On-site monitoring device and on-site monitoring system

Abstract

Provided are a field monitoring device and a field monitoring system capable of appropriately setting an area to be monitored on site. The field monitoring device comprises: a warning device (104, 309) for outputting a warning; a surrounding object detection device (102, 307) for detecting the position of a partitioning object (512); a work area input device (101, 305) for accepting input of information indicating a boundary (AB, BC) where a partitioning object should be arranged; and a control device (103, 308). The control device (103, 308) comprises: an operating environment judgment unit (107, 312) for judging, for each boundary, whether the boundary is a configured boundary where a partitioning object (512) is arranged at a position corresponding to the boundary, or an unconfigured boundary where a partitioning object (512) is not arranged at a position corresponding to the boundary; and a warning content determination unit (108, 313) for causing the warning device (104, 309) to output a warning when there is at least one unconfigured boundary.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a field monitoring device and a field monitoring system. Background Art

[0002] As a background technology of the present invention, there is known a structure for monitoring a work site such as a construction site to prevent a work machine from coming into contact with a moving obstacle or the like. Specific examples include the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a structure in which, in order to prevent obstacles including people from coming into contact with a working machine, the working machine detects an obstacle and restricts the rotational motion according to the positional relationship between the obstacle and an upper rotating body of the working machine.

[0004] On the other hand, Patent Document 2 describes a monitoring device for a prohibited intrusion area (hereinafter referred to as a work area) where a person is prohibited from approaching a work machine, etc. Patent Document 2 describes that: in a monitoring device for a work area surrounded by a movable object (hereinafter referred to as a partition object) for identifying the work area, when the identified partition object can no longer be detected or a person who is not allowed to intrude is detected in the work area, an intruder is warned.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-199989

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-4184 Summary of the invention

[0009] However, in the conventional technology, there is a problem that the area to be monitored on site cannot be appropriately set. This problem is particularly prominent in a situation where the working environment including the working area changes all the time.

[0010] For example, the technology of Patent Document 1 does not start to work until other moving machines or people reach a distance that allows them to come into contact with the working machine. Therefore, it is impossible to pre-set the area to be monitored on site, which may cause frequent interruptions of the working machine's operations at a work site with many obstacles.

[0011] In addition, the technique of Patent Document 2 is based on the premise that colored road cones and the like are arranged in advance at appropriate positions according to the work area. Therefore, it is not possible to cope with the situation where the colored road cones are not arranged appropriately or the situation where the work area changes from time to time.

[0012] The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an on-site monitoring device and an on-site monitoring system capable of appropriately setting an area to be monitored on-site.

[0013] An example of an on-site monitoring device of the present invention comprises:

[0014] a warning device for outputting a warning;

[0015] a separation object detection device that detects the position of the separation object;

[0016] a boundary input device that receives input of information indicating a boundary at which a partitioning object should be arranged; and

[0017] Control device,

[0018] The control device comprises:

[0019] a determination unit for determining, for each of the boundaries, whether the boundary is a configured boundary in which the partitioning object is configured at a position corresponding to the boundary, or an unconfigured boundary in which the partitioning object is not configured at a position corresponding to the boundary; and

[0020] A warning content determination unit causes the warning device to output the warning when at least one of the unplaced boundaries exists.

[0021] This specification incorporates the disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-153651 which is the basis of priority for this application.

[0022] Effects of the Invention

[0023] According to the on-site monitoring device and on-site monitoring system of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately set an area to be monitored on-site. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 This is a system block diagram showing the structure of the on-site monitoring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 This is an example of the working environment of Example 1.

[0026] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Example of definition of coordinate system in .

[0027] Figure 4 This is an example of a warning output by a warning device.

[0028] Figure 5 This is the structure of the working machine of Example 2.

[0029] Figure 6This is a system block diagram showing the configuration of an on-site monitoring system according to the second embodiment.

[0030] Figure 7 Yes Description Figure 6 A flow chart of an example of a process performed by a field monitoring system.

[0031] Figure 8 It is explained in Figure 7 Flowchart of an example of a process of setting action restrictions in step 411 of FIG.

[0032] Fig. 9 yes Figure 7 An example of the movement of the movable part relative to the unconfigured boundary in step 411. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0034] [Example 1]

[0035] Figure 1 1 is a system block diagram showing the configuration of a site monitoring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The site monitoring device is a device for monitoring the boundary of a work area and outputting a warning when a partitioning object (such as a triangular road cone) is not arranged. The site monitoring device includes a work area input device 101, a surrounding object detection device 102, a control device 103, and a warning device 104. The control device 103 includes a partition information storage unit 105, a work area boundary calculation unit 106, an operating environment judgment unit 107, and a warning content determination unit 108.

[0036] The work area input device 101 receives input of a work area. The work area refers to an area where on-site monitoring is to be performed, for example, a terrain area where on-site work is to be performed. In addition, in this embodiment, the work area input device 101 functions as a boundary input device, and receives input of information indicating at least a boundary where a partitioning object should be arranged among these boundaries.

[0037] Figure 2 504 is a polygonal shape. Figure 2 In the example, it is a rectangle defined by vertices A, B, C, and D. Therefore, in Figure 2 Four boundaries are shown in , and are defined as line segments of sides AB, BC, CD, and DA. Figure 2 , the front, rear, left, and right directions based on the working machine 501 are shown.

[0038] exist Figure 2In the example, the work area is represented in two dimensions, and each boundary corresponds to a line segment, but the work area can also be represented in three dimensions, and in that case, each boundary can also correspond to a surface. In the case of three-dimensional representation, for example, the boundary corresponding to the side AB can be set as a surface including the side AB and the area vertically upward.

[0039] Figure 3 express Figure 2 Example of the definition of the coordinate system in . Figure 3 In the example, the origin of the coordinate system coincides with vertex D, the X axis is parallel to edge CD, and the positive direction is in the direction of vertex C. In addition, the Y axis is parallel to edge DA, and the positive direction is in the direction of vertex A.

[0040] In addition, the coordinate system is defined in an arbitrary way. Figure 3 In the example of , a coordinate system fixed relative to the work site (work site coordinate system) is used, but a coordinate system fixed relative to the body of the work machine 501 (body coordinate system) may also be used, or other coordinate systems may also be used. Figure 3 The example above uses two-dimensional coordinates, but three-dimensional coordinates can also be used. In that case, the Z axis can also be positive in the vertical direction.

[0041] For example, when the boundary is a line segment, the information representing each boundary includes information representing the positions of the two ends of the boundary (e.g., two-dimensional coordinate values). As a specific example, the position of vertex A is the coordinate (0, d), the position of vertex B is the coordinate (w, d), the position of vertex C is the coordinate (w, 0), and the position of vertex D is the coordinate (0, 0). However, d and w are both positive real numbers. In this case, for side AB, the positions of its two ends are set to {(0, d), (w, d)} and input into the work area input device 101. The same is true for other sides.

[0042] In addition, in reality, the work area 504 is a three-dimensional space with height rather than a plane, and each boundary is a plane extending in the vertical direction rather than a line segment, but in Embodiment 1, they can be represented on a graph obtained by projecting all of them onto a horizontal plane (i.e., using two-dimensional coordinates). In addition, the coordinates can also be represented in three dimensions.

[0043] The working machine 501 operates so as not to extend outside the working area 504. Therefore, while a person or the like (including a person and obstacles, etc.; the same applies hereinafter) is outside the working area 504, the person or the like cannot come into contact with the working machine 501.

[0044] These boundaries are classified into boundaries where partition objects should be arranged and boundaries where partition objects do not need to be arranged. However, at least one boundary is a boundary where partition objects should be arranged. Figure 2In the example, side AB and side BC face the operator passage 502 and are boundaries through which people can pass freely. Since such boundaries have the possibility of people entering by mistake, a boundary with a partitioning object should be configured to prevent this. On the other hand, there is a wall 503 on side CD and side DA, and since the wall 503 blocks people from entering, there is no need to configure a partitioning object. The user of the on-site monitoring device can appropriately determine whether each boundary is a boundary through which a partitioning object should be configured according to the situation.

[0045] Figure 2 In the example of , three partitioning objects 512 are arranged. The partitioning object 512a is arranged at the vertex B, the partitioning object 512b is arranged on the side BC, and the partitioning object 512c is arranged at the vertex C. The partitioning objects can be arbitrarily configured, and for example, a well-known triangular road cone can be used.

[0046] exist Figure 2 In the example, although the partition object 512 is properly set on the side BC, it is not configured around the center of the side AB, which is considered inappropriate. Therefore, the on-site monitoring device of this embodiment detects that the partition object 512 is not configured for the side AB, and reminds the appropriate configuration of the partition object 512 through a warning.

[0047] The surrounding object detection device 102 detects the partitioning object 512 arranged around the work site. The surrounding object detection device 102 can be configured using, for example, image recognition technology, and as a specific example, can be configured by combining a stereo camera with a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). Alternatively, it can be configured using ranging technology (LIDAR, etc.) or RF technology (RFID tags, etc.).

[0048] The surrounding object detection device 102 may also be configured as a partition object detection device that detects only a specific partition object 512. In that case, the partition information holding unit 105 may also be omitted. Alternatively, the surrounding object detection device 102 may also be configured as an object detection device that detects a variety of objects, not limited to the partition object 512. In that case, information for identifying the partition object 512 from a variety of objects may also be stored in the partition information holding unit 105. Examples of information for identifying the partition object 512 include the shape, color, etc. of the partition object 512. By using such a partition information holding unit 105, the shape, color, etc. of the object used as the partition object 512 can be flexibly selected.

[0049] The control device 103 controls the operation of the on-site monitoring device. The control device 103 has, for example, a configuration as a well-known computer having an operation mechanism and a storage mechanism. A program that specifies the operation of the control device 103 may be stored in the storage mechanism of the control device 103. In that case, the functions described in this specification may be realized by the control mechanism by executing the program by the operation mechanism of the control device 103. In the case where the control device 103 is composed of a plurality of computers, each of them may have the above configuration.

[0050] The control device 103 may be arranged at any location, may be mounted on the working machine 501, may be fixedly installed at the working site, may be configured to be portable, or may be dispersedly arranged at multiple locations.

[0051] The warning device 104 outputs a warning. The warning includes, for example, information indicating that the partition object 512 is not properly arranged at the boundary of the work area 504. The warning device 104 is arranged at any location. For example, it can be mounted on the work machine 501, carried by the workers at the work site, or arranged at the work site.

[0052] Figure 4 An example of a warning output by the warning device 104 is shown. In this example, the warning is displayed on a display device such as a monitor. In this example, the positions of each boundary are displayed, and it is shown that there is no partition object 512 at the boundary corresponding to the side AB, so that the user who sees the display device can know that the partition object 512 is not properly arranged.

[0053] The warning device 104 can be configured as a monitor for the operator of the operating machine 501 when mounted on the operating machine 501. When carried by an operator, it can be configured as a monitor of an information terminal. When arranged at a working site, it can be fixedly installed at a specified location. By configuring the warning device 104 in this way, warnings can be reliably conveyed. The outputted warning is in any form, for example, it can include symbols, graphics or messages displayed by a display device, it can also include warning sounds or messages played by a voice output device, and it can also include electronic signals sent by a communication device.

[0054] As described above, the partition information storage unit 105 may store information for identifying the partition object 512 .

[0055] The work area boundary calculation unit 106 extracts the boundary where the partition object 512 should be placed from the boundary of the work area. Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 5 , the side AB and the side BC are extracted from the sides AB, BC, CD, and CD that are the boundaries of the work area 504 as the boundaries where the partitioning object 512 should be arranged.

[0056] The user of the on-site monitoring device can define the boundary more flexibly by providing the work area boundary calculation unit 106. For example, after inputting a rectangle ABCD as the work area, the user can specify to exclude the side CD and the side DA where the wall is located.

[0057] Here, in order to distinguish between the boundaries where the partitioning object 512 should be arranged and the boundaries where the partitioning object 512 should not be arranged, the information required by the work area boundary calculation unit 106 can be provided in any configuration. For example, the on-site monitoring system can store information indicating the construction plan, or the construction plan can include the position of the wall 503. In that case, the work area boundary calculation unit 106 can automatically obtain the position of the wall 503 based on the construction plan. Alternatively, the user of the on-site monitoring device can also specify whether there is a wall on each side. Figure 2 In the example of , since there are walls on the side CD and the side DA, it is determined that there is no need to configure the partition object 512 on these boundaries.

[0058] The application environment determination unit 107 functions as a determination unit that determines whether a partitioning object 512 is disposed at a position corresponding to a boundary where the partitioning object 512 should be disposed. Hereinafter, in this specification, if a partitioning object 512 is disposed at a position corresponding to a certain boundary, the boundary is sometimes referred to as a "disposed boundary"; if not (i.e., if a partitioning object 512 is not disposed at a position corresponding to a certain boundary), the boundary is sometimes referred to as an "undisposed boundary".

[0059] The following is an example of expressing the position of the boundary and partition object 512 using two-dimensional coordinates, but it can be appropriately extended to express it using three-dimensional coordinates. For example, only XY coordinates can be used for calculation while ignoring the Z coordinate.

[0060] Here, the judgment criterion can be arbitrarily designed, but for example, it can be based on whether there are partition objects 512 near both ends of the boundary (for example, within a predetermined distance from both ends). The predetermined distance can be arbitrarily set by a person skilled in the art or a user of the on-site monitoring device.

[0061] exist Figure 2 In the example, as for side AB, since there is no partitioning object 512 near vertex A, side AB is determined to be an unconfigured boundary. On the other hand, as for side BC, since there is a partitioning object 512a near vertex B and a partitioning object 512c near vertex C, side BC is determined to be a configured boundary. (In addition, since sides CD and DA are not boundaries where partitioning objects 512 should be configured as described above, they are not processed by the operating environment determination unit 107 in this embodiment.)

[0062] In addition, the configuration may be such that, in addition to the partitioning objects 512 near both ends of the boundary, partitioning objects 512 at positions other than the two ends are also considered. For example, the configuration may be such that, in addition to the partitioning objects 512 being arranged near both ends, partitioning objects 512 are further arranged at positions other than those near both ends. In this case, the boundary is determined to be a configured boundary.

[0063] The specific determination method of the "position other than the vicinity of both ends" (hereinafter referred to as "the vicinity of the center" for simplicity) can be arbitrarily designed, but can be designed, for example, as follows. First, all the partition objects 512 that are near the ends of any boundary are excluded. For the remaining partition objects 512, the closest boundary is identified. For example, Figure 2 Then, if the partition object 512 is located within a predetermined distance from the boundary or is located in the outer direction of the operation area 504, it is determined that the partition object 512 is arranged at a position other than near the two ends of the boundary.

[0064] According to this judgment method, different judgment criteria can be used for the partition objects 512a and 512b near the two ends and the partition object 512c near the center. That is, the partition objects 512a and 512b near the two ends need to be arranged near the two ends, but the distance from the partition object 512c near the center to the two ends is not limited, and it can also be a position away from the outside of the area. However, in the above-mentioned criteria, the partition object 512c near the center cannot be located in a position entering the inner side of the area. In this way, strict judgment can be performed at the two ends, and a judgment with a margin for safety can be made near the center.

[0065] The warning content determination unit 108 causes the warning device 104 to output a warning when there is at least one unconfigured boundary. The content of the warning may be, for example, Figure 4 As shown, in this example, information for identifying unconfigured boundaries is included. Figure 4 The display shown allows recognition that although side AB is an unplaced boundary, other boundaries are not. When such a warning is provided, the location where the partitioning object 512 should be placed can be quickly grasped.

[0066] As described above, the on-site monitoring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention can determine whether a partitioning object as a known object is set at the boundary of the work area. Since a warning is output if a partitioning object is not set, it is possible to remind the workers at the work site to set the partitioning object.

[0067] In particular, since the boundary of the work area can be appropriately input and the partition object 512 can be monitored based on it, the area to be monitored on site can be appropriately set. In particular, even if the work area changes from time to time, it can be handled by inputting new boundary information each time.

[0068] In the first embodiment, the on-site monitoring device can function independently even when the working machine 501 is not arranged at the working site. However, the on-site monitoring device and the working machine 501 may constitute an on-site monitoring system.

[0069] [Example 2]

[0070] In the second embodiment, the on-site monitoring device and the working machine 501 cooperate to form an on-site monitoring system.

[0071] Figure 5 The structure of the working machine 501 of the second embodiment is shown. In this example, the working machine 501 is an excavator. The working machine 501 includes a bucket 201, an arm 202, a boom 203, a cab 204, an upper rotating body 205, and a lower traveling body 206. Figure 5 The front-rear and the back-and-forth and the up-and-down directions based on the working machine 501 are shown in FIG. Figure 5 The front and rear directions correspond to Figure 2 The cab 204 may also be configured as a part of the upper rotating body 205.

[0072] The working machine 501 includes an operating lever and an operation amount detection device (for example, Figure 6 The operation amount detection device 301 shown in FIG. 5 is shown in FIG. 5 . The operation lever is mounted on the cab 204, for example, and the operator of the working machine 501 can operate the plurality of actuators in a plurality of motion directions by operating the operation lever. Specifically, the operator can operate the loading and unloading of the bucket 201, the recovery and release of the dipper arm 202, the raising and lowering of the boom 203, the right rotation and left rotation of the upper rotating body 205, and the forward, backward, left turn and right turn of the lower traveling body 206.

[0073] The working machine 501 includes an actuator, a directional control valve, and a pilot pressure control valve. The actuator includes a slide valve and moves a movable part (e.g., bucket 201) of the working machine 501 in multiple motion directions. The directional control valve controls the supply and discharge of hydraulic oil relative to the actuator according to the position of the slide valve. The pilot pressure control valve controls the pilot pressure applied to the slide valve.

[0074] The operating direction of the operating lever corresponds to the action direction of the actuator, and the inclination of the operating lever corresponds to the pilot pressure corresponding to the action direction of the actuator. The greater the pilot pressure, the greater the position deviation of the spool of the directional control valve, and the greater the flow rate of hydraulic oil supplied to the actuator in the direction corresponding to the spool position.

[0075] A plurality of pilot pressure control valves may be arranged relative to one actuator, and each pilot pressure control valve controls the pilot pressure applied to both sides (or ends) of the spool valve in order to move the spool valve in a direction corresponding to the operating direction of the actuator.

[0076] In addition, in order to prevent the operator from accidentally touching the operating lever when not in operation and causing unexpected mechanical movement, the operating machine 501 can also be set to an inactive state by operating the operating lever. That is, the operating machine 501 can be in either an operable state in which it can be operated by operating the operating lever or an operation standby state in which it cannot be operated by operating the operating lever.

[0077] The working machine 501 can also transition from the operable state to the working standby state by performing a prescribed invalidation operation for invalidating the operation of the operating lever. For example, a shut off lever can also be mounted on the cab 204. The shut off lever has two positions: a pilot pressure shutoff position and a shutoff release position. When the operator moves the shutoff lever to the pilot pressure shutoff position, the working machine 501 becomes the working standby state, and the operation of the operating lever is invalid. On the other hand, when the shutoff lever is in the shutoff release position, the working machine 501 becomes the operable state, and the excavator moves according to the operation of the operating lever.

[0078] Figure 6 : is a system block diagram showing the configuration of the on-site monitoring system of Example 2. The on-site monitoring system includes an operation amount detection device 301, a pilot pressure control valve 302 (two valves 302a and 302b in this example), a machine position detection device 303, a work standby state detection device 304, a work area input device 305, a boundary selection device 306, a surrounding object detection device 307, a control device 308, a warning device 309, a posture detection device 320, a directional control valve 330, and an actuator 331.

[0079] The control device 308 includes a work area boundary calculation unit 310, a separation information storage unit 311, an operating environment judgment unit 312, a warning content determination unit 313, an operation amount output calculation unit 314, an output unit 315, a current generation unit 316, a judgment instruction unit 317, and an output limit determination unit 318. The control device 308 controls the operation of the on-site monitoring system. The control device 308 has, for example, a configuration as a well-known computer having a calculation mechanism and a storage mechanism. A program that specifies the operation of the control device 308 may also be stored in the storage mechanism of the control device 308. In that case, the functions described in this specification may also be realized by the control mechanism by executing the program through the calculation mechanism of the control device 308. In the case where the control device 308 is composed of a plurality of computers, each of them may have the above-mentioned configuration.

[0080] Each component is arbitrarily arranged, but for example, the operation amount detection device 301, the machine position detection device 303, the work standby state detection device 304, the posture detection device 320, the pilot pressure control valve 302, the direction control valve 330 and the actuator 331 are mounted on the work machine 501. In addition, for example, the work area input device 305, the boundary selection device 306, the surrounding object detection device 307 and the warning device 309 are installed at the work site to constitute a site monitoring device. In addition, as in the first embodiment, the arrangement of the warning device 309 can be arbitrarily changed.

[0081] For example, a part of the control device 308 is mounted on the working machine 501, and another part is installed at the working site as a part of the on-site monitoring device. As a more specific example, the operation amount output calculation unit 314, the output unit 315 and the current generation unit 316 are mounted on the working machine 501, and the working area boundary calculation unit 310, the partition information storage unit 311, the operating environment judgment unit 312, the warning content determination unit 313, the judgment instruction unit 317, and the output limit determination unit 318 are installed at the working site to constitute the on-site monitoring device.

[0082] Furthermore, when the control device 308 is dispersedly installed in a plurality of locations, a communication network for transmitting and receiving information between the elements and a program for exchanging information may be provided. This can be achieved, for example, using a well-known wireless communication technology.

[0083] In Example 2 ( Figure 6 ), and Example 1 ( Figure 1 ) The components with the same name may also have the same structure and the same function. That is, Figure 6The work area input device 305, the surrounding object detection device 307, the warning device 309, the work area boundary calculation unit 310, the separation information storage unit 311, the operating environment judgment unit 312 and the warning content determination unit 313 may also be respectively provided with Figure 1 The work area input device 101, the surrounding object detection device 102, the warning device 104, the work area boundary calculation unit 106, the partition information storage unit 105, the operation environment judgment unit 107 and the warning content determination unit 108 have the same structure and the same functions. In addition, it can also have additional functions, for example, it can also be configured so that the work area boundary calculation unit 310, the operation environment judgment unit 312, and the warning content determination unit 313 can send, receive or exchange information with components other than the control device 308.

[0084] Figure 7 4 is a flowchart for explaining an example of processing executed by the on-site monitoring system of Embodiment 2. This processing starts in step 401 when the on-site monitoring system receives input of information indicating a boundary where the partitioning object 512 is to be arranged.

[0085] For example, with Figure 2 and Figure 3 As described in the first embodiment, the information of the boundaries of the working area 504, i.e., the sides AB, BC, CD, CD, is input. Then, the boundary selection device 306 receives the input of information for selecting the boundary (e.g., the sides AB and BC) on which the partitioning object 512 should be arranged from these sides, and sends it to the working area boundary calculation unit 310. Based on the information, the working area boundary calculation unit 310 extracts the sides AB and BC from the sides AB, BC, CD, CD as the boundary on which the partitioning object 512 should be arranged.

[0086] This information input operation may be performed by the operator of the working machine 501 or by a worker other than the operator in accordance with the working environment at the working site.

[0087] By providing the boundary selection device 306 and the work area boundary calculation unit 310, each boundary of the work area 504 and the boundary where the partition object 512 is to be arranged in particular can be input separately, so that the boundary can be defined more flexibly.

[0088] However, the boundary selection device 306 may be omitted. If the boundary selection device 306 is not provided, the work area boundary calculation unit 310 may extract all boundaries of the work area 504 as boundaries where the partitioning objects 512 are to be arranged.

[0089] Subsequent steps 402 to 406 are processes performed by the judgment instruction unit 317. By inputting information indicating the boundary through the work area input device 101 in step 401, the judgment instruction unit 317 causes the operating environment judgment unit 312 to perform the judgment process. As described below, through steps 402 to 406, the judgment process can be appropriately performed according to various conditions. For example, the presence or absence of the partition object 512 can be judged based on the frequency of changes in the setting of the partition object 512 and the situation in which the partition object 512 becomes important. In this way, it is possible to prevent the operator from being annoyed by the useless and frequent implementation of judgments and the frequent occurrence of warnings.

[0090] In step 402 after step 401, the on-site monitoring system determines whether the working machine 501 is located in the working area 504. The partition object 512 is required while the working machine 501 is operating in the working area 504. Therefore, when the working machine 501 is located outside the working area 504, it can be considered that there is no need to determine whether there is a partition object 512. In this case, unnecessary determination processing can be omitted according to step 402.

[0091] Whether the working machine 501 is located in the working area 504 can be determined by any method. For example, the on-site monitoring system (e.g., the working area boundary calculation unit 310) can also calculate a normal vector perpendicular to each boundary and with the inner side direction of the working area 504 as positive. Here, the normal vector N is calculated for the side AB. AB =(0,-1), and calculate the normal vector N for edge BC BC =(-1,0). In this way, information about each boundary can be represented by a set of coordinates of one end of the line segment, coordinates of the other end of the line segment, and a normal vector of the line segment. In addition, when three-dimensional coordinates are used, the normal vector is also calculated in three dimensions.

[0092] When the normal vector is used in this way, the following method can be used as an example of a judgment method. First, for each boundary, the inner product of the vector from the position of the working machine 501 to the midpoint of the boundary and the normal vector of the boundary is calculated. Then, the sign of the inner product is determined for each boundary. If the inner product is negative for all boundaries (which may also include the case of 0), it is determined that the working machine 501 is located in the working area 504. On the other hand, if the inner product is positive for any boundary (which may also include the case of 0), it is determined that the working machine 501 is not located in the working area 504.

[0093] This determination method is an example, and other methods may be used. In particular, if the work area 504 is input as a closed figure, the method for determining the inside and outside thereof can be appropriately designed using a well-known algorithm or the like. In addition, it may be configured so that when the information representing the boundary is input in step 401, the normal vector of each boundary is also input.

[0094] In addition, when the work area 504 is represented by a coordinate system fixed relative to the work site as in the present embodiment, the mechanical position detection device 303 may also detect the position of the work machine 501 in the coordinate system. The mechanical position detection device 303 may also obtain the vehicle body position using, for example, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) or the like. On the other hand, when the work area 504 is defined by the relative positional relationship with the work machine 501, the position of the work machine 501 is sometimes self-evident, and in that case the mechanical position detection device 303 may be omitted.

[0095] When it is determined in step 402 that the working machine 501 is not located in the working area 504, the process proceeds to step 412. In this case, the judgment instruction unit 317 does not cause the operating environment judgment unit 312 to perform the judgment process (step 408 described later). Then, in step 412, the on-site monitoring system performs the release of the warning and the action restriction. That is, the warning output by the warning device 309 is canceled (i.e., it is set to a state where no warning is output), and the action restriction of the working machine 501 is released (for step 411, see below for details). For example, the same process as that in step 704 described later is performed.

[0096] On the other hand, when it is determined in step 402 that the working machine 501 is located in the working area 504, the judgment instruction unit 317 determines whether the boundary has been changed in step 403. For example, the judgment instruction unit 317 monitors the outputs of the working area input device 305 and the boundary selection device 306, and if the working area 504 has been changed or the boundary in the working area 504 where the partition object 512 should be arranged has been changed since the last execution of step 403, it is determined that the boundary has been changed.

[0097] If the boundary has been changed, the process proceeds to step 407 described later. In this case, the judgment instruction unit 317 causes the operating environment judgment unit 312 to perform judgment processing (step 408 described later). In the case where the boundary has been changed, it is sometimes necessary to move the partitioning object 512, but in that case, the judgment processing can be reliably executed (or re-executed).

[0098] When it is determined in step 403 that the boundary has not changed, in step 404, the judgment instruction unit 317 determines whether the operation amount has increased after a predetermined time based on the operation amount detected by the operation amount detection device 301. For example, when the state in which the operation amount is below the predetermined threshold value (including the stop state) continues for more than a predetermined time, and then the operation amount exceeds the predetermined threshold value (these two threshold values ​​may not necessarily be the same), it is determined that the operation amount has increased after a predetermined time; otherwise, it is determined that the operation amount has not increased after a predetermined time.

[0099] When it is determined that the amount of operation has increased after a predetermined time, the process proceeds to step 407 described later. In this case, the judgment instruction unit 317 causes the operating environment judgment unit 312 to perform a judgment process (step 408 described later). According to this process, when the operating machine 501 starts to move more or faster from a state of small amplitude movement or slow movement, it is determined whether there is a partition object 512. Since it is easy for an operator to approach an operating machine 501 with a small or slow movement, the operating machine 501 is more likely to come into contact with the operator after it starts to move more or faster, but the judgment of step 404 enables an appropriate warning to be given in that case.

[0100] When it is determined in step 404 that the amount of operation after the prescribed time has not increased, the judgment instruction unit 317 determines in step 405 whether the cutoff rod has moved from the pilot pressure cutoff position to the cutoff release position. That is, it is determined whether the operating machine 501 has transitioned from the operating standby state to the operable state. As a more specific example, when the operating machine 501 was in the operating standby state after the last execution of step 405, and the operating machine 501 was in the operable state after the current execution of step 405, it is determined that the operating machine 501 has transitioned from the operating standby state to the operable state. In the case that this is not the case (i.e., when the operating machine 501 was in the operable state after the last execution of step 405, or when the operating machine 501 was in the operating standby state after the current execution of step 405), it is determined that there has been no transition.

[0101] When it is determined that the operating machine 501 has transitioned from the operating standby state to the operable state, the processing enters step 407 described later. In this case, the judgment instruction unit 317 causes the operating environment judgment unit 312 to perform a judgment process (step 408 described later). According to this process, when the operating machine 501 starts to move from the stopped state, it is determined whether there is a partition object 512. Since it is easier for an operator to approach a stopped operating machine 501 than an operating machine 501 in motion, the operating machine 501 is more likely to come into contact with an operator after it starts to move, but the judgment of step 405 can make an appropriate warning in that case.

[0102] When it is determined that there is no transition in step 405, the judgment instruction unit 317 determines in step 406 whether the working machine 501 has moved from outside the working area 504 to inside the working area 504. For example, when the working machine 501 is outside the working area 504 after the previous execution of step 406, and the working machine 501 is inside the working area 504 after the current execution of step 406, it is determined that the working machine 501 has moved from outside the working area 504 to inside the working area 504. In the case that this is not the case (when the working machine 501 is inside the working area 504 after the previous execution of step 406, or when the working machine 501 is outside the working area 504 after the current execution of step 406), it is determined that there is no movement.

[0103] When it is determined that the working machine 501 has moved from outside the working area 504 to inside the working area 504, the process proceeds to step 407 described later. In this case, the judgment instruction unit 317 causes the operating environment judgment unit 312 to perform judgment processing (step 408 described later). According to this processing, since the judgment is performed at the time when the working machine 501 enters the working area 504 where a person or the like already exists, a warning can be issued at an appropriate time.

[0104] On the other hand, when it is determined in step 406 that the working machine 501 has not moved from outside the working area 504 to inside the working area 504, the process proceeds to step 412. In this case, the judgment instruction unit 317 does not cause the operating environment judgment unit 312 to perform the judgment process (step 408 described later). Then, in step 412, the on-site monitoring system cancels the warning and action restriction as described above.

[0105] In step 406, it may be determined whether the work machine 501 has moved from outside the work area 504 to inside the work area 504 for the "first time". That is, after branching from step 406 to step 407, the process may always branch from step 406 to step 412 regardless of the movement of the work machine 501.

[0106] Thus, according to steps 402 to 406, since the judgment instruction unit 317 instructs the operating environment judgment unit 312 according to various conditions or omits the instruction, flexible judgment processing can be performed. In particular, it is possible to prevent the operator from being annoyed by unnecessary and frequent judgments and frequent warnings. In addition, compared with the prior art, since the detection conditions of the operating object can be defined in more detail, the adverse effects caused by changes in the monitoring environment can be reduced.

[0107] In step 407 , the surrounding object detection device 307 detects the position of the partitioning object 512 . At this time, the surrounding object detection device 307 may also obtain necessary information from the partitioning information storage unit 311 .

[0108] Next, in step 408, the operating environment determination unit 312 determines for each of the boundaries whether the boundary is a configured boundary (a boundary with a partitioning object 512 configured at the corresponding position) or an unconfigured boundary (a boundary without a partitioning object 512 configured at the corresponding position). This determination is performed in the same manner as the operating environment determination unit 107 of the first embodiment, for example.

[0109] In step 408, if all boundaries are arranged boundaries, the process proceeds to step 412. In step 412, the on-site monitoring system cancels the warning and the operation restriction as described above.

[0110] If there is at least one unconfigured boundary, the process proceeds to step 409. In step 409, the application environment determination unit 312 extracts information related to the unconfigured boundary and outputs it to the warning content determination unit 313 and the output restriction determination unit 318. For example, if it is determined that the edge AB is an unconfigured boundary, the coordinates of the vertex A, the coordinates of the vertex B and the normal vector N are output. AB This group.

[0111] Next, in step 410, the warning content determination unit 313 determines the warning content to be output by the warning device 309. Thus, for example, the output Figure 4 Warning shown.

[0112] Next, in step 411, the operation restriction of the working machine 501 is set. The operation restriction refers to limiting the operation of at least a part of the actuator. By setting the operation restriction, the operator of the working machine 501 can be strongly reminded to install the partition object 512.

[0113] In the working machine 501, which actuator's motion is restricted, which motion of each actuator is restricted, and how to restrict each motion can be appropriately designed by a person skilled in the art, but an example is described below.

[0114] The posture detection device 320 detects the posture of the working machine 501. The posture detection device 320 can calculate the angle of each joint based on the predetermined mechanism information (e.g., stored in advance) and the information obtained from the sensors such as the potentiometer and IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). The posture of the working machine 501 is represented by the position of one or more movable parts. The movable parts are, for example, Figure 5 The bucket 201 is not limited to this, and may also include an upper rotating body 205 (or a specific portion thereof, such as the rear end).

[0115] In addition, the posture of the working machine 501 may also include the state of the part supporting the movable part. Figure 5The positions and directions of the boom 202, the boom 203, the upper rotating body 205, the lower traveling body 206, etc.

[0116] The operation amount output calculation unit 314 determines the output value for each pilot pressure control valve based on the operation amount of the operating lever. In addition, the output limit determination unit 318 determines whether the output value is a value that causes the movable part to move in a direction close to the unconfigured boundary. This determination can be performed based on the operation direction of the operating lever and the posture of the working machine 501. In this embodiment, the action limit of the working machine 501 is set when the movable part moves in a direction close to the unconfigured boundary.

[0117] Here, although a person skilled in the art can appropriately design a specific process for setting the motion limit based on the movement of the movable part relative to the unconfigured boundary, Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Let me illustrate with an example.

[0118] Figure 8 This is a flowchart for explaining an example of the process of setting the action restriction in step 411 . Fig. 9 901 is a diagram showing an example of the movement of the movable part 901 relative to the unconfigured boundary 902. Fig. 9 The example is Figure 5 , but the same treatment is also applicable to the bucket 201, the boom 202, the upper rotating body 205 and the lower traveling body 206.

[0119] Figure 8 The processing starts in step 701. In step 701, the output limit determination unit 318 specifies the boundary closest to the movable part 901 among the unconfigured boundaries. For example, the coordinates of the movable part 901 are calculated based on the information obtained from the mechanical position detection device 303 and the posture detection device 320, and the distance to each unconfigured boundary is calculated. As a result, the unconfigured boundary at the closest distance to the movable part 901 is specified as the unconfigured boundary 902. In addition, the calculation of the distance can be performed in two dimensions or in three dimensions. When performed in three dimensions, the boundary can be set as a surface rising from each side in the vertical direction.

[0120] In step 702, the output limit determination unit 318 calculates the speed of the movable unit 901 relative to the boundary specified in step 701. The speed is represented by a two-dimensional or three-dimensional vector, for example, and can be calculated based on predetermined fixed information (such as information inherent to the vehicle body mechanism), the operation amount of the operating lever, and the posture of the working machine 501.

[0121] exist Fig. 9In the example, an action that is a combination of the two actions of arm releasing and boom raising is envisioned, and the speed of the movable part 901 is represented as a composite vector of speed vectors generated by the actions of multiple actuators. For example, the angular velocity of the arm is estimated from the amount of operation of the operating lever for arm releasing, and the speed vector Va assigned to the movable part 901 by the arm releasing action is calculated based on the angular velocity and posture information. On the other hand, the rotational angular velocity of the boom raising is estimated from the amount of operation of the operating lever for boom raising, and the speed vector Vb assigned to the movable part 901 by the boom raising action is calculated based on the rotational angular velocity and posture information. The speed vector V obtained by synthesizing these speed vectors Va and Vb becomes the speed vector of the movable part 901.

[0122] In step 703, it is determined whether the movable part 901 moves in a direction close to the unconfigured boundary 902. This can be determined, for example, using the inner product of vectors. As a specific example, if the inner product of the velocity vector V of the movable part 901 and the normal vector N of the unconfigured boundary 902 (but toward the inside of the working area 504) is negative, it is determined that the movable part 901 moves in a direction close to the unconfigured boundary 902; if the inner product is greater than 0, it is determined that the movable part 901 does not move in a direction close to the unconfigured boundary 902.

[0123] In this way, the output limit determination unit 318 determines whether the output value determined by the operation amount output calculation unit 314 is a value that moves the movable unit 901 in a direction approaching the non-arranged boundary 902 based on the operation direction and posture of the operation lever.

[0124] When the movable part 901 does not move in the direction approaching the unconfigured boundary 902, in step 704, the output limit determination unit 318 releases the action limit for all actuators related to the action of the movable part 901. This is done, for example, by setting the output upper limit value to a specified value Pmax (for example, the rated value or maximum output value of the actuator). In addition, the value of Pmax may be different for each pilot pressure control valve. Fig. 9 In the example, the output of the boom releasing action can reach Pamax, and the output of the boom raising action can reach Pbmax.

[0125] On the other hand, when the movable part 901 moves in a direction approaching the unconfigured boundary 902, in step 705, the output limit determination unit 318 sets an action limit for all actuators related to the action of the movable part 901. This is done, for example, by setting the output upper limit value to a specified value Plimit (however, 0≤Plimit<Pmax). In addition, the value of Plimit may be different for each pilot pressure control valve. Fig. 9 In the example, the arm release action is limited to below the output Palimit, and the boom lift action is limited to below the output Pblimit.

[0126] In this way, the action restriction is set or released in step 411. The output unit 315 outputs the control command for each pilot pressure control valve to the current generating unit 316 based on the output upper limit value determined in step 704 or 705. In particular, when the output value determined by the manipulated variable output operation unit 314 is not a value that causes the movable part 901 to move in a direction close to the non-configured boundary 902, or the output value determined by the manipulated variable output operation unit 314 is less than the prescribed value Plimit, the control command is output based on the output value determined by the manipulated variable output operation unit 314. On the other hand, when the output value determined by the manipulated variable output operation unit 314 is a value that causes the movable part 901 to move in a direction close to the non-configured boundary 902, and the output value exceeds the prescribed value Plimit, the control command is output based on the prescribed value Plimit. The current generating unit 316 receives the control command and generates a current for driving the pilot pressure control valve according to the control command.

[0127] Here, if a person is present in the work area 504, the person is likely to be between the movable unit 901 and the nearest unpositioned boundary 902. According to this embodiment, since the movable unit 901 can limit the speed of approaching the nearest unpositioned boundary 902, the movable unit 901 can more reliably prevent contact with the person.

[0128] [Other Modifications]

[0129] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the following modifications can be implemented.

[0130] In Example 2, in step 411, the motion limit is set according to the moving direction of the movable part. As a modification, the motion limit can be set regardless of the moving direction of the movable part. More specifically, in the presence of an unconfigured boundary, the output upper limit value can also be always set to a specified value Plimit. That is, in this modification, when there is no unconfigured boundary or the output value determined by the operation amount output operation unit 314 is less than Plimit, the output unit outputs a control instruction based on the output value; on the other hand, when there is at least one unconfigured boundary and the output value determined by the operation amount output operation unit 314 exceeds Plimit, the control instruction is output based on Plimit. In addition, although the flowchart in this case is not specifically shown as an independent figure, it can be obtained only by Figure 8 Step 705 is constituted.

[0131] In the second embodiment, if a part of the processing is omitted, the structure becomes equivalent to the first embodiment. For example, Figure 7 Steps 401, 407 to 410, and 412 in the embodiment constitute the processing of Example 1.

[0132] In the first and second embodiments, the work area input device 101 and 305 accepts input of information indicating all boundaries, not only the boundaries where the partitioning object 512 should be arranged. As a modified example, the work area input device may also accept input only for the boundaries where the partitioning object should be arranged. In this case, the work area boundary calculation unit 106 and 310 and the boundary selection device 306 can be omitted.

[0133] The warning is not limited to Figure 4 For example, the information for identifying the boundary may not be included. Even if it is just a message or a warning sound indicating that the partition object is not properly arranged, it can remind you to reconfirm the arrangement of the partition object.

[0134] The judgment instruction unit does not need to be constituted as a separate component. Figure 7 ), a single judgment instruction unit 317 performs all judgments of steps 402 to 406, but as a variation, separate judgment instruction units may be configured to correspond to steps 402 to 406, respectively.

[0135] Description of Reference Numerals

[0136] 101, 305…Working area input device (boundary input device)

[0137] 102, 307…Surrounding object detection device (separated object detection device, object detection device)

[0138] 103, 308…control device

[0139] 104, 309…Warning device

[0140] 105, 311 ...Separation information storage unit

[0141] 106, 310…Working area boundary calculation unit

[0142] 107, 312…Operation environment judgment department (judgment department)

[0143] 108, 313…Department for determining warning contents

[0144] 201…Bucket (movable part)

[0145] 202…Arm (movable part)

[0146] 203…Moving arm (movable part)

[0147] 204…Driver’s Cab

[0148] 205…Upper rotating body (movable part)

[0149] 206…Lower traveling body (movable part)

[0150] 301…Operation quantity detection device

[0151] 302 (302a, 302b)…Pilot pressure control valve

[0152] 303…Mechanical position detection device

[0153] 304…Working standby state detection device

[0154] 306…Boundary selection device

[0155] 314…Operation quantity output calculation unit

[0156] 315…Output

[0157] 316…current generating unit

[0158] 317…Judgment Instruction Unit

[0159] 318…Output limit determination unit

[0160] 320…Posture detection device

[0161] 330…Directional control valve

[0162] 331…Executive agency

[0163] 501…Operation machinery

[0164] 502…Operation personnel channel

[0165] 503…Wall

[0166] 504…Operation Area

[0167] 512 (512a, 512b, 512c) ...separating objects

[0168] 901…Movable parts

[0169] 902…Boundary not configured

[0170] AB, BC...sides (boundaries that separate objects should be configured)

[0171] CD, DA...edge (boundary)

[0172] N…normal vector of the boundary

[0173] V…Velocity vector

[0174] All publications, patents and patent applications cited in this specification are incorporated herein by reference as such.

Claims

1. A site monitoring device for monitoring a work site of a work machine, wherein a partition object for identifying a boundary of a work area is arranged in the work site, characterized in that: have: a warning device for outputting a warning; a separation object detection device that detects the position of the separation object; A boundary input device that receives input of boundary information on which separated objects should be arranged; and Control device, The control device comprises: a determination unit for determining, for each of the boundaries, whether the boundary is a configured boundary in which the partitioning object is configured at a position corresponding to the boundary, or an unconfigured boundary in which the partitioning object is not configured at a position corresponding to the boundary; and A warning content determination unit causes the warning device to output the warning when at least one of the unplaced boundaries exists.

2. The on-site monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control device includes a determination instruction unit configured to cause the determination unit to execute determination processing based on the information indicating the boundary inputted from the boundary input device.

3. The on-site monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The boundary input device is an operation area input device for accepting input of an operation area. The control device includes a work area boundary calculation unit that extracts the boundary where the partition object is to be arranged from the boundary of the work area.

4. The on-site monitoring device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A machine position detection device for detecting the position of the working machine is provided, The control device includes a judgment instruction unit that causes the judgment unit to execute judgment processing. The determination instruction unit does not cause the determination unit to execute determination processing when the working machine is not located in the working area.

5. The on-site monitoring device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The determination instruction unit causes the determination unit to execute a determination process when the working machine has moved from outside the working area to inside the working area.

6. The on-site monitoring device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A boundary selection device is provided for accepting input of information for selecting the boundary where the partition object is to be arranged from among the boundaries of the work area.

7. The on-site monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The warning device is mounted on a working machine or arranged at a working site.

8. The on-site monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The separated object detection device is an object detection device for detecting objects, The control device includes a partition information storage unit that stores information for identifying the partition object.

9. The on-site monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The alert includes information identifying the unconfigured boundary.

10. A site monitoring system comprising the site monitoring device according to claim 1 and a working machine, wherein: The working machine includes an operating lever and an operation amount detection device for detecting an operation amount of the operating lever. The control device includes a determination instruction unit configured to cause the determination unit to execute a determination process when the operation amount exceeds a predetermined threshold value after the operation amount continues to be equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value for a predetermined time or longer.

11. A site monitoring system comprising the site monitoring device according to claim 1 and a working machine, wherein: The working machine includes an operating lever, The working machine can be in any one of an operable state in which the working machine can be operated by operating the operating lever and an operation standby state in which the working machine cannot be operated by operating the operating lever. The control device includes a determination instruction unit that causes the determination unit to execute a determination process when the working machine has transitioned from the working standby state to the operable state.

12. A site monitoring system comprising the site monitoring device according to claim 1 and a working machine, wherein: The working machine comprises: Operating lever; an operation amount detection device that detects the operation amount of the operation lever; and The pilot pressure control valve detects the pilot pressure applied to the actuator's spool valve. The control device comprises: an operation amount output calculation unit that determines an output value for the pilot pressure control valve based on the operation amount; an output unit that outputs a control command for the pilot pressure control valve; and a current generating unit that generates a current for driving the pilot pressure control valve according to the control instruction, The output unit outputs the control command based on the output value determined by the manipulated variable output operation unit when the unconfigured boundary does not exist or the output value determined by the manipulated variable output operation unit is equal to or less than a predetermined output upper limit value, The output unit outputs the control command based on a prescribed output upper limit value when there is at least one of the unarranged boundaries and the output value determined by the manipulated variable output calculation unit exceeds the prescribed output upper limit value.

13. A site monitoring system comprising the site monitoring device according to claim 1 and a working machine, wherein: The working machine comprises: Operating lever; an operation amount detection device for detecting the operation amount of the operating lever; movable part; An actuator that moves the movable part along a plurality of action directions; a posture detection device for detecting the posture of the working machine; and a plurality of pilot pressure control valves for controlling the pilot pressures applied to both sides of the slide valve in order to move the slide valve in a direction corresponding to the action direction of the actuator; The control device comprises: an operation amount output calculation unit that determines an output value for each of the pilot pressure control valves based on the operation amount; an output unit, which outputs a control instruction for each of the pilot pressure control valves; an output limit determination unit that determines, based on the operation direction and the posture of the operation lever, whether the output value determined by the operation amount output calculation unit is a value that causes the movable unit to move in a direction approaching the non-arranged boundary; and a current generating unit that generates a current for driving the pilot pressure control valve according to the control instruction, the output unit outputs the control instruction based on the output value determined by the operation amount output operation unit when the output value determined by the operation amount output operation unit is not a value that causes the movable unit to move in a direction close to the unconfigured boundary, or when the output value determined by the operation amount output operation unit is below a prescribed output upper limit value, The output unit outputs the control command based on a prescribed output upper limit when the output value determined by the operation amount output calculation unit is a value that moves the movable unit in a direction approaching the unconfigured boundary and the output value determined by the operation amount output calculation unit exceeds a prescribed output upper limit.

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