Method and apparatus for operating geography-altering machinery relative to a work site

A method of directing the operation of a mobile geography-altering machine comprising the steps of:

• (a) producing and storing in a digital data storage and retrieval means both a first three-dimensional geographic site model representing the desired geography of a site and a second three-dimensional geographic site model representing the actual geography of the site;
• (b) generating signals representing in real time the instantaneous position in three-dimensional space of at least a portion of the machine as it traverses the site;
• (c) updating the second model in accordance with said three-dimensional position signals;
• (d) determining and updating the difference between the first and second site models in real time;
• and
• (e) directing the operation of said machine in accordance with the difference to bring the updated second site model into conformity with the first site model.

A system for accurately monitoring and controlling the geography of a work site and machinery operating on the work site, comprising:

• a mobile machine for going over or through and altering the geography of the site, the machine equipped with positioning means to accurately determine in real time the instantaneous position of at least a portion of the machine in three dimensions as it moves relative to the site;
• a digital data storage facility in communication with the positioning means on the machine;
• a first three-dimensional model of a desired site geography, and a second three-dimensional model of the actual site geography, the first and second site models stored in the digital data storage facility;
• dynamic database means communicating with the digital data storage facility and the positioning means, the dynamic database means monitoring the position of the machine relative to the site in real time and updating the second site model in real time in response to the monitored position of the machine as it traverses the site, the dynamic database means further generating signals representing the updated real time difference between the first and second site models for directing the operation of the machine to bring the second updated site model into conformity with the first site model.

A method for determining the path in real time of a mobile geography-altering machine over a geographic site, comprising the steps of:

• providing a model of the site geography subdivided into a continuous matrix of unit areas;
• equipping the mobile machine with means for determining the position in three-dimensional space of at least a portion of the machine as it traverses the site;
• tracking the position of the machine while it traverses the site as a series of coordinate points on the site model;
• determining physical parameters of an operative portion of the machine as a function of the unit areas of the site model;
• and, determining a path of the machine relative to the site in real time, the path comprising the unit areas of the site model traversed by the operative portion of the machine between coordinate points.

An apparatus for determining the path in real time of a mobile geography-altering machine over a geographic site, comprising:

• a model of the site geography subdivided into a continuous matrix of unit areas, stored in a digital storage facility;
• a mobile machine equipped with means for determining the instantaneous position in three-dimensional space of at least a portion of the machine as it traverses the site;
• means communicating with the digital storage facility and the position-determining means for tracking the instantaneous position of the machine while it traverses the site as a series of coordinate points on the site model;
• means for determining physical parameters of an operative portion of the machine as a multiple of the unit areas of the site model;
• and,
• means for determining the path of the machine relative the site in real time, the path comprising the unit areas of the site model traversed by the operative portion of the machine between coordinate points.

A method for precisely determining the position of a machine in three-dimensional space relative to a land site using three-dimensional position signals and a digitized model of the site, and for displaying and directing the progress of work performed on the site by the machine, comprising the steps of:

• (a) equipping the machine to receive position signals representing in real time the instantaneous position in three-dimensional space of a portion of the machine as it traverses the site;
• (b) producing and storing in a digital data storage facility an actual site model representing the actual geography of the site, and a desired site model comprising a static three-dimensional model of a desired site geography, the actual model of the site geography subdivided into a continuous matrix of unit areas in a digital data storage facility;
• (c) determining the physical parameters of an operative portion of the machine as a function of unit areas of the site model, the parameters of the operative portion of the machine comprising effective parameters which are less than or equal to its actual parameters;
• (d) tracking the position of the machine while it traverses the site as a series of three-dimensional coordinate points;
• (e) determining a path of the machine in real time comprising the unit areas traversed by the effective parameters of the operative portion of the machine between coordinate points;
• (f) operating the machine on the site while simultaneously updating the actual site model in the storage facility in real time according to the path of the operative portion of the machine relative to the site, and displaying to the operator of the machine in real time the actual site model, the desired site model, a current difference between the actual and desired site models, and the position of the machine relative to the actual and desired site models.

An apparatus for precisely determining the position of a machine in three-dimensional space relative to a land site using three-dimensional position signals and a digitized model of the site, comprising:

• (a) a mobile machine equipped with means for receiving the position signals and for determining the instantaneous position in three-dimensional space of at least a portion of the machine as it traverses the site;
• (b) a model of the site geography stored in a digital data storage facility;
• (c) dynamic database means communicating with the means for determining the machine position and the digital data storage facility, the dynamic database means including means for updating the site model in the storage facility in real time according to the three-dimensional position of at least a portion of the machine relative to the site, wherein the site model is an actual site model representing the actual geography of the site, and a desired site model is stored in the digital storage facility, the dynamic database means including means for determining in real time the difference between the actual site model and the desired site model as the actual site model is updated and for determining in real time the path of the machine relative to the site between position readings, the dynamic database including means for determining an effective width for the operative portion of the machine which is of a magnitude less than or equal to its actual width and means for updating the area of the second site model traversed by the effective width of the operative portion of the machine.