System and method of layering material

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling, by a control system, a material moving machine to form a new material layer on a surface of a previously laid material layer, the computer-implemented method comprising:

monitoring a location of the material moving machine in a work area;

calculating a target elevation representing a top surface of the new material layer;

controlling the material moving machine to move first material as the material moving machine travels along an inclined surface toward the target elevation;

controlling the material moving machine to deposit the first material on the surface of the previously laid material layer while the material moving machine is located below the target elevation and above the previously laid material layer, the deposited first material formed to extend the inclined surface and have a specified incline the same as that of the inclined surface;

controlling the material moving machine to move second material along the extended inclined surface;

determining whether the material moving machine, moving with the second material, reaches the target elevation;

responsive to the material moving machine being determined to have reached the target elevation and being at an end of the extended inclined surface, subsequently initiating a transition of the material moving machine to move the second material to deposit the second material on the surface of the previously laid material layer and beneath the target elevation, a portion of the deposited second material being adjacent to the first material, and the deposited second material formed to create a horizontal path at a constant elevation from where the material moving machine reaches the target elevation; and

controlling the material moving machine to deposit the second material on the surface of the previously laid material layer and beneath the target elevation while the material moving machine moves along the horizontal path after reaching the end of the extended inclined surface.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the control system monitors both a position and an elevation of the material moving machine in the work area.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the material moving machine is a dozer having a blade to move material.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the control system controls the dozer to move material with the blade along the inclined surface, and the control system is configured to calculate a load on the dozer to determine when the blade has moved the first material over an edge of the inclined surface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the control system controls the dozer to move material with the blade along the horizontal path, and the control system is configured to calculate a load on the dozer to determine when the blade has pushed the second material over an edge of the horizontal path.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the target elevation is a predetermined height above the previously laid material layer.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the control system calculates a load of the material moving machine to determine when the load of the material moving machine is below a threshold load value.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the control system comprises a first controller located with the material moving machine and a second controller located remote from the material moving machine.

9. A control system for controlling operation of a material moving machine to form a new material layer on a surface of a previously laid material layer, the control system comprising:

a memory configured to retrievably store one or more algorithms; and

a controller in communication with the memory, the controller, based on the one or more algorithms, configured to:

instruct the material moving machine to move material from a first work area to a second work area,

instruct the material moving machine to travel along an incline path in the second work area to move first material while the material moving machine is located below and moving toward a target elevation,

instruct the material moving machine to deposit the first material on the surface of the previously laid material layer while the material moving machine is located below the target elevation and above the previously laid material layer, the first material formed to have a specified incline,

instruct the material moving machine to travel along the incline path toward the target elevation to move second material,

determine when the material moving machine, traveling toward the target elevation along the incline path with the second material, reaches the target elevation,

when the material moving machine is traveling toward the target elevation along the inclined path and determined to have reached the target elevation, initiate a transition of the material moving machine from the incline path to deposit the second material on the surface of the previously laid material layer adjacent the first material and beneath the target elevation and to travel along a horizontal path formed by the deposited second material at a constant elevation in the second work area, and

instruct the material moving machine to deposit the second material on the surface of the previously laid material layer adjacent the first material and beneath the target elevation, the depositing of the second material including the material moving machine moving along the horizontal path to complete the deposit of the second material.

10. The control system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate the target elevation based on an elevation of the previously laid material layer in the second work area.

11. The control system of claim 9 , wherein the controller monitors outputs from material moving machine sensors and is configured to calculate a load on the material moving machine based at least in part on the outputs.

12. The control system of claim 9 , wherein the controller comprises a first controller located with the material moving machine and a second controller located remote from the material moving machine.

13. An autonomous method of mining using a dozer comprising a drive mechanism to move the dozer in forward and reverse directions, an adjustable blade for pushing material when the dozer moves in the forward direction, and a location position sensor to determine a position of the dozer, the method comprising:

monitoring a location of the dozer;

calculating a target elevation of a new material layer to be formed in a work area on a surface of a previously laid material layer;

controlling, using processing circuitry, the dozer according to first electronic instructions to the drive mechanism and the adjustable blade of the dozer to move the dozer along an incline path toward the target elevation to move first material in the work area;

controlling, using the processing circuitry, the dozer according to second electronic instructions to the drive mechanism and the adjustable blade of the dozer to deposit the first material on the surface of the previously laid material layer while the location of the dozer is below the target elevation and above the previously laid material layer, the first material formed at a specified incline;

determining, using the processing circuitry, when the dozer is on the incline path and moving toward the target elevation with second material, whether the dozer is at an elevation equal to or greater than the target elevation;

controlling, using the processing circuitry, the dozer according to third electronic instructions to the drive mechanism and the adjustable blade of the dozer to move the dozer along the incline path to move second material and transition the dozer from the incline path to move along a horizontal path at a constant elevation when the location of the dozer is determined to reach the elevation equal to or greater than the target elevation; and

controlling, using the processing circuitry, the dozer according to fourth electronic instructions to deposit the second material on the surface of the previously laid material layer subsequent to the first material and beneath the target elevation, a portion of the deposited second material being adjacent to the previously laid material layer and a portion of the second material being deposited while the dozer moves along the horizontal path.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said calculating the target elevation comprises:

retrieving from a memory a top elevation of the previously laid material layer; and

calculating the target elevation based on the top elevation and a target material layer thickness.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

monitoring outputs of sensors of the dozer while the dozer is located within the work area;

calculating a load on the dozer based upon the sensor outputs; and

controlling, using the processing circuitry, the dozer according to instructions to the dozer to reverse direction from the forward direction to the reverse direction when the calculated load is below a predetermined threshold level.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said controlling the dozer according to the first, second, and third electronic instructions comprises providing machine readable instructions from a control system.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the control system comprises a first controller located with the dozer and a second controller located remote from the dozer.