Method and system of configuring a machine control unit of a construction machine
AssigneeLeica Geosystems Technology A/S
InventorMichael Goulet Kean
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for configuring a machine control unit of a construction machine for performing an earth-moving operation, the earth-moving operation comprising a multitude of phases that are to be performed consecutively, the method comprising, by a computing unit: receiving three-dimensional measuring data of a terrain in a surrounding of the construction machine in at least a first detection range, detecting elements of a previous phase of the earth-moving operation based on the three-dimensional measuring data, and configuring, based at least on the detected elements, the machine control unit to at least partially perform the next phase of the earth-moving operation automatically.
Claims20
A system for digging a ditch or a trench using a construction machine, the construction machine comprising a machine control unit and a blade, the digging comprising a multitude of phases that are to be performed consecutively, each phase comprising a pass of the grading machine along a digging line, the multitude of phases including a plurality of cutting passes in which the blade is used for performing cuts,
- wherein the system comprises:
- a measuring system comprising one or more measuring units, at least one measuring unit being provided at the construction machine and being configured for capturing three-dimensional measuring data of a terrain in a surrounding of the construction machine in a first detection range;
- a context camera having a known position relative to the measuring system and/or the three-dimensional measuring data and being configured for capturing context image data of the terrain within the first detection range;
- a user interface configured for displaying at least one context image based on the context image data to an operator of the construction machine and for receiving user input from the operator of the construction machine;
- and
- a computing unit operatively coupled at least with the measuring system, the user interface and the machine control unit,
- wherein the computing unit is configured for
- detecting terrain elements produced by a previous phase of the digging based on the three-dimensional measuring data, the detected terrain elements comprising at least one of an edge and a surface;
- overlaying the detected terrain elements on the displayed context image;
- receiving input from the operator on the user interface, the input being related to a next phase of the digging and comprising a selection of one or more of:
- an edge produced by a previous cutting pass,
- a surface produced by a previous cutting pass, and
- an edge and a surface produced by a previous cutting pass and a selection to adjust a cross slope of the surface for the next pass while maintaining the selected edge as a vertex of a plane to be shaped during the next pass;
- and
- configuring, based at least on the detected terrain elements and on the input from the operator, the machine control unit to at least partially perform the next phase of the digging automatically.
A computer-implemented method for digging a ditch or a trench using a construction machine, the construction machine comprising a machine control unit and a blade, the digging comprising a multitude of phases that are to be performed consecutively, each phase comprising a pass of the construction machine along a digging line, the multitude of phases including a plurality of cutting passes in which the blade is used for performing cuts, the method comprising
- a computing unit receiving, from a measuring system comprising a measuring unit that is provided at the construction machine, three-dimensional measuring data of a terrain in a surrounding of the construction machine in a first detection range;
- the computing unit detecting terrain elements produced by a previous phase of the digging based on the three-dimensional measuring data, the detected terrain elements comprising at least one of an edge and a surface;
- a context camera capturing context image data of the terrain within the first detection range, the context camera having a known position relative to the three-dimensional measuring data and/or to the measuring system;
- displaying at least one context image based on the context image data to an operator of the construction machine, overlaying the detected terrain elements on the displayed context image;
- receiving input from the operator on the user interface, the input being related to a next phase of the digging, the input from the operator comprising a selection of one or more of;
- an edge produced by a previous cutting pass,
- a surface produced by a previous cutting pass, and
- an edge and a surface produced by a previous cutting pass and a selection to adjust a cross slope of the surface for the next pass while maintaining the selected edge as a vertex of a plane to be shaped during the next pass;
- and
- the computing unit configuring, based at least on the detected terrain elements and on the input from the operator, the machine control unit to at least partially perform the next phase of the digging automatically.
A system for construction of a ditch using a motor grader, the motor grader comprising a machine control unit, the construction of the ditch comprising V ditching in a multitude of phases that are to be performed consecutively, each phase comprising a pass of the motor grader along a ditch line, the multitude of phases including a plurality of cutting passes, the system comprising
- a measuring system comprising one or more measuring units, at least one measuring unit being provided at the motor grader and being configured for capturing three-dimensional measuring data of a terrain in a surrounding of the motor grader in a first detection range;
- a context camera having a known position relative to the measuring system and/or the three-dimensional measuring data and being configured for capturing context image data of the terrain within the first detection range;
- a user interface configured for displaying at least one context image based on the context image data to an operator of the motor grader and for receiving user input from the operator of the motor grader;
- and
- a computing unit operatively coupled at least with the measuring system, the user interface and the machine control unit,
- wherein the computing unit is configured for
- detecting terrain elements produced by a previous phase of the V ditching based on the three-dimensional measuring data, the detected terrain elements comprising at least one of an edge and a surface;
- overlaying the detected elements on the displayed context image;
- receiving input from the operator on the user interface, the input being related to a next phase of the V ditching and comprising a selection of one or more of:
- an edge produced by a previous cutting pass,
- a surface produced by a previous cutting pass, and
- an edge and a surface produced by a previous cutting pass and a selection to adjust a cross slope of the surface for the next pass while maintaining the selected edge as a vertex of a plane to be shaped during the next pass;
- and
- configuring, based at least on the detected terrain elements and on the input from the operator, the machine control unit to at least partially perform the next phase of the V ditching automatically.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.