Work machine

Abstract

The work machine includes: a machine body; a working device mounted on the machine body; and a control device that performs a transmission process of transmitting data to an external device provided outside the machine body. The control device measures the communication speed with the external device, and when the communication speed is less than a predetermined required speed, restricts the function of the transmission process. The lower the communication speed, the greater the restriction on the function of the transmission process. When the state of the work machine is an operating state, the restriction on the function of the transmission process is greater than when it is not in the operating state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work machine. Background Art

[0002] There is known a management system including a management device that manages a work machine by acquiring information of the work machine via a wireless communication system applicable to mobile communication such as a mobile phone (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The work machine described in Patent Document 1 includes: an information generation unit that generates work machine information as information related to the work machine; a division unit that divides the work machine information into a prescribed data amount and generates divided work machine information; an information assignment unit that assigns attribute information indicating an attribute of the divided work machine information to the divided work machine information; and a communication unit that transmits the work machine information or the divided work machine information to which the attribute information has been assigned to the outside of the work machine. The division unit processes the work machine information as divided work machine information even when there is no need to divide the work machine information, and the information assignment unit assigns attribute information to the divided work machine information.

[0004] Prior Art Documents

[0005] Patent Documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: International Publication WO2015 / 029268 Summary of the Invention

[0007] However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, changes in communication speed due to changes in weather conditions such as the sky above the work machine being covered by thick clouds are not considered. In addition, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, changes in communication speed due to changes in the state of the work machine are not considered. Therefore, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when the communication speed decreases, the process of transmitting the divided work machine information to the management device is continued in the same manner as when the communication speed is sufficient, and there is a concern that the work machine information cannot be properly transmitted to the management device.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to properly transmit information of a work machine to an external device.

[0009] An operating machine according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a body; an operating device mounted on the body; and a control device that performs transmission processing for transmitting data to an external device provided outside the body. The control device measures the communication speed with the external device, and when the communication speed is less than a predetermined required speed, restricts the function of the transmission processing. The lower the communication speed, the greater the restriction on the function of the transmission processing. When the state of the operating machine is an operating state, the restriction on the function of the transmission processing is greater than when it is not in an operating state.

[0010] Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, information of the operating machine can be properly transmitted to an external device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 It is a functional block diagram of an information control unit.

[0014] Figure 3 It is a state transition diagram of the operating machine.

[0015] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing remote service request information.

[0016] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing a data storage table stored in a non-volatile memory.

[0017] Figure 6 It is a flowchart showing the content of transmission processing executed by the information control unit.

[0018] Figure 7A It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display screen of a display device, showing an example of displaying the boom cylinder pressure as body data.

[0019] Figure 7B It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display screen of a display device, showing an example of displaying a communication log.

[0020] Figure 8 It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display screen of an in-vehicle display input device.

[0021] Figure 9 It is a diagram showing a selection condition table used in the operating machine of Modification 2.

[0022] Figure 10 It is a diagram showing a management system of Modification 3. Detailed Embodiment

[0023] The working machine of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the management system 1 of the embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 1 shown, the management system 1 includes a working machine 101 that performs operations at a work site, and a management device 105 provided in a management center located at a place far from the work site. In the present embodiment, an example in which the working machine 101 is a crawler-type hydraulic excavator will be described. The working machine 101 performs operations such as civil engineering work, construction work, demolition work, and dredging work at the work site.

[0025] The working machine 101 includes: a body 5; a working device 4 installed on the body 5; and a control device 10 that performs transmission processing for sending data to a management device 105 provided outside the body 5 and reception processing for receiving data from the management device 105. The body 5 has a crawler-type traveling body 2 and a rotating body 3 rotatably provided on the traveling body 2. The control device 10 is mounted on the rotating body 3. The working device 4 is a multi-joint type working device installed on the rotating body 3, and has a boom 11, an arm 12, a bucket 13, and hydraulic cylinders (boom cylinder 11a, arm cylinder 12a, and bucket cylinder 13a) for driving them.

[0026] The rotating body 3 has a cab 18 provided on a rotating frame and an engine room 17 provided behind the cab 18. The engine room 17 houses an engine 19 and hydraulic equipment such as a hydraulic pump driven by the engine 19. The engine 19 is a power source of the working machine 101 and is composed of an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine, for example.

[0027] The management device 105 is an external device for remotely managing (grasping, monitoring) the state of the working machine 101. The management device 105 is provided, for example, in facilities such as the head office, branch office, and factory of the manufacturer (maker) of the working machine 101, a rental company of the working machine 101, a data center specializing in server operation, and a facility of the owner who owns the working machine 101.

[0028] The management system 1 is configured to be capable of two-way communication between the working machine 101 that performs operations at a work site and the management device 105 provided at a place far from the work site via a first communication network 109 that is a wide area network. That is, the working machine 101 and the management device 105 can send and receive data via the first communication network 109.

[0029] The first communication network 109 is a mobile phone communication network (mobile communication network) developed by a mobile phone operator or the like, the Internet, or the like. For example, when the construction machine 101 and the radio base station 109a are connected via a mobile phone communication network (mobile communication network), if the radio base station 109a receives data from the construction machine 101, the received data is transmitted to the management device 105 via the Internet. The management device 105 causes the vehicle body data acquired from the construction machine 101 to be displayed on the display screen 166 of the display device 165.

[0030] The management device 105 includes: a management server 150; an input device 161 for inputting prescribed information to the management server 150; a communication device 162 for receiving information (such as the vehicle body data of the construction machine 101 that changes over time) transmitted from the construction machine 101; and a display device 165 as an output device that outputs prescribed information based on a control signal from the management server 150. The input device 161 is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or the like. The display device 165 is, for example, a liquid crystal display device, and displays a display image of the vehicle body data of the construction machine 101 or the like on the display screen 166 based on a display control signal from the management server 150.

[0031] The management server 150 is constituted by a computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit, central processing unit) 151 as an operating circuit, a volatile memory 153 called a so-called RAM (Random Access Memory, random access memory) as a storage device, a non-volatile memory 152 such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory, electrically erasable programmable read only memory), a flash memory, a first communication interface 154, a second communication interface 155, and other peripheral circuits. In addition, the management server 150 may be constituted by one computer or may be constituted by a plurality of computers. The first communication interface 154 is connected to the communication device 162 and exchanges data with the control device 10 of the construction machine 101 via the first communication network 109. The second communication interface 155 is connected to the input device 161 and the display device 165 by a wired method. In addition, the management server 150 and the input device 161 and the display device 165 may also be connected via the first communication network 109. In this case, the input device 161 and the display device 165 can be set as remote terminals at a location far from both the management center and the work site. In addition, the input device 161 and the display device 165 may be a notebook PC, a tablet PC, or a smart phone that can be carried by a service person.

[0032] The work machine 101 includes a control device 10 that controls each part of the work machine 101. The control device 10 has: a communication terminal 127 that communicates with a management device 105 via a first communication network 109; a plurality of control units (information control unit 100, engine control unit 121, work control unit 122, auxiliary machine control unit 123, and display control unit 124) that are communicably connected via a second communication network 107 and control the devices included in the work machine 101; and an in-vehicle display input device 125. The second communication network 107 is, for example, an in-vehicle network called CAN (Controller Area Network). In addition, in the illustrated example, the second communication network 107 has a first in-vehicle network 107a that connects the information control unit 100, the engine control unit 121, and the work control unit 122 to each other, and a second in-vehicle network 107b that connects the information control unit 100, the auxiliary machine control unit 123, and the display control unit 124 to each other.

[0033] The communication terminal 127 is a wireless communication device that can perform wireless communication with a wireless base station 109a connected to the first communication network 109, and has a communication interface including, for example, a communication antenna that sets a bandwidth such as a 2.1 GHz band as a sensitive bandwidth. The communication terminal 127 exchanges information (data) with the management device 105 and the like via the wireless base station 109a and the first communication network 109.

[0034] The information control unit 100 collects (acquires) the vehicle body data of the work machine 101. The vehicle body data includes sensing detection information detected by various sensors included in the work machine 101 and control information of a plurality of control units (121 to 124). The information control unit 100 performs reception processing of receiving an execution instruction of a remote service, which will be described later, from the management device 105 via the first communication network 109. In addition, the information control unit 100 performs transmission processing of transmitting the collected vehicle body data to the management device 105 via the first communication network 109 based on the received execution instruction.

[0035] The engine control unit 121 controls the engine speed by adjusting the injection amount of fuel injected into the cylinders of the engine 19 through a fuel injection device (not shown). The operation control unit 122 controls the operations of the hydraulic devices (such as hydraulic pumps, electro-hydraulic proportional valves, electro-hydraulic switching valves, etc.) mounted on the work machine 101 based on operation instructions from operation devices in the cab 18, thereby controlling the operations of the work device 4, the rotating body 3, and the traveling body 2. For example, when the operation control unit 122 receives a boom lifting operation instruction, it controls the electro-hydraulic proportional valve for boom lifting and generates a pilot pressure through the electro-hydraulic proportional valve. The generated pilot pressure causes the direction control valve for the boom to move to the boom lifting side. As a result, the working fluid (working oil) discharged from the hydraulic pump is supplied to the bottom-side oil chamber of the boom cylinder 11a through the direction control valve for the boom, and the working fluid is discharged from the rod-side oil chamber of the boom cylinder 11a to the fuel tank. Consequently, the boom 11 moves to the lifting side.

[0036] The accessory control unit 123 controls accessories such as windshield wipers and interior lights. The display control unit 124 is connected to an in-vehicle display input device 125 provided in the cab 18 of the work machine 101. The in-vehicle display input device 125 is a touch panel monitor or the like that functions as both a display unit and an input unit. For example, when an input operation for displaying specified information is performed on the in-vehicle display input device 125, the display control unit 124 causes the specified information to be displayed on the display screen 126 of the in-vehicle display input device 125.

[0037] The information control unit 100 is composed of a computer and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111 as a working circuit, a volatile memory 113 called a so-called RAM (Random Access Memory) as a storage device, a non-volatile memory 112 such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) and a flash memory, a buffer 116 such as a DRAM (Dynamic RAM, dynamic random access memory), an out-vehicle communication interface (the first communication interface) 114, an in-vehicle communication interface (the second communication interface) 115, and other peripheral circuits. In addition, the information control unit 100 can be composed of one computer or multiple computers. The out-vehicle communication interface 114 is connected to a communication terminal 127 and exchanges data with the management device 105 via the first communication network 109. The in-vehicle communication interface 115 exchanges data with multiple control units (121 to 124) connected to the information control unit 100 via the second communication network 107.

[0038] A program capable of performing various operations is stored in the non-volatile memory 112 of the information control unit 100. That is, the non-volatile memory 112 is a storage medium capable of reading a program for implementing the functions of the present embodiment. The CPU 111 is a processing device that expands the program stored in the non-volatile memory 112 into the volatile memory 113 to perform operations, and performs prescribed arithmetic processing on signals taken in from the vehicle exterior communication interface 114, the vehicle interior communication interface 115, the non-volatile memory 112, and the volatile memory 113 in accordance with the program.

[0039] In addition, although not shown, the engine control unit 121, the work control unit 122, the auxiliary machine control unit 123, and the display control unit 124 are each composed of a computer including a CPU, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, a vehicle interior communication interface, and other peripheral circuits, similarly to the information control unit 100.

[0040] The information control unit 100 acquires vehicle body data from the engine control unit 121, the work control unit 122, the auxiliary machine control unit 123, and the display control unit 124. For example, the information control unit 100 acquires, as vehicle body data, the rotational speed of the engine 19 (engine speed), the temperature of the engine cooling water, and status information indicating the status of the engine 19 from the engine control unit 121. In addition, the engine speed is detected by a rotational speed sensor connected to the engine control unit 121, and the temperature of the engine cooling water is detected by a temperature sensor connected to the engine control unit 121.

[0041] The information control unit 100 acquires, as vehicle body data, the pressure of hydraulic cylinders (for example, the boom cylinder 11a, the arm cylinder 12a, and the bucket cylinder 13a), the discharge pressure of the main pump, the boom angle, the arm angle, the bucket angle, the temperature of the working fluid (working oil), and status information indicating the status of the work machine 101 from the work control unit 122. In addition, this pressure information, angle information, and temperature information are detected by pressure sensors, angle sensors, and temperature sensors connected to the work control unit 122.

[0042] The information control unit 100 acquires status information indicating the status of auxiliary machines such as the interior light and the wiper from the auxiliary machine control unit 123. The information control unit 100 acquires operation information for the in-vehicle display input device 125 from the display control unit 124.

[0043] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the information control unit 100. As Figure 2As shown, the information control unit 100 functions as an external vehicle communication data input / output unit 131, an internal vehicle communication data input / output unit 132, a data transmission / reception unit 133, a remote service processing unit 134, a processing method determination unit 135, a communication performance management unit 136, and a status management unit 137. In addition, the function of the external vehicle communication data input / output unit 131 is implemented by the external vehicle communication interface 114, and the function of the internal vehicle communication data input / output unit 132 is implemented by the internal vehicle communication interface 115.

[0044] The data transmission / reception unit 133 performs a reception process of receiving data from the management device 105 via the first communication network 109, and performs a transmission process of transmitting data to the management device 105 via the first communication network 109. In addition, the data transmission / reception unit 133 performs a reception process of receiving data from the control units (121 to 124) via the second communication network 107, and performs a transmission process of transmitting data to the control units (121 to 124) via the second communication network 107.

[0045] The remote service processing unit 134 determines whether an execution instruction of a remote service transmitted from the management device 105 is received by the data transmission / reception unit 133. If the remote service processing unit 134 determines that the execution instruction of the remote service is received, the remote service is started. In the present embodiment, the remote service refers to remote monitoring in which the body data of the work machine 101 is transmitted to the management device 105 so that the state of the work machine 101 can be monitored at a location far from the work machine 101 (remotely).

[0046] After the remote service is started, the remote service processing unit 134 selects the body data to be transmitted to the management device 105 from the body data acquired from the data transmission / reception unit 133. The remote service processing unit 134 controls the data transmission / reception unit 133, and performs a transmission process of transmitting the selected body data to the management device 105 via the first communication network 109. The management device 105 acquires the body data of the work machine 101, and causes the acquired body data to be displayed on the display screen 166 of the display device 165.

[0047] Thereby, the body data of the work machine 101 performing work at the work site is presented to the manager. Therefore, the manager who manages the work machine 101 by the management device 105 can monitor the state of the work machine 101 performing work at a work site far from himself / herself.

[0048] The communication performance management unit 136 measures the communication speed (reception speed and transmission speed) with the management device 105 via the first communication network 109. The communication speed refers to the data communication volume per unit time, and is also referred to as communication performance.

[0049] The state management unit 137 manages the state of the construction machine 101 based on the state information obtained from the control units (121 to 124) via the second communication network 107.

[0050] The state management unit 137 obtains the state information indicating the state of the engine 19 from the engine control unit 121. When the state management unit 137 obtains the state information indicating that the engine 19 is stopped from the engine control unit 121, it determines that the engine (power source) 19 of the construction machine 101 is in a stopped state and the state of the construction machine 101 is not an operating state, and sets the state of the construction machine 101 to the "standby state".

[0051] The state management unit 137 obtains the state information indicating the state of the working device 4, the state information indicating the state of the rotating body 3, and the state information indicating the state of the traveling body 2 from the operation control unit 122. When the obtained state information of the engine 19 is information indicating operation and the obtained state information of the working device 4, the rotating body 3, and the traveling body 2 are all information indicating stop, the state management unit 137 determines that although the engine (power source) 19 of the construction machine 101 is operating, the construction machine 101 is not in an operating state. In this case, the state management unit 137 sets the state of the construction machine 101 to the "stopped state".

[0052] When the obtained state information of the traveling body 2 is information indicating operation, the state management unit 137 determines that the construction machine 101 is in an operating state and sets the state of the construction machine 101 to the "traveling state". When the obtained state information of the working device 4 is information indicating operation, the state management unit 137 determines that the construction machine 101 is in an operating state and sets the state of the construction machine 101 to the "working state". In addition, when the obtained state information of the rotating body 3 is information indicating operation, the state management unit 137 determines that the construction machine 101 is in an operating state and sets the state of the construction machine 101 to the "working state".

[0053] Figure 3 is the state transition diagram of the construction machine 101. As Figure 3As shown, if the engine 19 (E401) of the work machine 101 is started in the standby state S401, the state of the work machine 101 changes from the standby state S401 to the stop state S402. If the engine 19 (E402) of the work machine 101 is stopped in the stop state S402, the state of the work machine 101 changes from the stop state S402 to the standby state S401. If the work machine 101 starts to travel (E403) in the stop state S402, the state of the work machine 101 changes from the stop state S402 to the travel state S403. If the work machine 101 stops traveling (E404) in the travel state S403, the state of the work machine 101 changes from the travel state S403 to the stop state S402. If the work machine 101 starts to work (E405) in the stop state S402, the state of the work machine 101 changes from the stop state S402 to the work state S404. If the work machine 101 stops working (E406) in the work state S404, the state of the work machine 101 changes from the work state S404 to the stop state S402.

[0054] As Figure 2 shown, the processing method determination unit 135 determines the transmission processing method of the vehicle body data based on the measurement result of the communication speed in the communication performance management unit 136 and the state of the work machine 101 set by the state management unit 137.

[0055] The remote service processing unit 134 controls the transmission processing of the vehicle body data by the data transmission / reception unit 133 based on the transmission processing method determined by the processing method determination unit 135. The data transmission / reception unit 133 acquires the remote service request information 300 from the management device 105. The remote service request information 300 includes an execution instruction for the remote service. The remote service request information 300 acquired by the data transmission / reception unit 133 is stored in the non-volatile memory 112. The processing method determination unit 135 determines the transmission processing method based on the remote service request information 300 stored in the non-volatile memory 112.

[0056] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the remote service request information 300. As Figure 4 shown, the remote service request information 3 has a required speed information 301, a processing profile 302, a selection condition table 303, and processing content details 304.

[0057] In the required speed information 301, the required speed (required amount) Tsr, which is the amount of data to be sent to the management device 105 per unit time required by the remote service (remote monitoring), is defined. The required speed Tsr is a threshold determined in advance to decide whether to perform the transmission processing of the vehicle body data in the normal transmission processing method without accompanying the change of the transmission processing method of the vehicle body data. In the present embodiment, the required speed Tsr is set to 5 [Mbps].

[0058] The processing method determination unit 135 determines whether the communication speed Tsm measured by the communication performance management unit 136 is greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr. If it is determined that the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr, the processing method determination unit 135 selects the normal transmission processing method. If it is determined that the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr, the processing method determination unit 135 selects a processing method based on whether the selection conditions defined in the selection condition table 303 are satisfied and the processing profile 302 that defines the transmission processing method (hereinafter also simply referred to as the processing method) corresponding to the selection conditions. The following will be described in detail.

[0059] In the processing profile 302, a plurality of processing methods (the first to the fourth processing methods) are defined. The first processing method is a processing method that performs buffer processing and data reduction transmission processing. The second processing method is a processing method that performs data reduction transmission processing. The third processing method is a processing method that performs transmission interruption processing and buffer processing. The fourth processing method is a processing method that performs transmission interruption processing and retry request processing. Thus, the processing profile 302 defines a plurality of processing methods composed of combinations of data reduction transmission processing, buffer processing, transmission interruption processing, and retry request processing.

[0060] The transmission interruption processing is a processing for interrupting the transmission of the vehicle body data. The retry request processing is a processing for sending a retry request to the management device 105 to request the re-start of the transmission processing of the vehicle body data again when the communication status is restored after the transmission interruption processing and the communication speed becomes greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr. The buffer processing is a processing for storing the vehicle body data in the buffer 116 and sending the vehicle body data stored in the buffer 116 to the management device 105 when the communication speed becomes greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr.

[0061] The data reduction transmission process is a process of deleting a part of the vehicle body data. In the present embodiment, the data reduction transmission process regularly thins out the vehicle body data at a predetermined time interval and then transmits it. For example, in the transmission process in which the remote service processing unit 134 follows the normal transmission processing method, the acquired vehicle body data is transmitted to the management device 105 through the data transmission / reception unit 133 at a prescribed time interval T0. When the remote service processing unit 134 executes the data reduction transmission process, the acquired vehicle body data is transmitted to the management device 105 through the data transmission / reception unit 133 at a time interval T1 longer than the prescribed time interval T0 (for example, a time interval T1 twice as long as the prescribed time interval T0).

[0062] In the selection condition table 303, a plurality of selection conditions (first to fifth selection conditions) used in the selection of a plurality of processing methods defined in the processing profile 302 are defined. The first to fifth selection conditions are each composed of a combination of a plurality of conditions (validity / invalidity condition, data transmission allowance condition, and data storage allowance time condition).

[0063] The validity / invalidity condition is one of the conditions used in the determination of whether or not to execute the processing method defined in the processing profile 302. The validity / invalidity condition is set for each of the plurality of selection conditions. In the validity / invalidity condition, a valid flag (flag F = 1) or an invalid flag (flag F = 0) is set. The validity / invalidity condition is updated based on information from the management device 105.

[0064] The data transmission allowance condition is one of the conditions used in the determination of whether or not to execute the processing method defined in the processing profile 302 by comparing with the communication speed of the first communication network 109 measured by the communication performance management unit 136 (in the present embodiment, the transmission speed, that is, the amount of data transmitted per unit time from the communication terminal 127 to the management device 105 via the first communication network 109) Tsm.

[0065] The data storage allowance time condition is one of the conditions used in the determination of whether or not to execute the processing method defined in the processing profile 302 by comparing with the data storage time Ta. The processing method determination unit 135 calculates the data storage time Ta based on the communication speed Tsm of the first communication network 109 measured by the communication performance management unit 136 and the amount of data stored in the buffer 116 (hereinafter referred to as the data storage amount) Da. The data storage time Ta is obtained by dividing the data storage amount Da by the communication speed Tsm (Ta = Da / Tsm).

[0066] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing the data storage amount table 500 stored in the non-volatile memory 112. As Figure 5As shown, the data storage amount table 500 is a data table that stores the data storage amount Da associated with the state of the work machine 101. In the present embodiment, the data storage amount Da in the standby state S401 and the stop state S402 is 500 [MByte]. In addition, the data storage amount Da in the traveling state S403 is 100 [MByte], and the data storage amount Da in the work state S404 is 10 [MByte].

[0067] Compared with the communication of the data required for the execution of the remote service, the control device 10 of the work machine 101 preferentially executes the communication of the data required for the control of the actuators of the work device 4, the rotating body 3, and the traveling body 2. Among the four states (S401 to S404) of the work machine 101, the data communication volume via the second communication network 107 is the largest in the work state S404. Among the four states (S401 to S404) of the work machine 101, the data communication volume via the second communication network 107 is the smallest in the standby state S401 and the stop state S402. The data communication volume via the second communication network 107 in the traveling state S403 is larger than that in the standby state S401 and the stop state S402, and smaller than that in the work state S404.

[0068] In the present embodiment, the data storage amount Da when the state of the work machine 101 is the work state S404 is smaller than the data storage amount Da when the state of the work machine 101 is the traveling state S403. In addition, the data storage amount Da when the state of the work machine 101 is the traveling state S403 is smaller than the data storage amount Da when the state of the work machine 101 is the standby state S401 and the stop state S402. That is, the data storage amount Da when the state of the work machine 101 is the operating state (work state S404 and traveling state S403) is smaller than the data storage amount Da when the state of the work machine 101 is not the operating state.

[0069] As described above, the data storage amount Da is used in the calculation of the data storage time Ta. As will be described later, the larger the data storage amount Da, the longer the data storage time Ta, and thus the buffer processing is easier to execute. In addition, in the case of executing the buffer processing, the smaller the data storage amount Da, the shorter the time for executing the buffer processing. Therefore, the situation of executing the buffer processing in the work state S404 and the traveling state S403 can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to suppress the data communication required for the control of the work device 4, the rotating body 3, and the traveling body 2 via the second communication network 107 in the work state S404 and the traveling state S403 from being hindered by the buffer processing.

[0070] As Figure 4As shown, the first selection condition holds when the valid flag is set, the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to 1 [Mbps] and less than 5 [Mbps], and the data storage time Ta is greater than or equal to the data storage allowable time Ta0 (Ta0 = 1 [min]). The first selection condition does not hold when the invalid flag is set, when the communication speed Tsm is not greater than or equal to 1 [Mbps] and less than 5 [Mbps], or when the data storage time Ta is less than the data storage allowable time Ta0 (Ta0 = 1 [min]).

[0071] The second selection condition holds when the valid flag is set, the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to 1 [Mbps] and less than 5 [Mbps], and the data storage time Ta is less than the data storage allowable time Ta0 (Ta0 = 1 [min]). The second selection condition does not hold when the invalid flag is set, when the communication speed Tsm is not greater than or equal to 1 [Mbps] and less than 5 [Mbps], or when the data storage time Ta is greater than or equal to the data storage allowable time Ta0 (Ta0 = 1 [min]).

[0072] The third selection condition holds when the valid flag is set, the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to 500 [kbps] and less than 1 [Mbps], and the data storage time Ta is greater than or equal to the data storage allowable time Ta0 (Ta0 = 1 [min]). The third selection condition does not hold when the invalid flag is set, when the communication speed Tsm is not greater than or equal to 500 [kbps] and less than 1 [Mbps], or when the data storage time Ta is less than the data storage allowable time Ta0 (Ta0 = 1 [min]).

[0073] The fourth selection condition holds when the valid flag is set, the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to 500 [kbps] and less than 1 [Mbps], and the data storage time Ta is less than the data storage allowable time Ta0 (Ta0 = 1 [min]). The fourth selection condition does not hold when the invalid flag is set, when the communication speed Tsm is not greater than or equal to 500 [kbps] and less than 1 [Mbps], or when the data storage time Ta is greater than or equal to the data storage allowable time Ta0 (Ta0 = 1 [min]).

[0074] The fifth selection condition holds when the valid flag is set and the communication speed Tsm is less than 500 [kbps]. The fifth selection condition does not hold when the invalid flag is set or when the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to 500 [kbps].

[0075] Figure 2The processing method determination unit 135 shown determines the processing method based on whether the first to fifth selection conditions are satisfied. When the first selection condition is satisfied, the processing method determination unit 135 selects the first processing method; when the second selection condition is satisfied, it selects the second processing method; when the third selection condition is satisfied, it selects the third processing method; when the fourth selection condition is satisfied, it selects the fourth processing method; and when the fifth selection condition is satisfied, it selects the fourth processing method. When none of the first to fifth selection conditions are satisfied, the processing method determination unit 135 selects a normal processing method, that is, a processing method in which none of the transmission interruption processing, retry request processing, buffering processing, and data reduction transmission processing is performed.

[0076] Refer to Figure 4 , and explain the processing content details 304. As Figure 4 shown, the processing content details 304 have buffer association data 345 associated with the buffering processing and data reduction association data 346 associated with the data reduction transmission processing. The buffer association data 345 contains a buffer object table 341 and a buffer amount table 342, and the data reduction association data 346 contains a data reduction object table 343 and a data reduction amount table 344. The buffer object table 341 defines information for determining the data that becomes the object of the buffering processing when the buffering processing is executed. The buffer amount table 342 defines the buffer amount of the data that becomes the object of the buffering processing when the buffering processing is executed, that is, the amount of data stored in the buffer 116 per unit time. The data reduction object table 343 defines information for determining the data that becomes the object of the data reduction transmission processing when the data reduction transmission processing is executed. The data reduction amount table 344 defines the data reduction amount of the data that becomes the object of the data reduction transmission processing, that is, the amount of data reduction per unit time.

[0077] The buffer association data 345 and the data reduction association data 346 are stored in association with the first to fourth processing methods. When the first processing method is selected by the processing method determination unit 135, the remote service processing unit 134 refers to the processing content details 304, sets "DataNo.xx" as the object of the buffering processing, and sets the buffer amount to 300 [kbps]. When the first processing method is selected by the processing method determination unit 135, the remote service processing unit 134 refers to the processing content details 304, sets "Data No.yy" as the object of the data reduction transmission processing, and sets the data reduction amount to 200 [kbps].

[0078] When the remote service processing unit 134 selects the second processing method by the processing method determination unit 135, referring to the processing content details 304, it sets "Data No.yy" as the object of data reduction transmission processing and sets the data reduction amount to 500 [kbps]. When the remote service processing unit 134 selects the third processing method by the processing method determination unit 135, referring to the processing content details 304, it sets "Data No.xx" as the object of buffering processing and sets the buffering amount to 500 [kbps].

[0079] Part of the data of the remote service request information 300 can be changed by operating the input device 161. For example, the input device 161 can set the valid flag and invalid flag of the valid / invalid condition of the remote service request information 300. In addition, the input device 161 can select the object of buffering processing and data reduction transmission processing of the processing content details 304.

[0080] As described above, when the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to the predetermined required speed Tsr, the information control unit 100 of the present embodiment performs the transmission processing in accordance with the normal transmission processing method. On the other hand, when the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr, the information control unit 100 restricts the function of the transmission processing in accordance with the processing method defined in the remote service request information 300. Regarding the information control unit 100, the lower the communication speed Tsm, the greater the restriction on the function of the transmission processing. When the state of the work machine 101 is the operating state, the restriction on the function of the transmission processing is greater than when it is not in the operating state.

[0081] Specifically, when the lower limit value of the data transmission allowance condition of the first selection condition and the second selection condition is set as the allowance speed Tsa, the information control unit 100 is when the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr and greater than or equal to the predetermined allowance speed Tsa ( Figure 4In the case where the example shown is 1 [Mbps], in accordance with the first processing method or the second processing method, a data reduction transmission process of regularly dividing the data and then transmitting it is performed. When the communication speed Tsm is less than the allowable speed Tsa, the information control unit 100 performs a transmission interruption process of interrupting data transmission in accordance with the third processing method or the fourth processing method. In this way, compared with the amount of data transmitted per unit time to the management device 105 when the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to the allowable speed Tsa, the information control unit 100 reduces the amount of data transmitted per unit time to the management device 105 when the communication speed Tsm is less than the allowable speed Tsa. That is, compared with the restriction on the transmission function when the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to the allowable speed Tsa, the control device 10 increases the restriction on the transmission function when the communication speed Tsm is less than the allowable speed Tsa.

[0082] In addition, the information control unit 100 increases the data reduction amount in the data reduction transmission process executed when the state of the working machine 101 is the operating state compared with the data reduction amount in the data reduction transmission process executed when the state of the working machine 101 is not the operating state, and in the case where the state of the working machine is the operating state, increases the restriction on the function of the transmission process compared with the case where it is not the operating state. For example, when the communication speed Tsm is 2 [Mbps] and the state of the working machine 101 is not the operating state, the data storage time Ta becomes greater than or equal to the data storage allowable time Ta0 (Ta0 = 1 [min]). Therefore, the information control unit 100 performs the data reduction transmission process in such a way that the data reduction amount of "Data No.yy" becomes 200 [kbps] in accordance with the first processing method. In contrast, when the communication speed Tsm is 2 [Mbps] and the state of the working machine 101 is the operating state, the data storage time Ta becomes less than the data storage allowable time Ta0 (Ta0 = 1 [min]). Therefore, the information control unit 100 performs the data reduction transmission process in such a way that the data reduction amount of "Data No.yy" becomes 500 [kbps] in accordance with the second processing method. In this way, when the state of the working machine 101 is the operating state, the information control unit 100 reduces the amount of data transmitted per unit time of the specified vehicle body data to the management device 105 compared with the case where it is not the operating state. That is, when the state of the working machine 101 is the operating state, the information control unit 100 increases the restriction on the function of the transmission process compared with the case where it is not the operating state.

[0083] When the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr and the data storage time Ta is greater than or equal to a pre-determined allowable data storage time Ta0, the information control unit 100 performs buffering processing to store the vehicle body data (Data No.xx) in the buffer 116, and when the communication speed Tsm becomes greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr, the data (Data No.xx) stored in the buffer 116 is sent to the management device 105. As described above, the data storage amount Da when the state of the construction machine 101 is the operating state is smaller than the data storage amount Da when the state of the construction machine 101 is not the operating state (refer to Figure 5 ). Therefore, the frequency of performing the buffering processing can be reduced when the state of the construction machine 101 is the operating state.

[0084] For example, when the information control unit 100 executes the sending processing in accordance with the first processing method, it performs buffering processing. In the buffering processing, before the communication status is restored, the sending of the vehicle body data that is the object of the buffering processing is not performed, and after the communication status is restored, the vehicle body data stored in the buffer 116 is sent. In contrast, when the information control unit 100 executes the sending processing in accordance with the second processing method, it does not perform buffering processing. Therefore, the total amount of data sent from the information control unit 100 to the management device 105 is smaller when the second processing method is selected than when the first processing method is selected. In this way, the information control unit 100 increases the restriction on the function of the sending processing when the state of the construction machine 101 is the operating state compared to when it is not the operating state. In addition, it can also be said that the information control unit 100 restricts the function of the buffering processing by reducing the amount of data stored in the buffer 116 when the state of the construction machine 101 is the operating state compared to when it is not the operating state. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the data communication required for the operation control of the working device 4, the rotating body 3, and the traveling body 2 of the construction machine 101 from being hindered by the buffering processing, and thus the construction machine 101 can operate properly.

[0085] The information control unit 100 increases the buffer amount (500 [kbps]) in the buffering processing performed together with the transmission interruption processing compared to the buffer amount (300 [kbps]) in the buffering processing performed together with the data reduction transmission processing. Thereby, it is possible to increase the amount of data to be sent when the communication status is restored after the transmission interruption processing and the buffering processing are executed due to the deterioration of the communication status.

[0086] Refer to Figure 6 , and describe the content of the sending processing performed by the information control unit 100. Figure 6The processing of the flowchart shown starts after the ignition key of the work machine 101 is turned on and the communication terminal 127 can perform wireless communication with the management device 105 via the first communication network 109.

[0087] As Figure 6 shown, in step S101, if the information control unit 100 receives an execution instruction for a remote service (including remote service requirement information 300) from the management device 105, it proceeds to step S105. In step S105, the information control unit 100 measures the communication speed Tsm of the first communication network 109 and proceeds to step S110.

[0088] In step S110, the information control unit 100 determines whether the communication speed Tsm of the first communication network 109 measured in step S105 is greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr. In step S110, if it is determined that the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr, it proceeds to step S113; if it is determined that the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr, it proceeds to step S125.

[0089] In step S113, the information control unit 100 selects a normal processing method and proceeds to step S115.

[0090] In step S115, the information control unit 100 executes the transmission process of sending vehicle body data in accordance with the currently selected processing method and proceeds to step S120. That is, the information control unit 100 executes the remote service (remote monitoring) in accordance with the currently selected processing method.

[0091] In step S120, the information control unit 100 determines whether the processing required for the remote service is completed. In step S120, if it is determined that the processing required for the remote service is completed, the processing shown in the Figure 6 flowchart ends. For example, when the information control unit 100 receives an end instruction for the remote service from the management device 105, it determines that the processing required for the remote service is completed. In addition, when the end time of the remote service is entered in the remote service requirement information 300, when the current time reaches the end time, it determines that the processing required for the remote service is completed. In step S120, if it is determined that the processing required for the remote service is not completed, the information control unit 100 continues to execute the remote service until a specified time has elapsed (i.e., repeatedly executes the transmission process of vehicle body data), and after the specified time has elapsed, it returns to step S105.

[0092] In step S110, if it is determined that the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr, then step S125 is entered to perform the selection process of the processing method. In the selection process of the processing method (step S125), the information control unit 100 determines whether any one of the multiple selection conditions defined in the remote service request information 300 holds based on the communication speed Tsm of the first communication network 109 and the state of the work machine 101, and selects the processing method of the remote service (i.e., the processing method of the vehicle body data transmission process) based on the determination result.

[0093] The information control unit 100 determines whether each of the first to fifth selection conditions holds. If it is determined that the first selection condition holds, the information control unit 100 selects the first processing method. If it is determined that the second selection condition holds, the information control unit 100 selects the second processing method. If it is determined that the third selection condition holds, the information control unit 100 selects the third processing method. If it is determined that the fourth selection condition holds, the information control unit 100 selects the fourth processing method. If it is determined that the fifth selection condition holds, the information control unit 100 selects the fourth processing method.

[0094] In addition, if the information control unit 100 determines that none of the first to fifth selection conditions holds, it selects the normal processing method. When the selection process of the processing method (step S125) is completed, step S130 is entered.

[0095] In step S130, the information control unit 1 communicates the information related to the processing method selected in step S125 to the management device 105 and enters step S135. If the management device 105 receives the information related to the processing method selected in the work machine 101, it causes an image representing the processing method selected in the work machine 101 to be displayed on the display screen 166 of the display device 165.

[0096] In step S135, the information control unit 100 determines whether the processing method selected in step S125 includes the transmission interruption process. If it is determined that the processing method selected in step S125 does not include the transmission interruption process, step S115 is entered. In step S115, the information control unit 100 executes the vehicle body data transmission process in accordance with the processing method selected in step S125. If it is determined that the processing method selected in step S125 includes the transmission interruption process, step S140 is entered.

[0097] In step S140, the information control unit 100 sends information indicating the execution of the transmission interruption process to the management device 105, and proceeds to step S145. If the management device 105 receives information indicating the execution of the transmission interruption process from the construction machine 101, it causes an image indicating the execution of the transmission interruption process in the construction machine 101 to be displayed on the display screen 166 of the display device 165.

[0098] In step S145, the information control unit 100 executes the transmission interruption process and proceeds to step S150. In step S150, the information control unit 100 determines whether the processing method selected in step S125 includes buffering processing. In step S150, if it is determined that the selected processing method includes buffering processing, it proceeds to step S153; if it is determined that the selected processing method does not include buffering processing, it proceeds to step S170.

[0099] In step S153, the information control unit 100 starts saving the vehicle body data "Data No.yy" to the buffer 116 and proceeds to step S155.

[0100] In step S155, the information control unit 100 measures the communication speed Tsm of the first communication network 109 and proceeds to step S160. In step S160, the information control unit 100 determines whether the communication speed Tsm of the first communication network 109 measured in step S155 is greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr. In step S160, if it is determined that the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr, it proceeds to step S165; if it is determined that the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr, it proceeds to step S155.

[0101] In step S165, the information control unit 100 ends saving the vehicle body data "Data No.yy" to the buffer 116, sends the vehicle body data "Data No.yy" saved in the buffer 116 to the management device 105, and proceeds to step S113.

[0102] In addition, although not shown in the figure, when the first processing method is selected in step S125, in step S115, the same processing as steps S150 and S153 is executed. Moreover, if it is determined in step S120 that the processing required for the remote service has not been completed, the information control unit 100 continues to execute the remote service in accordance with the first processing method until a predetermined time has elapsed, and after the predetermined time has elapsed, it returns to step S105. If the communication speed Tsm measured in step S105 is greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr, after executing the same processing as step S165 in step S113, the normal processing method is selected and it proceeds to step S115.

[0103] In step S170, the information control unit 100 measures the communication speed Tsm of the first communication network 109 and proceeds to step S175. In step S175, the information control unit 100 determines whether the communication speed Tsm of the first communication network 109 measured in step S170 is greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr. In step S175, if it is determined that the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr, the process proceeds to step S180; if it is determined that the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr, the process returns to step S170.

[0104] In step S180, the information control unit 100 sends a retry request to the management device 105 and ends the Figure 6 processing shown in the flowchart. If the management device 105 receives the retry request, it causes an image indicating that the retry request has been received to be displayed on the display screen 166 of the display device 165. If the manager operates the input device 161 and a restart instruction (an execution instruction for remote monitoring) including the remote service request information 300 is sent from the management device 105, the information control unit 100 receives the remote service request information 300 (step S101) and restarts the remote service (remote monitoring).

[0105] An example of the operation of the management system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Figure 7A and Figure 7B is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display screen 166 of the display device 165. Figure 7A An example in which the boom cylinder pressure is displayed as vehicle body data is shown, Figure 7B An example in which a communication log is displayed is shown. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display screen 126 of the in-vehicle display input device 125.

[0106] If the remote service application installed in the management device 105 is executed, as Figure 7A shown, the remote service selection area 601 is displayed on the display screen 166 of the display device 165. The remote service selection area 601 has: a remote service selection area 611 for selecting one from a plurality of remote services (remote monitoring, remote operation, calibration, guidance, etc.); a function selection area 612 for selecting one function from a plurality of functions respectively set for the plurality of remote services; an execution button 613 for executing the selected remote service; and an end button 614 for ending the remote service being executed.

[0107] The manager operates the input device 161 and selects remote monitoring from among the multiple remote services in the remote service selection area 601. As a result, the function selection area 612 is displayed and one of functions A and B for remote monitoring can be selected. The manager selects function A from the multiple functions in the function selection area 612 through the input device 161, and sends an execution instruction for remote monitoring from the management device 105 by operating the execution button 613.

[0108] The management device 105 sends the remote service request information 300 stored in the non-volatile memory 152 to the information control unit 100 of the work machine 101. When the information control unit 100 receives the remote service request information 300, it starts measuring the communication speed Tsm of the first communication network 109, and selects a processing method based on the remote service request information 300, the measured communication speed Tsm, and the operating state of the work machine 101.

[0109] When the communication condition is good and the communication speed Tsm is greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr, the information control unit 100 sends the vehicle body data in accordance with the normal transmission processing method. After the vehicle body data is sent from the information control unit 100 to the management device 105, the management device 105 causes a vehicle body data image 621 representing the vehicle body data to be displayed in a vehicle body data display area 602 on the display screen 166 of the display device 165. The vehicle body data image 621 has a type display area 621a for displaying the type of the vehicle body data (in the illustrated example, the boom cylinder pressure), and a line graph 621b showing the temporal change of the vehicle body data.

[0110] In the vehicle body data display area 602, a type selection area 622 for selecting the vehicle body data to be displayed and a communication log button 623 for displaying the communication log are displayed. The manager can select, through the operation of the input device 161, the vehicle body data to be displayed on the display screen 166 of the display device 165 from the multiple vehicle body data in the type selection area 622. When the manager operates the communication log button 623 through the input device 161, as Figure 7B shown, a communication log display area 603 is displayed on the display screen 166.

[0111] If the communication condition of the communication antenna of the work machine 101 deteriorates due to a change in weather conditions such as thick clouds covering the sky above the work machine 101 and the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr, the transmission function of the vehicle body data from the information control unit 100 to the management device 105 is restricted. In addition, it is assumed that all the valid / invalid conditions for the first to fifth processing methods are set to valid, and specific examples will be described below.

[0112] If the communication speed Tsm drops to 2 [Mbps], then as Figure 4As shown, the first or second processing method is selected, and data reduction transmission processing is performed to transmit the data after thinning out the vehicle body data. That is, a restriction is imposed on the transmission function. Here, when the state of the work machine 101 is the standby state or the stop state, the data storage amount Da is 500 [MByte] (refer to Figure 5 ), so the data storage time Ta becomes 250 [s]. Therefore, the information control unit 100 selects the first processing method, performs data reduction transmission processing to transmit the data after thinning out the vehicle body data such that the data reduction amount becomes 200 [kbps], and performs buffering processing to temporarily store the vehicle body data in the buffer 116 such that the buffer amount becomes 300 [kbps].

[0113] When the state of the work machine 101 is the traveling state, the data storage amount Da is 100 [MByte] (refer to Figure 5 ), so the data storage time Ta becomes 50 s. Therefore, the information control unit 100 selects the second processing method and performs data reduction transmission processing to transmit the data after thinning out the vehicle body data such that the data reduction amount becomes 500 [kbps]. In addition, when the state of the work machine 101 is the working state, the data storage amount Da is 10 [MByte] (refer to Figure 5 ), so the data storage time Ta becomes 5 [s]. Therefore, the information control unit 100 selects the second processing method and performs data reduction transmission processing to transmit the data after thinning out the vehicle body data such that the data reduction amount becomes 500 [kbps].

[0114] In this way, in the present embodiment, when the state of the work machine 101 is the operating state (traveling state, working state), compared with the case where it is not in the operating state (standby state, stop state), the data reduction amount is larger and the restriction on the function of the transmission processing is increased. After the first processing method is selected and the buffering processing is performed, if the communication status is restored and the communication speed Tsm becomes greater than or equal to the required speed Tr (5 [Mbps]), the vehicle body data stored in the buffer 116 is transmitted to the management device 105, and then the transmission processing is performed in the normal processing method.

[0115] If the communication status of the communication antenna of the work machine 101 deteriorates and the communication speed drops to 500 [kbps], the third or fourth processing method is selected and the transmission processing of the vehicle body data is interrupted. The information control unit 100 transmits notification information indicating the main idea of performing the transmission interruption processing to the management device 105 before performing the transmission interruption processing. If the management device 105 receives the notification information of the transmission interruption processing, then as Figure 7BAs shown, an image (transmission interruption notification image) 631 representing notification information is displayed in a communication log display area 603 of a display screen 166 of a display device 165. In the present embodiment, the transmission interruption notification image 631 includes information on a notification time, a communication speed, and a processing method, as well as a message for notifying that a remote service function has been interrupted and a message urging standby until notified of a retry.

[0116] When the state of the work machine 101 is a standby state or a stop state, the data storage amount Da is 500 [MByte] (refer to Figure 5 ), so the data storage time Ta becomes 1000 [s]. Therefore, as Figure 4 shown, the information control unit 100 selects a third processing method and performs a buffering process of temporarily storing vehicle body data in a buffer 116 such that the buffer amount becomes 500 [kbps]. When the state of the work machine 101 is a traveling state, the data storage amount Da is 100 [MByte] (refer to Figure 5 ), so the data storage time Ta becomes 200 [s]. Therefore, the information control unit 100 selects a third processing method and performs a buffering process of temporarily storing vehicle body data in a buffer 116 such that the buffer amount becomes 500 [kbps].

[0117] After the third processing method is selected and the buffering process is executed, if the communication status is restored and the communication speed Tsm becomes greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr (5 [Mbps]), the vehicle body data stored in the buffer 116 is sent to the management device 105.

[0118] In contrast, when the state of the work machine 101 is a working state, the data storage amount Da is 10 [MByte] (refer to Figure 5 ), so the data storage time Ta becomes 20 [s]. Therefore, the information control unit 100 selects a fourth processing method and performs a transmission interruption process without performing a buffering process. After the fourth processing method is selected and the transmission interruption process is executed, if the communication status is restored and the communication speed Tsm becomes greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr (5 [Mbps]), the information control unit 100 sends a retry request to the management device 105.

[0119] When the management device 105 receives a retry request, as Figure 7BAs shown, an image indicating a retry request (retry notification image) 632 is displayed in a communication log display area 603 of a display screen 166 of a display device 165. In the present embodiment, the retry notification image 632 includes information on a notification time, a communication speed, a processing method before communication status recovery, and a message for notifying that a retry is possible. If a manager operates an execution button 613 for a remote service via an input device 161, a remote service restart instruction (including remote service request information 300) is sent to an information control unit 100. As a result, the remote service restarts.

[0120] In addition, as Figure 8 shown, on a display screen 126 of an in-vehicle display input device 125, a service content display area 701 for displaying information indicating the type of a remote service and a communication log display area 702 are displayed. A transmission interruption notification image 731 and a retry notification image 732 are displayed in the communication log display area 702. In the present embodiment, in the transmission interruption notification image 731, similar to the transmission interruption notification image 631, it includes information on a notification time, a communication speed, and a processing method, and a message for notifying that the remote service function has been interrupted, and further includes a message indicating that the interruption of the remote service function has been notified to a management device 105. Additionally, in the retry notification image 732, similar to the retry notification image 632, it includes information on a notification time, a communication speed, a processing method before communication status recovery, and a message for notifying that a retry is possible, and further includes a message indicating that a retry request has been sent to the management device 105. Thus, an operator of a work machine 101 can know what kind of remote service is currently being executed, changes in communication status, and the content of function restrictions of the remote service due to changes in communication status (currently set processing method).

[0121] According to the above-described embodiment, the following operational effects are achieved.

[0122] (1) A work machine 101 includes: a machine body 5; a work device 4 mounted on the machine body 5; and a control device 10 that performs a transmission process of transmitting vehicle body data to a management device (external device) 105 provided outside the machine body 5. The control device 10 measures a communication speed Tsm with the management device 105, and when the communication speed Tsm is less than a predetermined required speed Tsr, restricts the function of the transmission process. The lower the communication speed Tsm, the greater the restriction on the function of the transmission process. When the state of the work machine 101 is an operating state, the restriction on the function of the transmission process is greater than when it is not in an operating state.

[0123] In the present embodiment, when the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr and greater than or equal to a pre-determined allowable speed Tsa, the control device 10 performs a data reduction transmission process of dividing and then transmitting the vehicle body data. When the communication speed Tsm is less than the allowable speed Tsa, the control device 10 performs a transmission interruption process of interrupting the transmission of the vehicle body data. Thus, the lower the communication speed Tsm, the greater the restriction on the function of the transmission process.

[0124] In the present embodiment, the control device 10 makes the data reduction amount in the data reduction transmission process performed when the state of the work machine 101 is the operating state larger than the data reduction amount in the data reduction transmission process performed when the state of the work machine 101 is not the operating state. Thus, when the state of the work machine is the operating state, the restriction on the function of the transmission process is increased compared to the case where the state is not the operating state.

[0125] In this way, in the present embodiment, the function of the transmission process is restricted with a degree of restriction corresponding to the communication status and the state of the work machine 101. Therefore, for example, it is prevented that the transmission process continues with the normal processing method when the state of the work machine 101 is the operating state in a state of poor communication, or when the communication status is very poor. If the transmission process of the vehicle body data continues with the normal processing method when the state of the work machine 101 is the operating state in a state of poor communication, or when the communication status is very poor, etc., defects of the vehicle body data may occur, and the transmitted vehicle body data may become unstable, etc., and there is a risk that the vehicle body data cannot be properly transmitted to the management device 105. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, as described above, the function of the transmission process is restricted with a degree of restriction corresponding to the communication status and the state of the work machine 101. Therefore, the information of the work machine 101 can be properly transmitted to the management device 105. In addition, in the data reduction transmission process, the vehicle body data is regularly divided and then transmitted in accordance with a pre-determined processing method. That is, the information control unit 100 of the present embodiment can stably transmit the vehicle body data to the management device 105 in the data reduction transmission process. Therefore, the manager can continue to monitor the work machine 101.

[0126] (2) The control device 10 calculates the data storage time Ta based on the communication speed Tsm and the data storage amount Da associated with the state of the construction machine 101. When the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr and the data storage time Ta is greater than or equal to a pre-determined data storage allowable time Ta0, the control device 10 performs buffer processing to store the vehicle body data in the buffer 116, and when the communication speed Tsm becomes greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr, the data stored in the buffer 116 is sent to the management device 105. The data storage amount Da when the state of the construction machine 101 is in the operating state is smaller than the data storage amount Da when the state of the construction machine 101 is not in the operating state.

[0127] Thereby, the transmission amount of the vehicle body data when the communication condition deteriorates can be reduced. In addition, when the communication condition is restored, the data stored in the buffer 116 is sent to the management device 105, so that the vehicle body data when the communication condition deteriorates can be properly displayed on the display screen 166 of the display device 165. Since the data storage amount Da when the state of the construction machine 101 is in the operating state is smaller than the data storage amount Da when the state of the construction machine 101 is not in the operating state, the frequency of performing buffer processing when the state of the construction machine 101 is in the operating state can be reduced. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the data communication required for the motion control of the working device 4, the rotating body 3, and the traveling body 2 of the construction machine 101 from being hindered by the buffer processing, so that the construction machine 101 can operate properly.

[0128] (3) The control device 10 makes the buffer amount (500 [kbps]) in the buffer processing executed together with the transmission interruption processing larger than the buffer amount (300 [kbps]) in the buffer processing executed together with the data reduction transmission processing (refer to Figure 4 ). Thereby, after the communication condition deteriorates and the transmission interruption processing and the buffer processing are executed, when the communication condition is restored, the amount of data to be transmitted can be increased.

[0129] (4) The operating state does not include the standby state in which the engine (power source) 19 of the construction machine 101 stops, and the stop state in which the traveling body 2 and the working device 4 stop while the engine (power source) 19 of the construction machine 101 is operating, and includes the traveling state in which the traveling body 2 is operating and the working state in which the working device 4 is operating. The data storage amount Da when the state of the construction machine 101 is in the working state is smaller than the data storage amount Da when the state of the construction machine 101 is in the traveling state (refer to Figure 5)。As a result, it is possible to effectively suppress the buffering process from interfering with the data communication required for the operation control of the operation device 4 and the rotating body 3 of the work machine 101, and thus properly perform the work carried out by the work machine 101. In addition, the data communication required for the operation control of the traveling body 2 of the work machine 101 is smaller than during the operation state. Therefore, by making the frequency of executing the buffering process during the traveling state greater than the frequency of executing the buffering process during the operation state, it is possible to increase the amount of data to be transmitted when the communication condition recovers after the buffering process is executed.

[0130] (5) When the communication speed Tsm becomes greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr after the transmission interruption process is executed by the control device 10, a retry request for restarting the required transmission process is sent to the management device 105. In the case of deteriorating communication conditions, it is possible to interrupt the transmission of vehicle body data as early as possible, and in the case of the communication condition recovering, it is possible to restart the transmission of vehicle body data properly as early as possible.

[0131] (6) The control device 10 acquires the required speed Tsr, a processing profile 302 that defines a plurality of processing methods, and a plurality of selection conditions used in the selection of the plurality of processing methods defined in the processing profile 302 from the management device 105. When the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr, the control device 10 determines whether the plurality of selection conditions are satisfied, and selects a processing method based on the determination result. The control device 10 executes the transmission process in accordance with the selected processing method.

[0132] In the present embodiment, a plurality of processing methods composed of combinations of data reduction transmission processing, buffering processing, transmission interruption processing, and retry request processing are defined in the processing profile 302. In the data reduction transmission processing, the vehicle body data is divided and then transmitted; in the buffering processing, the vehicle body data is stored in the buffer 116 and the vehicle body data stored in the buffer 116 is transmitted to the management device 105 when the communication speed Tsm becomes greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr; in the transmission interruption processing, the transmission of the vehicle body data is interrupted; in the retry request processing, a retry request for restarting the required transmission process is sent to the management device 105 when the communication speed Tsm becomes greater than or equal to the required speed Tsr after the transmission interruption process is executed.

[0133] The control device 10 acquires data reduction association data 346 associated with the data reduction transmission processing and buffer association data 345 associated with the buffering processing from the management device 105. Information for determining the data that is the object of the data reduction transmission processing and the data reduction amount in the data reduction transmission processing are defined in the data reduction association data 346 (see Figure 4)。 Information for identifying data to be buffered and the buffer size during buffering are defined in the buffered associated data 345 (see Figure 4 ).

[0134] Thus, it is easy to update the required speed Tsr, the processing method defined in the processing profile 302, and multiple selection conditions, etc. As a result, when the communication condition deteriorates, the control device 10 can transmit the vehicle body data in accordance with the processing method required by the manager.

[0135] The following modification examples are also within the scope of the present invention. The structures shown in the modification examples can also be combined with the structures described in the above embodiments, or the structures described in the following different modification examples can be combined with each other.

[0136] <Modification Example 1>

[0137] In the above embodiment, an example in which the remote service request information 300 is transmitted from the management device 105 to the construction machine 101 and stored in the non-volatile memory 112 of the construction machine 101 is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The remote service request information 300 may also be pre-stored in the non-volatile memory 112 of the construction machine 101.

[0138] <Modification Example 2>

[0139] In the above embodiment, an example in which the control device 10 calculates the data storage time Ta based on the communication speed Tsm and the data storage amount Da associated with the state of the construction machine 101, and performs buffering when the communication speed Tsm is less than the required speed Tsr and the data storage time Ta is greater than or equal to a pre-determined data storage allowable time Ta0 is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As Figure 9As shown, the status conditions of the work machine 101 can also be defined in the selected condition table 303B. In the selected condition table 303B, the first and third selected conditions include that the status of the work machine 101 is not the operating status, and the second and fourth selected conditions include that the status of the work machine 101 is the operating status. Thus, for example, when the communication speed Tsm is 2 [Mbps] and the valid / invalid condition is set with a valid flag, the first processing method is selected when the status of the work machine 101 is not the operating status, and the second processing method is selected when the status of the work machine 101 is the operating status. Additionally, for example, when the communication speed Tsm is 1 [Mbps] and the valid / invalid condition is set with a valid flag, the third processing method is selected when the status of the work machine 101 is not the operating status, and the fourth processing method is selected when the status of the work machine 101 is the operating status. Thereby, it is prevented that the data communication required for the motion control of the working device 4, the rotating body 3, and the traveling body 2 of the work machine 101 is obstructed by the buffering process, and thus the work machine 101 can operate properly.

[0140] <Modified Example 3>

[0141] In the above embodiment, an example where the remote service is remote monitoring has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The remote service only needs to be a service that at least executes a transmission process of sending vehicle body data from the work machine 101 to the management device 105, such as remote operation, calibration (parameter adjustment), etc.

[0142] Figure 10 It is a diagram showing the management system 1 of this modified example 3. As Figure 10 shown, the management device 105 includes a remote operation device 360 connected to the management server 150. In addition, the remote operation device 360 can also exchange information with the management server 150 via the first communication network 109. The remote operation device 360 includes a display device 365 that displays the vehicle body data (including image data) sent from the work machine 101 on the display screen, and an operation device 361 that outputs operation instructions for the working device 4, the traveling body 2, and the rotating body 3.

[0143] The work machine 101 includes a plurality of imaging devices 329 connected to the second communication network 107. The imaging device 329 is, for example, a wide-angle camera equipped with an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS with excellent durability and weather resistance, and a wide-angle lens. The plurality of imaging devices 329 are mounted on the rotating body 3 and respectively image the front, rear, left, and right of the rotating body 3. The information control unit 100 transmits the image data captured by the imaging device 329 (hereinafter also referred to as captured image data) to the management device 105 as vehicle body data via the first communication network 109. The management device 105 outputs the received captured image data to the display device 365. The display device 365 displays the input captured image data on the display screen.

[0144] In the management server 150 of the management device 105, an instruction for remotely operating the work machine 101 (hereinafter referred to as a remote control instruction) is input from the operation device 361. The management device 105 transmits the input remote control instruction to the information control unit 100 via the first communication network 109. If the information control unit 100 receives a remote control instruction from the management device 105 via the first communication network 109, it outputs the remote control instruction to the operation control unit 122 via the second communication network 107. The operation control unit 122 controls the operations of the working device 4, the traveling body 2, and the rotating body 3 based on the remote control instruction input from the information control unit 100 via the second communication network 107.

[0145] In this modification, if the communication condition deteriorates and the communication speed Tsm becomes, for example, 2 [Mbps], the frame rate of the image data captured by the imaging device 329 is reduced, that is, the captured image data as vehicle body data is regularly thinned out at a predetermined time interval and then transmitted to the management device 105. Thereby, the remote control of the work machine 101 can be continued, and thus an increase in the non-operation time of the work machine 101 due to the deterioration of the communication condition can be suppressed.

[0146] If the communication condition deteriorates further and the communication speed Tsm becomes, for example, 500 [kbps], the control device 10 interrupts the transmission of the captured image data and the reception of the remote control command. Here, if the transmission of the captured image data is not interrupted, there is a concern that the image (moving image) displayed on the display device 365 becomes unstable due to irregular loss, delay, etc. of the captured image data transmitted to the remote control device 360. If remote control is continued in such a situation, proper operation cannot be performed, and there is a concern that the operation has to be restarted after the communication condition is restored. In the present embodiment, if the communication speed Tsm is less than the allowable speed Tsa, the transmission of the captured image data is interrupted, and after the communication condition is restored, a retry request is sent to the management device 105. Therefore, in the case of very poor communication conditions, it is possible to prevent the operator from continuing the remote control and prevent the operation from having to be restarted.

[0147] <Variant Example 4>

[0148] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the work machine 101 is a crawler-type hydraulic excavator has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The work machine 101 may also be a wheel-type hydraulic excavator, a wheel loader, a dump truck, a work robot, or the like. That is, the work machine 101 only needs to include a machine body and a working device mounted on the machine body.

[0149] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the above-described embodiments only show a part of the application examples of the present invention, and the gist is not to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific structures of the above-described embodiments.

[0150] Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0151] 1... Management system, 2... Moving body, 3... Rotating body, 4... Working device, 5... Airframe, 10... Control device, 19... Engine (power source), 100... Information control unit, 101... Construction machinery, 105... Management device (external device), 107... Second communication network, 109... First communication network, 114... Vehicle exterior communication interface (first communication interface), 115... Vehicle interior communication interface (second communication interface), 116... Buffer, 121... Engine control unit (control unit), 122... Working control unit (control unit), 123... Auxiliary machine control unit (control unit), 124... Display control unit (control unit), 127... Communication terminal, 133... Data transmission / reception unit, 134... Remote service processing unit, 135... Processing method determination unit, 136... Communication performance management unit, 137... Status management unit, 150... Management server, 161... Input device, 162... Communication device, 165... Display device, 300... Remote service request information, 301... Requested speed information, 302... Processing profile, 303, 303B... Selection condition table, 304... Processing content detailed information, 329... Imaging device, 345... Buffer-related data, 346... Data reduction-related data, 360... Remote control device, 361... Operating device, 365... Display device, 500... Data storage amount table, Da... Data storage amount, Ta... Data storage time, Ta0... Data storage permission time, Tsa... Permitted speed, Tsm... Communication speed, Tsr... Requested speed.

Claims

1. A working machine comprising: a machine body; a working device mounted on the machine body; and a control device for executing a transmission process for transmitting data to an external device provided outside the machine body, wherein the working machine is characterized in that: The control device performs the following: measuring the communication speed with the external device, When the communication speed is lower than a predetermined required speed, the function of the transmission process is limited according to a plurality of processing methods consisting of a combination of data reduction transmission processing, buffering processing, transmission interruption processing, and retry request processing, wherein: In the data reduction and transmission processing, the data is transmitted after being thinned out; in the buffering processing, the data is stored in a buffer, and when the communication speed becomes equal to or greater than the required speed, the data stored in the buffer is transmitted to the external device; in the transmission interruption processing, the transmission of the data is interrupted; in the retry request processing, when the communication speed becomes equal to or greater than the required speed after the transmission interruption processing is executed, a retry request for restarting the transmission processing is transmitted to the external device, The lower the communication speed, the greater the limitation on the function of the transmission process. When the working machine is in an operating state, the function of the transmission process is more restricted than when the working machine is not in an operating state.

2. The working machine according to claim 1, wherein: The control device performs the following: When the communication speed is lower than the required speed and greater than or equal to a predetermined allowed speed, data reduction sending processing is performed to remove the data interval and then send it. When the communication speed is lower than the allowed speed, sending interruption processing is performed to interrupt the sending of the data. Thus, the lower the communication speed, the greater the restriction on the function of the sending processing.

3. The working machine according to claim 2, wherein: The control device performs the following: By making the amount of data reduction in the data reduction sending processing performed when the working machine is in an action state greater than the amount of data reduction in the data reduction sending processing performed when the working machine is not in an action state, the restriction on the function of the sending processing is increased when the working machine is in an action state compared to when it is not in an action state.

4. The working machine according to claim 3, wherein: The control device performs the following: Calculating a data storage time based on the communication speed and the amount of data stored in association with the state of the working machine; When the communication speed is lower than the required speed and the data storage time is equal to or longer than a predetermined data storage allowable time, a buffering process is performed to store the data in a buffer memory. When the communication speed becomes equal to or greater than the required speed, the data stored in the buffer is transmitted to the external device. The amount of data stored when the working machine is in an operating state is smaller than the amount of data stored when the working machine is not in an operating state.

5. The working machine according to claim 4, wherein: The fuselage has a running body. The operating state includes a traveling state in which the traveling body is operating and a working state in which the working device is operating. The amount of data stored when the working machine is in the working state is smaller than the amount of data stored when the working machine is in the traveling state.

6. The working machine according to claim 2, wherein: The control device transmits a retry request for restarting the transmission process to the external device when the communication speed becomes equal to or higher than the requested speed after the transmission interruption process is executed.

7. The working machine according to claim 1, wherein: The control device performs the following: acquiring, from the external device, the required speed, a processing profile defining a plurality of processing methods, and a plurality of selection conditions used in selecting the plurality of processing methods defined in the processing profile, When the communication speed is lower than the required speed, determining whether the plurality of selection conditions are satisfied, and selecting the processing method based on the determination result, The sending process is performed according to the selected processing method.

8. The working machine according to claim 7, wherein: The processing profile defines a plurality of processing methods consisting of a combination of data reduction and transmission processing, buffering processing, transmission interruption processing, and retry request processing. The control device acquires data reduction related data associated with the data reduction and transmission processing and buffer related data associated with the buffering processing from the external device. The data reduction related data defines information identifying data to be the target of the data reduction transmission process and an amount of data reduction in the data reduction transmission process. The buffer-related data defines information identifying data to be buffered and a buffer amount in the buffering process.

9. The working machine according to claim 1, wherein: The control device has: a communication terminal for communicating with the external device via a first communication network; and a plurality of control units connected to each other via a second communication network and controlling devices included in the working machine; The plurality of control units include an information control unit that performs a transmission process of transmitting the data to the external device, The information control unit includes a first communication interface connected to the communication terminal and exchanging data with the external device via the first communication network, and a second communication interface exchanging data with the plurality of control units connected to the information control unit via the second communication network. The plurality of control units include an operation control unit for controlling the operation of the operation device. The information control unit manages the state of the work machine based on the information acquired from the work control unit via the second communication interface.

10. The working machine according to claim 9, wherein: further comprising a photographing device connected to the second communication network, The information control unit performs the following: sending the image data captured by the camera to the external device via the first communication network; receiving a command for remotely operating the working machine from the external device via the first communication network, The work control unit controls the operation of the work device of the work machine based on the command input from the information control unit via the second communication network.

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