Transport vehicle, system, and method for guiding a vehicle to be transported into the loading space of a transport vehicle.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transport vehicle (10) having a frame, a loading space (40) attached to the frame for loading a vehicle to be transported (20) onto the transport vehicle (10), a ramp (45) that serves as a passage to the loading space (40), and positioning means for determining the position of the transport vehicle (10). In the present invention, the positioning means has at least two positioning devices (50) that determine the position and orientation of the loading space (40) of the transport vehicle (10). The present invention also relates to a system and method for guiding a vehicle to be transported (20) into the loading space (40) of the transport vehicle (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport vehicle, and more particularly to a transport vehicle having a frame (frame: vehicle body), a loading (cargo / load) space attached to the frame for loading a vehicle (transported vehicle) to be transported onto the transport vehicle, a ramp (ramp: loading inclined road) leading to the loading space, and a positioning means (geopositioning means, geographic positioning means) for determining the position (Position: location) of the transport vehicle. Further, the present invention also relates to a method and a system for guiding a vehicle into the loading space of a transport vehicle.

[0002] Currently, in mining areas, self-propelled vehicles (Autonomous vehicle: autonomous driving vehicle) such as those exemplified by drilling rigs, such as the Sandvik DR412i AutoMineSurface Drilling rig, are being used. Conventionally, the exemplified self-propelled vehicles have a guidance system for guiding the vehicle based on geographic data (Geographic Data: geographical attribute data) provided by a geolocalization system (Geolocalization Sytem: system for specifying the ground position) such as GPS (Global Positioning System: Global Positioning System). For example, based on the position coordinates determined for a drilling site, the route points (Route point: route points) of a self-propelled drilling rig can be determined, and the self-propelled drilling rig can be guided from one drilling site to another according to these route points.

[0003] Incidentally, for long-distance transport, it is common practice in mining areas to use separate transport vehicles to move drilling rigs or other heavy machinery. While self-propelled transport vehicles or trailers towed by other vehicles can be used as transport vehicles, conventional self-propelled vehicles cannot autonomously / automatically drive themselves into the transport vehicle's cargo space. This requires human intervention to guide the transported vehicle into the cargo space, or the self-propelled vehicle needs to be configured with a complex guidance system, for example, relying on cameras or LiDAR (laser sensor positioning technology).

[0004] For example, Australian Patent Application Publication 2023200477A1 discloses a self-propelled vehicle that drives itself into the cargo space of a trailer. This vehicle is equipped with recognition means for recognizing the contour of the transport vehicle, which includes distance sensors and cameras. However, this conventional solution had many problems, including being prone to errors due to the complexity of the system and being expensive. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Australian Patent Application Publication No. 2023200477A1

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a transport vehicle, a system therefor, and a method therefor that can easily and reliably guide a vehicle to be transported into the loading space of the transport vehicle. The features of the system according to the present invention are as described in claim 1, the features of the system according to the present invention are as described in claim 6, and the features of the method according to the present invention are as described in claim 11.

[0007] The transport vehicle according to the present invention comprises a frame, the frame having a loading space for loading a vehicle to be transported onto the transport vehicle, a ramp leading to the loading space, and positioning means for determining the position of the transport vehicle. The positioning means includes at least two positioning devices for determining the position and orientation of the loading space of the transport vehicle.

[0008] Modern transport vehicles can be equipped with positioning means to determine their location, but we have discovered an unexpected configuration in which two or more positioning devices are installed on the transport vehicle. This offers the advantage of determining not only the vehicle's location data but also its orientation.

[0009] Therefore, using positional and orientation data, the vehicle to be transported can be guided to the loading space of the transport vehicle. Since the vehicle to be transported can only be loaded onto the transport vehicle from one direction via the transport vehicle's ramp, determining this orientation is important. The transport vehicle according to the present invention does not require LiDAR or other complex systems to load the vehicle to be transported into the transport vehicle's loading space, and loading can be performed solely based on the position and orientation determined by the positioning system, making the transport vehicle simpler, more reliable, and more cost-effective. If the shape of the transport vehicle is known, the position and orientation of the loading space can be determined based on the measurement data of the positioning means.

[0010] The transport vehicle preferably has wheels that support the frame at its base, and a lifting mechanism that lowers the cargo space and moves the vehicle to be transported into the cargo space. This allows the transport vehicle to be moved by the wheels, and lowering the cargo space makes it easier to load the vehicle to be transported into the transport vehicle's cargo space.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the positioning means comprises three positioning devices that determine the position and orientation of the cargo space of the transport vehicle. The transport vehicle may also have only two positioning devices that can determine the orientation of the transport vehicle, but in this case, there is a possibility of a 180-degree difference in orientation when the transported vehicle is guided to the cargo section of the transport vehicle. In this case, an authentication system or detection system can be used to correct the route of the transported vehicle, for example, assuming that the transported vehicle approaches the transport vehicle at a 180-degree incorrect angle. In other words, by using three positioning devices, this possible 180-degree error can be eliminated, so that the necessary and accurate direction for moving the transported vehicle toward the ramp can be reliably confirmed. That is, by using three positioning devices, for example, the front and rear of the transport vehicle toward the ramp can be determined.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the positioning means includes two positioning devices that determine the position of the cargo space of the transport vehicle, and a gyroscope that determines the orientation of the cargo space of the transport vehicle. This provides another way to eliminate the aforementioned possible 180-degree error.

[0013] In one embodiment, the positioning means includes two positioning devices for determining the location of the cargo space of the transport vehicle, and software means for determining the orientation of the cargo space of the transport vehicle based on the transport vehicle's previous path.

[0014] For positioning equipment, satellite positioning equipment, preferably GPS positioning equipment, can be used. This allows for the determination of the position and orientation of transport vehicles in open terrain such as open-pit mines. It is also possible to use positioning systems installed in mines.

[0015] The system of the present invention comprises a positioning means for determining the positions of a vehicle to be transported and a transport vehicle in order to guide a target vehicle to the loading space of the transport vehicle, a guidance system for guiding the vehicle based on position data provided by the positioning means and route points input to the guidance system, and a transport vehicle for transporting the vehicle to be transported. One of the aforementioned transport vehicles is used as the transport vehicle, and this system has software means configured to input route points generated from the position and orientation of the transport vehicle into the guidance system of the transport vehicle. That is, the position and orientation of the transport vehicle according to the present invention can be input into the existing guidance system of the vehicle to be transported, and the vehicle to be transported can be easily guided to the loading space of the transport vehicle. As the orientation of the transport vehicle can be determined, the vehicle to be transported can be guided to travel along the ramp of the transport vehicle, and it can be loaded into the loading space of the transport vehicle from the correct direction.

[0016] Preferably, the vehicle to be transported is configured to approach the transport vehicle from a specified direction in order to be loaded into the transport vehicle's loading space, allowing the vehicle to be transported automatically. Therefore, there is no need for human intervention to load the vehicle onto the transport vehicle.

[0017] Preferably, the vehicle to be transported is a digging rig equipped with a tracked body. Moving a tracked digging rig over long distances is particularly difficult because its movement speed is extremely slow, and the tracked body is subjected to considerable wear during long-distance travel.

[0018] Other machines equipped with wheels or tracks, such as self-propelled bulldozers and tanks, can also be used as transported vehicles.

[0019] In one embodiment, the transported vehicle has a positioning means within itself, and is configured to autonomously travel along a route designated by the transported vehicle based on this. Using the system according to the present invention, it becomes possible to load a self-propelled vehicle into the cargo space of a transport vehicle without any human intervention.

[0020] Preferably, the system further comprises a satellite positioning station that generates a positioning correction signal to improve the accuracy of the positioning means of the transport vehicle and / or the positioning means of the transported vehicle. To improve this positioning accuracy, a real-time kinematic positioning method (RTK: real-time correction of position information using a satellite positioning system) can be used. This means using a fixed base station that provides real-time correction information to the mobile receiver, resulting in positioning with centimeter-level accuracy.

[0021] The method according to the present invention guides a vehicle to the loading space of a transport vehicle. Here, the transported vehicle has positioning means for identifying / determining the vehicle's position, and a guidance system which guides the transported vehicle based on position data provided by the positioning means and route points input into the guidance system. The position of the transported vehicle is identified / determined by the vehicle's positioning means, and the transported vehicle is driven to the loading space of the transport vehicle and loaded at a designated position on the transport vehicle. The transport vehicle described above is used in this method, in which the position and orientation of the transport vehicle are identified / determined by the transport vehicle's positioning means, virtual route points are generated from the transport vehicle's position and orientation to transport the transported vehicle to the transport vehicle's loading space, these virtual route points are set as destinations in the transported vehicle's guidance system, and the route of the transported vehicle to be guided to the destination is determined. The transported vehicle is then guided to the loading space of the transport vehicle along the determined route. This allows the transported vehicle to be loaded into the transport vehicle's cargo space in a simpler and more reliable way, using only the position and orientation data generated by the positioning system.

[0022] The transport vehicle can get close to the transported vehicle, preferably within 100m, and the transport vehicle stops before generating a virtual path point. Therefore, the transported vehicle does not need to travel long distances.

[0023] When using the positioning means of the transport vehicle, it is possible to identify / determine at least one virtual path point, preferably two virtual path points, outside the transport vehicle, where the virtual path points formed in the loading space of the transport vehicle are aligned in a straight line with the longitudinal center line of the transport vehicle frame. As a result, the path along which the transported vehicle approaches the loading space of the transport vehicle linearly from the right direction can be identified / determined.

[0024] At least one virtual path point can be selected and set according to the distance from the loading space, and this distance is preferably at least 5 m, more preferably at least 10 m. Thereby, the transported vehicle is guided outside the loading space to correspond to the orientation that aligns not only with the longitudinal center line of the transport vehicle frame but also with the longitudinal center line of the loading space, so that the transported vehicle can advance into the loading space of the transport vehicle from the correct direction.

[0025] Preferably, the shape of the transport vehicle is determined based on the arrangement of the positioning means of the transport vehicle, and then the position and orientation of the transport vehicle are determined using the positioning means of the transport vehicle. More specifically, the position of the positioning means of the transport vehicle is determined based on the loading space. For this reason, the position of the loading space of the transport vehicle can be determined according to the configuration of the positioning means of the transport vehicle, and it becomes possible to set the path point of the transported vehicle, for example, at the center of the loading space.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings showing embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a view showing a self-propelled drilling rig configured to travel along a path defined by preset path points within a drilling area. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a view showing a transport vehicle according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a view showing a system according to the present invention in which a transported vehicle is loaded into the loading space of a transport vehicle.

[0027] Figure 1 shows a self-propelled excavation rig that constitutes the transported vehicle 20 in this embodiment. In the system according to the present invention, the transported vehicle 20 is configured to move within the excavation area along a route 90 determined by pre-set route points 80. The transported vehicle 20 includes a positioning means 62 that determines the position of the vehicle 20, and a guidance system that guides the vehicle 20 based on the position data provided by the positioning means 62 and the route points 80 input to the guidance system. Here, the positioning means 62 includes a satellite positioning device that communicates with a satellite 97 in order to determine the position of the vehicle 20.

[0028] Normally, the transported vehicle 20 is supported at its base (or on the ground) by wheels or tracks 60, and in this case as well, the vehicle 20 moves on its own on the base using these tracks 60.

[0029] The guidance system for the transported vehicle 20 can use individual satellite positioning stations 100 to generate positioning correction signals and improve the accuracy of the vehicle's positioning means 62. This allows the location of route points 80 and the vehicle 20 to be determined with an accuracy of up to ±2 cm. Here, a real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning method is used, which determines position using a carrier wave. The satellite positioning station 100 communicates with satellite 97 via a positioning antenna 95 and transmits a carrier wave to the vehicle's positioning means via a transmitting antenna 96.

[0030] Figure 2 shows a transport vehicle 10 according to the present invention. The transport vehicle 10 has a frame to which a cargo space 40 configured to accommodate a vehicle to be transported 20 is attached. The frame here has a first end and a second end, which are joined by articulated joints. In other words, the transport vehicle uses a frame steering system. Wheels, namely front wheels 31 and rear wheels 32, support the frame on a base, and the transport vehicle 10 moves on the base using these wheels. The front wheels 31 are located at the first end of the frame, and the rear wheels 32 are located at the second end of the frame. The transport vehicle 10 here is equipped with a power unit attached to the first end of the frame that transmits power to the front wheels 31 in order to move the transport vehicle. Thus, the transport vehicle 10 here is self-propelled, but in another embodiment, the transport vehicle of the present invention may be a trailer towed by another towing vehicle.

[0031] The transport vehicle 10 is equipped with a lifting mechanism 35 that can lower the loading space 40 to transport the vehicle to be transported into the loading space 40. Here, the lifting mechanism 35 is located on the suspension of the rear wheels 32 and can lower the rear end 41 of the loading space 40 to near the base, preferably until it touches the base. The rear end 41 of the loading space 40 is further equipped with a ramp 45, which allows the vehicle to be transported 20 to be easily loaded into the loading space 40 along the ramp when the rear end 41 of the loading space 40 is lowered. The lifting mechanism 35 is not essential to the transport vehicle 10 according to the present invention, but its use facilitates the loading of the vehicle to be transported 20 into the loading space 40.

[0032] The transport vehicle 10 further has positioning means for determining the position of the transport vehicle. Here, the positioning means includes three positioning devices 50 that determine the position and orientation of the cargo space of the transport vehicle 10. Here, the positioning devices 50 are satellite positioning devices, specifically GPS positioning devices. Each positioning device 50 is equipped with a satellite positioning antenna, in this case a GPS antenna. The position of the positioning devices 50 is determined with respect to the cargo space 40.

[0033] The transport vehicle 10 can be composed of at least two positioning devices 50 capable of determining the position and orientation of the transport vehicle 10. In this case, there is a possibility of a 180-degree error (reverse direction) occurring in the path of the transported vehicle 20. Therefore, it is also possible to increase the number of positioning devices 50 to three or more.

[0034] The transport vehicle 10 can also utilize the aforementioned satellite positioning station 100 to improve the positioning accuracy of the transport vehicle 20.

[0035] The transport vehicle 10 may differ in size from the transport vehicle 10 illustrated in Figure 2. The size and load capacity of this transport vehicle 10 can be set according to the vehicle to be transported 20. Here, the transport vehicle 10 is a self-propelled transport vehicle 10. This transport vehicle 10 may also be another towing vehicle equipped with the positioning means according to the present invention. For example, it may be a trailer towed by a Sleipner DB series trailer.

[0036] Figure 3 shows a system according to the present invention in which a vehicle to be transported 20 is loaded into the loading space 40 of a transport vehicle 10.

[0037] If the physical dimensions of the transport vehicle 10 are known and the position of the positioning device 50 relative to the loading space 40 is known, the position and orientation of the loading space 40 can be accurately determined. The transport vehicle 10 can approach the vehicle to be transported 20, preferably within 100m, and stop. In the method of the present invention, the position and orientation of the transport vehicle 10 are determined by the positioning means 62 of the transport vehicle 10. From the position and orientation of the transport vehicle 10, a virtual path point 80 for the vehicle to be transported 20 is generated within the loading space 40 of the transport vehicle 10. If the physical dimensions of the loading space 40 and the vehicle to be transported 20 are known, the path point 80 is located within the loading space 40 so that the vehicle to be transported 20 can be loaded into the loading space 40 without hitting the edges. The virtual path point 80 that occurs at the position of the loading space 40 is set as the destination point in the guidance system for the vehicle to be transported 20, and the path 90 determines the path 90 to the vehicle to be transported 20 that reaches this destination point. The transported vehicle 20 is guided to the loading space 40 of the transport vehicle 10 either autonomously or manually along the generated route 90. In addition to the autonomous transported vehicle 20, the system according to the present invention also facilitates the loading of manually guided vehicles into the loading space 40 of the transport vehicle 10.

[0038] Here, the positioning means of the transport vehicle 10 further determines two virtual path points 80 outside the transport vehicle 10. These points are aligned in a straight line with the virtual path points 80 within the loading space 40 of the transport vehicle 10 and with the longitudinal centerline of the transport vehicle 10's frame. This allows the path 90 of the transported vehicle 20 to be determined, guiding the transported vehicle 20 linearly to the loading space 40 via the ramp 45, so that the transported vehicle 20 comes into contact with the ramp 45 at a right angle and is positioned at the target location within the loading space 40. Therefore, the virtual path points 80 are positioned at a selected distance from the loading space 40. The distance of the first virtual path point 80 from the loading space 40 can be set to, for example, at least 5m or at least 10m, and therefore the distance from the second virtual path point 80 to the loading space 40 can be set to, for example, at least 20m or at least 50m. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 10 Transport Vehicles 20 Transported vehicle 31 Front Wheel 32 Rear wheels 35 Lifting and lowering means 40 loading spaces 41 Rear end 45 lamps 50 Positioning devices 60 Tracks 62 Positioning means 80 Route Points 90 routes 97 satellite 100 Satellite Positioning Stations

Claims

1. A transport vehicle (10), Frame, A loading space (40) attached to the frame for loading the vehicle to be transported (20) onto the transport vehicle (10), A ramp (45) leading to the aforementioned loading space (40), and The system includes positioning means for determining the position of the transport vehicle (10), The positioning means has at least two positioning devices (50) that determine the position and orientation of the cargo space (40) of the transport vehicle (10). A transport vehicle (10) characterized by the following features.

2. The transport vehicle (10) has wheels (31, 32) that support the frame at its base, and Lifting means for lowering the loading space (40) and moving the transported vehicle (20) into the loading space (40) A transport vehicle (10) according to claim 1, having the following features.

3. The transport vehicle (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the positioning means has three positioning devices (50) that determine the position and orientation of the cargo space (40) of the transport vehicle (10).

4. The transport vehicle (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the positioning means includes two positioning devices (50) for determining the position of the cargo space (40) of the transport vehicle (10), and a gyroscope for determining the orientation of the cargo space (40) of the transport vehicle (10).

5. The transport vehicle (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the positioning device (50) is a satellite positioning device, preferably a GPS positioning device.

6. A system for guiding a vehicle to be transported (20) into the loading space (40) of a transport vehicle (10), wherein the system is A transported vehicle (20) comprises a positioning means for determining the position of the transported vehicle (20), and a guidance system for guiding the transported vehicle (20) based on the position data provided by the positioning means and route points (80) input into the guidance system. This includes a transport vehicle (10) for transporting the vehicle to be transported (20), The transport vehicle (10) A transport vehicle (10) as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, in a system for transporting the vehicle to be transported (20) by the transport vehicle (10), The system includes software means to input route points (80) generated from the position and orientation of the cargo space (40) of the transport vehicle (10) into the guidance system of the transported vehicle (20). A system characterized by the following features.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle to be transported (20) approaches the transport vehicle (10) from a specified direction, loads the vehicle to be transported (20) into the loading space (40) of the transport vehicle (10), and thereby automatically transports the vehicle to be transported (20).

8. The system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the transported vehicle (20) is an excavation rig, preferably an excavation rig equipped with a tracked chassis (60).

9. The system according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the transported vehicle (20) has positioning means (62) and is configured to autonomously move to a designated route point (80) based on this means.

10. The system according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the system (52) further comprises a satellite positioning station (100) which generates a positioning correction signal to improve the accuracy of the positioning means (62) of the transport vehicle (10) and / or the positioning means (62) of the transported vehicle (20).

11. A method for guiding a vehicle (20) to the loading space (40) of a transport vehicle (10), Positioning means (62) for determining the position of the vehicle (20) being transported, and The guidance system guides the vehicle (20) based on the position data provided by the positioning means (62) and the route points (80) input to the guidance system. The method is, The position of the vehicle (20) being transported is determined by the positioning means of the vehicle (20) being transported. The transported vehicle (20) is loaded into the loading space (40) of the transport vehicle (10), and then loaded to the designated location on the transport vehicle (10). The transport vehicle (10) A transport vehicle (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The position and orientation of the transport vehicle (10) are determined by the positioning means of the transport vehicle (10), Based on the position and orientation of the transport vehicle (10), a virtual route point (80) is generated for transporting the vehicle to be transported (20) to the loading space (40) of the transport vehicle (10). This virtual route point (80) is set as the destination point in the guidance system of the transported vehicle (20), and the route (90) to reach this destination point is determined for the transported vehicle (20). The vehicle to be transported (20) is guided to the loading space (40) of the transport vehicle (10) along the generated route (90). A method characterized by the following:

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the transport vehicle (10) is brought close to the vehicle to be transported (20), preferably to a distance of less than 100 m, and the transport vehicle (10) is stopped before the occurrence of the virtual path point (80).

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the positioning means of the transport vehicle (10) is used to determine a virtual route point (80) provided in the loading space (40) of the vehicle (20) being transported, and at least one virtual route point (80), preferably two virtual route points (80), outside the transport vehicle (10) that are aligned with the longitudinal centerline of the frame of the transport vehicle (10).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the at least one virtual route point (80) is selected from a distance from the loading space (40) such that the distance is preferably at least 5 m, more preferably at least 10 m.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the shape of the transport vehicle (10) is determined according to the configuration of the positioning means of the transport vehicle (10), and the position and orientation of the transport vehicle (10) are subsequently determined by the positioning means of the transport vehicle (10).

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