Loading operation support system

Abstract

A loading work support system performs a calculation of predicting a trajectory of a work device in a limited time interval using an output of a first position calculator of a loader, an output of a posture detector of a work device of the loader, and a dynamic characteristic of the work device, performs a calculation of a first input of a dynamic characteristic of a front end portion of the work device approaching a target position set based on an output of a second position calculator of a carrier in a case where it is determined that the work device does not intrude into a prohibited area set based on the output of the second position calculator, performs a calculation of a second input of the dynamic characteristic of the front end portion approaching a position different from the target position and closer to the target position than a position of the front end portion of the work device in a case where it is determined that the work device intrudes into the prohibited area, and performs a calculation of a control input for controlling an action of the loader based on the first input and the second input of the calculation results.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a loading work support system that supports a loading work of a loader with respect to a carrier. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of construction machines such as hydraulic excavators, in recent years, introduction of information-based construction that seeks rationalization of construction by effectively and flexibly utilizing a variety of information by applying information communication technology to construction work has been promoted. For example, there is technology that has a function of supporting an operator's operation, such as machine guidance that displays a position and a posture of a multi-joint type work device in which a plurality of driven components such as a boom, a stick, and a bucket are linked to each other to the operator, and machine control that controls the work device in such a manner that the work device moves along a target construction surface.

[0003] In the operation support such as machine guidance or machine control, construction using a self vehicle coordinate in a construction site is referred to as three-dimensional information-based construction (hereinafter referred to as 3D information-based construction). In a construction machine that deals with 3D information-based construction, in order to acquire a position of the self vehicle, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is provided. The GNSS measures a three-dimensional position (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the self vehicle by receiving positioning signals from a plurality of satellites. In a construction machine that has a work device like a hydraulic excavator, in the operation support, not only the position of the self vehicle but also a direction (azimuth) in which the work device is directed is required. Therefore, a construction machine that is equipped with two GNSS antennas that receive positioning signals and determines the azimuth of the work device based on the positioning signals received by the antennas is known.

[0004] In general information-based construction in a hydraulic excavator, after rough excavation is performed on sandy soil, fine excavation is performed by machine control. At the time of rough excavation, unnecessary sandy soil is generated within the site, and therefore it is necessary to load the sandy soil to a carrier such as a dump truck and transport it from the site. "Loading work (loading work)" in which the sandy soil in the bucket of the hydraulic excavator is loaded into the hopper of the dump truck occurs frequently in the rough excavation process. Therefore, by providing operation support for the loading work, it is expected that the work burden of the operator can be reduced. In particular, in the loading work, there is a risk that the bucket contacts the dump truck in the process of moving the bucket above the hopper of the dump truck, and therefore if the movement that avoids the contact can be achieved by automatic control, the safety of the construction site is improved. In a construction site, the dump truck does not travel on a paved road when approaching the hydraulic excavator, and therefore the positional relationship between the dump truck and the hydraulic excavator is mostly different for each loading work.

[0005] Further, the loading work is a representative work between the hydraulic excavator and the dump truck, but the work is not limited to the construction machine. For example, a work robot operating in a factory or a warehouse loads a cargo to a forklift or a pallet truck, and the work can be equally called a loading work. In the case of the work in the factory or the warehouse, a work of recovering the loaded cargo is also required. In the recovery work, the work robot is also required to safely recover the cargo without contacting the pallet truck. Such a contact-avoiding technique in the recovery work is also required in the case of unloading a container from a ship (for example, a tanker) or unloading a cargo from a pallet vehicle based on a crane in a port work. However, in the work in the factory, the warehouse, and the port, a dedicated lane is prepared for the pallet vehicle, or the movement thereof is monitored using a plurality of environmental sensors. Therefore, there is no case where the positional relationship between the hydraulic excavator and the dump truck greatly differs every time the loading work is performed.

[0006] As a support function for the loading work in which the positional relationship between the hydraulic excavator and the dump truck lacks reproducibility, the technology described in Patent Literature 1 is known. The technology described in Patent Literature 1 is a technology of correcting a trajectory of a work implement (shovel) of a front work device when a rotating body of a construction machine rotates to carry a dug object to a cargo box of a dump truck, using positional information and the like of both the hydraulic excavator and the dump truck, determining whether a trajectory of the work implement predicted from a speed and an acceleration of the work implement intersects with a region of the dump truck, and performing at least one of control to reduce a rotation speed of the rotating body and control to increase an ascending speed of the front work device in a case where the trajectory of the work implement is determined to intersect.

[0007] Prior Art Documents

[0008] Patent Literature

[0009] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-24997 SUMMARY

[0010] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0011] In the technology described in Patent Literature 1, it is assumed that the loading work of the construction machine with respect to the dump truck is performed by a combined action of a rotation action and an action of the front work device. However, there is a case where the loading work is performed without the rotation action depending on the positional relationship between the construction machine and the dump truck. For example, the dump truck is located directly in front of the front work device of the construction machine. In this case, in the technology described in Patent Literature 1, the only action that can be performed as a support action to avoid the contact between the work implement of the construction machine and the dump truck is to increase the ascending speed of the front work device, and thus there is a case where the action support for the loading work is difficult.

[0012] The present application has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a loading work support system capable of reliably supporting a loading work regardless of a positional relationship between a loader and a carrier.

[0013] Means for solving the problem

[0014] The present application includes a plurality of means for solving the above problem, and one example thereof is a loading work support system for supporting a loading work in which a loader loads a cargo on a carrier provided with a cargo box, the loader being provided with a multi-joint type work device in which a plurality of driven members are rotatably coupled, the loading work support system being characterized by comprising: a first position calculator that calculates a position and an orientation of the loader; a posture detector that detects a posture of the work device; a second position calculator that calculates a position and an orientation of the carrier; and a control device that controls an operation of the loader, the control device setting a target position that is a position to which the work device should arrive in the loading work, based on an output of the second position calculator, setting a prohibited area that is an area in which the work device is prohibited from intruding, based on the output of the second position calculator, performing a prediction operation of predicting a trajectory of the work device in a limited prediction time interval, using an output of the first position calculator, an output of the posture detector, and a dynamic characteristic of the work device, determining whether the work device will intrude into the prohibited area in the prediction time interval, based on a result of the prediction operation of the trajectory of the work device, in a case where it is determined that the work device will not intrude into the prohibited area, performing an operation of an input of the dynamic characteristic of the work device, which is a first input, in which a front end portion of the work device approaches the target position in the prediction time interval, based on the result of the prediction operation of the trajectory of the work device, in a case where it is determined that the work device will intrude into the prohibited area, setting a position that is different from the target position and closer to the target position than a position of the front end portion of the work device as a target, performing an operation of an input of the dynamic characteristic of the work device, which is a second input, in which the front end portion of the work device approaches the target in the prediction time interval, and performing an operation of a control input for controlling the operation of the loader, based on the first and second inputs of the dynamic characteristic of the work device, and performing the control of the loader based on the control input.

[0015] Effects of the invention

[0016] According to an example of the present invention, by using the control input of the loader calculated based on the trajectory prediction calculation of the working device utilizing the dynamic characteristics of the loader's working device, under the constraint that the front end of the working device will not encroach into the prohibited area, the movement of the loader can be controlled so that the front end of the working device avoids the prohibited area and approaches the target position of the loading operation. Therefore, loading operations can be reliably supported regardless of the positional relationship between the loader and the transporter.

[0017] Other issues, structures, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified through the following description of the implementation methods. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a hydraulic excavator, which is an example of a loader that is supported in the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of a dump truck, an example of a transporter that is supported in the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is an illustrative diagram illustrating an example of the actions of a hydraulic excavator relative to a dump truck during a loading operation.

[0021] Figure 4 These are illustrations of other examples of the actions of a hydraulic excavator in a loading operation relative to a dump truck.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic structure of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 It means Figure 5 The diagram shown is a block diagram of the functional structure of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 It means in the composition Figure 6 An explanatory diagram of a model of the pre-operation device used in the dynamic characteristic calculation unit, which is part of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 It indicates composition Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a target position set by the target position setting unit, which is part of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 9A It indicates composition Figure 6This diagram shows an example of a prohibited area set by the prohibited area setting unit, which is part of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention (viewed from the side of the dump truck).

[0027] Figure 9B yes Figure 9A The diagram showing the prohibited area is viewed from above by a dump truck.

[0028] Figure 10 It indicates composition Figure 6 The diagram shows a second example of a prohibited area set by the prohibited area setting unit, which is part of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention (viewed from the side of the dump truck).

[0029] Figure 11 It indicates composition Figure 6 The diagram shows a third example of a prohibited area set by the prohibited area setting unit, which is part of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention (viewed from the side of the dump truck).

[0030] Figure 12A It is an explanation of the composition Figure 6 The diagram shown is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the first stage of the operation of the avoidance motion control input calculation unit, which is part of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 12B It is an explanation of the composition Figure 6 The diagram showing the calculation method of the avoidance action control input calculation unit, which is part of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention, is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the second stage of the calculation.

[0032] Figure 12C It is an explanation of the composition Figure 6 The diagram showing the operation method of the trajectory avoidance calculation unit, which is part of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention, is an explanatory diagram illustrating another example of the first stage of the operation.

[0033] Figure 12D It is an explanation of the composition Figure 6 The diagram showing the operation method of the trajectory avoidance calculation unit, which is part of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention, is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the second stage of the operation.

[0034] Figure 13 It means Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an example of the processing sequence in a first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 14AThis is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the positional relationship between a hydraulic excavator and a prohibited area in the case of using a model predictive control computational framework in the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 14B This is a diagram illustrating the penalty function in the case of using a computational framework of model predictive control in the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 15 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional structure of a modified example of the loading operation support system of the present invention, specifically a variation thereof.

[0038] Figure 16 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional structure of the second embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 17 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional structure of the third embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 18 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional structure of a modified example of the loading operation support system of the present invention in the third embodiment.

[0041] Figure 19 This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic structure of another embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Hereinafter, embodiments of the loading operation support system of the present invention will be described using the accompanying drawings.

[0043] [First Implementation]

[0044] First, use Figure 1 The structure of a hydraulic excavator, which is an example of the loader side of the loading operation support system of the present invention, will be described. Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a hydraulic excavator, an example of a loader that is supported in the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention. Here, the description is performed from the perspective of the operator seated in the cab.

[0045] exist Figure 1 In this context, the hydraulic excavator 100 is a type of loader used for loading goods, such as sand or ore, relative to a transporter. The hydraulic excavator 100 consists of a front working device 101 for excavation and loading operations, and a body on which the front working device 101 is rotatably mounted. The body consists of a self-propelled lower traveling body 102 and an upper rotating body 103 rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body 102.

[0046] The front working device 101 is a multi-joint type device in which a plurality of driven members are coupled so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The plurality of driven members are constituted by, for example, a boom 106, a stick 107, and a bucket 108. A base end portion of the boom 106 is rotatably supported at a front portion of the upper swing body 103 in the vertical direction. A base end portion of the stick 107 is rotatably supported at a front end portion of the boom 106. The bucket 108 is rotatably supported at a front end portion of the stick 107. The bucket 108, which is a working tool, is disposed at a front end portion of the front working device 101. The boom 106, the stick 107, and the bucket 108 are respectively driven by a boom cylinder 110, a stick cylinder 111, and a bucket cylinder 112, which are hydraulic actuators. Further, the bucket 108 is driven via a link member 113 that rotates in conjunction with the bucket 108.

[0047] The lower traveling body 102 is provided with, for example, a crawler-type traveling device 114 (only one side is shown) on the left and right sides. The traveling device 114 is driven by a traveling hydraulic motor 114a, which is a hydraulic actuator.

[0048] The upper swing body 103 is constituted so as to be rotationally driven with respect to the lower traveling body 102 by a swing hydraulic motor 104, which is a hydraulic actuator. The upper swing body 103 is provided with a cab 116 in which an operator rides and a machine room 117 in which various devices are accommodated.

[0049] The cab 116 is provided with operating devices 118a, 118b, and 118c for operating the respective hydraulic actuators 104, 110, 111, 112, and 114a. The operating devices 118a and 118b are, for example, electric lever devices having levers that can be tilted forward, backward, leftward, and rightward. The electric lever devices 118a and 118b have detection devices (not shown) that electrically detect the tilting directions and amounts of the levers, that is, the operating directions and amounts, and output operating signals corresponding to the detected operating directions and amounts to a backhoe controller 10 (see below) via electric wiring. The operations in the forward-backward direction and the left-right direction of the lever devices 118a and 118b are respectively assigned to the operations of the respective hydraulic actuators 104, 110, 111, and 112. That is, each operation of the lever devices 118a and 118b is assigned to the operation of the front working device 101 and the rotation operation of the upper swing body 103, and the like. The operating device 118c is an electric operating device having a traveling lever and a traveling pedal that can be tilted forward and backward. The operating device 118c is assigned to the operation of the hydraulic actuator 114a, that is, the travel operation of the traveling device 114. Figure 5

[0050] ​In the machine room 117, a prime mover 121 such as an engine or a motor and a hydraulic pump device 122 driven by the prime mover 121 are arranged. Each hydraulic actuator 104, 110, 111, 112, 114a is driven by being supplied with hydraulic oil discharged from the hydraulic pump device 122. The driving of each hydraulic actuator 104, 110, 111, 112, 114a is controlled by a control valve unit 123 which is a collection of control valves corresponding to each hydraulic actuator 104, 110, 111, 112, 114a. Each control valve constituting the control valve unit 123 controls the direction and flow rate of the hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic pump device 122 with respect to the corresponding hydraulic actuator 104, 110, 111, 112, 114a. The driving of each control valve is controlled, for example, by a pilot pressure output from a pilot pump (not shown) via an electromagnetic proportional valve (not shown). Each electromagnetic proportional valve is controlled by the excavator controller 10 based on an operation signal from the operation device 118a, 118b, 118c, whereby the operation of each hydraulic actuator 104, 110, 111, 112, 114a is controlled via each control valve of the control valve unit 123.

[0051] Further, the operation devices 118a, 118b, 118c can also be configured not by electric but by hydraulic. In this case, it is configured to drive each hydraulic actuator 104, 110, 111, 112, 114a by supplying a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation direction and operation amount of each operation device 118a, 118b, 118c to each control valve of the control valve unit 123.

[0052] An inertial measurement unit (IMU) 125 is provided on the upper swing body 103. In addition, inertial measurement units (IMUs) 126, 127, 128 are also provided on the boom 106, the arm 107, and the bucket 108, respectively, which constitute the front work device 101. In order to distinguish the four inertial measurement units, the inertial measurement unit 125 for the upper swing body 103 (vehicle body) is referred to as a vehicle body IMU, the inertial measurement unit 126 for the boom 106 is referred to as a boom IMU, the inertial measurement unit 127 for the arm 107 is referred to as an arm IMU, and the inertial measurement unit 128 for the bucket 108 is referred to as a bucket IMU. Further, the bucket IMU 128 can also be provided not on the bucket 108 but on the link member 113 which rotates in conjunction with the bucket 108.

[0053] Each of the IMUs 125, 126, 127, 128 detects the acceleration and angular velocity generated in the setting portions 103, 106, 107, 108, and calculates the angle of the setting portions 103, 106, 107, 108 on the basis of the detected acceleration and angular velocity. These four IMUs 125 to 128 function as posture detectors that detect the posture of the front working device 101 by detecting the acceleration and angular velocity of each of the structural members 106, 107, 108 of the vehicle body 102, 103 and the front working device 101 and calculating the angle on the basis of the detected acceleration and angular velocity.

[0054] The vehicle body IMU 125, for example, when the upper revolving body 103 is in a stationary state, can calculate the inclination of the upper revolving body 103 with respect to the horizontal surface in the fore-aft direction (pitch angle) and in the left-right direction (width direction) (roll angle) on the basis of the direction of the gravitational acceleration (vertically downward direction) detected in the IMU coordinate system set to the vehicle body IMU 125 and the mounting state of the vehicle body IMU 125 (relative positional relationship of the vehicle body IMU 125 to the upper revolving body 103). In addition, the vehicle body IMU 125 can calculate the change in angle from a reference point by integrating the detected angular velocity with respect to time. The vehicle body IMU 125 outputs the detection results of the acceleration and angular velocity of the vehicle body 102, 103 and the calculation results of the angle of the vehicle body 102, 103 to the excavator controller 10. The same applies to the boom IMU 126, the stick IMU 127, and the bucket IMU 128.

[0055] Further, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that each of the IMUs 125, 126, 127, 128 is provided with an angle calculation function that calculates the angle information of the setting portion on the basis of the detection results of the acceleration and angular velocity. However, in the case where these IMUs 125 to 128 do not have the angle calculation function built in, it is sufficient that the excavator controller 10 is provided with the angle calculation function.

[0056] The boom cylinder 110 is provided with a pressure sensor 129 that detects the cylinder pressure. The pressure sensor 129 functions as a load detector that detects the load of the front working device 101 and outputs the detection results to the excavator controller 10. On the basis of the pressure of the boom cylinder 110 detected by the pressure sensor 129 and the posture information of the front working device 101 acquired by the IMUs 125 to 128, a payload calculation that calculates the weight of the sand in the bucket 108 can be performed. Further, the pressure sensor can be provided on the stick cylinder 111 and the bucket cylinder 112. The pressure sensor can be used in the operation control of the hydraulic excavator 100 based on the loading work support system 1 described later.

[0057] Two GNSS antennas 131 and 132, capable of receiving positioning signals from multiple satellites, are mounted on the upper rotating body 103. The positioning signals received by each GNSS antenna 131 and 132 are input to a GNSS receiver 133 (see below). Figure 5 The GNSS receiver 133 performs positioning calculations, such as calculating the antenna coordinates (specific position of the hydraulic excavator 100) and the azimuth of the upper rotating body 103, based on the positioning signals received by the GNSS antennas 131 and 132. The GNSS receiver 133 outputs the position, speed, and azimuth of the hydraulic excavator 100 (upper rotating body 103), as the result of the positioning calculations, to the excavator controller 10. The GNSS antennas 131 and 132 and the GNSS receiver 133 constitute a positioning system for satellite positioning of the hydraulic excavator 100. The GNSS antennas 131 and 132 function as position detectors, and the GNSS receiver 133 functions as a self-position calculator (first position calculator) that calculates the position and azimuth of the hydraulic excavator 100 itself.

[0058] The GNSS receiver 133 connects wirelessly to a fixed GNSS radio station located on-site, enabling it to perform RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) positioning. In the absence of a fixed GNSS radio station, network-based RTK positioning can be performed using information from an electronic reference station obtained via the Internet. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the GNSS receiver 133 can perform RTK positioning regardless of the presence or absence of a fixed radio station on-site.

[0059] Next, use Figure 2 The structure of a dump truck is described as an example of the transporter side, which is the object of support in the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of a dump truck, an example of a transporter that is supported in the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0060] exist Figure 2 In this context, the dump truck 200 is a type of cargo handling machine that transports goods such as sand or ore. The dump truck 200 generally consists of a self-propelled body 201 and a cargo bed 202 that is tilted and mounted on the body 201 and loaded with cargo. The body 201 has a longitudinal direction (in...) Figure 2A vehicle body frame 204 serving as a support structure extending in the left-right direction, a cab 205 arranged at a front end portion of the vehicle body frame 204, and vehicle wheels 206 each rotatably arranged at the left and right sides of the front and rear of the vehicle body frame 204 are provided. A dump cylinder 203 is attached to the vehicle body frame 204 and the bottom of the cargo box 202. The dump cylinder 203 is, for example, a hydraulic cylinder that is extendable and retractable. The cargo box 202 is tilted with respect to the vehicle body frame 204 between a carrying position (indicated by a two-dot chain line) at which the cargo box 202 is used to carry cargo and a dumping position (indicated by a solid line) at which the cargo box 202 is used to dump the cargo, by extension and retraction of the dump cylinder 203.

[0061] A power unit (not shown) including an engine and a transmission is arranged at the rear of the cab 205 or the vehicle body frame 204, and the operation (traveling operation) of the vehicle wheels 206 is controlled by controlling the power unit. An accelerator pedal and a brake pedal (not shown) are arranged in the cab 205, and the rotational operation of the vehicle wheels 206 is controlled in accordance with the operation of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal. For example, if the brake pedal is operated, brake pads (not shown) attached to the vehicle wheels 206 are pressed against the vehicle wheels 206, whereby the dump truck 200 can be stopped from advancing or retreating. The control of the power unit and the brake is performed via the truck controller 20 (described later) described later. Figure 5 ) executes.

[0062] A GNSS antenna 211 and a GNSS receiver 212 are arranged in the cab 205. An inertial measurement device 213 (hereinafter referred to as a truck IMU) capable of detecting the acceleration and angular velocity of the dump truck 200 is also arranged in the cab 205. Figure 2 In the present embodiment, the GNSS antenna 211 is arranged outside the cab 205, but a small antenna can be arranged inside the cab 205.

[0063] The GNSS antenna 211 can be composed of two antennas, as in the case of the hydraulic excavator 100. In this case, the GNSS receiver 212 can perform the orientation calculation of the dump truck 200 on the basis of the position (coordinates) of the dump truck 200 calculated on the basis of the positioning signals received by the two GNSS antennas 211. On the other hand, in the case where the GNSS antenna 211 is composed of one antenna, the GNSS receiver 212 can be configured to calculate only the position (coordinates) of the dump truck 200, and the truck controller 20 can calculate the orientation of the dump truck 200 on the basis of the traveling trajectory of the dump truck 200 and the angular velocity detected by the truck IMU 213. In addition, the GNSS receiver 212 can calculate the moving speed of the dump truck 200 on the basis of the Doppler shift detected by the GNSS antenna 211.

[0064] The GNSS receiver 212 outputs the position and orientation of the dump truck 200 as a result of the operation of the position calculation operation, the moving speed, and the like to the truck controller 20. The truck IMU 213 outputs the detected acceleration and angular velocity to the truck controller 20. The GNSS antenna 211 functions as a position detector that detects the position, and the GNSS receiver 212 functions as a self-position calculator (2nd position calculator) that calculates the position and orientation of the dump truck 200. The truck IMU 213 functions as a posture detector that detects the posture of the dump truck 200.

[0065] Next, the structure of the 1st embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present application will be described using Figure 3 and Figure 4 The operation of the hydraulic excavator in the loading operation of the hydraulic excavator with respect to the dump truck will be described. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing one example of the operation of the hydraulic excavator in the loading operation with respect to the dump truck. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the operation of the hydraulic excavator in the loading operation with respect to the dump truck.

[0066] For example, as shown in Figure 3 , in the case of the position relationship in which the hydraulic excavator 100 is located between the sand and the dump truck 200, the sand loading operation of the hydraulic excavator 100 with respect to the dump truck 200 is performed by a compound operation of combining the rotating operation of the upper swing body 103 and the operation of the front working device 101. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4 , in the case of the position relationship in which the sand and the dump truck 200 are arranged in a straight line in front of the hydraulic excavator 100, the loading operation is performed only by the operation of the front working device 101.

[0067] Even in the case shown in Figure 3 or the case shown in Figure 4 , it is desirable to be able to perform the loading operation support of the hydraulic excavator 100 with respect to the dump truck 200. In the present embodiment, a loading operation support system 1 that can perform a support operation that avoids contact between the front working device 101 of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 regardless of the position relationship between the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 is constructed.

[0068] Next, the structure of the 1st embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present application will be described using Figure 5 . Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the outline structure of the 1st embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present application.

[0069] The loading operation support system 1 has, for example, a hydraulic excavator 100 (refer to Figure 1) to control the actions of the hydraulic excavator 100, a truck controller 20 to control the actions of the dump truck 200 (refer to Figure 2 ), and a regulation controller 30. The excavator controller 10 and the truck controller 20 are mounted on the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200, respectively. The regulation controller 30 is constituted, for example, by a computer (server), and manages the operating conditions of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200. The regulation controller 30 can be provided at any place within the construction site or at a place remote from the construction site. The regulation controller 30 can also be mounted on the hydraulic excavator 100.

[0070] The excavator controller 10 calculates control commands (tilt angles or solenoid operation pressures, etc.) for the hydraulic pump device 122 and the control valves of the control valve unit 123 (both refer to Figure 1 ) in accordance with the operation directions and operation amounts of the operation devices 118a, 118b, 118c (refer to Figure 1 ) to control the actions of the various hydraulic actuators 104, 110, 111, 112, 114a (refer to Figure 1 ). In the excavator controller 10, information of the position and orientation of the hydraulic excavator output by the GNSS receiver 133 as a self-position calculator, cylinder pressures output by the pressure sensors 129 as load detectors, and angles and angular velocities (attitude information) output by the plurality of IMUs 125 to 128 as attitude detectors are input.

[0071] The truck controller 20 controls the movement of the dump truck 200 by controlling the actions of the accelerator 207 and the brake 208. In the truck controller 20, information of the position and, in the case where available, the orientation of the dump truck 200 output by the GNSS receiver 212 as a self-position calculator, and information of the angular velocity output by the IMU 213 as an attitude detector are input.

[0072] The excavator controller 10, the truck controller 20, and the regulation controller 30 each have a communication function, and can be connected to each other via a communication network. The regulation controller 30 exchanges various information described above with the excavator controller 10 and the truck controller 20 via the communication function. In addition, the regulation controller 30 can also be configured to acquire various information output by the various sensors 125 to 129, 133, 212 to 213 directly without passing through the excavator controller 10 and the truck controller 20 (refer to the double-dotted line in Figure 5 ). In this case, the various sensors 125 to 129, 133, 212 to 213 can be sensors provided with a communication function in advance, or can be configured to have a communication unit added separately in the case where the sensors do not have a communication function.

[0073] In the present embodiment, the collection of the three controllers, the excavator controller 10, the truck controller 20, and the regulation controller 30, is the control device of the loading work support system 1, and the function realized by the control device is referred to as a support system regulation section 40. Each of the controllers 10, 20, and 30 has, as a hardware structure, a storage device 10a, 20a, 30a, such as a RAM, a ROM, and the like, and a processing device 10b, 20b, 30b, such as a CPU or an MPU, and the like. In the storage devices 10a, 20a, 30a, programs and various information necessary for supporting the loading work of the hydraulic excavator 100 with respect to the dump truck 200 are stored in advance. The processing devices 10b, 20b, 30b realize various functions including the functions of the support system regulation section 40 by appropriately reading the programs and various information from the storage devices 10a, 20a, 30a and performing processing in accordance with the programs.

[0074] Next, the functions of the loading work support system according to the first embodiment of the present application will be described. Figure 6-1 2. The structure of the function section of the loading work support system according to the first embodiment of the present application will be described. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the functional structure of the loading work support system according to the first embodiment of the present application. Figure 5

[0075] In the loading work support system 1, the support system regulation section 40 as the control device performs, in the loading work of the hydraulic excavator 100 (refer to FIG. 1) with respect to the dump truck 200 (refer to FIG. 2), an operation of predicting the trajectory of the front work device 101 (refer to FIG. 1) using the model (dynamic characteristics) of the hydraulic excavator 100, an operation of calculating the control input under the constraint condition of avoiding the contact between the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 using the prediction result, and a control of the hydraulic excavator 100 based on the control input of the operation result. Figure 6 Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 1

[0076] ​​​​​In the support system control unit 40 of this embodiment, for example, a load calculation unit 41, a dynamic characteristic calculation unit 42, and an excavator control unit 61 are installed on the excavator controller 10. Additionally, a target position setting unit 43 and a prohibited area setting unit 44 are installed on the truck controller 20. Furthermore, a control input calculation unit 50 is installed on the control controller 30. The control input calculation unit 50 is, for example, composed of a trajectory prediction unit 51, an intrusion judgment unit 52, a first control input calculation unit 53, a second control input calculation unit 54, and a control input determination unit 55. The allocation of the aforementioned functional units 41-44, 51-55, and 61 to the respective controllers 10, 20, and 30 is an example; the allocation of functional units 41-44, 51-55, and 61 is arbitrary as long as the same function can be achieved. Furthermore, in the case where the three controllers are not physically connected, communication functionality is required between them, but this functionality has been omitted for the sake of simplicity in the accompanying drawings.

[0077] The load calculation unit 41 calculates the weight (load) of the sand (cargo) scooped and held by the bucket 108 of the hydraulic excavator 100 based on the outputs of the load detector 129 and the posture detectors 125-128. Specifically, the weight of the sand can be calculated based on the supporting force of the hydraulic cylinder 110 of the front working device 101 and the torque of the force acting on the front working device 101, calculated based on the cylinder pressure detected by the pressure sensor 129 and the posture information detected by each IMU 125-128. Here, the weight of the sand, which is the calculation result of the load calculation unit 41, is set as m. BK .

[0078] use Figure 7 Explain the dynamic characteristic calculation unit. Figure 7 It means in the composition Figure 6 An explanatory diagram of a model of the pre-operation device used in the dynamic characteristic calculation unit, which is part of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention.

[0079] The dynamic characteristic calculation unit 42 calculates the dynamic characteristics (model) of the front working device 101 of the hydraulic excavator 100, taking into account the weight of sand in the calculation results of the load calculation unit 41. The dynamic characteristics of the front working device 101 can be represented by, for example, a motion equation. The motion equation for the bucket 108 when it is unloaded can be derived in advance by obtaining the dimensions of each driven component 106, 107, 108 of the front working device 101 and the moment of inertia of the front working device 101. The dynamic characteristic calculation unit 42 uses the weight of sand m based on the calculation results of the load calculation unit 41. BK The function to adjust the parameters of the kinematic equation derived when the bucket 108 is in an unloaded state.

[0080] For example, Figure 7As shown, the front working device 101 is able to simulate the boom 106, the arm 107, and the bucket 108, respectively, by a rigid body link system. If the link length L SWG BM AM BK of each rigid body link and the inertia moment I are used, the motion equation of each link can be expressed by the following equation (1) by using the Euler-Lagrange equation.

[0081] [Equation 1]

[0082]

[0083]

[0084] Note that in equation (1), θ, ω, τ respectively show the rotation angle, the angular velocity, and the driving torque applied to the rotation axis of each link. In addition, in equation (1) and Figure 7 equation (2), the subscript characters BM, AM, BK, SWG respectively show the boom 106, the arm 107, the bucket 108, and the upper swing body 103.

[0085] The rotation action of the rotation axis of each link is realized by the extension and contraction action of each hydraulic cylinder 110 to 112 of the front working device 101 or the rotation action of the rotary hydraulic motor 104. Therefore, the driving torque τ needs a conversion formula corresponding to the pressure p of the hydraulic oil acting on the hydraulic actuators 110 to 112 and 104, such as equation (2) below. Furthermore, detailed explanation of equation (1) and equation (2) is not essential to the gist of the present application, and thus is omitted.

[0086] [Equation 2]

[0087] τ = g(p)... Equation (2)

[0088]

[0089] The inertia moment I BK of the bucket 108 in equation (1) above changes in correspondence with the weight (load) m BK of the sand (cargo) calculated by the load calculating section 41, and the inertia moment I SWG of the upper swing body 103 changes in correspondence with the posture of the front working device 101. As such, since the action of the hydraulic excavator 100 is strictly dependent on the inertia moment I, the motion equation (dynamic characteristics) of equation (1) is dependent on the inertia moment I. Therefore, in order to accurately predict the behavior of the front working device 101, it is necessary to use the dynamic characteristics taking the inertia moment I into consideration.

[0090] The target position setting section will be described using Figure 8 the above-described equation (1).​​​Figure 8 is a diagram showing one example of a target position set by the target position setting section 43 that is a part of the first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application. Figure 6

[0091] The target position setting section 43 sets a target position that is a position where the bucket 108 of the front work device 101 should arrive in the loading work, based on the information of the position and orientation of the dump truck 200 output by the self-position calculator 212. Specifically, the target position is set above the hopper 202 of the dump truck 200. As long as the size of the dump truck 200 is not small relative to the hydraulic excavator 100, the loading work of the hydraulic excavator 100 is to be performed a plurality of times before the dump truck 200 carries sand (cargo). In such a case, it is desirable that the set target position is appropriately changed according to the number of loading times. For example, in the case of a dump truck whose size requires three loading work times, as shown in FIG. 8, it is desirable to set the target position at three different positions relative to the hopper 202. For example, the target position Pt1 for the first time of the loading work is set at the front side of the hopper 202, the target position Pt2 for the second time is set at the central side of the hopper 202, and the target position Pt3 for the third time is set at the rear side of the hopper 202. Figure 8

[0092] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the use of the prohibited area setting section 44. Figure 11 The prohibited area setting section 44 is explained using FIG. 9. Figure 9A is a diagram showing one example of a prohibited area set by the prohibited area setting section that is a part of the first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application. Figure 6 is a diagram showing a second example of a prohibited area set by the prohibited area setting section that is a part of the first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application (a diagram viewed from the side of the dump truck). Figure 9B is a diagram showing a third example of a prohibited area set by the prohibited area setting section that is a part of the first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application (a diagram viewed from the side of the dump truck). Figure 9A Figure 10 is a diagram showing a second example of a prohibited area set by the prohibited area setting section that is a part of the first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application (a diagram viewed from the side of the dump truck). Figure 6 is a diagram showing a third example of a prohibited area set by the prohibited area setting section that is a part of the first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application (a diagram viewed from the side of the dump truck). Figure 11 is a diagram showing a third example of a prohibited area set by the prohibited area setting section that is a part of the first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application (a diagram viewed from the side of the dump truck). Figure 6 The prohibited area setting section 44 sets a prohibited area where the front work device 101 is prohibited from intruding, based on the information of the position and orientation of the dump truck 200 output by the self-position calculator 212. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the prohibited area is set in the vicinity of the hopper 202 of the dump truck 200. The prohibited area is set in the vicinity of the hopper 202 of the dump truck 200, for example, because the operator of the hydraulic excavator 100 is likely to intrude into the vicinity of the hopper 202 of the dump truck 200 when the loading work is performed.

[0093] Figure 9A Figure 9B ​​​​​As shown, the prohibited area is set to surround the dump truck 200. By setting the prohibited area to surround the dump truck 200, it is possible to perform control of the support action that avoids contact of the hydraulic shovel 100 with respect to the dump truck 200.

[0094] With regard to the prohibited area, for example, as shown in Figure 10 it is possible to make the periphery of the cab 205 of the dump truck 200 larger than Figure 9A and Figure 9B the prohibited area shown in FIG. 6. Thereby, it is possible to avoid selecting a path of the front working device 101 that gives an operator of the dump truck 200 a sense of unease.

[0095] Further, in a case where the dump truck 200 is moving, it is desirable to set the prohibited area larger than at the time of stop. For example, in a case where the dump truck 200 is retreating toward a prescribed position, as shown in Figure 11 the prohibited area is set larger in the rear of the dump truck. Thereby, even in a case where the dump truck 200 is approaching the hydraulic shovel 100, it is possible to improve safety.

[0096] Further, with regard to detection of the moving speed of the dump truck 200, since the output of the GNSS receiver 212 as a self-position calculator is high precision, use of the GNSS receiver 212 is assumed. However, as a detector that detects the moving speed of the dump truck 200, it is also possible to replace it with a vehicle speed sensor mounted on the dump truck 200.

[0097] The control input operation section 50 uses the model (dynamic characteristic) of the hydraulic excavator 100 to perform an operation of predicting the trajectory of the front work implement 101 in a limited time interval, and based on the operation result of the trajectory prediction, operates an input of the dynamic characteristic (control input to the hydraulic excavator 100) that approaches the target position of the above-described loading work under the constraint condition that the front end portion of the front work implement 101 does not intrude into the above-described prohibited area. Specifically, the control input operation section 50 is configured by, for example, a trajectory prediction section 51 that performs an operation of predicting the trajectory of the front work implement 101, an intrusion judgment section 52 that judges whether or not the operation result of the trajectory prediction will intrude into the above-described prohibited area, a first control input operation section 53 that, in the case where it is judged that the operation result of the trajectory prediction will not intrude into the prohibited area, operates an input of the dynamic characteristic (control input) under a certain condition, a second control input operation section 54 that, in the case where it is judged that the operation result of the trajectory prediction will intrude into the prohibited area, operates an input of the dynamic characteristic (control input) under a condition different from the operation of the first control input operation section 53, and a control input decision section 55 that decides the control input of the hydraulic excavator 100 based on the operation result of the first control input operation section 53 and the operation result of the second control input operation section 54.

[0098] The trajectory prediction section 51 uses the equation of motion (model that determines the moment of inertia) calculated by the dynamic characteristic operation section 42 to predict the trajectory of the front work implement 101 when a certain driving torque is input in a limited time interval. Specifically, the trajectory of the front work implement is predicted by performing an integral operation of a certain limited prediction time interval (time t0 to time t p in the following equation (3) based on the dynamic characteristic (model). p u is the control input, x0 is the initial value of x p .

[0099]

Number 3

[0100]

[0101]

[0102] As the initial value x0, the angle θ (BM、AM、BK) , the angular velocity ω (BM、AM、BK) , the rotational angular velocity ω SWG of the front work implement 101 detected by the posture detectors 125 to 128, and the rotational angle θ SWG (azimuth) detected by the self-position calculator 133 are used. These information can be utilized via the excavator controller 10. The control input u pis obtained by aggregating the ideal driving torques τ p The control input u p is obtained by aggregating the ideal driving torques τ p for the hydraulic actuators 104, 110, 111, and 112 of the hydraulic excavator 100. p The determination method of the driving torque τ p for each hydraulic actuator 104, 110, 111, and 112 is described later. In addition, the expression (3) is an expression for a continuous-time system, but can be an expression for a discrete-time system. The output x p and the control input u p are determined for each time (prediction step) at which the prediction time interval (time t0~t d ) is divided into a plurality of times.

[0103] The intrusion determination section 52 determines whether or not the operation result based on the trajectory prediction of the front work implement 101 by the trajectory prediction section 51 is an intrusion into the prohibited area set by the prohibited area setting section 44. In addition, the intrusion determination section 52 can also be configured to have a prediction operation function of predicting the movement (position information) of the dump truck 200 as with the prediction operation of the trajectory prediction section 51.

[0104] The first control input operation section 53 focuses on the trajectory of the tooth tip position (the front end portion of the front work implement 101) of the bucket 108 in the trajectory prediction of the front work implement 101 by the trajectory prediction section 51 to operate the control input. That is, the driving torque τ d that makes the tooth tip position y d become the target position y d is operated. Specifically, the control input u d that achieves x d is operated in accordance with the following expression (4) that is a conversion formula from the trajectory of the front work implement 101 to the tooth tip position y (the position of the front end portion of the front work implement 101) and the following expression (5) for operating the trajectory of the front work implement 101. The control input u p is obtained by aggregating the ideal driving torques τ d for the hydraulic actuators 104, 110, 111, and 112 of the hydraulic excavator 100.

[0105] [Num 4]

[0106] y = h(x)... Expression (4)

[0107] t = t p when y d = h(x d )

[0108] [Num 5]

[0109]

[0110]

[0111] In addition, the target location y d The position changes accordingly with that of the dump truck 200. Therefore, attention should be paid to the target position y. d It depends on the position x of the dump truck 200. tr The coordinate transformation is calculated by the following formula (6).

[0112]

Number 6

[0113] y d =l(x tr ...Equation (6)

[0114] The second control input arithmetic unit 54 ensures that the tip position of the bucket 108 in the trajectory of the pre-operating device 101 is within the predicted time interval (time t0~t). p The control input u that intrudes into the prohibited area set by the prohibited area setting unit 44 a Perform the calculation. Control input u a The calculation method and the control input u of the first control input calculation unit 53 d The calculation method is similar, using equations (4) and (5) above. However, the trajectory of the front working device 101 is not based on the target position y of the loading operation of the bucket 108. d The calculation is based on the target position y outside the prohibited area. d Different positional operations.

[0115] Next, use Figure 12A-12D Explain the specific operation process of the control input arithmetic unit 50. Figure 12A-12D It is an explanation of the composition Figure 6 The diagram showing the calculation method of the control input calculation unit, which is part of the first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention, is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the first to fourth stages of the calculation.

[0116] Figure 12A This illustrates the method used to bring the tooth tip position of bucket 108 to the target position y. d The trajectory prediction result (dashed line). The trajectory prediction result indicates that the trajectory will intrude into the prohibited area set by the prohibited area setting unit 44. The initial coordinates of the trajectory prediction result indicating intrusion into the prohibited area are set as coordinates y. a1 .

[0117] In this case, such as Figure 12B As shown, the second control input arithmetic unit 54 refers to the coordinates y, which are the positions of intrusion into the prohibited area.a1 The target position is set outside the prohibited area and close to the tip of the tooth for unloading (loading operations). d New coordinates y a2 By moving the target position at the tooth tip from the target position y during unloading. d Permutation to this coordinate y a2 It can determine the position of the tooth tip within the predicted time interval (time t0 to t). p After approaching coordinate y a2 control input u a The calculation is performed. Therefore, although the tip of the bucket 108 will not reach the target position y, which is the unloading position... d However, it can achieve the goal of approaching the target position y while avoiding intrusion into the prohibited area. d Control.

[0118] The same applies to the next control cycle, such as... Figure 12C As shown, with Figure 12A Similarly, as shown, the process is performed to bring the tooth tip position of the bucket 108 to the target position y. d The trajectory prediction calculation is performed. If the trajectory prediction result indicates that the trajectory will intrude into the prohibited area, the second control input calculation unit 54 calculates the coordinates y of the intrusion into the prohibited area. a1 Then, as... Figure 12D As shown, with Figure 12B Similarly, in the case shown, referring to coordinate y... a1 Calculate the target position y, which is outside the prohibited area and closer to the tooth tip position for unloading. d New coordinates y a2 .

[0119] Like this, at the position of the tooth tip of the bucket 108, the target position y is reached. d If the trajectory prediction calculation result indicates that the trajectory will intrude into the prohibited area, the second control input calculation unit 54 will calculate the coordinates y of the trajectory that will intrude into the prohibited area. a1 The new coordinates y nearby a2 By setting the target and repeatedly performing trajectory prediction calculations, the position of the bucket 108 tooth tip can be ensured to remain within the prohibited area and aligned with the target unloading position y. d Consistent.

[0120] Furthermore, the second control input calculation unit 54 can also be configured to consider the trajectory of any part other than the tip of the front working device 101. However, if the intrusion of multiple positions of the front working device 101 into the prohibited area is considered, there is a concern that the computational load of the second control input calculation unit 54 will become too large. Therefore, it is also possible to configure the prohibited area to be set large by the prohibited area setting unit 44 so that control is performed in such a way that only the tip of the bucket 108 does not intrude into the prohibited area.

[0121] The control input decision unit 55 is based on the prediction time interval (time t0 ~ t1). p The control input u is divided into multiple time steps (prediction steps) and serves as the calculation result of the first control input arithmetic unit 53. d Or, as the control input u, which is the result of the calculation of the second control input arithmetic unit 54. a The prediction time interval (time t0~t) is determined. p The control input u across the entire range of the range. f The control input determination unit 55 sequentially stores the control inputs calculated in each prediction step, sets the stored series of control inputs for trajectory prediction calculations of the trajectory prediction unit 51, and outputs them to the trajectory prediction unit 51. Control input u f It is composed of the calculation results of the first control input calculation unit 53 and the calculation results of the second control input calculation unit 54, and therefore becomes the control input for approaching the target position within a range where the tip of the bucket 108 will not intrude into the prohibited area. Control input u f The driving torque τ applied to each link of the front working device 101 f The control input determination unit 55 will determine the driving torque τ. f Send to excavator control unit 61 (excavator controller 10).

[0122] The excavator control unit 61 calculates the control input u sent from the control input determination unit 55 to realize the control input u. f (driving torque τ) f The command value of ) is as follows. Specifically, the driving torque τ of each hydraulic actuator 104, 110, 111, and 112 of the hydraulic excavator 100 is determined according to the relationship in equation (2) above. f The pressure p of each hydraulic actuator 104, 110, 111, and 112 is converted into a pressure p. The excavator control unit 61 controls the hydraulic pump device 122 and the control valves of the control valve unit 123 to make the pressure of each hydraulic actuator 104, 110, 111, and 112 the command value, thereby realizing the aforementioned driving torque τ. f .

[0123] It should be noted that the functional parts of the support system control unit 40 are shown. Figure 6 The block diagram is designed with ease of understanding in mind. However, in reality, the control input calculation unit 50 of the support system control unit 40 performs calculations iteratively. That is, the control input calculation unit 50 uses trajectory prediction within a finite prediction time interval to determine the control input for each moment (prediction step) within that prediction time interval through iterative calculations.

[0124] Here, useFigure 13 Details of the operation sequence of the control input arithmetic unit 50 are explained. Figure 13 It means Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an example of the processing steps in a first embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention. Figure 13 The flowchart shown illustrates the operations corresponding to one control cycle. Note that... Figure 13 The calculations shown are performed repeatedly during system operation.

[0125] first, Figure 6 The support system control unit 40 shown acquires various information from various sensors (step S10). Specifically, it acquires posture information of the hydraulic excavator 100 from posture detectors 125-128, position and orientation information of the hydraulic excavator 100 from self-position calculator 133, and load information of the front working device 101 from load detector 129. Additionally, it acquires position and orientation information of the dump truck 200 from self-position calculator 212.

[0126] Next, the support system control unit 40 determines the dynamic characteristics (equation of motion) based on the outputs of various sensors (step S20). Specifically, the dynamic characteristic calculation unit 42 calculates the weight m of the sand in the bucket 108 based on the posture of the front working device 101 and the load calculation unit 41. BK The inertial torque I of the front working device 101 is calculated and the motion equation of the above equation (1) is determined.

[0127] Additionally, the support system control unit 40 sets a target position (step S30) as the final arrival point (unloading position) of the bucket 108's teeth during the loading operation. Specifically, the target position setting unit 43 sets the target position based on the position x of the dump truck 200 from the self-position calculator 212. tr Set the target location for unloading (e.g., refer to...) Figure 8 ).

[0128] Additionally, the support system control unit 40 sets a prohibited zone as an area to prevent the preceding work device 101 from entering (step S40). Specifically, the prohibited zone setting unit 44 sets the prohibited zone based on the position x of the dump truck 200 from the self-position calculator 212. tr Set up a restricted area around the dump truck 200 (e.g., refer to...). Figure 9A-11 It should be noted that the processing of steps S20 to S40 is not related to the order.

[0129] Next, the support system control unit 40 sets the initial input for the trajectory prediction calculation performed in step S60 (step S50). Specifically, the trajectory prediction unit 51 sets the initial state x0 of the pre-operation device 101, determined based on various information obtained from various sensors, as the initial input to the motion equation determined in step S20. Additionally, the trajectory prediction unit 51 serves as the control input u to the motion equation determined in step S20. p The initial input is set to any control input u0.

[0130] Next, the support system control unit 40 calculates the trajectory of the pre-prediction work device 101 within a limited prediction time interval (step S60). Specifically, the trajectory prediction unit 51 is set as the control input u p =Initial input u0 and use the above equation (3) for calculation. This calculation includes the prediction time interval (time t0 ~ time t). p The integral operation of ) therefore the control input u p Compared to multiple moments in the prediction time interval (e.g., t0, t1, t2, ..., t...), the prediction time interval is more precise. k =t p Each moment (each prediction step) is necessary.

[0131] The support system control unit 40 determines whether the calculation result of the predicted trajectory calculated in step S60 intrudes into the prohibited area set in step S40 (step S70). If the intrusion determination unit 52 determines that there will be no intrusion (no), it proceeds to step S80; on the other hand, if the intrusion determination unit 52 determines that there is an intrusion (yes), it proceeds to step S90.

[0132] If the determination of success or failure occurs in step S70, the support system control unit 40 guides the tip of the bucket 108 to approach the target position y for unloading. d Such control input u d The calculation is performed (step S80). Specifically, the first control input calculation unit 53, based on the calculation result of the predicted trajectory, uses the above-mentioned equations (4) to (6) to achieve the target position y for unloading at the tooth tip position y. d x d control input u d Perform the calculation.

[0133] On the other hand, if the determination is true in step S70, the support system control unit 40 provides control input u to prevent the tip of the bucket 108 from entering the prohibited area. a Perform the calculation (step S90). Specifically, the second control input calculation unit 54 calculates the control input u using the same calculation method as the first control input calculation unit 53. aHowever, the target position y for unloading is not set as the arrival position of the tooth tip position y after the predicted time interval. d Instead, it calculates the predicted trajectory as a location y near the location that intruded into the prohibited area, but outside the prohibited area. a2 Set as target location (refer to) Figure 12A-12D ).

[0134] The support system control unit 40 will calculate the control input u based on the judgment in step S70. d Or control input u a The control input u to be used in actual control is determined. f (Step S100), and transfer the control input u f Stored to storage device 30a (refer to) Figure 5 However, the control input u determined by this decision... f For a prediction step within a prediction time interval (e.g., times t0, t1, t2, ..., t...), ... k The control input is a control input for one of the prediction steps in the prediction time interval. That is, the calculations in steps S60 to S100 determine the control input corresponding to a prediction step within the prediction time interval. In this embodiment, the control input calculation unit 50 repeatedly executes the calculations in steps S60 to S100, thereby determining the control input u for all times (all prediction steps) of multiple times within the prediction time interval. f (Refer to step S110 described below).

[0135] In step S100, the control input determination unit 55 sets the control input u calculated in each prediction step to... d Or control input u a As the control input u used in actual control f The control inputs u for all prediction steps within the prediction time interval are stored sequentially to storage device 30a and finally stored. f For example, when the prediction time interval is set to times t0, t1, t2, ..., t... k In the case of k+1 prediction steps, the control input decision unit 55 stores U = [u f [t0]、u f [t1]、…、u f [t k This vector column.

[0136] After determining the control input for each prediction step in step S100, the support system control unit 40 determines whether the calculation of all prediction steps for the prediction time interval has ended (step S110). Specifically, the control input determination unit 55 determines whether all elements u of the vector column U have been saved. f[t] is judged. In a case where all elements u f [t] of the vector series U are not saved, it is judged that all of the prediction steps are not completed (No), on the other hand, in a case where all elements u f [t] are saved, it is judged that all of the prediction steps are completed (Yes).

[0137] In a case where Yes is judged in step S110, the operation of steps S60 to S100 is repeatedly performed. However, in the operation of step S60 after the second time, as the control input u p used in the trajectory prediction, the initial input u0 set in step S50 is not used, but an element u f [t] saved in the vector series U of the control input decided in the previous operation cycle is used.

[0138] In a case where Yes is judged in step S110, the support system regulation section 40 converts the vector series U of the control input decided in step S100 into control commands, and outputs the converted control commands with respect to the hydraulic shovel 100 (step S120). Specifically, the shovel control section 61 converts the vector series U of the control input u f decided in step S100 into pressures p in accordance with the relationship of the above-described formula (2). Thus, each control valve of the hydraulic pump device 122 and the control valve unit 123 of the hydraulic shovel 100 is controlled in accordance with each control command, so that the front working device 101 can load the sandy soil in the cargo bed 202 without contacting the dump truck 200.

[0139] As such, in the present embodiment, it is judged whether the trajectory prediction of the front working device 101 will intrude into the prohibited area, and in a case where it is judged that the predicted trajectory will intrude, a position different from the target position y d set by the target position setting section 43 for the dumping is set as the target, and the control input that can achieve a trajectory of the front working device 101 that does not intrude into the prohibited area is operated. Thus, the front working device 101 can reliably perform the loading work without contacting the dump truck 200.

[0140] Note that the operation of the above-described control input operation section 50 can be performed by the framework of Model Predictive Control (MPC). MPC is a control method that uses the dynamic characteristics (for example, a motion equation) of a control object to predict the behavior after a certain time, and calculates the control input in such a manner that a certain evaluation function is minimized (for details, refer to "Nonlinear Optimal Control Primer", Toshiyuki Otsuka, CORONA Co., Ltd. (2011)).

[0141] The control input operation section 50 uses Figure 14Aand Figure 14B An operation of the MPC in the present embodiment is described. Figure 14A is a schematic diagram showing one example of a positional relationship between the hydraulic shovel and the prohibited area in a case where a model predictive control is used in the operation framework of the first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application. Figure 14B is a graph showing a penalty function in a case where a model predictive control is used in the operation framework of the first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application.

[0142] The repeated operation from the trajectory prediction section 51 to the control input decision section 55, that is, the operation of the control input operation section 50 is equivalent to a case where the evaluation function in the MPC is designed as the following expression (7). By calculating the control input u that minimizes the evaluation function J of the expression (7), it is possible to perform the control of the hydraulic shovel 100 in which the pre-work device 101 does not intrude into the prohibited area.

[0143] [Num 7]

[0144]

[0145]

[0146]

[0147] P(z(t)) = F(h(z(t)))... (7c)

[0148] The expression (7) is constituted using the expression (7a), the expression (7b), and the expression (7c). The expression (7a) is a terminal cost, and the expression (7b) is a stage cost. The expression (7c) is a penalty cost as a constraint condition. Note that h(x) in the expression is the conversion formula that converts the trajectory of the pre-work device 101 into the tooth tip position of the bucket 108, that is, the above-described expression (4). In addition, y d is the target position for unloading set by the above-described target position setting section 43.

[0149] It is understood that both the expression (7a) and the expression (7b) are functions in which the smaller the value is, the closer the tooth tip position h(x(t)) at the time t is to the target position y d . The evaluation function J includes an integral operation from the time t0 to the time t p as a prediction time interval, and it can be said that the operation also performs the operation of the trajectory prediction of the pre-work device 101. That is, the optimization (minimization) of the expression (7a) and the expression (7b) can be said to perform the operation functions of the trajectory prediction section 51 and the first control input operation section 53.

[0150] The penalty cost of formula (7c) is defined by a penalty function F. The penalty function F is a function that outputs a large value in a case where the tooth tip position h(x(t)) intrudes into the forbidden region, and outputs 0 in a case where it is outside the range of the forbidden region. Hereinafter, the characteristics of the penalty function F are described. In order to make the description simple, as shown in Figure 14A , only the region of the side surface of the dump truck (x-z plane) is considered as the range of the tooth tip position of the hydraulic excavator. Figure 14A

[0151] The characteristics are that, in a case where the x coordinate of the tooth tip position is in the range of x min to x max , and the z coordinate is in the range of z min to z max , that is, in a case where the tooth tip position is in the range of the forbidden region, the penalty function F outputs a large value, as shown in Figure 14B . In a case where such a penalty function F is included in the evaluation function J, if the predicted trajectory of the tooth tip position intrudes into the forbidden region, the value of the evaluation function J sharply increases. Therefore, the solution in which the penalty function F outputs a large value is excluded by the optimization process of the evaluation function J. That is, the control input in which the tooth tip position naturally avoids the forbidden region is calculated. This operation can be said to execute the intrusion judgment section 52 and the second control input operation section 54.

[0152] As such, the evaluation function J is constituted by the terminal cost and the stage cost that make the tooth tip position of the shovel 108 approach the target position y d , and the penalty function F that makes the tooth tip position away from the forbidden region. Therefore, it can be said that the evaluation function J is equivalent to the control input decision section 55 that decides the final control input u p using the operation result u a of the first control input operation section 53 and the operation result u f of the second control input operation section 54.

[0153] In the above-described evaluation function J of formula (7), the term related to the control input u is not included in the explicit, and the trajectory of the working implement 101 is associated with the control input u via the above-described formula (3). However, the evaluation function J can also be constituted so as to introduce the evaluation related to the control input u by being set as formula (8) as follows. In this case, by introducing the term of the control input u as formula (8), it is possible to prevent the control input from being excessive.

[0154] [Equation 8]

[0155]

[0156] ​As described above, the loading work support system 1 of the first embodiment of the present application supports the loading work of the hydraulic excavator 100 (the loader) with respect to the dump truck 200 (the carrier) with the cargo box 2, in which the hydraulic excavator 100 (the loader) has the front work device 101 (the work device) of the multi-joint type configured by rotatably linking a plurality of driven members 106, 107, 108, the loading work support system 1 has: a first position calculator 133 that calculates the position and orientation of the hydraulic excavator 100 (the loader); posture detectors 125 to 128 that detect the posture of the front work device 101 (the work device); a second position calculator 212 that calculates the position and orientation of the dump truck 200 (the carrier); and a support system controller 40 (a control device configured by the excavator controller 10, the truck controller 20, and the regulation controller 30) that controls the operation of the hydraulic excavator 100 (the loader). The support system controller 40 (the control device) is configured to set a target position y d as a position that the front work device 101 (the work device) should reach in the loading work based on the output of the second position calculator 212, set a prohibited area as an area in which the front work device 101 (the work device) is prohibited from intruding based on the output of the second position calculator 212, perform a prediction operation of predicting the trajectory of the front work device 101 (the work device) in a limited prediction time interval (time t0 to time t p ) using the output of the first position calculator 133, the output of the posture detectors 125 to 128, and the dynamic characteristics of the front work device 101 (the work device), judge whether the front work device 101 (the work device) will intrude into the prohibited area in the prediction time interval (time t0 to time t p ) based on the operation result of the trajectory prediction of the front work device 101 (the work device), in the case where it is judged that the front work device 101 (the work device) will not intrude into the prohibited area, set a position that is different from the target position y p and closer to the target position y d than the position of the tooth tip (the front end portion) of the bucket 108 of the front work device 101 (the work device) as the target based on the input of the dynamic characteristics of the front work device 101 (the work device) in the prediction time interval (time t0 to time t p ), and in the case where it is judged that the front work device 101 (the work device) will intrude into the prohibited area, set a position that is different from the target position y d and closer to the target position y d than the position of the tooth tip (the front end portion) of the bucket 108 of the front work device 101 (the work device) as the target, and perform the operation of moving the front end portion of the front work device 101 (the work device) in the prediction time interval (time t0 to time tp ) that approaches the target like the dynamic characteristic of the front work implement 101 (work implement) in the first input u a p and the second input u a The control input that controls the operation of the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) is calculated, and the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) is controlled based on the control input calculated as a result of the calculation.

[0157] According to this structure, the operation of the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) is controlled in a manner that the bucket 108 of the front work implement 101 (work implement) avoids the prohibited area and approaches the target position y d of the loading operation by using the control input of the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) calculated based on the result of the calculation of the trajectory prediction of the front work implement 101 (work implement) that utilizes the dynamic characteristic of the front work implement 101 (work implement) of the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) under the constraint condition that the tip (front end) of the bucket 108 of the front work implement 101 (work implement) does not intrude into the prohibited area. Therefore, the loading operation can be reliably supported regardless of the positional relationship between the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) and the dump truck 200 (carrier).

[0158] In addition, in the loading operation support system 1 of the present embodiment, a load detector 129 that detects the load of the front work implement 101 (work implement) is further provided. The support system control section 40 (control device) is further configured to calculate the load of the cargo held by the front work implement 101 (work implement) based on the output of the load detector 129 and the outputs of the posture detectors 125 to 128, and adjust the dynamic characteristic of the front work implement 101 (work implement) based on the load of the cargo calculated as a result of the calculation and the outputs of the posture detectors 125 to 128.

[0159] According to this structure, the dynamic characteristic of the front work implement 101 (work implement) is adjusted according to the state of the loading operation at the time of the prediction calculation, and thus the trajectory prediction of the front work implement 101 (work implement) can be performed with higher accuracy.

[0160] In addition, in the loading operation support system 1 of the present embodiment, the support system control section 40 (control device) is configured to set the prohibited area in a manner that the prohibited area around the cab 205 is larger than the prohibited area around the cargo bed 202. According to this structure, it is possible to avoid selecting a path of the front work implement 101 that causes the operator who rides on the cab 205 of the dump truck 200 to feel uneasy. ​

[0161] Further, the support system control section 40 (control device) of the loading work support system 1 of the present embodiment is configured to set the prohibited area larger on the advancing direction side of the dump truck 200 than in the case where the dump truck 200 is stopped, in the case where the dump truck 200 is moving. According to this configuration, even in the case where the dump truck 200 approaches the hydraulic excavator 100, it is possible to further reduce the possibility of contact between the front work device 101 and the dump truck 200, and thus it is possible to improve the safety of the loading work.

[0162] Further, the support system control section 40 (control device) of the loading work support system 1 of the present embodiment is configured to set the target position at a different position with respect to the hopper 202 of the dump truck 200 each time the hydraulic excavator 100 performs the loading work, in the case where the hydraulic excavator 100 is to perform the loading work multiple times before the dump truck 200 transports the cargo. According to this configuration, it is possible to load the cargo to the entire hopper 202, and thus it is possible to reduce the number of times of transportation of the cargo and perform efficient transportation.

[0163] Further, the support system control section 40 (control device) of the loading work support system 1 of the present embodiment is configured to perform a series of processes of the calculation of the trajectory prediction of the front work device 101 (work device), the judgment of whether or not the front work device 101 (work device) intrudes into the prohibited area, the calculation of the first input of the dynamic characteristics of the front work device 101 (work device), and the calculation of the second input of the dynamic characteristics of the front work device 101 (work device), using the evaluation function J of the model predictive control.

[0164] According to this configuration, by installing the algorithm of the evaluation function J in the support system control section 40 (control device), it is possible to achieve the action control of the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader).

[0165] Further, in the support system control section 40 (control device) of the loading work support system 1 of the present embodiment, the evaluation function J is configured in a manner that includes a penalty function F that increases the value of the evaluation function J in the case where the front work device 101 (work device) intrudes into the prohibited area. According to this configuration, the penalty function F functions as a constraint condition that the tooth tip (front end portion) of the bucket 108 of the front work device 101 (work device) does not intrude into the prohibited area, and thus it is possible to reliably achieve the approach of the tooth tip (front end portion) of the bucket 108 of the front work device 101 (work device) to the target position y of the loading work while avoiding the prohibited area. d the action control of the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader).

[0166] [Variation of the 1st Embodiment]

[0167] Next, the useFigure 15 A modification of the first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application will be described. Figure 15 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the modification of the first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application. Note that parts of the same reference numerals as those shown in Figure 15 in the first embodiment are the same parts, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted. Figure 1-13

[0168] The first embodiment avoids contact between the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 during loading work by controlling only the operation of the hydraulic excavator 100, and in contrast, the modification of the first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application avoids contact between the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 during loading work by controlling the operations of both the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200. Controlling both is advantageous for avoiding contact between the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 during loading work.

[0169] For example, in a case where the dump truck 200 approaches the hydraulic excavator 100, contact between the two can be easily avoided by causing the dump truck 200 to approach at a sufficiently low speed. In addition, in a case where the control operation of the hydraulic excavator 100 for avoiding contact exceeds the operation limit of the front work device 101, it is conceivable to avoid contact between the two by causing the dump truck 200 to perform an operation of moving away from the hydraulic excavator 100. The loading work support system 1A of the present modification implements such an operation.

[0170] Specifically, the support system control section 40A of the loading work support system 1A is provided with a truck control section 62 in addition to the functional sections 41 to 44, 50, 61 of the first embodiment. The truck control section 62 controls the forward and backward movement and the speed of the dump truck 200 by intervening in the accelerator 207 and the brake 208 of the dump truck 200. The truck control section 62 is installed in the truck controller 20, for example.

[0171] In addition, the operations of the intrusion determination section 52A, the second control input operation section 54A, and the control input decision section 55A in the control input operation section 50 of the present modification are different from the operations of the functional sections 52, 54, 55 of the first embodiment, and are changed to operation contents that take into account the control of the dump truck 200.

[0172] Specifically, the intrusion determination section 52A determines whether the front work device 101 intrudes into the prohibited area, taking into account the dynamic characteristics (e.g., the equation of motion) of the dump truck 200. The equation of motion of the dump truck 200 is provided by, for example, the following equation (9). The intrusion determination section 52A determines whether the front work device 101 intrudes into the prohibited area based on the equation (9) for the time t0 to the time t p ​The position change (movement) of the prohibited area of the prediction time interval of the hydraulic excavator (the same interval as the prediction time interval of the hydraulic excavator) is predicted. That is, the same integral operation as the above-described equation (3) is performed.

[0173] [Num 9]

[0174]

[0175]

[0176] Note that xt, yt are the positions of the GNSS antenna of the dump truck in the plane coordinates, and θt is the azimuth angle of the dump truck 200. The control input v is provided by the control amount a of the accelerator and the control amount b of the brake.

[0177] The operation result of the trajectory prediction of the front work device 101 by the 2nd control input operation section 54A is the control input of both the control input u of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the control input v of the dump truck 200, which does not intrude into the prohibited area set around the dump truck 200. Further, in order to smoothly operate the front work device 101, it is preferable to control the operation of the dump truck 200, and thus it is possible to set to calculate the control input of both the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 in such a manner that the control input v of the dump truck 200 is actively changed compared to the control input u of the hydraulic excavator 100.

[0178] The control input decision section 55A decides the control input u of the prediction time interval of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the control input v of the prediction time interval of the dump truck 200 based on the operation result of the 1st control input operation section 53 and the operation result of the 2nd control input operation section 54A. The control input decision section 55A transmits the control input u of the hydraulic excavator 100 to the excavator control section 61, and transmits the control input v of the dump truck 200 to the truck control section 62.

[0179] As described above, in the present modification example, the position change of the prohibited area is predicted using the dynamic characteristics of the dump truck 200, and it is determined whether the predicted trajectory of the front work device 101 intrudes into the prohibited area, and the control input u of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the control input v of the dump truck 200, which can achieve the predicted trajectory of the front work device 101 that does not intrude into the prohibited area, are calculated. Therefore, as the operation for avoiding the contact of the front work device 101 with the dump truck 200, it is possible to control both the operation of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the operation of the dump truck 200, and thus the margin of avoiding the operation is increased.

[0180] Note that the operation of the control input calculation section 50 in this modification example can also be implemented by the framework of MPC, as with the operation of the control input calculation section 50 in the first embodiment. Specifically, in the evaluation function J of the above-described formula (7), instead of using only the dynamic characteristics f of the hydraulic excavator 100 for calculating the trajectory x of the front work implement 101, the following formula (10) is used, which combines the dynamic characteristics of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dynamic characteristics of the dump truck 200, whereby the operation of the two control inputs of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 can be implemented by the same framework as in the case of the first embodiment.

[0181] [Equation 10]

[0182]

[0183]

[0184] According to the above-described first embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application, as with the first embodiment described above, the operation of the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) is controlled in such a manner that the tooth tip (front end portion) of the bucket 108 of the front work implement 101 (work implement) approaches the target position y d of the loading work while avoiding the prohibited area, and thus the loading work can be reliably supported regardless of the positional relationship between the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) and the dump truck 200 (carrier).

[0185] In addition, in the loading work support system 1A of this modification example, the support system controller 40A (control device) is configured to control the operation of the dump truck 200 (carrier) in addition to the operation of the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader), and the support system controller 40A (control device) further uses the dynamic characteristics of the dump truck 200 (carrier) to perform a prediction operation of predicting the movement of the dump truck 200 (carrier) in the prediction time interval (time t0 to time t p ). In addition, the operation of the support system controller 40A (control device) is performed taking into account the result of the operation of predicting the movement of the dump truck 200 (carrier) based on the judgment of the support system controller 40A (control device) as to whether the front work implement 101 (work implement) will intrude into the prohibited area, and in the case where the support system controller 40A (control device) judges that the front work implement 101 (work implement) will intrude into the prohibited area, the operation of the support system controller 40A (control device) is changed to a position outside the prohibited area that is different from the target position y d and is farther from the target position y dThe nearest position is set as the target, and the tip (front end) of the bucket 108 of the front working device 101 (working device) is within the predicted time interval (time t0 to time t). p The system calculates the second input of the dynamic characteristics of the front working device 101 (working device) and the second input of the dynamic characteristics of the dump truck 200 (transporter) to approximate the target. Furthermore, the support system control unit 40A (control device) calculates the control input for controlling the operation of the dump truck 200 (transporter) based on the second input of the dynamic characteristics of the dump truck 200 (transporter) based on the calculation results, and controls the dump truck 200 (transporter) based on the control input of the calculation results.

[0186] According to this structure, by controlling the movement of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the movement of the dump truck 200 as a support action to avoid contact between the front working device 101 (working device) and the dump truck 200 (handler), the scope of control action to avoid contact is increased, thus enabling more reliable support for loading operations.

[0187] [Second Implementation]

[0188] Next, use Figure 16 The second embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention will be described. Figure 16 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional structure of a second embodiment of the loading operation support system of the present invention. It should be noted that... Figure 16 In, with Figure 1-15 The parts of the accompanying figures that have the same reference numerals are identical, therefore their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0189] In the first embodiment, each functional unit 51 to 55 of the control input arithmetic unit 50 uses data from time t0 to time t... p Calculations are performed over a fixed prediction time interval; in contrast, Figure 16 The loading operation support system 1B of the second embodiment of the present invention shown can change the predicted time interval during the calculation of each functional unit 51 to 55 of the control input calculation unit 50.

[0190] For example, if the dump truck 200 is sufficiently far from the hydraulic excavator 100, a collision between the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 is unlikely, even if the prediction time interval (the integration interval of the calculation) is shortened. On the other hand, if the relative approach speed of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 is high, the possibility of a collision between them cannot be ignored in a short prediction time interval. To reliably eliminate such a situation, the prediction time interval needs to be appropriately adjusted based on the relative conditions of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200.

[0191] Therefore, the support system control section 40B of the loading work support system 1B of the present embodiment has, in addition to the respective functional sections 41 to 44, 50, 61 of the first embodiment, a predicted time changing section 57 that changes the predicted time interval (integration interval) in each operation of the respective functional sections 51 to 55 of the change control input operation section 50. The predicted time changing section 57 acquires information of positions and moving speeds (update difference of position) from the self-position calculators 133, 212 of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200, respectively. The predicted time changing section 57 is configured to set the predicted time interval longer than usual as the relative distance between the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 calculated on the basis of the acquired various information is shorter and as the approaching speed of the dump truck 200 is faster. The predicted time changing section 57 can reliably perform avoidance of contact between the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 by appropriately setting the predicted time interval in accordance with the mutual conditions of the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200.

[0192] According to the second embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application described above, as with the first embodiment described above, the action of the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) is controlled in such a manner that the tooth tip (front end portion) of the dipper 10 of the front work device 101 (work device) approaches the target position y d of the loading work while avoiding the prohibited area, and therefore, the loading work can be reliably supported regardless of the positional relationship between the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) and the dump truck 200 (carrier).

[0193] In addition, in the loading work support system 1B of the present embodiment, the support system control section 40B (control device) is configured to be able to change the length of the predicted time interval. According to this configuration, by changing the length of the predicted time interval in accordance with the mutual conditions of the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) and the dump truck 200 (carrier), appropriate action support for the loading work can be performed.

[0194] In addition, the support system control section 40B (control device) of the loading work support system 1B of the present embodiment is configured to change the length of the predicted time interval in such a manner that the faster the relative approaching speed of the dump truck 200 (carrier) with respect to the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) calculated on the basis of the output of the first position calculator 133 and the output of the second position calculator 212, the longer the length of the predicted time interval. According to this configuration, by lengthening the predicted time interval when the possibility of contact between the dump truck 200 (carrier) and the hydraulic excavator 100 (loader) cannot be ignored, appropriate action support for the loading work can be performed.

[0195] [Third Embodiment]

[0196] Next, the useFigure 17 A third embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application will be described. Figure 17 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the third embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application. Note that, in Figure 17 , portions of the same reference numerals as those shown in Figure 1-16 are the same portions, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0197] The third embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application differs from the first embodiment in that, as the loading machine, the work robot 300 is taken as the object instead of the hydraulic excavator 100, and as the carrying machine, the carrying robot 400 is taken as the object instead of the dump truck 200, and support of the loading work of the work robot 300 with respect to the carrying robot 400 is performed.

[0198] The work robot 300 is provided with a multi-joint type arm configured by rotatably linking a plurality of link members. That is, as shown in Figure 7 , the multi-joint type arm is of the same structure as the front work device 101 of the hydraulic excavator 100. However, the arm moves, for example, not by a hydraulic actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder but by an actuator 323 such as an electric motor. The carrying robot is provided with a cargo box like the dump truck 200. However, the movement (travel) of the carrying robot 400 is performed, for example, not by the engine via the accelerator 207 but by an actuator 407 such as an electric motor (see below). Figure 18

[0199] In the loading work support system 1C of the present embodiment, as the load detector 129C that detects the load of the arm of the work robot 300, a sensor that detects the load of the actuator 323 is used instead of the pressure sensor 129. In addition, instead of the excavator control section 61 that controls the movement of the hydraulic excavator 100, a work robot control section 61C that controls the movement (actuator) of the work robot 300 is provided. In addition, in the first control input calculation section 53C and the second control input calculation section 54C of the control input calculation section 50 in the support system regulation section 40C, the calculation is performed using the position of the tip of the arm instead of the position of the tooth tip of the bucket 108 of the hydraulic excavator 100.

[0200] According to the above-described third embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application, even if the loading work of the work robot 300 and the carrying robot 400 is taken as the object, it is possible to achieve safe loading work with the tip of the arm of the work robot 300 not in contact with the carrying robot 400, like the case of the above-described first embodiment.

[0201] [Variation of the Third Embodiment] ​

[0202] Next, using Figure 18 A modification of the third embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application will be described. Figure 18 is a block diagram showing the functional structure of the modification of the third embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application. Note that, in Figure 18 , the portions of the same reference numerals as those shown in Figure 1-17 are the same portions, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0203] Figure 18 The loading work support system ID of the modification of the third embodiment of the present application shown in

[0204] The support system control section 40D of the loading work support system ID of the present modification has, in addition to the respective functional sections 41 to 44, 50, 61C of the third embodiment, a handling robot control section 62D. The handling robot control section 62D controls the movement of the handling robot 400 by controlling the action of the actuator 407 of the handling robot 400.

[0205] In addition, the operation of the intrusion judging section 52D, the second control input operation section 54D, and the control input deciding section 55D in the control input operation section 50 of the present modification is different from that of the functional sections 52, 54C, 55 of the third embodiment, and is changed to an operation content that takes into consideration the control of the handling robot 400. The specific content is only that the dump truck 200 in the description of the modification of the first embodiment is replaced with the handling robot 400.

[0206] In the present modification, not only the action of the work robot is controlled, but also the action of the handling robot is controlled at the same time, and thus the loading work can be performed more safely compared to the case of the third embodiment. That is, according to the modification of the third embodiment, even if the loading work of the work robot 300 and the handling robot 400 is taken as the object, the leading end of the arm of the work robot 300 can be more reliably brought into contact with the handling robot 400 to achieve safe loading work, as in the case of the modification of the first embodiment described above.

[0207] [Other Embodiments]

[0208] Note that the present application is not limited to the present embodiment, and various modifications are included. The above-described embodiments are described in detail for easy understanding of the present application, and are not necessarily limited to having all the described structures. A part of the structure of an embodiment can be replaced with the structure of another embodiment, and additionally, the structure of an embodiment can be added with the structure of another embodiment. Additionally, with respect to a part of the structure of each embodiment, addition, deletion, and replacement of other structures can be performed.

[0209] For example, in the above-described present embodiment, an example of the structure in which the loading work support system 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D includes the excavator controller 10, the truck controller 20, and the regulation controller 30 is shown (refer to FIG. 1). Figure 5 However, in a case where the hydraulic excavator 100 and the dump truck 200 are each one in the work site, and the combination of the two does not change, the structure of the loading work support system 1E shown in FIG. 2 can be used. That is, the support system regulation section 40E can also be configured to perform work support for loading by omitting the regulation controller 30 shown in FIG. 1, and causing the excavator controller 10 and the truck controller 20 to directly communicate. Figure 19 Figure 5 Figure 19 is a block diagram showing the outline structure of another embodiment of the loading work support system of the present application. In this case, the function of the regulation controller 30 shown in FIG. 1 can be installed in the excavator controller 10 or the truck controller 20. Figure 5

[0210] Additionally, in the above-described present embodiment, an example of the structure in which the loading work support system 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D includes the load calculation section 41 is shown. However, the loading work support system can also be configured to omit the function section of the load calculation section 41. In this case, the calculation process is deleted in correspondence with the omission of the function section of the load calculation section 41, but the dynamic characteristics of the work device are not considered in relation to the load of the cargo, and thus there is a case where the accuracy of the prediction calculation is reduced.

[0211] Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0212] ​​​10 … excavator controller (control device), 20 … truck controller (control device), 30 … regulation controller (control device), 100 … hydraulic excavator (carrier), 101 … front working device (working device), 103 … upper swing body (swing body), 106 … boom (driven member), 107 … arm (driven member), 108 … bucket (driven member), 125 … body IMU (attitude detector), 126 … boom IMU (attitude detector), 127 … arm IMU (attitude detector), 128 … bucket IMU (attitude detector), 129 … pressure sensor (load detector), 133 … GNSS receiver (1st position calculator), 200 … dump truck (carrier), 202 … cargo box, 205 … cab, 212 … GNSS receiver (2nd position calculator), 300 … work robot (carrier), 400 … transport robot (carrier).

Claims

1. A loading work support system that supports a loading work of a loader with respect to a carrier provided with a hopper, wherein the loader is provided with a multi-joint type work device configured by rotatably linking a plurality of driven members, the loading work support system characterized by comprising: a first position calculator that calculates a position and an orientation of the loader; a posture detector that detects a posture of the work device; a second position calculator that calculates a position and an orientation of the carrier; and a control device that controls an action of the loader, wherein, with respect to the control device, a target position that the work device should reach in the loading work is set based on an output of the second position calculator, a prohibited area that prohibits the work device from intruding is set based on the output of the second position calculator, a prediction operation that predicts a trajectory of the work device in a limited prediction time interval is performed using an output of the first position calculator, an output of the posture detector, and a dynamic characteristic of the work device, it is judged whether the work device will intrude into the prohibited area in the prediction time interval based on a result of the operation of the trajectory prediction of the work device, in a case where it is judged that the work device will not intrude into the prohibited area, a first input of the dynamic characteristic of the work device in which a front end portion of the work device approaches the target position in the prediction time interval is operated based on the result of the operation of the trajectory prediction of the work device, in a case where it is judged that the work device will intrude into the prohibited area, a position other than the target position and closer to the target position than a position of the front end portion of the work device outside the prohibited area is set as a target, and a second input of the dynamic characteristic of the work device in which the front end portion of the work device approaches the target in the prediction time interval is operated, a control input that controls the action of the loader is operated based on the first input and the second input of the dynamic characteristic of the work device based on the operation result, the control of the loader is performed based on the control input based on the operation result, and the control device is capable of changing a length of the prediction time interval.

2. The loading work support system according to claim 1, further comprising a load detector that detects a load of the work device, wherein the control device further operates a load of a cargo held by the work device based on an output of the load detector and the output of the posture detector, and adjusts the dynamic characteristic of the work device based on the load of the cargo and the output of the posture detector based on the operation result.

3. The loading work support system according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is a dump truck provided with a cab in addition to the hopper, the loader is a hydraulic excavator provided with a front work device as the work device and a rotatable body on which the front work device is provided, and the control device controls an action of the front work device and a rotational action of the rotatable body. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 4. The loading work support system according to claim 3, characterized in that the control device sets the prohibited area in a manner that the prohibited area around the cab is larger than the prohibited area around the cargo box.

5. The loading work support system according to claim 3, characterized in that the control device sets the prohibited area larger on the traveling direction side of the dump truck in the case where the dump truck is moving than in the case where the dump truck is stopped.

6. The loading work support system according to claim 3, characterized in that in the case where the hydraulic excavator is to perform a plurality of loading works before the dump truck carries the cargo, the control device sets the target position at a different position with respect to the cargo box of the dump truck each time the hydraulic excavator performs a loading work.

7. The loading work support system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device changes the length of the prediction time interval in a manner that the faster the relative approach speed of the carrier with respect to the loader calculated based on the output of the first position calculator and the output of the second position calculator, the longer the length of the prediction time interval.

8. The loading work support system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device is configured to perform a series of processes of the operation of the trajectory prediction of the work device using an evaluation function of model predictive control, the judgment of whether the work device intrudes into the prohibited area, the operation of the first input of the dynamic characteristics of the work device, and the operation of the second input of the dynamic characteristics of the work device.

9. The loading work support system according to claim 8, characterized in that the evaluation function includes a penalty function that increases the value of the evaluation function in the case where the work device intrudes into the prohibited area.

10. A loading work support system that supports a loading work of a loader with respect to a carrier having a cargo box, wherein the loader is provided with a work device of a multi-joint type configured by rotatably linking a plurality of driven members, the loading work support system being characterized by comprising: a first position calculator that calculates a position and an orientation of the loader; a posture detector that detects a posture of the work device; a second position calculator that calculates a position and an orientation of the carrier; and a control device that controls an action of the loader, wherein, with respect to the control device, a target position that the work device should reach in the loading work is set based on an output of the second position calculator, a prohibited area in which the work device is prohibited from intruding is set based on an output of the second position calculator, a prediction operation of predicting a trajectory of the work device in a limited prediction time interval is performed using an output of the first position calculator, an output of the posture detector, and dynamic characteristics of the work device, it is judged whether the work device will intrude into the prohibited area in the prediction time interval based on a result of the trajectory prediction operation of the work device, and the target position is changed in a manner that the faster the relative approach speed of the carrier with respect to the loader calculated based on an output of the first position calculator and an output of the second position calculator, the larger the target position is set. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ in a case where it is determined that the work device will intrude into the prohibited area, a position other than the target position and closer to the target position than a position of the front end of the work device outside the prohibited area is set as a target, and an input of a dynamic characteristic of the work device in which the front end of the work device approaches the target in the prediction time interval is calculated, in a case where it is determined that the work device will intrude into the prohibited area, a position other than the target position and closer to the target position than a position of the front end of the work device outside the prohibited area is set as a target, and an input of a dynamic characteristic of the work device in which the front end of the work device approaches the target in the prediction time interval is calculated, a control input for controlling an action of the carrier is calculated based on the first and second inputs of the dynamic characteristic of the work device based on the calculation result, the carrier is controlled based on the control input based on the calculation result, the control device is configured to control an action of the carrier in addition to an action of the loader, the control device further performs a prediction calculation of movement of the carrier in the prediction time interval using a dynamic characteristic of the carrier, the determination by the control device as to whether the work device will intrude into the prohibited area is made in consideration of a calculation result of the movement prediction of the carrier, in a case where it is determined that the work device will intrude into the prohibited area, the calculation by the control device is changed to calculate a second input of the dynamic characteristic of the work device in which the front end of the work device approaches the target in the prediction time interval and a second input of the dynamic characteristic of the carrier, the control device further calculates a control input for controlling an action of the carrier based on the second input of the dynamic characteristic of the carrier based on the calculation result, and controls the carrier based on the control input based on the calculation result.

11. The loading work support system according to claim 10, wherein a load detector that detects a load of the work device is further provided, the control device further calculates a load of a cargo held by the work device based on an output of the load detector and an output of the posture detector, and adjusts the dynamic characteristic of the work device based on the load of the cargo and the output of the posture detector based on the calculation result.

12. The loading work support system according to claim 10, wherein the carrier is a dump truck that has a cab in addition to the cargo box, the loader is a hydraulic excavator that has a front work device as the work device and a rotatable body on which the front work device is provided, the control device controls an action of the front work device and a rotational action of the rotatable body.

13. The loading work support system according to claim 10, wherein The hauler is a dump truck having a cab in addition to the cargo box, The loader is a hydraulic excavator having a front work implement as the work implement and a rotatable body provided with the front work implement, The control device controls the movement of the dump truck and the operation of the front work implement of the hydraulic excavator and the rotation of the rotatable body.

14. The loading work support system according to claim 12, wherein The control device sets the prohibited area so as to be larger on the side of the travel direction of the dump truck than in the case where the dump truck is stopped.

15. The loading work support system according to claim 12, wherein The control device sets the prohibited area to be larger on the side of the travel direction of the dump truck in the case where the dump truck is moving than in the case where the dump truck is stopped.

16. The loading work support system according to claim 12, wherein In the case where the hydraulic excavator is to perform a plurality of loading works before the dump truck hauls the cargo, the control device sets the target position at a different position each time the hydraulic excavator performs a loading work with respect to the cargo box of the dump truck.

17. The loading work support system according to claim 10, wherein The control device is capable of changing the length of the prediction time interval.

18. The loading work support system according to claim 17, wherein The control device changes the length of the prediction time interval in such a manner that the longer the relative approach speed of the hauler with respect to the loader calculated on the basis of the output of the first position calculator and the output of the second position calculator is, the longer the length of the prediction time interval is.

19. The loading work support system according to claim 10, wherein The control device is configured to perform a series of processes including the operation of the trajectory prediction of the work implement, the judgment of whether the work implement intrudes into the prohibited area, the operation of the first input of the dynamic characteristics of the work implement, and the operation of the second input of the dynamic characteristics of the work implement, using an evaluation function of model predictive control.

20. The loading work support system according to claim 19, wherein The evaluation function includes a penalty function that increases the value of the evaluation function in the case where the work implement intrudes into the prohibited area.

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