US 12,413,309 B2
Autonomous mining system based on real-time digital video communication that uses ethernet and optical technologies
Meiwei Kong, Thuwal (SA); Boon S. Ooi, Thuwal (SA); and Tien Khee Ng, Thuwal (SA)
Assigned to KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Thuwal (SA)
Appl. No. 17/923,960
Filed by KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Thuwal (SA)
PCT Filed May 18, 2021, PCT No. PCT/IB2021/054282
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 8, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/234576, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 25, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/027,244, filed on May 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0188212 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. H04B 10/116 (2013.01); E21C 35/24 (2006.01); H04B 10/67 (2013.01); H04N 7/18 (2006.01)
CPC H04B 10/116 (2013.01) [H04B 10/672 (2013.01); H04N 7/181 (2013.01); E21C 35/24 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An autonomous mining system comprising:
a real-time digital video transmission sub-system configured to obtain video streams from underground, and transfer the video streams to a control center located above ground; and
an exploration and maintenance sub-system located underground, and configured to extract a resource and bring the resource to the surface, based exclusively on commands received from the control center through the real-time digital video transmission sub-system,
wherein the real-time digital video transmission sub-system comprises:
an optical wireless communication transceiver, attached to the underground, and configured to (1) receive commands from the control center at an Ethernet module, using an Ethernet protocol, and (2) optically communicate the commands with a light source, in a diffused light-of-sight or a non-line-of-sight configuration, to mobile nodes of the exploration and maintenance sub-system.