# US 10,373,274 B2 · Management system and management method for a haul machine

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- Number: US 10,373,274 B2
- Document ID: US10373274B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/362,160
- Filed: 2013-08-20
- Published: 2015-09-24
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-08-20
- Assignees: Komatsu Ltd.
- Applicants: Komatsu Ltd.
- Inventors: Koji Takeda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373274B2

## CPC

- G06Q 50/02: Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
- E02F 9/205: {Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles (E02F3/8866 takes precedence)}
- E02F 9/2054: {Fleet management}
- G06Q 10/06312: {Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling}
- G06Q 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- G01S 19/13: Receivers
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

A management system, includes: a first detection unit configured to detect position information of a first haul machine configured to travel along a haul road that leads to a loading area of a mine; a second detection unit configured to detect position information of a second haul machine configured to travel along the haul road; and a processing device configured to receive a detection result from each of the first detection unit and the second detection unit, wherein the processing device is configured to determine that the second haul machine arrives at an entrance of the loading area when the second haul machine arrives at a position behind the first haul machine that is in a standby state at the entrance based on the detection results.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A management system of a mining machine, comprising:
a first detection unit to detect position information of a first haul machine to travel along a haul road that leads to a loading area of a mine;
a second detection unit to detect position information of a second haul machine to travel along the haul road;
a processing device, which is placed in a different position from those of the first and second haul machines, to receive a detection result from each of the first detection unit and the second detection unit; and
a communication device to communicate with the first and second haul machines, wherein
the processing device specifies an end of an unloaded traveling operation of the second haul machine when the second haul machine arrives at a position behind the first haul machine that is in a standby state at the entrance based on the detected position information of the first and second haul machines, and outputs a vehicle deployment instruction to a haul machine in the mine based on time information corresponding to the specified end of unloaded traveling operation in order to control operation of the haul machine, the haul machine being deployed in response to the vehicle deployment instruction, the standby state being a state in which a haul machine is stopped and awaiting a vehicle deployment instruction to move to a loading position of the loading area.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The management system according to claim 1, wherein the processing device defines a time when the second haul machine arrives at the position behind the first haul machine as an arrival time of the second haul machine at the entrance, and outputs a command via the communication device to the second haul machine to control a traveling operation thereof according to the defined time.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The management system according to claim 1, wherein
the second haul machine stops traveling when the second haul machine arrives at the position behind the first haul machine, to stand by at the entrance of the loading area, and then to move from the entrance to a loading position of the loading area, and
the processing device defines a start time and an end time of an operation of the second haul machine moving to the loading position of the loading area after a standby state at a standby position of the entrance is released, based on the position information of the second haul machine outputted from the second detection unit, and to output a command via the communication device to the second haul machine to control a traveling operation thereof according to the defined start time and end time.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The management system according to claim 3, wherein the processing device defines a start time and an end time of at least one of an operation of the second haul machine traveling in a state in which a stuff is not loaded, an operation of a loading machine loading the stuff on the second haul machine at the loading position, and an operation of the second haul machine traveling in a state in which the stuff is loaded, based on the position information of the second haul machine outputted from the second detection unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The management system according to claim 3, wherein the processing device calculates a standby time of the second haul machine from the arrival time to a time when the standby state is released.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The management system according to claim 1, wherein the processing device calculates a time required for a cycle operation of the second haul machine that travels back and forth between the loading area and a dumping area where an operation of dumping the stuff is performed.

### Claim 7

A computer-implemented management method of a mining machine, comprising:
detecting via a first detection unit position information of a first haul machine to travel along a haul road that leads to a loading area of a mine;
detecting via a second detection unit position information of a second haul machine to travel along the haul road;
specifying, via a processing device which is placed in a different position from those of the first and second haul machines, an end of an unloaded traveling operation of the second haul machine when the second haul machine arrives at a position behind the first haul machine that is in a standby state at the entrance based on the detected position information of the first and second haul machines, the standby state being a state in which a haul machine is stopped and awaiting a vehicle deployment instruction to move to a loading position of the loading area; and
outputting a vehicle deployment instruction to a haul machine in the mine based on time information corresponding to the end of unloaded traveling specified operation in order to control operation of the haul machine, the haul machine being deployed in response to the vehicle deployment instruction.

### Claim 8

A control system comprising:
first and second unmanned haul machines each having a communication device to receive one or more commands from a remote location and a processing device to control the operation of the haul machine according to the one or more commands; and
a management system of a mining machine comprising:
a first detection unit configured to detect position information of a first haul machine to travel along a haul road that leads to a loading area of a mine;
a second detection unit configured to detect position information of a second haul machine to travel along the haul road;
a processing device to receive a detection result from each of the first detection unit and the second detection unit; and
a communication device to communicate with the first and second haul machines,
wherein the processing device of the management system specifies an end of an unloaded traveling operation of the second haul machine when the second haul machine arrives at a position behind the first haul machine that is in a standby state at the entrance based on the detected position information of the first and second haul machines, and outputs a vehicle deployment instruction to a haul machine in the mine based on time information corresponding to the specified end of unloaded traveling operation in order to control operation of the haul machine, the haul machine being deployed in response to the vehicle deployment instruction, the standby state being a state in which a haul machine is stopped and awaiting a vehicle deployment instruction to move to a loading position of the loading area.