Patent ID: 12227906

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG.1shows the system1comprising construction machine2, transport vehicle3with loading space4and image-recording device5. The image-recording device5is arranged at the construction machine2and aligned, as a minimum, towards the loading space4of the transport vehicle3. The construction machine2comprises, as conveying device6, a belt conveyor7arranged to pivot at the machine frame8of the construction machine2. The image-recording device5may comprise one or multiple cameras11for recording data. The image-recording device5is arranged at the uppermost end of the belt conveyor7so that the camera lens9of the camera11is directed downwards in such a fashion that the viewing angle10detects the entire loading space4of the transport vehicle3and a part of the construction machine2.

In the embodiment shown, the construction machine2is preferably a milling machine for milling a section of a ground pavement. The ground pavement is milled by means of the milling machine, and the removed material or milling material, respectively, is loaded onto the transport vehicle3via the at least one belt conveyor7. The milling machine may comprise, as a minimum, a machine frame. Furthermore, the milling machine may comprise a height-adjustable milling drum for working the ground pavement. The milling drum is driven by a drive unit. The drive unit is preferably a drive motor, specifically, a combustion engine. The milling machine comprises travelling devices44. Said travelling devices44may be wheels or tracked ground-engaging units. The travelling devices44may be connected to the machine frame8via lifting columns. The milling machine or the machine frame8, respectively, can be adjusted in height relative to the ground pavement by means of the lifting columns. The machine frame8is adjusted in height by adjusting the lifting columns, and as a result, the not-depicted milling drum mounted in the machine frame8is adjusted in height as well. Alternatively or additionally, the milling drum may be adjustable in height relative to the machine frame8.

A reception and display device18is arranged at or in the transport vehicle3, where the data recorded by the image-recording device5are transmitted to the reception and display device18by means of a transmission device46arranged at the construction machine. Alternatively, the reception and display device18may be designed as a mobile unit and carried along, for example, by the driver of the transport vehicle.

The image-recording device5may additionally detect a registration plate, for example, the vehicle registration plate of the transport vehicle. The information concerning the registration plate may also be transmitted to the reception and display device by means of the transmission device46.

The transmission device46may transmit further data to the reception and display device18in addition to the data recorded by the image-recording device.

Said further data may be other machine information, in particular, data relating to the milling material and/or messages from the driver of the construction machine2to the driver of the transport vehicle3, preferably start or stop signals specified by the driver of the construction machine2for the driver of the transport vehicle3.

The reception and display device18may comprise a second transmission device50, and a second reception device51may be arranged at the construction machine2so that messages can be sent from the driver of the transport vehicle3to the driver of the construction machine2via the second transmission device50. It is therefore possible to exchange messages between the driver of the transport vehicle and the operator of the construction machine.

The second transmission device50and the reception and display device may be designed as a unit. The second reception device and the transmission device46may also be designed as a unit.

The system1may comprise an evaluation unit13for evaluating the data recorded with the image-recording device5by means of, for example, a unit for image analysis14.

The evaluation unit13may determine the filling level in the loading space and/or the distance between the construction machine2and the transport vehicle3and/or the point of impingement of material in the loading space4by evaluating the image data.

An imminent collision of the construction machine2and the transport vehicle3can be determined by means of the distance between the construction machine2and the transport vehicle3.

The point of impingement of the material may be the actual point of impingement of the material in the loading space4and also, in the case of the conveying device being switched off, the potential point of impingement in the loading space4when the belt conveyor6is driven again. To determine the potential point of impingement, further parameters such as, for example, the inclination of the belt conveyor6may also be included.

It may be determined based on the actual point of impingement of the material in the loading space4whether the material is still discharged within the loading space4and whether the point of impingement is in the peripheral area of the loading space4and the transport vehicle3therefore needs to move again soon in relation to the construction machine2.

The further data which are transmitted by the transmission device46to the reception and display device18in addition to the data recorded by the image-recording device5may be data determined by the evaluation unit13, in particular, start or stop signals for the driver of the transport vehicle3and/or the mass of the milling material loaded and/or a collision warning.

The evaluation unit13may determine, as a function of the point of impingement of the material in the loading space and/or as a function of the distance between the construction machine2and the transport vehicle3, a start or stop signal which is transmitted to the reception and display device18via the transmission device45.

The camera lens9is preferably a wide-angle lens of a camera11which, as a video camera, records an original image stream12. The data recorded may be forwarded to the evaluation unit13. Alternatively or additionally, an infrared camera and/or a stereoscopic camera and/or a PMD camera may also be used.

The camera11may, as a video camera, forward an original image stream12to the evaluation unit13which covers information from the entire viewing angle10. It may, however, also forward subset image streams on subset viewing angles16,17to the evaluation unit13. Subset image streams from an original image stream12may, however, also be generated in the evaluation unit13, or subset image streams from the original image stream12may also only be generated in the reception and display device18and be displayed on a screen19of the reception and display device18as images20and21. Subset image streams may therefore be already generated at the image-recording device5by means of two cameras22,23, with the evaluation unit13or the reception and display device18. In the embodiment shown inFIG.3, two subset image streams are generated in the evaluation unit13and transmitted by means of the transmission device46in such a fashion that the information on the images can be received by the reception and display device18.

The camera11is fastened at the belt conveyor7of the conveying device6in such a fashion that the alignment always points directly downwards independent of the angle of inclination27of the belt conveyor relative to the machine frame8of the construction machine2. It is thus ensured that the camera always records the loading surface and that section of the belt conveyor where the loading space4of the transport vehicle3could collide with the conveying device6.

A first storage device52may be arranged at the construction machine2, and/or the reception and display device18may comprise a second storage device53. The data recorded by the image-recording device5, and/or the further data which are transmitted to the reception and display device18in addition to the data recorded by the image-recording device5, may be stored in the first and/or the second storage device52,53.

A preferred embodiment variant specifies for the reception and display device18to be a portable computer, preferably a mobile telephone. A mobile telephone has the advantage that the same is carried along by every driver of a transport vehicle, and that it is therefore not necessary to specify an own reception and display device18for each transport vehicle. An application programme may be installed on such mobile telephone by means of which the data of the transmission device can be received and displayed on the screen of the mobile telephone.

When using the system for loading a transport vehicle3with the construction machine2, first, as shown inFIG.4, material28is conveyed onto the loading surface4of the dumper vehicle3by means of the conveying device6. In the process, a first heap29is created in the rear section of the loading surface4. The transport vehicle3is stationary, whereas the construction machine2keeps moving continuously. Since the construction machine2keeps driving, the point of discharge travels to the front end of the loading surface, which is depicted inFIGS.5and6by the heaps30,31. When the point of discharge has reached the front end of the loading surface, the vehicle driver of the transport vehicle must move the same forward relative to the construction machine. When the point of impingement has reached the rear end of the loading surface, the vehicle driver of the transport vehicle must stop the transport vehicle again. Heap32is again created in the rear section of the loading surface. By means of the present invention, the driver of the transport vehicle receives the information as to whether he has to move or stop the vehicle via the reception and display device18. An image of the loading space4is depicted on the same so that the driver of the transport vehicle recognizes on the basis of this image alone as to when the transport vehicle3must be moved. In addition, the driver of the transport vehicle receives information from the operator of the construction machine or from the evaluation unit13as to whether the transport vehicle is to be moved or not, for example, in the form of start-stop signals. He can also, for example, receive the information about what type of material has been loaded, whether the maximum weight has been reached and whether a collision with the construction machine is imminent. The coordination between the transport vehicle and the construction machine can thus be improved considerably. In addition, signalling may be effected acoustically, for example, by means of a horn15.

FIG.2shows how both the loading space4and the particularly critical section at the conveying device6may be observed with the camera11in order to control the proper filling of the loading surface on the one hand, and prevent a collision between the tailboard33and the conveying device6on the other. In this context, the loading procedure is particularly difficult if not only the transport vehicle3but also the construction machine2is movable.

In the present case, the construction machine2can pivot the conveying device6, and the construction machine can be moved forward and backward in alignment of the transport vehicle3. The proper loading of the transport vehicle3therefore depends not only on the absolute position of the transport vehicle3but on the relative position of the transport vehicle3to the conveying device6and to the machine frame8of the construction machine2.

Since the camera11moves with the construction machine2, the vehicle driver always obtains, via the camera, an image of the situation which shows the transport vehicle3and in particular the loading surface4of the same in relation to the construction machine2and from the direction of the construction machine2in order to move the transport vehicle3into the correct position relative to the construction machine2.

FIGS.8to11show the unloading of a transport vehicle3where the loading surface4is initially driven up to the construction machine2so that the loading surface4, as shown inFIG.9, is positioned in front of a receptacle.34. The loading surface4is subsequently tilted so that bulk material flows into the receptacle34. In this arrangement, a camera35is positioned in the uppermost third of the construction machine2in such a fashion that it may comprise, as image-recording device36, a camera with a wide-angle lens or multiple cameras which forward one or multiple image streams to an evaluation unit13as shown inFIG.3.

A construction machine2according toFIGS.8to11is preferably a road paver. When the road paver is loaded with material, the road paver moves slowly forward. The transport vehicle3approaches the road paver slowly in reverse travel until contact has been made between the road paver and the transport vehicle3. The transport vehicle3is thereafter pushed by the road paver ahead of the road paver, and emptying takes place.

Both the loading surface and the receptacle34can thus be observed by means of the camera also during unloading in order to, on the one hand, prevent a severe collision during the docking phase in particular in the case of a movement of the construction machine2and the transport vehicle3and in order to, on the other hand, let the material slide into the trough of the receptacle34at different speeds. This is of advantage in particular when the construction machine collects the material at different speeds.

The construction machine2according toFIGS.8to11also preferably comprises an evaluation unit13with an image-analysing programme14. Furthermore, a transmission device46, reception device51and a storage unit52are preferably specified. These have the same functions as already described for the construction machine according toFIGS.1to7.

Just as the transport vehicle3according toFIGS.1to7, the transport vehicle3may comprise a reception and display device18which may also comprise a transmission device50and a storage device53. The functions are the same as the functions described according toFIGS.1to7.

The entire loading and unloading process also requires a communication between the parties involved. For this purpose, message streams may be transmitted via the reception and display device18and/or the second transmission device50and the transmission and reception device46,51arranged on the construction machine. Furthermore, it is advantageous if the message streams can be stored in one or both storage devices52,53.

On the screen19, at least on one image20,21, reference images may be displayed which, for example, show the optimal position of the transport vehicle3relative to the construction machine2. Said optimal position remains unchanged even when the transport vehicle3and the construction machine2move, since the optimal position of the transport vehicle, for example, during docking to the construction machine2, remains unchanged from the perspective of the camera arranged at the construction machine2. In the case of a strong deviation of the image20,21from the displayed reference image, a message may be sent to the reception and display device18or a signal generated so that, for example, the horn15is sounded.