System and method for controlling autonomous construction vehicles
AssigneeCaterpillar Paving Products Inc.
InventorsTimothy M. O'Donnell, John L. Marsolek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling multiple autonomous construction vehicles on a work site are described. The systems include a command and control station located on a mobile construction vehicle working on the worksite. The command and control station provides the ability to control operation of the autonomous construction vehicles.
Claims20
A mobile construction system comprising:
- a mobile construction vehicle;
- and
- an autonomous machine,
- wherein the mobile construction vehicle includes:
- a frame;
- an engine coupled to the frame;
- at least one implement;
- and
- a command and control station including
- a controller, a wireless communication module, and
- a user interface, wherein the command and control station is configured to process a worksite plan comprising control instructions for an autonomous machine, and
- wherein the autonomous machine includes:
- a control and communication system configured to receive the control instructions from the mobile construction vehicle and to operate the autonomous machine in response to the received control instructions.
The mobile construction system of claim 7, wherein the instruction data comprises instructions for the control and communication system to control operation of the compactor within a defined physical zone of a worksite.
A method of controlling a construction vehicle, the method comprising:
- wirelessly transmitting operating instructions from a command and control station of a mobile construction vehicle to a second mobile construction vehicle, wherein the second mobile construction vehicle is an autonomous construction vehicle;
- wirelessly receiving the operating instructions with a control and communication system of the second construction vehicle;
- and
- controlling, by the control and communication system, operation second construction vehicle in response to the received operating instructions.
A method of controlling an autonomous construction vehicle, the method comprising:
- creating a worksite plan for a construction site;
- wirelessly transmitting operating instructions, based on the worksite plan, from a command and control station of a mobile construction vehicle to a first autonomous construction vehicle;
- monitoring, with the command and control station, data transmitted from the first autonomous construction vehicle;
- editing the worksite plan, with the command and control station, at least partially in response to the data transmitted from the first autonomous construction vehicle;
- and
- wirelessly transmitting edited operating instructions based on the edited worksite plan, from the command and control station of the mobile construction vehicle to the first autonomous construction vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.