Travel route generation device, travel route generation method, travel route generation program and automation processing system

Abstract

To provide a travel route generation device capable of easily generating a travel route, a travel route generation method, a travel route generation program and an automation processing system.SOLUTION: A travel route generation device 2A comprises: a positional information acquisition section 21 which acquires positional information of a plurality of marks determining a work range of a construction machine; and a travel route generation section 22 which generates a travel route of the construction machine on the basis of the acquired positional information. It is preferable that the travel route generation section 22 generates the travel route in a travel range separated inwardly from the work range by a predetermined amount. It is preferable that the travel route generation section 22 sets route points at predetermined intervals on the travel route.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a travel route generating device, a travel route generating method, a travel route generating program, and an automated construction system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a technology has been developed in which sensors are mounted on a vibrating roller and the vibrating roller runs along a travel path set in a compaction area to perform construction work (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-067126 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-126625 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2017-204089 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2019-218817 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional methods for setting the travel route of an automated construction machine include, for example, a method of recording the coordinates of a vehicle traveled by a human driver in advance and following them, and a method of calculating the coordinates of the route to be traveled based on design drawings and survey results. However, these methods have the problem that the operator of the automated construction machine needs to perform complicated operations and cumbersome calculations. From this perspective, the present invention provides a travel route generating device, a travel route generating method, a travel route generating program, and an automated construction system that can easily generate a travel route. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention, which solves the above problem, is a driving path generation device that includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of multiple landmarks that determine the working range of a construction machine, and a driving path generation unit that generates a driving path for the construction machine based on the acquired position information. The present invention also provides a driving route generation method comprising the steps of acquiring position information of a plurality of landmarks that determine the working range of a construction machine, and generating a driving route for the construction machine based on the acquired position information. The present invention also provides a driving route generation program for causing a computer to execute the driving route generation method. The present invention also provides an automated construction system including the driving route generation device and an automatic driving support device that supports the automatic driving of the construction machine.

[0006] According to this configuration, by placing a triangular cone equipped with a GNSS antenna, for example, at a desired position as a marker, the geometric information of the work range can be set. Therefore, the coordinate setting work by surveying or locating from a drawing is not necessary. In addition, once the work range is determined, the travel route can be freely set according to a predetermined rule. Therefore, the travel route can be easily generated. In addition, the shape of the work range can be freely set depending on the arrangement of the marker, and even if the work range is such, a travel route can be generated, so that flexible automated construction according to the site situation can be realized. In addition, the marker clearly indicates the work range to the workers on site and plays a role of calling the workers' attention, thereby improving the safety of automated construction.

[0007] It is also preferable that the travel route generation unit generates the travel route in a travel range spaced inwardly from the working range by a predetermined amount. This allows the range in which automated construction work is carried out by the construction machine to be set reliably. Therefore, for example, it is easy to set the control content (e.g., a notification that an abnormality may have occurred in the automated construction) when the construction machine enters an area surrounded by the work area and the travel area. Also, the marker can be excluded from the travel area.

[0008] It is also preferable that the travel route generation unit sets route points at predetermined intervals on the travel route. This makes it possible to control the construction machinery so that an arbitrarily given point (e.g., center of gravity) passes through a route point while the construction machinery is traveling autonomously, thereby ensuring that the construction machinery travels autonomously along the generated driving route.

[0009] It is also preferable that the driving route is made up of a plurality of lanes, and the vehicle further comprises a lane change route generating unit that generates a lane change route that is a driving route when changing lanes. This allows the lane change to be performed appropriately.

[0010] It is also preferable that the construction machine further comprises a first travel stopping unit that stops travel when the construction machine travels outside the working range. This improves the safety of automated construction for workers outside the work range.

[0011] It is also preferable that the robot further comprises a second travel stopping unit that stops travel when an obstacle, the position information of which can be acquired, enters the working range. This makes it possible to improve the safety of automated construction for workers inside the work area. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, a travel route can be easily created. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view of an automated construction system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing a process flow for generating a driving route file and a process flow for realizing automatic driving. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a functional configuration diagram of a driving route generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a driving route generation screen. [Diagram 5] 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a format of driving route data. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram (part 1) of the calculation procedure for a driving route. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram (part 2) of the calculation procedure for a driving route. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram (part 3) of the calculation procedure for the driving route. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram (part 4) of the calculation procedure for the driving route. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram (part 5) of the calculation procedure for the driving route. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a lane change operation. [Figure 12] 1 is an external view of a vibration roller according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 13] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of the articulation mechanism of a vibratory roller, in which (a) shows the state when moving straight ahead and (b) shows the state when turning. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an automatic control system for implementing automatic control of a vibrating roller. [Figure 15] 1 is an example of a flowchart illustrating steps of a driving route generation method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 1 is an example of a flowchart illustrating steps of an automatic driving method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Each drawing is merely a schematic illustration to allow a sufficient understanding of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. In each drawing, common or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0015] [composition] FIG. 1 shows an overall view of an automated construction system 100 according to an embodiment. The automated construction system 100 shown in FIG. 1 compacts the ground at a construction site by automatically driving a construction machine. In this embodiment, a road paving work will be assumed as the construction site. The automated construction system 100 comprises a vibrating roller 1 that compacts the ground while automatically driving the construction site, and a management system 2 that manages the automated construction system 100. The management system 2 comprises, for example, one or more PCs (Personal Computers). The vibrating roller 1 is an example of a construction machine.

[0016] The vibrating roller 1 and the management system 2 can communicate with each other using wireless communication. The vibrating roller 1 can receive radio waves (positioning signals) transmitted from a positioning satellite 3. Note that the configuration of the automated construction system 100 is not limited to that shown here, and for example, the vibrating roller 1 may have a part of the functions of the management system 2 (that is, the vibrating roller 1 may include the management system 2).

[0017] <Positioning satellite> The positioning satellite 3 is a satellite used in a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), and periodically transmits its own position information (orbital position information) and time information to the vibrating roller 1. The positioning satellite 3 may be, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) satellite, a Galileo satellite, or a quasi-zenith satellite. The information transmitted from the positioning satellite 3 is used in the vibrating roller 1 to control, for example, the position (latitude, longitude, altitude). Note that, instead of the positioning satellite 3, a total station or SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping) may be used to control the position of the vibrating roller 1. In other words, the method of determining the position of the vibrating roller 1 is not limited, and various techniques can be used.

[0018] <Triangular cone, worker> The cones 4 (#1 to #4) are markers placed at the construction site of the vibrating roller 1. The cones 4 are equipped with, for example, a GNSS antenna, a microcomputer, and a power source, and can receive radio waves (positioning signals) transmitted from positioning satellites 3. The cones 4 and the management system 2 can communicate with each other using wireless communication. The management system 2 can obtain the position information of the cones 4 from the cones 4. The operator places the cones 4 in the desired position, thereby forming the working range of the vibrating roller 1 with the cones 4 as its four corners. The four corners where the cones 4 are placed do not necessarily have to be right angles. The worker 5 is a person who performs construction work at the construction site of the vibratory roller 1. The worker 5, for example, carries a device (e.g., a smartphone) capable of acquiring location information, and is capable of receiving radio waves (positioning signals) transmitted from the positioning satellite 3. The device of the worker 5 and the management system 2 are capable of communicating with each other using wireless communication. The management system 2 can acquire the location information of the worker 5 from the worker 5. For ease of explanation, the position information of the vibrating roller, the position information of the triangular cone 4, and the position information of the worker 5 are two-dimensional, but may be three-dimensional.

[0019] <Management system> As shown in Fig. 2, the management system 2 mainly includes a driving route generation device 2A and an automatic driving support device 2B. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a process flow for generating a driving route file and a process flow for realizing automatic driving. The driving route generation device 2A and the automatic driving support device 2B may be configured as a single device. The travel path generating device 2A is a device that generates a path (travel path) along which the vibrating roller 1 travels. The function of the travel path generating device 2A related to the travel path generation is realized by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a travel path generating program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like. The travel path generating device 2A reads position information of the triangular cones 4, generates the information into a travel path file, and outputs the travel path file.

[0020] The travel path file includes information (travel path data) about the travel path along which the vibrating roller 1 travels, and is, for example, data in a "CSV (Comma Separated Value) format." For example, the travel path generating device 2A can be a tablet terminal. A travel path generating program (app) is installed in the tablet terminal. An operator at the construction site can operate the tablet terminal to obtain position information of the triangular cone 4. The tablet terminal can generate a travel path file from the obtained position information of the triangular cone 4. In other words, the travel path can be determined at the construction site. The automatic driving support device 2B is a device that supports the automatic driving of the vibrating roller 1. The automatic driving support functions of the automatic driving support device 2B are realized by, for example, a CPU executing an automatic driving support program stored in a ROM or the like. The automatic driving support device 2B reads a driving route file, creates information necessary for automatic driving of the vibrating roller 1, and transmits it to the vibrating roller 1. In this way, the automatic driving support device 2B supports the automatic driving of the vibrating roller 1 by indirectly controlling the automatic driving of the vibrating roller 1.

[0021] <Route Generation Device> The driving route generation device 2A will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a functional configuration diagram of the driving route generation device 2A. The driving route generation device 2A includes a position information acquisition unit 21, a driving route generation unit 22, a lane change route generation unit 23, a first driving stop unit 24, and a second driving stop unit 25. The position information acquisition unit 21 acquires position information of the cone 4 arranged at the construction site. For example, when the position information acquisition unit 21 transmits a request to the cone 4, it can receive a response including position information of the cone 4 itself from the cone 4. The position information acquisition unit 21 can also acquire position information of the vibrating roller 1 from the vibrating roller 1. The position information acquisition unit 21 can also acquire position information of the worker 5 from the device of the worker 5.

[0022] The travel path generating unit 22 generates a travel path for the vibrating roller 1 based on the position information of the triangular cones 4 acquired by the position information acquiring unit 21. Specifically, the travel path generating unit 22 sets a rectangular working range with four triangular cones 4 as its four corners. The travel path generating unit 22 also sets a traveling range that is separated inward from the set working range by a predetermined amount. The travel path generating unit 22 also sets a traveling path in the set traveling range. The traveling path is a lane that the vibrating roller 1 follows, and multiple traveling paths are set. The travel path generating unit 22 also sets path points at predetermined intervals on each traveling path. In other words, the path points divide the traveling path.

[0023] When the driving route is made up of a plurality of lanes, the lane change route generating unit 23 generates a lane change route which is a driving route when changing lanes. The first travel stop unit 24 stops the vibrating roller 1 from traveling when the vibrating roller 1 travels outside the working range. Specifically, the first travel stop unit 24 transmits a control signal for stopping the vibrating roller 1 from traveling to the automatic driving support device 2B. The automatic driving support device 2B stops the vibrating roller 1 from traveling in accordance with the control signal. The second travel stop unit 25 stops travel when an obstacle whose position information can be acquired enters the work area. A worker 5 is an example of an obstacle whose position information can be acquired. For example, when the travel path generation device 2A detects the entry of the worker 5 into the work area by the position information of the worker 5 acquired from a device that can acquire position information carried by the worker 5 indicating that the worker 5 is within the work area, the second travel stop unit 25 stops the vibrating roller 1 that is automatically traveling. Specifically, the second travel stop unit 25 transmits a control signal for stopping travel to the automatic travel support device 2B. The automatic travel support device 2B stops the vibrating roller 1 in accordance with the control signal.

[0024] The driving route generation device 2A can provide a GUI (Graphic User Interface) for generating a driving route. Fig. 4 shows an example of a driving route generation screen. The driving route generation screen 600 includes, for example, a driving route display area 610, a coordinate display area 620, a driving condition input area 630, a route generation button 640, and a save button 650.

[0025] The travel path display area 610 is an area that displays the travel path of the vibrating roller 1. The travel path display area 610 can display a rectangular work range 611 that is a two-dimensional model. The positions of the four corners of the work range 611 indicate the positions of the triangular cones 4. The travel path display area 610 can display the triangular cones 4 with "#1" to "#4". The travel path display area 610 can also display multiple travel paths 612 for the work range 611. The travel path display area 610 can also display multiple route points 613 for each of the travel paths 612. The travel path display area 610 can also display heavy machinery 614 (corresponding to the vibrating roller 1) for the work range 611. The travel path display area 610 may or may not display the travel range for the work range 611 (from the viewpoint of improving visibility, etc.).

[0026] The coordinate display area 620 is an area that displays the two-dimensional coordinates of an object whose position is measured by the positioning satellite 3. A coordinate acquisition button 621 is displayed in the coordinate display area 620. When the operator taps the coordinate acquisition button 621, the position information acquisition unit 21 acquires the coordinates of the triangular cone 4 and the coordinates of the heavy machine 614. The coordinate display area 620 can also display coordinates 622-1 to 622-4 of the triangular cone 4. The coordinate display area 620 can also display a corner selection area 623 for the triangular cone 4. The corner selection area 623 is an area for selecting the characteristics of the coordinates of the triangular cone 4 to determine the automatic travel of the heavy equipment. The corner selection area 623 displays three types of radio button boxes indicated as "base", "front" and "side". "Base" symbolizes the corner at which travel begins on the first travel route. "Front" symbolizes the corner in the direction of travel on each travel route. "Side" symbolizes the corner at which travel begins on the last travel route. In FIG. 4, "front" is selected for the triangular cone 4 of "#1", "base" is selected for the triangular cone 4 of "#2", "side" is selected for the triangular cone 4 of "#3", and no selection is made for the triangular cone 4 of "#4". "#4", for which none of "base", "front" and "side" are selected, is necessarily the end point of the travel route. Therefore, in the work range 611 (or travel range), a first travel route extending from near "#2" to near "#1", a last travel route extending from near "#3" to near "#4", and multiple travel routes between the first and last travel routes are generated. Additionally, the coordinate display area 620 can display the coordinates 624 of the heavy machinery. The coordinate display area 620 may or may not display the coordinates of the worker 5 (from the viewpoint of improving visibility, etc.).

[0027] The travel condition input area 630 is an area where information on the travel conditions is input. For example, the travel condition input area 630 displays spin buttons showing "rolling wheel width," "overlap width," "front-rear clearance," "left-right clearance," and "point interval." The "rolling wheel width" symbolizes the width (axle length) of the rolling wheel of the heavy equipment that travels automatically. The "overlap width" is the transverse width of the area where adjacent rolling paths overlap. The "front-rear clearance" symbolizes the clearance in the front-rear direction (generally along the travel path) between the work range 611 and the travel range. The "left-right clearance" symbolizes the clearance in the left-right direction (generally perpendicular to the travel path) between the work range 611 and the travel range. The "point interval" symbolizes the interval between the route points set on the travel path (however, generally, since the total length of each travel path is different, it is a relative value, and may symbolize the number of route points set on each travel path). The travel conditions stipulate the number of travel routes prepared in the working range 611 (or the travel range), the direction, and the number of route points on each travel route.

[0028] The route generation button 640 is a button with which the operator instructs the driving route generation device 2A to generate a driving route. The operator taps the route generation button 640 after inputting data into the coordinate display area 620 and the driving condition input area 630. Then, a driving route 612 is displayed in the driving route display area 610. The save button 650 is a button with which the operator instructs the driving route generation device 2A to save the generated driving route. The operator checks the driving route displayed in the driving route display area 610 and taps the save button 650. Then, the driving route data is stored in the storage unit of the driving route generation device 2A.

[0029] Fig. 5 shows an example of the format of travel path data. The travel path data includes values ​​for "number of times of compaction without vibration," "number of times of compaction with vibration," and "number of measured runs." "Number of times of compaction without vibration" indicates the number of times that the vibrating roller 1 performed compaction without vibration. "Number of times of compaction with vibration" indicates the number of times that the vibrating roller 1 performed compaction with vibration. "Number of measured runs" indicates the number of times that the vibrating roller 1 performed compaction with measurement of the degree of compaction. The driving route data also includes a value for the "drivable area." The "drivable area" is a rectangular driving area inside the work area surrounded by the triangular cones 4, and includes values ​​for the "point number," "X coordinate," and "Y coordinate." The "point number" indicates a number that identifies the four corners of the driving area. The "X coordinate" indicates the X coordinate value of each of the four corners of the driving area on a virtual two-dimensional coordinate system. The "Y coordinate" indicates the Y coordinate value of each of the four corners of the driving area on a virtual two-dimensional coordinate system. The travel route data also includes a value of a "travel plan." The "travel plan" indicates the route along which the vibrating roller 1 will automatically travel within the travel range. The "travel plan" includes values ​​of a "lane number," a "point number," an "X coordinate," and a "Y coordinate." The "lane number" indicates a number that identifies multiple travel routes set within the travel range. The "point number" indicates a number that identifies multiple route points set on the travel route. The "X coordinate" indicates the value of the X coordinate of each of the route points on a virtual two-dimensional coordinate system. The "Y coordinate" indicates the value of the Y coordinate of each of the route points on a virtual two-dimensional coordinate system. The vibrating roller 1 realizes automatic travel along the travel route by passing through the route points in the numerical order of the "lane number" and the numerical order of the "point number." In addition, a serial number that combines the value of the "lane number" and the value of the "point number" may be used as identification information for the route point.

[0030] <Procedure for generating driving routes> The procedure for calculating a driving route by the driving route generation device 2A will be described. Fig. 6 to Fig. 10 are explanatory diagrams (part 1) to (part 5) of the procedure for calculating a driving route. First, the operator inputs the following (A) to (G) to the driving route generation device 2A. (A): The corner from which the run begins (select "base" in the corner selection area 623) (B): Corner in the direction of travel (select “Front” in the corner selection area 623) (C): The transverse distance between the triangular cone 4 and the end of the travel path (select the value of "left and right clearance" in the travel condition input area 630) (D): Distance in the travel direction between the triangular cone 4 and the end of the travel path (select the value of "front-rear clearance" in the travel condition input area 630) (E): Vehicle width (select the value of "rolling wheel width" in the driving condition input area 630) (F): Overlap width (select the value of "overlap width" in the driving condition input area 630) (G): Distance between route points (select the value of "Point Interval" in the driving condition input area 630)

[0031] Next, the coordinates of the four triangular cones 4 ("#1" to "#4") are obtained. It is assumed that the obtained coordinates of "#1" to "#4" are as shown in the following formula 1. FIG. 6 shows the geometric information of "#1" to "#4" whose coordinates have been obtained. As shown in FIG. 6, a rectangular working range is set with "#1" to "#4" as its corners.

[0032]

number

[0033] Next, set the corner where the vehicle starts traveling (start point) and the corner in the direction of travel (end point). In this explanation, the start point is "#2" and the end point is "#1". Figure 7 shows the start point and the end point. Next, the travel range is set according to the distance between the triangular cone 4 and the end of the travel route. Figure 8 shows the geometric information of the travel range. As shown in Figure 8, the travel range (hatched with diagonal lines) is set at a predetermined distance inward from the work range. The travel range is rectangular with corners "#1'" to "#4'". The coordinates of "#1'" to "#4'" are assumed to be as shown in the following formula 2. Furthermore, using the distance between the triangular cone 4 and the end of the travel route, the following relational expression 3 holds between "#1" to "#4" and "#1'" to "#4'". In addition, in formula 3, c a1 ~c a4 , c b1 ~c b4 are unit vectors that originate at "#1" to "#4" and run along the four sides of the work area.

[0034]

number

[0035]

number

[0036] Next, lanes are defined in the driving range according to the vehicle width and lap width. The distance between #2' and #3' is {#2':#3'}, and the distance between #1' and #4' is {#1':#4'}. The longer of {#2':#3'} and {#1':#4'} is divided by (vehicle width - lap width), and the resulting value is rounded up to one decimal place to obtain the number N of lane divisions. Next, {#2':#3'} and {#1':#4'} are each divided into N equal intervals. Next, N+1 lanes are obtained by connecting the N divided points in order, starting from #2', #1', as shown in Equation 4. Figure 9 shows the N+1 lanes defined in the driving range.

[0037]

number

[0038] The start and end points of the nth (n = 0.1,…,N)th lane are denoted by L n0 ,L n1 Then, "#1'" to "#4'" are expressed by the following formula 5. n0 ,L n1 can be calculated by the following formula 6. Note that the distance between lanes on the start side and the distance between lanes on the end side of each lane are not necessarily the same because they depend on the surrounding shape of the triangular cone 4.

[0039]

number

[0040]

number

[0041] Next, define route points for each lane according to the distance between route points. The distance between #2' and #1' is {#2':#1'}, and the distance between #3' and #4' is {#3':#4'}. The longer of {#2':#1'} and {#3':#4'} is divided by the distance between route points, and the resulting value is rounded up to one decimal place to determine the route point division number M. Next, divide the N+1 lanes into M equal intervals. This results in M+1 route points for each lane. Let the m(m = 0.1,…,M)th route point of the nth lane be P nm If we write it as P n0 = L n0 , P nM = L n1 Also, P nm can be calculated using the following formula 7. The obtained path point P nm The coordinates of (n = 0.1, ..., N, m = 0.1, ..., M) are output as travel route data (see FIG. 5). In FIG. 10, for convenience of illustration, route points P nm are indicated by ●.

number

[0042] <Lane change> An example of a process for generating a lane change route will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining a lane change operation. In Fig. 11, for convenience of illustration, a start point, an end point, and route points are indicated by circles. When changing lanes from the nth lane to the n+1th lane, the lane change path generating unit 27 sets the end point of the nth lane as an exit point for exiting the nth lane, and sets a path point P n+1 M-2 is the entry point for entering the n+1th lane. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when a lane change is assumed in which a lane is changed from the 0th lane to the 1st lane, the end point L 01 is the exit point, and the end point of the first lane is L 11 Path point P, which is two points back from 1 M-2is set as an entry point. Then, the lane change route generating unit 27 generates a route that connects the exit point as a start point and the entry point as an end point as a lane change route. In other words, the entry point is a route point other than the end point of the previous lane in which the vehicle was traveling before the lane change. Information on the lane change route may be created separately from the travel route data, or information on the lane change route may be included in the travel route data. In addition, the vibrating roller 1 that has returned to the entry point is at the start point L of the first lane. 10 Then, the vibratory roller 1 performs a rolling operation along the first lane. At this time, the vibratory roller 1 runs from the entry point to the start point L of the first lane. 10 It is preferable not to count the travel up to this point as the number of compactions. After this, compaction and lane changes are repeated until the compaction of the final lane is completed.

[0043] <Vibration roller> The configuration of the vibratory roller 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. The vibratory roller 1 is an example of a construction machine that performs rolling compaction. The vibratory roller 1 is composed of a vehicle body 10, two iron wheels 11, 11 attached to the front and rear of the vehicle body 10, an articulation mechanism 12 disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body 10, a positioning antenna 13 and a communication antenna 14 mounted on the top of the vehicle body 10, a control device 15, and a machine information acquisition means S (see Fig. 14). The vibratory roller 1 can move forward and backward by changing the direction of rotation of the iron wheels 11, 11.

[0044] The car body 10 is the main body of the vibratory roller 1. The car body 10 accommodates a driving means (not shown) inside. In the following, when referring to "the azimuth angle G of the roller," it means the direction of the car body 10. The iron wheels 11 are equipped with a vibration generating device (not shown) and roll the ground by vibrating as they rotate. Hereinafter, the front iron wheels 11 may be referred to as the front wheels 11a, and the rear iron wheels 11 may be referred to as the rear wheels 11b.

[0045] The articulation mechanism 12 is a mechanism for turning the vibratory roller 1, and is installed under the vehicle body 10. The articulation mechanism 12 includes a front wheel holding portion 12a for rotatably holding the front wheel 11a, a rear wheel holding portion 12b for rotatably holding the rear wheel 11b, a center pin 12c for connecting the front wheel holding portion 12a and the rear wheel holding portion 12b, and a steering cylinder (not shown) interposed between the front wheel holding portion 12a and the rear wheel holding portion 12b. When a control command for correcting the traveling direction (a control command with the steering angle θ as the control command angle) is received from the control device 15, the steering cylinder expands and contracts according to the steering angle θ. When the steering cylinder expands and contracts, the front wheel holding portion 12a and the rear wheel holding portion 12b bend around the center pin 12c, and the direction of the front wheel 11a and the rear wheel 11b changes accordingly.

[0046] The positioning antenna 13 receives radio waves transmitted from the positioning satellite 3 (see FIG. 1). Specifically, the control device 15 of the vibrating roller 1 receives orbital position information, time information, and the like from the positioning satellite 3 via the positioning antenna 13. The control device 15 calculates the position of the vibrating roller 1 using the orbital position information and time information from the positioning satellite 3. Here, in consideration of the characteristic of the articulation mechanism 12 that the rear wheels 11b follow the front wheels 11a, it is preferable to set the reference point for automatic running control at the center position of the rotation axis of the iron wheel 11 on the side where the vibrating roller 1 is moving or on a vertical line passing through the center position of the rotation axis. Therefore, in this embodiment, the position of the vibrating roller 1 is corrected by calculation so that it is directly above the center position of the rotation axis of the iron wheel 11 on the side where the vibrating roller 1 is moving. In other words, since the vibrating roller 1 performs rolling a predetermined number of times by reciprocating forward and backward, correction is performed so that the front wheels 11a become the reference point when moving forward, and the rear wheels 11b become the reference point when moving backward. The reference direction (reference direction) when controlling the vibrating roller 1 is the direction θJ of the iron wheel 11 (front wheels 11a or rear wheels 11b) on the side where the reference point is set.

[0047] With reference to FIG. 13, the reference point and the reference direction when performing automatic running control of the vibrating roller 1 will be described. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the articulating mechanism 12 of the vibrating roller 1, where (a) shows the state when moving straight ahead, and (b) shows the state when turning. As described above, the vibrating roller 1 can move forward and backward, but here, the description will be given assuming the case of moving forward. Therefore, the position of the vibrating roller 1 as the reference point is corrected to the central position of the rotation axis of the front wheel 11a. Note that, although details will be described later, the direction (azimuth angle G (deg)) of the body 10 of the vibrating roller 1 is detected by the attitude detection sensor S1 (see FIG. 14). Also, the steering angle θ (deg) of the articulating mechanism 12 is detected by the steering angle detection sensor S3 (see FIG. 14).

[0048] 13(a), when traveling straight (steering angle θ is 0°), the front wheel holder 12a and the rear wheel holder 12b are linear with respect to the traveling direction, so the rotation axes of the front wheels 11a and the rear wheels 11b are parallel to each other. In other words, the azimuth angle G of the vibrating roller 1 (the direction of the body 10) and the direction θ of the front wheels 11a are in the same direction. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13(b), when turning right (when the steering angle θ is not 0°), the front wheel holder 12a bends to the right with respect to the traveling direction around the center pin 12c, and the right side of the front wheel 11a tilts in a direction approaching the rear wheel 11b. Similarly, when turning left, the front wheel holder 12a bends to the left with respect to the traveling direction around the center pin 12c, and the left side of the front wheel 11a tilts in a direction approaching the rear wheel 11b. As a result, the front wheel 11a and the rear wheel 11b pass through the same trajectory. In this case, the azimuth angle G (the direction of the body 10) of the vibrating roller 1 and the direction θJ of the front wheel 11a are different directions. When the friction between the ground and the front wheel 11a is ignored, the direction θJ of the front wheel 11a of the vibrating roller 1 when turning is a value obtained by adding (or subtracting) the steering angle θ (deg) to the azimuth angle G (deg) of the vibrating roller 1.

[0049] Although not shown, the reference point during reverse travel is set to the center position of the rotation shaft of the rear wheel 11b or on a vertical line passing through the center position of the rotation shaft. In other words, during reverse travel, the position of the vibrating roller 1 is corrected to the center position of the rotation shaft of the rear wheel 11b or on a vertical line passing through the center position of the rotation shaft. Also, the direction (reference direction) θJ of the rear wheel 11b of the vibrating roller 1 during reverse travel is opposite to the azimuth angle G (direction of the vehicle body 10) of the vibrating roller 1 regardless of whether the vehicle is traveling straight or turning. By correcting the position in this manner, the coordinates of the reference point of the vibrating roller 1 are the center position of the rotation shaft of the front wheel 11a when moving forward, or the center position of the rotation shaft of the rear wheel 11b when moving backward. Therefore, in the control of automatic traveling, delay in steering operation is unlikely to occur. Note that the reference point of the vibrating roller 1 is not limited to this, and may be set, for example, at the position of the center pin 12c or on a vertical line passing through the center pin 12c.

[0050] 12, the communication antenna 14 communicates with the management system 2. Specifically, the control device 15 of the vibrating roller 1 receives information such as the travel route and travel conditions from the management system 2 via the communication antenna 14. In addition, the control device 15 transmits machine information of the vibrating roller 1 to the management system 2 via the communication antenna 14.

[0051] The configuration of the vehicle information acquisition means S will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of an automatic control system M1 that realizes automatic control of the vibrating roller 1. The vehicle information acquisition means S is composed of an attitude detection sensor S1, a speed detection sensor S2, a steering angle detection sensor S3, and a forward search sensor S4. The attitude detection sensor S1 detects the azimuth angle G (deg) of the vibrating roller 1. The attitude detection sensor S1 is, for example, a gyro, and is installed inside the vehicle body 10. The azimuth angle G (deg) is transferred to the control device 15 and used for calculating the current position using inertial navigation (INS). Note that position information calculated based on information transmitted from the positioning satellite 3 may be used to correct drift of the attitude detection sensor S1.

[0052] The speed detection sensor S2 detects the forward and backward speed V (km / h) of the vibrating roller 1. The speed detection sensor S2 is, for example, a rotary encoder, and is installed on the rear wheel 11b. The speed V (km / h) is transferred to the control device 15 and used for calculation of the current position using the inertial navigation system (INS), etc.

[0053] The steering angle detection sensor S3 detects the steering angle θ (deg) of the articulation mechanism 12. The steering angle detection sensor S3 is, for example, a potentiometer, and is installed on the center pin 12c of the articulation mechanism 12. The steering angle θ (deg) is transferred to the control device 15 and is used for correcting the running direction of the vibrating roller 1, etc. Note that a sensor that detects the amount of advance and retreat of the rod of the steering cylinder may be used as the steering angle detection sensor S3.

[0054] The forward search sensor S4 detects object information Q (coordinates) in the forward direction of the vibrating roller 1. The forward search sensor S4 is, for example, a 2D or 3D scanner, and is installed on the upper front part of the vehicle body 10. The object information Q (coordinates) is passed to the control device 15 and used for obstacle detection, stopping control, and the like.

[0055] 14 controls automatic traveling along a set traveling route by using information acquired by the machine information acquisition means S and information received from the management system 2. The control device 15 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The construction manager loads the driving route file into the automatic driving support device 2B (see FIG. 2) and sets the number of driving times for each lane, the driving speed, etc. After completing the settings, the construction manager presses the driving start button, and the vibrating roller 1 starts automatic driving. The vibrating roller 1 starts driving at the route point P nm By setting the target point as the path point P nmThe vehicle travels through these in order. As a result, even if the lane has curves, the vehicle travels around the curves as if they were short, continuous straight lines. Therefore, if the distance between the points L is too large, the straight lines and direction changes become noticeable, and the movement of the vibrating roller 1 does not become smooth. It has been confirmed that if the radius of curvature is around 100 m, setting L at around 2 to 5 m will not cause any problems in practice.

[0056] The vibrating roller 1 performs lane change after rolling a certain lane a specified number of times. nm Select an appropriate entry point from the target point at that time (the end point of the current lane) and select the route point P nm The vehicle is controlled to travel toward the lane. Here, the entry point can be defined as a point that is a transition point a specified number of points away from the lane end point. Alternatively, the entry point may be an end point on the next lane on the opposite side of the current position (end point). The above operation is repeated up to the final lane to complete travel.

[0057] [process] <How to generate driving routes> A driving route generation method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 15 (and also with reference to Fig. 3 as appropriate). Fig. 15 is an example of a flowchart showing steps of the driving route generation method. First, the position information acquisition unit 21 of the driving route generation device 2A acquires the position information of the triangular cone 4 (step S11). The working range is determined from the position information of the triangular cone 4. Next, the driving route generation unit 22 acquires the driving conditions input by the operator of the driving route generation device 2A (step S12). Next, the driving route generation unit 22 calculates the driving range based on the position information of the triangular cone 4 and the driving conditions (step S13). Next, the driving route generation unit 22 calculates the lanes to be provided within the calculated driving range (step S14). Next, the driving route generation unit 22 calculates the route points to be provided on the calculated lanes (step S15). Finally, the driving route generation unit 22 outputs a driving route file (see FIG. 5) including the calculation results of steps S13 to S15 (step S16).

[0058] <Automatic driving method> An automatic driving method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 16 (and, where appropriate, with reference to Fig. 3). Fig. 16 is an example of a flowchart showing steps of the automatic driving method. First, the automatic driving support device 2B reads the driving route file (step S21), and the construction manager sets the number of driving times and the driving speed for each lane (step S22). After completing the settings, the construction manager presses the driving start button, and the vibrating roller 1 starts automatic driving. The vibrating roller 1 performs compaction work on one lane (step S23), and if there is no deviation from the work area (step S31: "No") and no entry into the work area by the worker 5 is detected (step S32: "No"), it determines whether or not the compaction work on all lanes has been completed after the work (step S24). If the compaction work on all lanes has not been completed (step S24: "No"), the vibrating roller 1 changes lanes (step S25) and performs the compaction work on the next lane (step S23). If the compaction work on all lanes has been completed (step S24: "Yes"), the compaction work is completed. On the other hand, if the vibrating roller 1 deviates from the working range ("Yes" in step S31), the automatic driving assistance device 2B uses the first running stop unit 24 of the driving path generating device 2A to stop the running of the vibrating roller 1 (step S33) and ends the rolling work. On the other hand, if entry into the working range by the worker 5 is detected ("Yes" in step S32), the automatic driving assistance device 2B uses the first running stop unit 24 of the driving path generating device 2A to stop the running of the vibrating roller 1 (step S33) and ends the rolling work.

[0059] In addition, the automatic driving support device 2B can control the vibrating roller 1 so that a given point (e.g., center of gravity) passes through the route point during automatic driving, so that the vibrating roller 1 can automatically drive on the generated driving route reliably. For example, when the distance between the center of gravity of the vibrating roller 1 and the nearest route point becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the traveling direction of the vibrating roller 1 can be adjusted so that the center of gravity passes through the route point.

[0060] [summary] According to this embodiment, by placing a triangular cone 4 equipped with a GNSS antenna as a marker at a desired position, the geometric information of the work range can be set. Therefore, the coordinate setting work by surveying or locating from a drawing is not necessary. In addition, once the work range is determined, the travel route can be freely set according to a predetermined rule. Therefore, the travel route can be easily generated. In addition, the shape of the work range can be freely set depending on the arrangement of the marker, and even if the work range is such, a travel route can be generated, so that flexible automated construction according to the site situation can be realized. In addition, the marker clearly indicates the work range to the workers on site and plays a role of calling the workers' attention, so that the safety of automated construction can be improved. In addition, by generating a travel path in a travel range that is separated inward from the working range by a predetermined distance, the range in which automated construction is performed by the vibrating roller 1 can be set reliably. Therefore, for example, it is easy to set the control content (e.g., notification of a possible abnormality in automated construction) when a construction machine enters a range surrounded by the working range and the travel range. In addition, the triangular cone 4 can be excluded from the travel range. In addition, by setting route points at specified intervals on the driving route, the construction machinery can be controlled so that an arbitrarily assigned point (e.g., center of gravity) passes through the route point while the construction machinery is driving autonomously, thereby ensuring that the construction machinery can drive autonomously along the generated driving route. Also, lane changes can be performed appropriately. In addition, the safety of automated construction can be improved for workers outside the work range. In addition, the safety of automated construction can be improved for workers inside the work range.

[0061] [Variations] (a): The mark for setting the work range is not limited to the triangular cone 4, and may be, for example, a signboard or a sign equipped with a GNSS sensor. It may also be a digital signage incorporating a GNSS sensor. The number of marks for setting the work range is not limited to four, and may be three or less, or five or more. The shape of the work range is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be a closed planar shape. The work range and the travel range do not need to be similar. The travel route generated within the travel range may be curved. For example, when setting a travel range that includes an immovable obstacle, a travel route that detours around the obstacle may be generated. The curved travel route may be approximated as a broken line consisting of multiple route points. When multiple travel routes generated within the travel range are parallel straight lines, each travel route does not need to be parallel to the sides of the travel range. In this case, a travel route for compacting the remaining range of the travel range that cannot be covered by the multiple travel routes may be generated separately. (b) When generating multiple driving routes within a rectangular driving range as shown in this embodiment, it is sufficient to set the start and end points of each driving route, and the calculations for setting route points along the driving routes can be omitted. (c) In this embodiment, the first travel stop unit 24 and the second travel stop unit 25 are provided in the travel route generation device 2A, but they may be provided in the automatic travel assistance device 2B. (d): In this embodiment, when changing lanes, an entry point is set within the driving range (see FIG. 11). However, for example, an entry point may be set inside the work range and outside the driving range. (e): In this embodiment, the position information of the vibrating roller 1, the triangular cone 4, and the worker 5 is obtained from the positioning satellite 3. However, for example, it is also possible to introduce a photographing device that photographs the entire work area from above, and to obtain the position information of the vibrating roller 1, the triangular cone 4, and the worker 5 by analyzing the photographed images.

[0062] (f): It is also possible to realize a technology that appropriately combines the various technologies described in this embodiment. (g) The software described in this embodiment can be realized as hardware, and vice versa. (h) In addition, the hardware, software, flow charts, etc. may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1. Vibration roller (construction machinery) 2. Management System 2A Driving route generation device 2B Automatic Driving Assistance Device 3. Positioning satellites 10. Body 11a Front wheel (iron wheel) 11b Rear wheel (iron wheel) 12 Articulating mechanism 12c center pin 13 Positioning antenna 14 Communication Antenna 15 Control device S Aircraft information acquisition method 21 Location information acquisition section 22 Travel route generation unit 23 Lane change route generation unit 24 First running stop 25 Second travel stop 100 Automated Construction System 600 Route generation screen 610 Driving route display area 620 Coordinate display area 630 Driving condition input area 640 Route generation button 650 Save button

Claims

1. a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of a plurality of landmarks that determine a work range of a construction machine; a travel route generating unit that generates a travel route for the construction machine based on the acquired position information.

2. The travel route generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the travel route generation unit generates the travel route in a travel range spaced inward from the working range by a predetermined amount.

3. The travel route generation unit is The driving route generation device according to claim 1 , wherein route points are set at predetermined intervals on the driving route.

4. The travel route is made up of a plurality of lanes, The driving route generation device according to claim 1 , further comprising a lane change route generation unit that generates a lane change route that is a driving route when changing lanes.

5. The travel route generation device according to claim 1 , further comprising a first travel stop unit that stops the construction machine from traveling when the construction machine travels outside the work range.

6. The travel route generation device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second travel stop unit that stops travel when an obstacle whose position information can be acquired enters the working range.

7. A step of acquiring position information of a plurality of landmarks that determine a working range of a construction machine; generating a driving route for the construction machine based on the acquired position information.

8. A driving route generating program for causing a computer to execute the driving route generating method according to claim 7.

9. The driving route generation device according to claim 1 ; and an automatic driving assistance device that assists the automatic driving of the construction machine.

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