INFORMATION FOR SUCH A SNOW CRAWLER VEHICLE"

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Patent Application claims priority from Italian

Patent Application No. 102018000010490 filed on November 21, 2018, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention concerns a crawler vehicle for ski runs .

In particular, the present invention relates to a crawler vehicle for the transport of people along the ski runs and/or the preparation of ski runs.

BACKGROUND ART

The current crawler vehicles for ski runs are characterized in that they acquire a plurality of signals correlated to the crawler vehicle's operation data and possibly, if present, of the crawler vehicle's equipment for the preparation of ski runs such as, for example, the cutter, the shovel, and the winch.

Current ski run crawler vehicles are often configured to acquire signals correlated to: weather conditions, such as temperature and humidity; snow conditions, such as temperature and thickness of the snowpack; obstacles along the run; and reference points. The signals acquired are processed to provide additional signals in order to transmit as much information as possible to ensure the safety and, where appropriate, the quality of the ski runs' preparation.

While the large amount of information available improves the safety conditions and quality of the ski runs, this information is displayed on one or more screens inside the cab and, as a result, the driver of the crawler vehicle takes their eyes off the track and gives up visual driving for a period of time.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

One purpose of the present invention is to provide a crawler vehicle for ski runs that reduces the drawbacks of the prior art .

In accordance with the present invention a crawler vehicle for ski runs is provided, the crawler vehicle comprising :

- a frame;

- a cab;

- two tracks;

- a user interface located in the cab;

- at least one sensor configured to acquire at least one signal between signals correlated to the operation of the crawler vehicle, signals correlated to weather and/or snow conditions, and signals correlated to the position of the crawler vehicle in relation to reference points and/or possible obstacles; a control unit configured to process the signal and provide at least one additional signal; and

- at least one projector of contoured beams and/or images configured to project at least one contoured beam and/or one image, as a function of the additional signal, on surfaces outside the cab (in particular, on the ski run) in order to provide at least one piece of information to the driver and/or to human beings in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle .

In this way, the driver of the crawler vehicle is able to receive information without taking their eyes off the ski run .

In addition, some information may be directed to other human beings present on the ski run such as, for example, skiers who need to be warned of any dangerous situations or drivers of other crawler vehicles that are nearby.

In particular, the user interface comprises a selector for selecting one or more pieces of information to be projected outside the cab from the information correlated to: the operation of the crawler vehicle, weather and/or snow conditions, and the position of the crawler vehicle in relation to reference points and/or possible obstacles.

In this way, the driver can select which and how much information to project outside the cab as a function of the weather conditions, brightness, visibility, and possibly dangerous situations. The same information is replicated on a user interface screen .

In particular, the projector is selected from a Laser beamer; an LED beamer; a Laser/LED beamer; and a halogen beamer to produce high resolution images.

In particular, said sensors comprise: a GPS receiver for acquiring signals correlated to the geolocation and/or navigation of the crawler vehicle; said control unit being configured to process additional signals correlated to the position of the crawler vehicle in relation to ski run reference points; said projector being configured to project contoured beams that illuminate said reference points in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle.

In this way, visual driving is facilitated by precisely indicating reference points with the benefit of increasing navigational safety.

In particular, said reference points comprise the edges of the ski run.

In this way, the driver has a greater perception of the boundaries of the ski run.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, said reference points comprise a dividing line between a machined portion and an unmachined portion of the ski run.

In this way, the driver can avoid re-machining a previously machined part of the run or not machining a part of the run that has not yet been machined.

In particular, at least one of the sensors provides at least one signal correlated to weather and/or snow conditions, and the control unit is configured to provide additional signals correlated to information on snow conditions on the ski run according to at least one signal correlated to weather and/or snow conditions. Said projector is configured to project contoured beams or images on the ski run that define information on snow conditions in graphic or alphanumeric form.

The information on snow conditions such as, for example, depth, temperature, etc., can be used to adjust the cutter parameters. In accordance with the present invention, the driver of the crawler vehicle is able to obtain this information without consulting the screen in the cab.

In particular , at least one of the sensors provides at least one signal correlated to the position of the crawler vehicle in relation to reference points and/or possible obstacles, and said control unit is configured to provide additional signals correlated to the position of said obstacles in relation to the crawler vehicle according to at least one signal correlated to the position of the crawler vehicle in relation to reference points and/or possible obstacles. Said projector is configured to project light beams that illuminate said obstacles in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle. The simple illumination of the obstacles means they are easier to identify along the run.

In particular, at least one of the sensors provides at least one signal correlated to the operation of the crawler vehicle, and said control unit is configured to provide additional signals correlated to the information on the crawler vehicle's operation data according to at least one signal correlated to the operation of the crawler vehicle. Said projector is configured to project light beams that define the information in graphic or alphanumeric form onto the ski run.

This solution facilitates the visual driving of the crawler vehicle.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for displaying information for a crawler vehicle for ski runs that overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.

According to the present invention, a method for displaying information for a crawler vehicle for ski runs is provided, the method comprising the following steps :

- acquiring at least one of the signals correlated to the operation of the crawler vehicle, signals correlated to the weather and/or snow conditions, and signals correlated to the position of the crawler vehicle in relation to reference points and/or possible obstacles;

- processing at least said signal and providing at least one additional signal for controlling at least one projector arranged onboard the crawler vehicle; and

- projecting at least one contoured beam and/or one image as a function of at least one additional signal on surfaces outside the cab (in particular, on the ski run) in order to provide at least one piece of information to the driver and/or human beings in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a non-limiting embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached figures, wherein:

- Figure 1 is a lateral elevation view, with parts removed for clarity and integrated with a block diagram, of a crawler vehicle for ski runs constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

- Figure 2 is a perspective, top-down view of the crawler vehicle in Figure 1 along a ski run, with parts removed for clarity and with a reduced scale.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to Figure 1, the reference number 1 indicates in its entirety a crawler vehicle for ski runs, which comprises a frame 2; two tracks 3 (only one is shown in Figure 1); two drive wheels 4 (only one is shown in Figure 1) operationally coupled to the respective tracks 3; idler wheels 5 supporting the tracks 3; a cab 6; and a user interface 7 arranged in the cab 6. In the present invention the definition "crawler vehicle" for ski runs means both a crawler vehicle used for the transport of persons along the ski runs and a crawler vehicle comprising at least one piece of equipment for the preparation of ski runs and auxiliary piece of equipment .

In the case shown here, the crawler vehicle 1 comprises two pieces of equipment for the preparation of a ski run: a shovel 8 supported by the frame 2 at the front; and a cutter 9 supported by frame 2 at the back. The crawler vehicle 1 comprises an auxiliary piece of equipment, in this case a winch assembly 10 fixed above the frame 2 behind the cab 6 for securing the crawler vehicle when it drives up or down very steep slopes.

The crawler vehicle 1 comprises an engine 11 and a power transmission 12, which is operationally connected to the engine 11, to the drive wheels 4, to the shovel 8, to the cutter 9, and to the winch assembly 10. The power transmission 12 can be hydraulic or electric or a hydraulic and electric combination.

The crawler vehicle 1 comprises a control unit 13 connected to the user interface 7 and configured to control the crawler vehicle 1, the shovel 8, the cutter 9, and the winch assembly 10.

The winch assembly 10 comprises a support structure 14 mounted on the frame 2; a sprocket wheel 15 supported by the support structure 14 in a swivelling manner around an axis Al; a cable 16 with one end fixed to the sprocket wheel 15 and partly wound around the sprocket wheel 15; a cable guide 17 for controlling the cable 16 as it is unwound from the sprocket wheel 15 and wound onto the sprocket wheel 15. In the case shown here, the support structure 14 comprises a base 18 attached to the frame 2 and an arm 19 mounted in a swivelling manner on the base 18 around an axis A2 for directing the cable 16 to a cable 16 anchorage point, regardless of the orientation of the crawler vehicle 1 in relation to the anchorage point (not shown in the attached figures) . The base 18 supports the sprocket wheel 15, an idler pulley 20, which can be swivelled around an axis A3 that is parallel to the axis Al of the sprocket wheel 15, and the cable guide 17 that is arranged between the sprocket wheel 15 and the idler pulley 20 and has an arm that can be swung around an axis A4. The arm 19 comprises idler pulleys 21, 22 and 23.

The support structure 14 comprises a fifth wheel 24 placed between the base 18 and the arm 19; a motorized mechanism 25 operationally coupled to the fifth wheel 24 for selectively rotating the arm 19 around the axis A2 in relation to the base 18 by means of a motorized mechanism 25; and a sensor 26 for acquiring the position of the arm 19 in relation to the base 18.

The winch group 1 also comprises an actuator group 27 which is operationally connected to the sprocket wheel 15 and is designed to rotate the sprocket wheel 15 around the axis A1 in opposite directions; and a sensor 28 that is coupled to the sprocket wheel 15 for detecting the position of the sprocket wheel 15 around the axis A1. In fact, the angular position of the sprocket wheel 15 allows you to calculate, the amount of cable 16 wound on the sprocket wheel 15 and the amount of cable 16 unwound.

The crawler vehicle 1 comprises additional sensors: an angular sensor 29 for detecting the angular position of the pulley 20; an angular sensor 30 for detecting the angular position of the cable guide 17 arm; sensors 31 and 32 for detecting, respectively, the working depth of the cutter 9 and the size of the recirculation chamber of the cutter 9 (the distance between the cutter shaft and the crankcase) ; sensors 33 for detecting the operating features of the engine 11; sensors 34 for detecting the speed of the tracks 3; and a sensor 36 for detecting the cable tension 16.

The sensors described above have the function of acquiring signals correlated to the operation data of the crawler vehicle 1 and, possibly, of the equipment, such as the shovel 8, the cutter 9, and the winch assembly 10.

The crawler vehicle 1 also comprises sensors (not shown in the attached figures) for acquiring signals correlated to the weather conditions such as outside temperature humidity, and other physical quantities of the environment in which the crawler vehicle 1 operates.

The crawler vehicle 1 comprises sensors (not shown) for acquiring signals correlated to the snow conditions, and the height of the snow.

The crawler vehicle 1 is equipped with sensors for acquiring signals correlated to the morphology of the surrounding environment and to any obstacles of a non- morphological nature such as living animals or plants.

In this case, the crawler vehicle 1 comprises a sensor 37, a GPS receiver, for the geolocation and navigation of the crawler vehicle 1. The signals provided by the GPS are substantially correlated to the geolocation in relation to an absolute reference system. The information acquired through the GPS receiver allows the position of the crawler vehicle 1 to be defined in relation to reference points present on the maps and/or stored in a memory inside the control unit 13 and specific to the run or to the ski resort where the crawler vehicle 1 operates.

The crawler vehicle 1 comprises a sensor 38, such as an infrared camera, a LIDAR, a solid state LIDAR, a stereo camera for acquiring signals correlated to the presence of living beings in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle 1; and sensors 39 and 40, such as a laser and a radar for acquiring signals correlated to the presence of obstacles in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle 1.

The control unit 13 receives and processes the signals acquired from the sensors 26, ..., 40 to provide a range of information in accordance with the display modes of the user interface 7.

The crawler vehicle 1 comprises projectors 41 for projecting contoured beams or images that define information on a surface outside the cab 6 and in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle 1.

With reference to the present invention, the term "information" is understood in a broad way to comprise an alphanumeric representation that humans can interpret or an infographic or simply the illumination of reference points and mobile or immobile obstacles in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle 1, which otherwise would not be seen or would not be easily perceptible by persons in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle and by the driver of the crawler vehicle.

With reference to the present invention, "projector" means a projector configured to project contoured beams, images, or alphanumeric representations such as Laser beamers, LED beamers, halogen beamers, laser beamers for shows, LED arrays, and Laser light arrays.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the crawler vehicle 1 has a selector 42 that allows the driver to select which information to project outside the cab 6 according to their own preferences and the light and visibility conditions.

In use, the control unit 13 processes the signals acquired from the sensors 26, ..., 40 to generate additional signals that are configured to control the projectors 41 so that they project information onto surfaces outside the cab

6.

For example, the signal provided by the angular sensor

28, which in this case is an absolute encoder for acquiring the absolute number of turns of the sprocket wheel 15, is used for calculating an additional signal correlated to the residual length of the cable 16 (information) wound on the sprocket wheel 15 as a function of the geometry of the sprocket wheel 15 (number of layers of wound cable 16 and number of windings for each layer of wound cable) . This information is represented by means of contoured beams on the ski run in graphic or alphanumeric form.

According to another example, the signal provided by the sensor 28 is used for calculating the winding speed on the sprocket wheel 15 (as a function of the time and of the winding layer) and is compared with the cable speed 16 at the pulley 20 as a function of the pulley 20 diameter and of the pulley 20 angular speed, which is calculated as a function of the signal provided by the angular sensor 29 and of time. If the two cable speeds 16 at two different points of the cable route 16 are different from each other and the difference exceeds a threshold range, then there has been a cable 16 winding problem on the sprocket wheel 15 and the control unit 13 issues an additional signal, in this case a specific error signal, to visually and/or acoustically warn the driver of the technical problem concerning the winch 10. The projectors 41 are configured to project the contoured beams or images representing error messages on the ski run as a function of the additional signals.

Generally, the aforementioned technical problem of the winch 10 occurs when the traction applied to the cable 16 is too low and the cable 16 wound around the sprocket wheel 15 tends, because of its intrinsic rigidity, to independently unwind in a disorderly manner.

The signal generated by the sensor 28, in particular by the absolute encoder, is processed with the signal provided by the sensor 30, generally an angular sensor, to check whether the position of the arm of the cable guide 17 and the position of the winding on the sprocket wheel 15 comply with a predefined spatial relationship. If this spatial relationship is not complied with, the control unit 13 issues an error signal to visually (in accordance with the present invention) and acoustically warn the driver of the malfunction of the winch 10.

As a function of the speed difference of the tracks 3, the processing unit 13 provides a direction signal that the projector 41 projects as a graphic sign, for example an arrow (Figure 2), onto the snowpack so that any human beings in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle 1 perceive the change in direction of the crawler vehicle 1 in advance. The signals correlated to the speed of the tracks 3 which are provided by the sensors 34, are compared with the speed signals of the crawler vehicle 1 provided by the sensor 37, which in this case is a GPS satellite receiver, in the control unit 13 to process an additional signal correlated to the skidding of the crawler vehicle 1 to represent the information in graphic or alphanumeric form by light beams.

The signals generated by the sensor 37, GPS receiver, are processed in the control unit 13, to provide additional signals correlated to additional signals correlated to the position of the crawler vehicle 1 in relation to reference points such as, for example, the edges 43 of the ski run 44 (Figure 2), and, possibly, in relation to the dividing line 45 that divides a machined portion of the ski run 44 from an unmachined portion (Figure 2), and additional signals correlated to the speed and direction of travel of the crawler vehicle 1. The signals provided by the sensor 37, appropriately processed by the control unit 13, provide additional signals correlated to the height of the snow at the point where the crawler vehicle 1 is located. The reference points are illuminated by light beams generated by the projectors 41 to increase their visibility, while the information of the height of the snow is defined in a graphic and alphanumeric way by means of other contoured beams or images.

The projectors 41 of the crawler vehicle 1 are capable of illuminating the dividing line 45, including downstream of the crawler vehicle 1, so that it can be seen by other crawler vehicles (not shown) moving at a short distance behind the crawler vehicle 1 and so that it can define a reference point for the latter.

In addition, the signals provided by GPS allow you to know the position of snow installations (not shown in the attached figures) and arranged along the ski run and that, therefore, define obstacles for the crawler vehicle 1. Based on these signals, the projector 41 illuminates the obstacle so that the driver can anticipate their manoeuvres to avoid the obstacle.

The signal provided by GPS can also be used to identify the anchorage point (not shown in the attached figures) of the cable 16 of the winch assembly 10. The anchorage point could be buried by snow and, for this reason, may not be easily identifiable. The GPS signal, in combination with the ski resort maps stored in the GPS satellite receiver 37 or in the processing unit 13, provides signals on the position of the anchorage points, and the processing unit 13 provides an additional signal to control the projector 41 so that it directs a relatively cohesive beam of light on the point where the anchorage point is located.

The signals generated by the sensors 38, 39 and 40 are correlated to the position of any animate or inanimate obstacles and are processed, if necessary, by the control unit 13 to provide additional signals correlated to the position of said obstacles in relation to the crawler vehicle 1. The obstacles are also illuminated by light beams to increase their visibility.

Other signals acquired from the sensors 26, ..., 40 are processed by the control unit 13 to generate additional control signals for the projectors 41: the traction signal of the cable 16, the working depth signal of the cutter 9, the signal correlated to the size of the working chamber (distance between the rotation axis and the crankcase) of the cutter 9. This information can be represented by means of contoured beams and/or images on the ski run 44 in graphic or alphanumeric form by the projectors 41. For this purpose, it is preferable to have a projector 41 inside the cab 7 of the BenQ LIJ9715 BlueCore Laser Projector type or the Hyperion laser for animations with 10 channels DMX or LED array, configured to project onto the ski run 44.

The driver of the crawler vehicle 1 selects, depending on the weather conditions, in particular, the light and visibility conditions, which information is best for projecting onto the ski run 44.

With reference to Figure 2, the crawler vehicle 1 runs on a ski run 44 delimited by the edges 43 and partly machined by the previous transit of another crawler vehicle, not shown in the attached figures. The edges 43 of the ski run 44 are virtual lines, preferably coloured, that pass through points defined by the respective poles 46 that are specially fixed to delimit the ski run 44.

The driver distinguishes the machined portion of the ski run from the unmachined portion of the ski run when visibility and light conditions are good. The control unit 13 can acquire navigation data from a previous crawler vehicle (not shown in the attached figures) to generate an additional signal correlated to the position of the dividing line 45 that divides the machined portion of the ski run 44 from the unmachined portion.

In the case shown in Figure 2, on the ski run 44 there is a skier 47, who is identified by the infrared camera 38 and possibly illuminated by a projector 41.

If the winch assembly 10 is used, a projector 41 mounted on the arm 19 is activated to illuminate the cable 16.

In the case shown in Figure 2, the driver selected the selector 42 to project some information outside the crawler vehicle 1: the projectors 41 project/illuminate the edges 43 of the ski run 44 in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle 1 and in the driver's field of view; the projectors 41 project/illuminate the dividing line 45 between the machined portion of the ski run 44 from the unmachined portion; the projector 41 projects the height of the snowpack onto the ski run 44; and the projector 41 illuminates the cable 16 with a cohesive beam so as to make the cable 16 more visible to the skier 47. The projection/illumination of the edges 43 and 45 defines precise reference points for the driver and keeps them away from cliffs that might be located in the vicinity of the ski run 44. The dividing line 45 is illuminated both upstream and downstream of the crawler vehicle 1.

The projectors 41 are selected from: Laser beamers; LED beamers; Laser/LED beamers; and halogen beamers with a high degree of image definition so as to precisely define the data projected onto the ski run 44 and to precisely define the edges 43 and the dividing line 45 of the ski run 44 itself .

The lighting of obstacles, including the cable 16, is intended to inform the driver of the crawler vehicle 1, and any other persons in the vicinity of the crawler vehicle 1, such as skiers or drivers of other crawler vehicles, of the presence of obstacles.

Furthermore, it is clear that the present invention also covers embodiments that are not described in the detailed description and equivalent embodiments, which fall within the scope of protection of the appended claims.