Control of mining tool changes in mining vehicles

Abstract

The device can control movement of a mining tool of a mining vehicle toward a mining tool magazine, a light source configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance from the mining tool magazine, receive visual data including a representation of the mining tool, determine a distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on detecting illumination of a predetermined portion of the mining tool or the mining vehicle by the emitted light based on the visual data, monitor the determined distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on movement of the mining tool and / or the mining vehicle, and control replacement of at least a tip portion of the mining tool with another mining tool stored in the mining tool magazine based on monitoring the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Various exemplary embodiments relate generally to the field of mining. Some exemplary embodiments relate to controlling the changing of mining tools on a mining vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A mining vehicle may be configured to perform a variety of tasks, such as, for example, drilling, bolting, injection, or grouting. Thus, it may be desirable to change the mining tools of a mining vehicle from time to time. Also, even if a mining vehicle is configured for a single task, it may be desirable to change the type or size of a particular mining tool, for example, to change the drill bit to a smaller one. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0004] According to a first aspect, an apparatus for controlling a mining vehicle is disclosed, the apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured, using the at least one processor, to at least control movement of a mining tool of the mining vehicle toward a mining tool magazine, a light source configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance relative to the mining tool magazine, receive visual data including a representation of the mining tool, determine a distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on the visual data and detecting illumination of a predetermined portion of the mining tool or the mining vehicle by the emitted light, monitor the determined distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on movement of at least one of the mining tool or the mining vehicle relative to the mining tool magazine, and control replacement of at least a tip portion of the mining tool with another mining tool stored in the mining tool magazine based on the monitoring of the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine.

[0005] According to a second aspect, a method for controlling a mining vehicle is disclosed. The method may include controlling movement of a mining tool of the mining vehicle toward a mining tool magazine, wherein a light source is configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance relative to the mining tool magazine, receiving visual data including a representation of the mining tool, determining a distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on detecting illumination of a predetermined portion of the mining tool or the mining vehicle by the emitted light based on the visual data, monitoring the determined distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on movement of at least one of the mining tool or the mining vehicle relative to the mining tool magazine, and controlling replacement of at least a tip portion of the mining tool with another mining tool stored in the mining tool magazine based on the monitoring of the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine.

[0006] According to a third aspect, an apparatus for controlling a mining vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus may include: means for controlling movement of a mining tool of the mining vehicle toward a mining tool magazine, wherein a light source is configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance relative to the mining tool magazine; means for receiving visual data including a representation of the mining tool; means for determining a distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on detecting illumination of a predetermined portion of the mining tool or the mining vehicle by the emitted light based on the visual data; means for monitoring the determined distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on movement of at least one of the mining tool or the mining vehicle relative to the mining tool magazine; and means for controlling replacement of at least a tip portion of the mining tool with another mining tool stored in the mining tool magazine based on the monitoring of the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect, a computer program for controlling a mining vehicle is disclosed. The computer program may include instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least control movement of a mining tool of the mining vehicle toward a mining tool magazine, receive visual data including a representation of the mining tool, determine a distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on detecting illumination of a predetermined portion of the mining tool or the mining vehicle by the emitted light based on the visual data, monitor the determined distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on movement of at least one of the mining tool or the mining vehicle relative to the mining tool magazine, and control replacement of at least a tip portion of the mining tool with another mining tool stored in the mining tool magazine based on monitoring the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect, a mining vehicle is disclosed. The mining vehicle may include the apparatus or computer program of the first, third, or fourth aspects.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect, a mining tool magazine is disclosed. The mining tool magazine may include a light source configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance relative to the mining tool magazine.

[0010]

[0010] Exemplary embodiments of the above aspects are set forth in the claims, description, and / or drawings. According to certain aspects, the subject matter of independent claims is provided. Certain further aspects are defined in dependent claims. Many of the attendant features will be more readily appreciated as they become better understood by reference to the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the exemplary embodiments and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the exemplary embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a mining vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a mining tool. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of positioning of a mining tool relative to a mining tool magazine. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of controlling the movement of a mining tool towards a mining tool magazine. [Figure 5] 10 shows an example of illumination of a portion of a mining tool by a light source in front of the mining tool magazine. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a mining tool magazine including a light source. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an apparatus configured to implement one or more exemplary embodiments. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for controlling a mining vehicle.

[0013] Like reference numerals are used to denote like parts in the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Reference will now be made to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The description provided below in connection with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of the embodiments and is not intended to represent the only manner in which the embodiments may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth functions of the embodiments and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the embodiments. However, the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments.

[0015] 1 illustrates an example of a mining vehicle. Mining vehicle 100 may include a multi-function vehicle that may be configured to perform multiple tasks, such as, for example, drilling, bolting, injection, or grouting. Mining vehicle 100 may alternatively be configured to perform a single task, such as one of the tasks described above. While some illustrative embodiments are described using drilling as an example task for mining vehicle 100, it will be understood that the illustrative embodiments may be applied to a variety of other mining-related tasks and associated tools.

[0016] Mining vehicle 100 may be an autonomous mining vehicle, e.g., an autonomous mining vehicle equipped with tools configured for drilling, bolting, injection, or grouting. An autonomous mining vehicle operating in autonomous mode may be configured, for example, to receive a task to be performed, perceive the autonomous mining vehicle's environment, determine an appropriate tool for performing the task, and / or perform the task while taking the environment into account. An autonomous mining vehicle operating in autonomous mode may be configured to operate independently but may be under external control in certain operating areas or conditions, such as during an emergency. However, exemplary embodiments may also be applied to non-autonomous or semi-autonomous mining vehicles, e.g., remote-controlled mining vehicles.

[0017] In the example of FIG. 1 , axis x indicates the forward direction of mining vehicle 100. The z-axis represents the vertical direction toward the tunnel roof in this example. Mining vehicle 100 may include a movable carrier 110 and at least one boom 120 connected to movable carrier 110. Movable carrier 110 may include equipment for moving or stabilizing mining vehicle 100, such as a motor, wheels, or stabilizer jacks. Movable carrier 110 may be configured to move autonomously or may be controlled by a human operator, either remotely or locally at mining vehicle 100. Although two booms 120-1, 120-2 are shown in FIG. 1 , mining vehicle 100 may generally include one or more (e.g., two, three, four, ...) booms 120. Boom 120-1 may be referred to as a first boom. Boom 120-2 may be referred to as a second boom.

[0018] A mining tool may be coupled to the tip of the boom 120-1. The mining tool may include a tool configured to be used for any mining application, such as drilling holes for explosives, placing explosives in holes, bolting, injection, grouting, mesh installation, etc. In this example, the drilling unit 130 represents a mining tool, but the functionality described with reference to the drilling unit 130 or its components may also apply to other types of mining tools. While an example of a drilling unit is provided in FIG. 2 , in general, the drilling unit 130 may include a feed system configured to maintain a drill bit in contact with the excavation face of the tunnel 150 and to allow a drill rod to move along a feed beam during drilling. The booms 120-1, 120-2 may include multiple boom sections, movable carriers 110, and / or drilling units 130 coupled to each other by joints 122. The controllable joints allow the drilling unit 130 to be positioned and oriented as desired relative to the excavation face.

[0019] The mining vehicle 100 may include a mining tool magazine 140. The mining tool magazine 140 may be configured to at least temporarily store one or more mining tools, such as, for example, mining tools configured to be used by the mining vehicle 100 to perform a particular stage in underground mining. The mining tool magazine 140 may include one or more slots for storing each mining tool. In the example of FIG. 1 , the mining tool magazine is shown as being carried by the second boom 120-2, but it should be noted that the mining tool magazine 140 may be located in any suitable location, for example, coupled to the movable carrier 110 or other part of the mining vehicle 100, located on another mining vehicle, attached to the wall of the tunnel 150, or located elsewhere outside the mining vehicle 100. In some exemplary embodiments, the mining tool magazine 140 may not be fixedly coupled to the mining vehicle 100, such as the second boom 120-2, but may be configured to grip and hold the mining tool magazine 140 whenever it is desired to change mining tools, thereby allowing the boom 120-2 to be used for other purposes, such as digging.

[0020] The mining vehicle 100 may include at least one visual sensor 112 configured to capture visual data representative of the mining vehicle's 100 environment. The visual sensor 112 may include a camera, such as a visible light camera and / or a non-visible light camera (e.g., an infrared (IR) camera or an ultraviolet (UV) camera). Such a camera may be configured to capture still images or video data, which may include multiple video frames. The visual sensor 112 may be configured to generate (digital) visual data including a representation of the environment captured by the visual sensor 112. Note that the term "visual" should not be limited to what is observable by the human eye, but rather generally includes any type of light observable by the visual sensor 112, including, for example, infrared and ultraviolet light. The mining vehicle 100 may also include other types of sensors, such as radio detection and ranging (radar) sensors and / or light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors.

[0021] The mining vehicle 100 may include a controller (C) 114. The controller 114 may be provided, for example, as a software application residing in a memory and executable by a processor. An example of an apparatus suitable for implementing the controller 114 is shown in FIG. 7. The controller 114 may include or be communicatively coupled to various functions, blocks, or applications for implementing the functionality of the controller 114. The controller 114 may be configured to control the replacement of a mining tool or tip thereof, such as a component of the drilling unit 130. Controlling the replacement of a mining tool or portion thereof may include controlling the movement of the booms 120-1, 120-2 such that a currently installed mining tool or portion thereof is released and a new mining tool or portion thereof is attached to the boom 120-1.

[0022] It should be noted that control of mining tool replacement may be based on monitoring the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine 140. For example, the controller 114 may be configured to release the mining tool, or a portion thereof, into an empty slot in the mining tool magazine 140 when the current distance to the mining tool magazine reaches a threshold value. The distance may be negative when the mining tool is at least partially located inside the mining tool magazine 140. Thus, the threshold value may be negative. The controller 114 may be configured to monitor the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine by tracking movement of the mining tool relative to a reference position detected based on illumination of the mining tool or a predetermined portion of the mining vehicle 100, as described further below. However, the controller 114 may also be configured to control the lateral position of the mining tool based on visual data captured by the visual sensor 112.

[0023] Controller 114 may be configured to receive or store a 3D model of at least one component of mining vehicle 100 (e.g., a 3D model of booms 120-1, 120-2, their associated mining tools, and / or a kinematic model of mining vehicle 100 or its components). Controller 114 may be configured to use the kinematic model to control the movement of, for example, drilling unit 130 or another mining tool. The 3D model of a component of mining vehicle 100 may include 3D shape data of the component obtained, for example, from a computer-aided design (CAD) model of the respective physical component. A component of mining vehicle 100, such as a mining tool, may be configured with a predetermined portion (e.g., a reference portion) configured for distance detection based on detecting illumination of the portion by light source 146. The predetermined portion may be visually recognizable based on visual data captured by visual sensor 112. Controller 114 may be configured to receive the visual data and detect illumination of the predetermined portion. The controller 114 may be configured to receive visual data from the visual sensor 112 directly or through one or more intermediate processing devices or functions.

[0024] A kinematic model of mining vehicle 100 or a component thereof may include a mathematical description of at least a portion of mining vehicle 100. The kinematic model may describe the motion of mining vehicle 100 or a component of mining vehicle 100 without considering the forces causing the motion. The kinematic model may be used to estimate or simulate the position of mining vehicle 100 or a component of mining vehicle 100, for example, based on measurement data from one or more sensors associated with mining vehicle 100 or based on the motion of mining vehicle 100 caused or to be caused by a given control input. The kinematic model may include information about the dimensions of booms 120-1, 120-2, parts thereof, or mining tools configured to be attached to booms 120-1, 120-2, the characteristics of joints 122 (e.g., their degrees of freedom), constraints between moving parts of mining vehicle 100, etc. Thus, the kinematic model may make it possible to model or track the motion of components of mining vehicle 100, for example, to determine and track the position of the mining tools. The 3D model of the component may be provided as point cloud data depicting the surface of the component. The point cloud data may include, for example, a plurality of data points representing distances between the mining vehicle 100 and the component or other objects in the mining vehicle's environment (e.g., the mining tool magazine 140) at a particular time instance. Individual points included in the point cloud may be presented, for example, by x, y coordinates or x, y, z coordinates relative to a particular coordinate system (e.g., a coordinate frame fixed to the mining vehicle 100).

[0025] The mining vehicle 100 may be controlled by a controller (not shown), which may be external to the mining vehicle 100. The remote controller may be a server located remotely from the mining vehicle, for example, outside the tunnel. The functionality of the controller 114 may be located in the mining vehicle 100, the remote controller, or may be distributed between the mining vehicle 100 and the remote controller. Information may be exchanged between the remote controller and the mining vehicle 100 via a communication interface, including any suitable wireless or wired connection. Examples of suitable communication interfaces are described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a mining tool. In this example, a drilling unit 130 represents the mining tool. The drilling unit 130 may include a feed beam 131 and a rock drill 132 supported thereon. The rock drill 132 may include a shank at the front end of the rock drill 132 for connecting a tool, such as a drill rod 133 including or configured to be coupled to a drill bit 134. The drill bit may alternatively be referred to as a drill crown. Examples of mining tools include a drill rod 133, a drill bit, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the drilling unit 130 may include one or more rod handling devices 135, such as a tool holding device, a tool changer, or a manipulator. Additionally, one or more additional devices 136 may be supported on the feed beam 131. The 3D model of the at least one component of the mining vehicle 100 may include a 3D model of any of the above-mentioned components of the drilling unit 130. However, it should be noted that the 3D model of a component of mining vehicle 100 does not need to be an exact 3D model of the component. For example, an approximate 3D model can be used to represent the approximate dimensions of the component for purposes of tracking the distance between a mining tool, such as drill bit 134, and mining tool magazine 140. This can reduce computational complexity while still providing sufficient accuracy.

[0027] As described above, components of the mining vehicle 100 may be configured to have predetermined portions for distance detection based on detecting illumination of the portions. For example, the drilling unit 130 may include predetermined portions that are visually recognizable based on visual data captured by the visual sensor 112. In this example, two visually recognizable portions 138 are illustrated as predetermined portions. The visually recognizable portions may be located, for example, within the length of the drill rod 133 (see the white marker on the drill rod 133). Alternatively or additionally, the visually recognizable portion may be the tip of the drill bit 134. In general, any visually recognizable portion of the mining tool or mining vehicle 110 may be used. Examples of visually recognizable portions include a particular shape of a portion of the mining tool or mining vehicle 100 or a visual marker (e.g., a label) provided thereon.

[0028] The visually recognizable portion 138 may have a known spatial relationship to or a known location within the mining tool (e.g., fixed or derivable based on a kinematic model) such that the controller 114 can determine the position of the mining tool or a particular portion thereof (e.g., the drill bit 134) based on the position of the visually recognizable portion 138. This allows the controller 114 to track the position of the mining tool to coincide with a known reference position, such as a plane illuminated by the light source 146, after detecting the visually recognizable portion. For example, the controller 114 may be configured to track the distance of the mining tool to the mining tool magazine 140 after detecting that a given portion is at a known reference distance to the mining tool magazine 140.

[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of positioning a mining tool relative to a mining tool magazine. In this example, the mining tool is represented by drill bit 134-1. Optionally, drill rod 133 may be considered to be part of the mining tool. In this example, mining tool magazine 140 includes a drilling tool magazine, but in general, mining tool magazine 140 may be configured to store any suitable type of mining tool, such as, for example, bolting tools, injection tools, or grouting tools. Thus, mining tool magazine 140 may include a drilling tool magazine, a bolting tool magazine, an injection magazine, or a grouting tool magazine. Mining tool magazine 140 may also be embodied as a multi-purpose mining tool magazine configured to store two or more different types of mining tools.

[0030] At least one side 142 of the mining tool magazine 140 may be configured to allow access to a mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine 140 or to an empty slot 144 in the mining tool magazine 140. When controlling the replacement of a mining tool, for example, when the mining tool is located between the mining tool magazine 140 and the visual sensor 112, it may be relatively easy to control the lateral position of the mining tool, e.g., the position of the drill bit 134-1 in the yz plane, based on visual data captured by the visual sensor 112. However, it may be more difficult to accurately determine the position of the mining tool in the depth direction (x). For example, while it may be relatively easy to laterally align the drill bit 134-1 with the empty slot 144 in the mining tool magazine 140, it may be relatively difficult to determine when the drill bit 134-1 is in the appropriate position along the axis x (depth) to release the drill bit 134-1 in the empty slot 144. Similarly, it may be relatively easy to laterally align drill rod 133 with drill bit 134-2 or 134-3, but it may be relatively difficult to determine when drill rod 133 is in the proper position along axis x (depth) to be attached to drill bit 134-2 or 134-3. Note that the x, y, and z axes in Figure 3 may or may not be aligned with the corresponding axes in Figure 1.

[0031] 4 illustrates an example of controlling movement of a mining tool toward a mining tool magazine. A drill bit 134, a drill rod 133, or a combination thereof may also represent a mining tool. The controller 114 may be configured to control movement of the drill rod 133 and the drill bit 134 toward the mining tool magazine 140, for example, by providing control commands to cause movement of the booms 120-1, 120-2. In this example, the drill rod 133 includes a visually recognizable portion 138 at a known position relative to the drill bit 134. For example, a visually recognizable portion 138 may be positioned between the visually recognizable portion 138 and the tip of the drill bit 134. TIFF2026503571000002.tif5170 The controller 114 may be configured to receive visual data including a representation of the drill rod 133, and in particular the visually recognizable portion 138, from, for example, the visual sensor 112.

[0032] The mining tool magazine 140 may include or be associated with a light source 146. The light source 146 may be configured to illuminate a predetermined area relative to the mining tool magazine. TIFF2026503571000003.tif6170, which allows controller 114 to determine the distance of recognizable portion 138, and therefore any portion of the mining tool, to mining tool magazine 140 based on detecting when recognizable portion 138 is illuminated by light source 146.

[0033] The light source 146 may be configured to emit light along a plane. This allows the same light source 146 to be used to target different slots or tools in the mining tool magazine 140. Note that the light source 146 does not need to emit light at all points in the plane. The light source 146 may, for example, be configured to emit discrete (e.g., parallel) light beams along the plane. This reduces the power consumption of the light source 146. The distance between the parallel light beams may be configured to prevent the mining tool from passing through the plane without being at least partially illuminated. The distance between the light beams may, for example, be configured to be smaller than the width or diameter of the mining tool. The width or diameter may be measured along the plane of the emitted light, but may also be measured relative to an axis perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the discrete light beams.

[0034] The plane may be (substantially) parallel to the mining tool magazine, for example (substantially) parallel to a side configured to allow access to the mining tools configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine 140. This allows the same reference distance to be used when targeting different slots or tools in the mining tool magazine, or generally for different lateral positions of the mining tool. The light source 146 may be configured to emit light along a plane such that a "curtain" of emitted light has a constant depth in the direction of movement of the mining tool.

[0035] 5 illustrates an example of illumination of a portion of a mining tool by a light source in front of the mining tool magazine. In FIG. 5 , a drilling unit 130 including a drill bit 134 and a drill rod 133 is moving toward the mining tool magazine 140 such that a visually perceptible portion 138 is currently illuminated by a light source 146. The controller 114 may be configured to detect the illumination of the visually perceptible portion 138 based on the visual data captured and provided by the visual sensor 112. For example, a computer vision algorithm of the controller 114 may be configured to recognize when a representation of the visually perceptible portion 138 is lit, as depicted in the visual data. The controller 114 may then detect the current illumination of the drill bit 134 from the mining tool magazine 140 in response to detecting the illumination of the visually perceptible portion 138. For example, the controller 114 may be configured to determine, for example, a distance between the visually recognizable portion 138 and the tip of the drill bit 134 based on, for example, a predetermined reference distance and the distance between the visually recognizable portion 138 and the tip of the drill bit 134. TIFF2026503571000005.tif5170 may be configured to determine the current distance. If the tip of the drill bit 134 is configured as a visually recognizable part, TIFF2026503571000006.tif5170 may be equal to zero, and the controller 114 determines whether the current distance is equal to the predetermined distance. The image may be configured to be determined to be equal to TIFF2026503571000007.tif6170.

[0036] The controller 114 may adjust the distance between the drill bit 134 and the mining tool magazine 140 based on the movement of the drill bit 134 and / or the mining vehicle 100. TIFF2026503571000008.tif5170. For example, the controller 114 may be configured to track the movement of the drill bit 134 relative to the mining tool magazine 140. This may be based on a kinematic model of the mining vehicle 100, measurement data from one or more sensors associated with the mining vehicle 100, and / or movement of the mining vehicle 100 (e.g., the movable carrier 110) caused by given control inputs.

[0037] In addition, between the mining tool (for example, drill bit 134) and the mining tool magazine 140 TIFF2026503571000009.tif5170 The distance may be between any suitable part of the mining tool and the mining tool magazine. For example, The distance may be the distance between the drill bit 134 and the front of the mining tool magazine, the distance between the drill bit 134 and a desired release distance for releasing the drill bit 134 in the mining tool magazine, or the distance between the drill rod 133 and a desired attachment distance for attaching a new drill bit stored in the mining tool magazine. In the latter case, the controller 114 may be configured to determine the position of the tip of the drill rod 133 based on the distance between the tip of the drill rod 133 and the tip of the drill bit 134, which may be known and fixed.

[0038] Again, it should be noted that the drill bit 134, the drill rod 133, the drilling unit 130, or any combination thereof, are provided as examples of mining tools. The distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine 140 may correspond to the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine 140. The controller 114 may be configured to control the replacement of at least a tip portion of the mining tool (e.g., the drill bit 134 if the mining tool includes both the drill rod 133 and the drill bit 134) with another mining tool stored in the mining tool magazine 140. The controller 114 may be configured to control the replacement based on monitoring the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine 140, for example, as described above with respect to the drill bit 134.

[0039] It should be noted that the visual sensor 112 may also be configured to extract depth information of an object, such as the drill bit 134 and the mining tool magazine 140 (e.g., by two camera units of the visual sensor 112), for example, by comparing two images taken at slightly different positions. Alternatively, the mining vehicle 100 may include a time-of-flight (ToF) camera, which may be configured to determine the distance between a camera and a point on the object by measuring the round-trip time of an artificial light signal provided by a laser or light-emitting diode (LED). A lidar sensor may be configured to determine the distance to different points on the object(s) by targeting the object(s) with a laser and measuring the time it takes for the reflected light to return to the lidar sensor's receiver. A radar sensor may be configured to transmit electromagnetic energy toward the object(s) and observe the echoes returned from the object(s) to determine the distance to different points on the object(s). The controller 114 may be configured to use such auxiliary distance detection means to provide a rough estimate of the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine 140, for example to control the placement of the mining tool near the light source 146. However, the accuracy of such a rough distance detection method may not be sufficient to control the replacement of the mining tool, so the controller 114 may be configured to subsequently detect the distance based on the illumination of a predetermined portion to obtain a more accurate estimate of the distance.

[0040] 6 shows an example of a mining tool magazine including a light source. As already mentioned above, the mining tool magazine 140 may be configured to have a predetermined orientation relative to the mining tool magazine 140, for example along a plane. The plane may include a light source 146 that may be configured to emit light at TIFF2026503571000012.tif6170. The plane may be (substantially) parallel to a side of the mining tool magazine that is configured to allow access to the mining tools that are configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine 140.

[0041] The light source 146 may be configured to emit visible or invisible light, such as IR or UV light. The visual sensor 112 may be configured to detect invisible light but not visible light, thereby improving the detection of illumination in a predetermined area (e.g., the visually recognizable area 138). This provides the advantage of avoiding disturbances caused by visible light sources in the mining tool magazine environment. Alternatively, the color of the emitted light may be different from the color of the predetermined area of ​​the mining tool or mining vehicle 100. This helps to detect illumination in the predetermined area. For example, the visual sensor 112, any associated processing device or functionality, or the controller 114 may be configured to filter out one or more colors, e.g., a range of wavelengths different from the color of the emitted light, to improve the detection of illumination.

[0042] The mining tool magazine 140 may include a light shield 148 configured to collimate the emitted light so that the light is emitted along a plane in front of the mining tool magazine 140. The light shield 148 may, for example, include a light shield on either side of the elongated light source so that the light can exit the light shield 148 through a linear slit between the two shields. The collimated light may include substantially parallel light rays propagating in the same direction. It should be noted that the emitted light may be collimated by any suitable means, such as, for example, an optical collimator.

[0043] 7 shows an example of an apparatus configured to perform one or more exemplary embodiments. Apparatus 700 may be or include, for example, a mining vehicle controller such as a server communicatively coupled to mining vehicle 100, a controller located on mining vehicle 100, controller 114, mining vehicle 100 itself, or generally any apparatus or system configured to perform the functions described herein. While apparatus 700 is shown as a single device, it will be understood that the functions of apparatus 700 may be distributed across multiple devices, where applicable.

[0044] The device 700 may include at least one processor 702. The at least one processor 702 may include one or more of various processing devices, such as, for example, a coprocessor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), processing circuitry with or without an associated DSP, or various other processing devices including integrated circuits, such as, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a dedicated computer chip, or the like.

[0045] The device 700 may further include at least one memory 704. The at least one memory 704 may be configured to store, for example, computer program code, such as operating system software and application software. The at least one memory 704 may include one or more volatile memory devices, one or more non-volatile memory devices, and / or a combination thereof. For example, the memory may be embodied as a magnetic storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive, etc.), a magneto-optical storage device, or a semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROM, PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (random access memory), etc.). The memory 704 is provided as an example of a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium. As used herein, the term “non-transitory” refers to the medium itself (i.e., being tangible, not a signal), as opposed to a limitation on the permanence of the data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM). The at least one memory 704 may also be embodied separately from the device 700, for example as a computer-readable (storage) medium, examples of which include a memory stick, a compact disc (CD), and the like.

[0046] If the device 700 is configured to implement several functions, several components and / or components of the device 700 may be configured to implement this functionality, such as, for example, the at least one processor 702 and / or the at least one memory 704. Furthermore, if the at least one processor 702 is configured to implement several functions, the functionality may be implemented using, for example, program code 706 included in the at least one memory 704.

[0047] The functionality described herein may be performed, at least in part, by one or more computer program product components, such as software components. According to an exemplary embodiment, the device 700 includes a processor or processor circuitry, such as a microcontroller, configured by program code 706, when executed, to perform embodiments of the operations and functionality described herein. The program code 706 is provided as an example of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor 702, cause performance of the device 700.

[0048] For example, controller 114 may be implemented at least in part as program code configured to cause apparatus 700 to perform the functions of controller 114. Similarly, the transmission or reception of data (e.g., sensor data or kinematic models) via internal or external communication interfaces of mining vehicle 100 may be controlled by software.

[0049] Alternatively or additionally, the functionality described herein may be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, without limitation, exemplary types of hardware logic components that may be used include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application specific standard products (ASSPs), systems on a chip (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), graphics processing units (GPUs), neural processing units (NPUs), tensor processing units (TPUs), etc.

[0050] The apparatus 700 may include a communication interface 708 configured to allow the apparatus 700 to transmit and / or receive information. The communication interface 708 may include an internal or external communication interface, such as, for example, a wireless interface between the mining vehicle 100 and a remote control. The apparatus 700 may further include other components and / or functions, such as, for example, a user interface (not shown) including at least one input device and / or at least one output device. The input device can take various forms, such as a keyboard, a touch screen, or one or more embedded control buttons. The output device may include, for example, a display, a speaker, etc. The user interface may allow a human operator to monitor various functions and data, such as, for example, the mining tool(s) currently installed on the mining vehicle 100, the mining tool(s) stored in the mining tool magazine 140, etc.

[0051] The apparatus 700 may be configured to perform or cause the performance of any aspect of the methods described herein. Furthermore, a computer program or computer program product may include instructions that, when executed by the apparatus 700, cause the apparatus 700 to perform any aspect of the methods described herein. Furthermore, the apparatus 700 may comprise a means for performing any aspect of the methods described herein. In one example, the means includes at least one processor 702, and at least one memory 704 includes program code 706 (instructions) that, when executed by the at least one processor 702, cause the apparatus 700 to perform the method. Generally, computer program instructions may be executed on a means providing general processing functionality. Such a means may be incorporated, for example, in a computer, a server, or the like. Thus, a method may be computer-implemented, e.g., a based algorithm executable by a general processing function, an example of which is the at least one processor 702. The apparatus 700 may include a means for transmitting or receiving information, e.g., one or more wired or wireless transmitters or receivers, which may be coupled or configured to be coupled to one or more antennas or a transmitter or receiver of a wired communication interface. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control method for a mining vehicle.

[0052] According to a first aspect, an apparatus for controlling a mining vehicle is disclosed, the apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured, using the at least one processor, to at least control movement of a mining tool of the mining vehicle toward a mining tool magazine, a light source configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance relative to the mining tool magazine, receive visual data including a representation of the mining tool, determine a distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on the visual data and detecting illumination of a predetermined portion of the mining tool or the mining vehicle by the emitted light, monitor the determined distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on movement of the mining tool and / or the mining vehicle, and control replacement of at least a tip portion of the mining tool with another mining tool stored in the mining tool magazine based on the monitoring of the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine.

[0053] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the mining vehicle comprises a drill rig, or the mining tool magazine comprises a drilling tool magazine, or the mining tool or other mining tool comprises at least one of a drill crown, a drill bit, or a drill rod.

[0054] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the mining tool comprises a bolting tool, an injection tool, or a grouting tool.

[0055] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the predetermined portion of the mining tool includes a tip of the mining tool.

[0056] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the predetermined portion of the mining tool or vehicle comprises a visually recognizable portion of the mining tool or vehicle.

[0057] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the light source includes a light blocking portion configured to collimate light along a plane.

[0058] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the light source is configured to emit light in front of a side of the mining tool magazine configured to allow access to at least one mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

[0059] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the plane is substantially parallel to a side of the mining tool magazine configured to allow access to at least one mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

[0060] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the emitted light comprises invisible light, infrared light, or ultraviolet light, or the color of the emitted light is different from the color of the predetermined portion of the mining tool or mining vehicle.

[0061] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the computer program code is further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to receive visual data from a camera of the mining vehicle.

[0062] 8 illustrates an example of a method for controlling a mining vehicle according to a second aspect of the present disclosure. The method may include a computer-implemented method executed by a device 700, such as the controller 114.

[0063] At 801, the method may include controlling movement of a mining tool of a mining vehicle toward a mining tool magazine, wherein the light source is configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance relative to the mining tool magazine.

[0064] At 802, the method may include receiving visual data including a representation of a mining tool.

[0065] At 803, the method may include determining a distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on the visual data and detecting illumination of a predetermined portion of the mining tool or mining vehicle by the emitted light.

[0066] At 804, the method may include monitoring a distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on movement of the mining tool and / or the mining vehicle.

[0067] At 805, the method may include controlling replacement of at least a tip portion of the mining tool with another mining tool stored in the mining tool magazine based on monitoring the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine.

[0068] The method, when executed by processor 702, may be performed by apparatus 700, controller 114, mining vehicle 100, or a remote control device for mining vehicle 100, for example, based on program code 706. Various examples of the method are described above with respect to functionality of controller 114 and / or mining vehicle 100. It should be understood that the described exemplary embodiments may be combined in different ways unless expressly prohibited.

[0069] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the mining vehicle comprises a drill rig, or the mining tool magazine comprises a drilling tool magazine, or the mining tool or other mining tool comprises at least one of a drill crown, a drill bit, or a drill rod.

[0070] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the mining tool comprises a bolting tool, an injection tool, or a grouting tool.

[0071] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the predetermined portion of the mining tool includes a tip of the mining tool.

[0072] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the predetermined portion of the mining tool or vehicle comprises a visually recognizable portion of the mining tool or vehicle.

[0073] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the light source includes a light blocking portion configured to collimate light along a plane.

[0074] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the light source is configured to emit light in front of a side of the mining tool magazine configured to allow access to at least one mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

[0075] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the plane is substantially parallel to a side of the mining tool magazine configured to allow access to at least one mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

[0076] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the emitted light comprises invisible light, infrared light, or ultraviolet light, or the color of the emitted light is different from the color of the predetermined portion of the mining tool or mining vehicle.

[0077] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the computer program code is further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to receive visual data from a camera of the mining vehicle.

[0078] According to a third aspect, an apparatus may include means for carrying out the method according to the second aspect or any exemplary embodiment thereof.

[0079] According to a fourth aspect, a computer program, a computer program product, or a (non-transitory) computer readable medium may comprise instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least a method according to the second aspect or any exemplary embodiment thereof.

[0080] According to a fifth aspect, a mining vehicle is disclosed. The mining vehicle may include an apparatus according to the first or third aspect, or any exemplary embodiment thereof, or a computer program according to the fourth aspect.

[0081] According to an exemplary embodiment of the fifth aspect, the mining vehicle includes or is configured to hold a mining tool magazine.

[0082] According to an exemplary embodiment of the fifth aspect, the mining vehicle comprises a drill rig, or the mining tool magazine comprises a drilling tool magazine, or the mining tool or other mining tool comprises at least one of a drill crown, a drill bit, or a drill rod.

[0083] According to a sixth aspect, a mining tool magazine is disclosed. The mining tool magazine may include a light source configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance relative to the mining tool magazine.

[0084] According to an exemplary embodiment of the sixth aspect, the emitted light comprises invisible light, infrared light, or ultraviolet light, or the color of the emitted light is different from the color of a predetermined portion of the mining tool or mining vehicle, and the mining vehicle is configured to replace the mining tool with another mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

[0085] According to an exemplary embodiment of the sixth aspect, the light source includes a light blocking portion configured to collimate light along a plane.

[0086] According to an exemplary embodiment of the sixth aspect, the light source is configured to emit light in front of a side of the mining tool magazine configured to allow access to at least one mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

[0087] According to an exemplary embodiment of the sixth aspect, the plane is substantially parallel to a side of the mining tool magazine configured to allow access to at least one mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

[0088] According to an exemplary embodiment of the sixth aspect, the mining tool magazine comprises a drilling tool magazine, a bolting tool magazine, an injection tool magazine, or a grouting tool magazine, or the mining tool comprises a drilling tool, a bolting tool, an injection tool, or a grouting tool.

[0089] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or operations, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or operations described above. Rather, the specific features and operations described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims, and other equivalent features and operations are intended to be within the scope of the claims.

[0090] It will be understood that the benefits and advantages described above may relate to one embodiment or to several embodiments. The embodiments are not limited to those that solve any or all of the described problems or that have any or all of the described benefits and advantages. It will be further understood that references to items may refer to one or more of those items.

[0091] The steps or actions of the methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order, or simultaneously where appropriate. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from any of the methods without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Aspects of any of the exemplary embodiments described above may be combined with aspects of any of the other exemplary embodiments described above to form further exemplary embodiments without losing the desired effect.

[0092] The term "comprising" is used herein to mean including identified methods, blocks, or elements, but such blocks or elements do not comprise an exclusive list and a method or apparatus may include additional blocks or elements.

[0093] As used herein, "at least one of: " and "at least one of " and similar expressions, where a list of two or more elements is joined by "and" or "or," means at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements. The term "or" may be understood to include both of the items separated by "or." Thus, "or" may be understood as an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or."

[0094] Although an object may be referred to as a "first" object or a "second" object, this does not necessarily indicate the order or importance of the object. Instead, such attributes may be used solely to differentiate between the objects.

[0095] It will be understood that the above description is given by way of example only, and that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. The above specification, examples, and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of exemplary embodiments. Although various embodiments have been described above with a degree of particularity, or with reference to one or more individual embodiments, those skilled in the art may make many modifications to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of this specification.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for controlling the change of mining tools of a mining vehicle, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory containing computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the device, using the at least one processor, to perform at least: A light source is configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance from the mining tool magazine, the light source controlling movement of the mining vehicle's mining tool toward the mining tool magazine; receiving visual data including a representation of the mining tool; determining a distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on the visual data and detecting illumination of a predetermined portion of the mining tool or the mining vehicle by the emitted light; monitoring the determined distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on movement of at least one of the mining tool or the mining vehicle relative to the mining tool magazine; An apparatus for controlling replacement of at least a tip portion of the mining tool with another mining tool stored in the mining tool magazine based on the monitoring of the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine.

2. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined portion of the mining tool or mining vehicle comprises a tip portion of the mining tool or the predetermined portion of the mining tool or mining vehicle comprises a visually recognizable portion of the mining tool or mining vehicle.

3. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the apparatus, using the at least one processor, to detect illumination of the mining tool or the predetermined portion of the mining vehicle by the emitted light in front of a side of the mining tool magazine configured to allow access to at least one mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

4. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plane is substantially parallel to the side of the mining tool magazine configured to allow access to the at least one mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

5. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emitted light comprises invisible light, infrared light, or ultraviolet light, or the color of the emitted light is different from the color of the predetermined portion of the mining tool or mining vehicle.

6. The at least one memory and the computer program code, when used with the at least one processor, cause the device to at least:

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further configured to receive the visual data from a camera of the mining vehicle.

7. A mining vehicle comprising a device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The mining vehicle of claim 7 further including or further configured to hold the mining tool magazine.

9. 9. The mining vehicle of claim 8, wherein the mining tool magazine includes a light source configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance relative to the mining tool magazine in front of a side of the mining tool magazine configured to allow access to at least one mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

10. 10. The mining vehicle of claim 9, wherein the emitted light comprises invisible light, infrared light, or ultraviolet light, or the color of the emitted light is different from the color of the mining tool or a predetermined portion of the mining vehicle, and the mining vehicle is configured to replace the mining tool with another mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

11. 11. A mining vehicle according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the light source includes a light blocking portion configured to collimate the light along the plane.

12. 12. A mining vehicle according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the plane is substantially parallel to the side of the mining tool magazine configured to allow access to the at least one mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

13. 1. A mining tool magazine, comprising:

1. A mining tool magazine comprising: a light source configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance relative to the mining tool magazine in front of a side of the mining tool magazine configured to allow access to at least one mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

14. 14. The mining tool magazine of claim 13, wherein the emitted light comprises invisible light, infrared light, or ultraviolet light, or the color of the emitted light is different from the color of a mining tool or a predetermined portion of a mining vehicle, and the mining vehicle is configured to replace the mining tool with another mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

15. 15. The mining tool magazine of claim 13 or 14, wherein the light source includes a light blocking portion configured to collimate the light along the plane.

16. 16. The mining tool magazine according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the plane is substantially parallel to the side of the mining tool magazine configured to allow access to the at least one mining tool configured to be stored in the mining tool magazine.

17. 1. A computer-implemented method performed by an apparatus for controlling the changing of mining tools of a mining vehicle, the method comprising: controlling movement of a mining tool of the mining vehicle toward a mining tool magazine, wherein a light source is configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance relative to the mining tool magazine; receiving visual data including a representation of the mining tool; determining a distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on the visual data and detecting illumination of a predetermined portion of the mining tool or the mining vehicle by the emitted light; monitoring the determined distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on movement of at least one of the mining tool or the mining vehicle relative to the mining tool magazine; and controlling replacement of at least a tip portion of the mining tool with another mining tool stored in the mining tool magazine based on the monitoring of the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine.

18. 1. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, cause the apparatus to perform at least: A light source is configured to emit light along a plane at a predetermined reference distance from the mining tool magazine, the light source controlling movement of the mining vehicle's mining tool toward the mining tool magazine; receiving visual data including a representation of the mining tool; determining a distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on the visual data and detecting illumination of a predetermined portion of the mining tool or the mining vehicle by the emitted light; monitoring the determined distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine based on movement of at least one of the mining tool or the mining vehicle relative to the mining tool magazine; A computer program that controls replacement of at least a tip portion of the mining tool with another mining tool stored in the mining tool magazine based on the monitoring of the distance between the mining tool and the mining tool magazine.

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