# US 11,441,291 B2 · Checking volume in an excavation tool > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,291 B2 - Document ID: US11441291B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/845,371 - Filed: 2020-04-10 - Published: 2020-07-30 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-23 - Assignees: Built Robotics Inc. - Applicants: Built Robotics Inc. - Inventors: Noah Austen Ready-Campbell; Andrew Xiao Liang; Linus Page Chou; Edward Stephen Walker, Jr.; Christian John Wawrzonek; Cyrus McMann Ready-Campbell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441291B2 ## CPC - E02F 3/435: {for dipper-arms, backhoes or the like} - E02F 9/2045: {Guiding machines along a predetermined path (for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004)} - E02F 3/32: working downwardly and towards the machine, e.g. with backhoes - E02F 3/434: {providing automatic sequences of movements, e.g. automatic dumping or loading, automatic return-to-dig} - E02F 3/439: {Automatic repositioning of the implement, e.g. automatic dumping, auto-return (E02F3/438 takes precedence)} - E02F 3/964: {of several tools mounted on one machine (E02F3/962 takes precedence)} - E02F 9/2029: {Controlling the position of implements in function of its load, e.g. modifying the attitude of implements in accordance to vehicle speed (control for hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2203, E02F9/2221 and E02F9/2253 take precedence)} - E02F 9/205: {Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles (E02F3/8866 takes precedence)} - E02F 9/262: {with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller} - E02F 9/265: {with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)} - G01C 21/20: Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) - G01N 33/24: Earth materials (G01N33/42 takes precedence) - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G05D 1/0219: {ensuring the processing of the whole working surface} - G05D 1/0231: {using optical position detecting means (position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16)} - G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)} - G06T 7/74: {involving reference images or patches} - G06T 17/05: Geographic models - G06V 20/56: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle - G06T 2207/30248: Vehicle exterior or interior - E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract This description provides an autonomous or semi-autonomous excavation vehicle that is capable of navigating through a dig site and carrying out an excavation routine using a system of sensors physically mounted to the excavation vehicle. The sensors collects any one or more of spatial, imaging, measurement, and location data representing the status of the excavation vehicle and its surrounding environment. Based on the collected data, the excavation vehicle executes instructions to carry out an excavation routine. The excavation vehicle is also able to carry out numerous other tasks, such as checking the volume of excavated earth in an excavation tool, and helping prepare a digital terrain model of the site as part of a process for creating the excavation routine. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for analyzing an amount of earth in a tool mounted to an excavation vehicle (EV), the method comprising: accessing, from a sensor mounted to the EV, data representing a current fill state of a tool mounted to the excavation vehicle; generating, by a processor of the EV, a current representation of the amount of earth in the tool based on the accessed data; accessing, by the processor, an empty representation of the tool when the tool is empty; determining, by the processor, a volume of earth within the tool based on a difference between the current representation and the empty representation; and responsive to the determined volume of earth within the tool being less than a threshold volume, executing, by the processor, a set of instructions to adjust a position of the tool relative to a ground surface and to excavate earth until the volume of earth within in the tool is greater than the threshold volume. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein executing the set of instructions to adjust the position of the tool comprises: adjusting the tool from a measuring position in a field of view of the sensor to one or more of the following: a position at a height above the ground surface; a position at a depth below the ground surface; and a position at which a leading edge of the tool is in contact with the ground surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where executing the set of instructions to adjust the position of the tool comprises one or more of the following: adjusting a position of a leading edge of the tool relative to the ground surface; and adjusting an orientation of the leading edge of the tool relative to the ground surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein executing the set of instructions to excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume comprises one or more of the following: executing instructions to continue a current target tool path to excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume; executing instructions to repeat a previously performed target tool path to excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume; and executing instructions to perform an alternate target tool path to excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein executing the set of instructions further comprises: determining a remaining volume of earth to be excavated based on a difference between the volume of earth within the tool and the threshold volume, wherein the remaining volume of earth is greater than the threshold volume; updating at least a first tool path with instructions adjust the position of the tool to excavate the remaining volume of earth; and updating at least a second target tool path with instructions to navigate to a dump location to empty the volume of earth within the tool in response to excavating the remaining volume of earth. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising inputting the remaining volume of earth and one or more dimensions of the tool to a predictive model trained to determine a horizontal distance to navigate the tool and a depth below the ground surface for the tool to be positioned during navigation; and updating at least the first tool path with instructions to adjust the position of the tool to the determined depth and to navigate the tool over the determined horizontal distance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein executing the set of instructions further comprises: determining a remaining volume of earth to be excavated based on a difference between the volume of earth within the tool and the threshold volume, wherein the remaining volume of earth is greater than the threshold volume; and generating a set of target tool paths with instructions for the EV to navigate to another location and to excavate the remaining volume of earth from the other location. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein executing the set of instructions further comprises: responsive to the EV repeating instructions to execute a target tool path, determining a count of repetitions of the target tool path; determining a remaining volume of earth to be excavated based on a difference between the volume of earth within the tool and the threshold volume, wherein the remaining volume of earth is greater the threshold volume; and generating an updated target tool path to adjust a position of the tool relative to the ground surface and to excavate the remaining volume of earth. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: responsive to the determined volume of earth within the tool being greater than the threshold volume, updating the set of instructions to navigate the EV to a dump location to empty the volume of earth within the tool; and executing the updated set of instructions to empty the volume of earth collected within the tool at the dump location. ### Claim 10 A method for analyzing an amount of earth in a tool mounted to an excavation vehicle (EV), the method comprising: determining, by a processor communicatively coupled to the EV, a volume of earth collected within the tool based on a comparison of a current representation of the amount of earth in the tool and an empty representation of the tool when the tool is empty; and responsive to the determined volume of earth within the tool being less than a threshold volume, executing, by the processor, instructions to adjust a position of the tool relative to a ground surface and to excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein executing the set of instructions to adjust a position of the tool comprises: adjusting the tool from a measuring position in a field of view of the sensor to one or more of the following: a position at a height above the ground surface; a position at a depth below the ground surface; and a position at which a leading edge of the tool is in contact with the ground surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, where executing the set of instructions to adjust the position of the tool comprises one or more of the following: adjusting a position of a leading edge of the tool relative to the ground surface; and adjusting an orientation of the leading edge of the tool relative to the ground surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein executing the set of instructions to excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume comprises one or more of the following: executing instructions to continue a current target tool path to excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume; executing instructions to repeat a previously performed target tool path to excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume; and executing instructions to perform an alternate target tool path to excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein executing the set of instructions further comprises: determining a remaining volume of earth to be excavated based on a difference between the volume of earth within the tool and the threshold volume, wherein the remaining volume of earth is greater than the threshold volume; updating at least a first tool path with instructions adjust the position of the tool to excavate the remaining volume of earth; and updating at least a second target tool path with instructions to navigate to a dump location to empty the volume of earth within the tool in response to excavating the remaining volume of earth. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising inputting the remaining volume of earth and one or more dimensions of the tool to a predictive model trained to determine a horizontal distance to navigate the tool and a depth below the ground surface for the tool to be positioned during navigation; and updating at least the first tool path with instructions to adjust the position of the tool to the determined depth and to navigate the tool over the determined horizontal distance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein executing the set of instructions further comprises: determining a remaining volume of earth to be excavated based on a difference between the volume of earth within the tool and the threshold volume, wherein the remaining volume of earth is greater than the threshold volume; and generating a set of target toolpaths with instructions for the EV to navigate to another location and to excavate the remaining volume of earth from the other location. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein executing the set of instructions further comprises: responsive to the EV repeating instructions to execute a target tool path, determining a count of repetitions of the target tool path; determining a remaining volume of earth to be excavated based on a difference between the volume of earth within the tool and the threshold volume, wherein the remaining volume of earth is greater than the threshold volume; and generating an updated target tool path to adjust a position of the tool relative to the ground surface and to excavate the remaining volume of earth. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: responsive to the determined volume of earth within the tool being greater than the threshold volume, updating the set of instructions to navigate the EV to a dump location to empty the volume of earth within the tool; and executing the updated set of instructions to empty the volume of earth within the tool at the dump location. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for analyzing an amount of earth in a tool mounted to an excavation vehucle (EV) encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: access, from a sensor mounted to the EV, data representing a current fill state of a tool mounted to the excavation vehicle; generate, by a processor of the EV, a current representation of the amount of earth in the tool based on the accessed data; access, by the processor, an empty representation of the tool when the tool is empty; determine, by the processor, a volume of earth within the tool based on a difference between the current representation and the empty representation; and responsive to the determined volume of earth within the tool being less than a threshold volume, execute, by the processor, a set of instructions to: adjust a position of the tool relative to a ground surface; and excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: adjust the tool from a measuring position in a field of view of the sensor to one or more of the following: a position at a height above the ground surface; a position at a depth below the ground surface; and a position at which a leading edge of the tool is in contact with the ground surface. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions for excavating earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume further cause the processor to: execute instructions to continue a current target tool path to excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume; execute instructions to repeat a previously performed target tool path to excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume; and execute instructions to perform an alternate target tool path to excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater the threshold volume. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: determine a remaining volume of earth to be excavated based on a difference between the volume of earth within the tool and the threshold volume, wherein the remaining volume of earth is greater the threshold volume; update at least a first tool path with instructions adjust the position of the tool to excavate the remaining volume of earth; and update at least a second target tool path with instructions to navigate to a dump location to empty the volume of earth within the tool in response to excavating the remaining volume of earth. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: determine a remaining volume of earth to be excavated based on a difference between the volume of earth within the tool and the threshold volume, wherein the remaining volume of earth is greater than the threshold volume; and generate a set of target toolpaths with instructions for the EV to navigate to another location and to excavate the remaining volume of earth from the other location. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: responsive to the determined volume of earth within the tool being greater than the threshold volume, update the set of instructions to navigate the EV to a dump location to empty the volume of earth within the tool; and execute the updated set of instructions to empty the volume of earth within the tool at the dump location. ### Claim 25 An excavation vehicle (EV) comprising: a sensor mounted to the EV, the sensor configured to record data representing a current fill state of a tool mounted to the EV; a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for analyzing an amount of earth in a tool mounted to the EV encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: access, from the sensor mounted to the EV, data representing a current fill state of a tool mounted to the excavation vehicle; generate, by the processor, a current representation of the amount of earth in the tool based on the accessed data; access, by the processor, an empty representation of the tool when the tool is empty; determine, by the processor, a volume of earth within the tool based on a difference between the current representation and the empty representation; and responsive to the determined volume of earth within the tool being less than a threshold volume, execute, by the computer, a set of instructions to: adjust a position of the tool relative to a ground surface; and excavate earth until the volume of earth within the tool is greater than the threshold volume.