope sensors are present to serve this purpose.

[0054] It is also possible to use two GNSS receivers 14 as can, in principle, be inferred from FIG. 2. An essential requirement is for these two GNSS receivers 14 to exhibit a mutual distance. Even when using two GNSS receivers 14, as depicted in FIG. 2, these are preferably located in the plane 15 and at an identical height. It is understood, however, that the two GNSS receivers 14 may also be arranged at other points of the machine 1.

[0055] The GNSS receivers 14 should ideally be arranged on the roof of the operator's platform 9 so that, on the one hand, the interference from reflected signals is as small as possible and, on the other hand, when driving through a milling area bounded by trees, at least one GNSS receiver 14 does not lose contact to all satellites on account of the trees.

[0056] Additionally, reference positioning data from a stationary GNSS receiver 16 or a data reference service can be used to increase the accuracy of determining the machine position. As a further alternative for determining the machine position, a total station 28 may be used which is capable of tracking a reference point on the machine three-dimensionally, with it also being possible for several total stations 28 to be used. If one total station is used, then the at least one GNSS receiver must be replaced by at least one measuring prism.

[0057] The current position of the machine 1 can be recorded by means of the position determination device 24, and thus the length of the distance travelled along the milling trajectories 6 can be computed and stored by means of an internal or external computer 20.

[0058] At the beginning of a milling contract to be documented, a memory of the computer 20, in which the previously milled area 4 can be stored, is set to zero. Now, if an area predetermined in a contract is milled by at least one machine 1, the length of the milling trajectories 6 is determined first by means of the data established with respect to the machine position and the continuous change of the same, and the previously milled partial area 4 is then computed and added up taking into account the installed milling width of the milling drum 2. The previously milled partial area 4 is stored in the memory of the computer 20, with the area 4 milled along the milling trajectory 6 being checked, either continuously or subsequently, for overlapping or multiple overlapping with previously milled partial areas 8. If an overlap is established in the computer, any partial areas which overlap are deducted, as overlapping areas 10, from the added-up, previously milled partial areas 8 in the memory. The milling trajectories 6 can be stored, for example, by means of two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinates. The machine control system or the operator, respectively, informs the computer as to whether a milling operation is currently taking place or not so that any idle travels of the machine 1 are not recorded. If the milling depth is recorded for the purpose of computing the milled volumes, such message to the computer may be omitted because the computer is capable of determining independently, based on the milling depth adjusted, as to whether a milling operation is currently taking place. Instead of the adjusted milling depth, the effective milling depth may also be used if the same is available in the machine control system. Alternatively, other signals from the machine control system could be used, such as a switch-on signal for the milling drum or a switch-on signal for the transport conveyor for removal of the milled material, or signals from the engine control system, such as the torque of the engine driving the milling drum.

[0059] Upon completion and finalization of the contract, the actually milled area 4 is retrievable from the memory so that the value stored in the same and determined fully automatically can be used as a basis for settlement with a client.

[0060] FIG. 3 shows several milling trajectories 6 arranged adjacent to one another on an area 4 to be milled.

[0061] FIG. 3 additionally depicts the previously milled partial areas 8 and the overlapping areas 10 resulting therefrom which need to be deducted from the areas added up along the milling trajectory 6. Four milling trajectories 6 of different lengths with, in part, multiple overlaps can be inferred from the example of an area 4 to be milled shown in FIG. 3.

[0062] In certain cases, such as those where the milling contract includes different milling depths, it may be necessary to not take the milled area but the milled volume as the basis for settlement of the service contract.

[0063] In this case, it is intended, in addition to determining the length of the milling trajectories 6 and the milled areas, to additionally record the current milling depth so that the computer 20 can determine the milled volume. The current milling depth can be determined in relation to the centre of the milling drum 2 based on its longitudinal direction. Alternatively, the current milling depth cross-section transversely to the width of the machine 1 can be taken from the data of the machine control system and recorded in accordance with the machine position. The milled volume then results from the total added-up partial volumes minus the total overlapping volumes established.

[0064] The current milling depth can also be measured, should the need arise, if it is not to be read out from the machine control system 26.

[0065] In case of several machines 1, at least one reference point is intended for each machine.

[0066] In case of several machines, one of the machines 1 may be determined as the leading machine.

[0067] In particular where several machines 1 are used, the computer 20 may also be arranged externally in a stationary fashion or may be arranged in the leading machine 1, in which case the data exchange of positioning data, reference positioning data or substitute data from the machine control system 26 of all machines 1 is effected wirelessly, for example, via satellite or cellular communication network.

[0068] In the event of interferences with reception of the at least one GNSS receiver 14 attached to a machine 1, the computer 20 can compute substitute data for any missing or obviously incorrect positioning data and can complete the missing positioning data or the incorrect positioning data, respectively. This can be computed by interpolation from earlier and later positioning data relative to the time of the interference with reception. Alternatively, substitute data can be computed from advance speed and steering angle data recorded in the respective machine control system 16 of a machine 1.