Mining methods and apparatus

A sensing apparatus for operating with mining machine horizon controlling apparatus,

• said sensing apparatus having an image acquisition section for receiving IR (Infrared) image signals of an observed position of a fresh cut mined product face immediately adjacent a mining machine cutter
• a signal processing component to process the acquired IR image signals to note for at least one temperature contrast region between an upper part of the image and a lower part of the image,
• a height position component to receive any noted temperature contrast region processed by the signal processing component and to calculate a height position at at least one noted temperature contrast region, and
• a signal output component to provide an output signal of the calculated height position for said mining machine horizon controlling apparatus.

A method of identifying thermally identifiable structure in a product mined from a mining face in a mine where a cutter cuts the product and exposes a fresh cut product face,

• said method comprising observing the IR radiation from the fresh cut product face immediately adjacent the cutter,
• noting at least one temperature contrast region from the IR observation and determining a thermally identifiable structure in the product mined by either;
• 1. the size magnitude of the at least one temperature contrast region or,
• 2. the temperature of the contrast region exceeding a temperature threshold.

An apparatus to identify thermally identifiable structure in a mined product when mining product from a mine,

• said apparatus having an image acquisition section for receiving IR image signals of an observed position of a freshly exposed cut product face immediately adjacent a mining machine cutter that cuts product from the mine,
• a signal processing component to process the acquired IR image signals to note for at least one temperature contrast region,
• an image processing component to identify thermally identifiable structure of the mined product by either
• 1. noting the size magnitude of the at least one temperature contrast region, or
• 2. noting the temperature magnitude of the at least one temperature contrast region above a temperature threshold, and
• an output component to provide an output indicating thermally identifiable structure in the mine product.