The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 28, 2004
Filed:
May. 28, 2002
Ray L. Burns, St. David, AZ (US);
Vadim Parfenov, Tucson, AZ (US);
Modular Mining Systems, Inc., Tucson, AZ (US);
Abstract
A supervisory safety-control system is implemented by dividing a mine's territory into zones of free operation (“permission zones”) wherein a vehicle is allowed to move according to predetermined permission parameters but unhindered by other system constraints. Traffic of autonomous vehicles in each permission zone is controlled by the supervisory system in conjunction with and in addition to conventional safety constraints associated with the guidance system that effects the vehicle's tracking of predetermined trajectories. Permission zones are assigned and activated using criteria that ensure the vehicle will remain entirely within active zones so long as the vehicle acts within such predetermined permission parameters. Each permission zone is also associated with a maximum velocity profile that overrides guidance-system safety controls, if necessary, and ensures stoppage of the vehicle at the end of the permission zone.