Machines such as haul trucks, wheel loaders, scrapers, and other types of heavy equipment, are used to perform a variety of tasks. Some of these tasks involve carrying large, awkward, loose, and/or heavy loads along rough and uneven roadways. And because of the size of the machines and/or poor visibility provided to operators of the machines, these tasks can be difficult to complete effectively. In fact, it is not uncommon for part of the load to fall from the machine along its travel route. This lost load may or may not be noticed by an operator of the machine, and the operator may be unable to reload the material or clear the roadway without help from another machine and operator. A lost load can result in low productivity and efficiency, as well as the potential obstruction of roadways.
One attempt to manage lost loads is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,441 (the '441 patent) that issued to Gudat et al. on Sep. 29, 2009. In particular, the '441 patent describes an automated lost load response system for a machine. The response system has a first sensor situated to detect the contour of a road surface forward of the machine, and a second sensor situated to detect the contour of the road surface rearward of the machine. The response system also has a controller that determines if a portion of a load carried by the machine is lost based on a comparison of signals from the first and second sensors. The controller further determines a location of the lost load, and whether the lost load is potentially hazardous based on a height and/or size of the lost load. The controller then provides a load loss warning to a service facility, which may then arrange for cleanup, salvage, or repair necessitated by the lost load.
Although the response system of the '441 patent may effectively determine when a load is lost from a machine, it may do little to resolve the situation. In particular, the solution to the lost load may still need to be determined manually and without all of the information required to do so effectively.
The disclosed worksite control system is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds