Weather-Model Machine Control for Safer Worksite Operations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile work machines face challenges in operating efficiently and safely due to varying weather conditions, which impact machine performance, worksite planning, and operator safety, as existing control systems lack effective integration of real-time weather data to adjust operations.
Innovation Solution
A worksite control system that utilizes weather data to generate a weather model, identifies corresponding actions, and generates control signals to manage machine operations, including conditional rules for restricting movements or actions based on weather criteria, ensuring safe and efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional control systems operate without weather data integration, then system complexity remains low, but machine performance and safety deteriorate under varying weather conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a weather model as an intermediary component that bridges weather data and machine control operations. The weather model receives weather data from communication systems, processes it through conditional rules, and generates control signals that adjust machine operations accordingly. This intermediary structure allows the system to respond to weather conditions without requiring direct complex integration of all weather parameters into control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining conditional rules that map specific weather conditions to appropriate machine control actions. These conditional rules are established in advance, allowing the control system to quickly respond to weather changes without real-time complex decision-making. The weather model evaluates current weather data against pre-established conditions and automatically applies appropriate control adjustments.
2Productivity
If the system integrates real-time weather data to adjust operations, then machine performance and safety improve, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts machine operations based on real-time weather model evaluations. The weather model continuously receives updated weather data and automatically modifies control signals to optimize machine performance under current conditions. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain high productivity across varying weather scenarios without requiring manual reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where weather data is continuously monitored, evaluated by the weather model, and used to generate adjusted control signals. The control system receives feedback from both the weather model and machine performance sensors, allowing it to refine operations in response to changing weather conditions and maintain optimal productivity.
3Loss of information
If the system uses comprehensive weather models to control operations, then worksite planning accuracy improves, but information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The weather model extracts only the relevant weather parameters and conditions needed for specific machine operations from comprehensive weather data. Rather than processing all available weather information, the system identifies and utilizes only those weather elements that directly impact current worksite operations, reducing data processing requirements while maintaining planning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different levels of weather data analysis to different machine operations and worksite areas based on local requirements. The weather model evaluates weather conditions specifically relevant to each machine type and operational context, rather than uniformly processing all weather data for all operations. This localized approach optimizes information utilization while minimizing processing overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
A worksite control system includes a communication system configured to receive weather data corresponding to a worksite, a weather model generation logic configured to generate a weather model based on the weather data, a worksite action identification logic configured to identify a worksite action based on the weather model, and a control signal generator configured to generate a machine control signal that controls a machine associated with the worksite based on the identified worksite action.