Road machinery and road surface paving system

Abstract

A road machine according to an embodiment is provided with: a tractor; a leveler arranged behind the tractor and used for paving the first paving material; a working device for supplying a first paving material to the front of the leveler; and a control unit configured to perform a process of paving a region in which a cutting mark appears with the first paving material on the basis of the cutting mark of the second paving material originally paved on the road surface indicated in the image information captured by the imaging device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a road machine and a road paving system. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a road machine, such as an asphalt roller, which includes: a tractor; a screed machine arranged behind the tractor to smooth a paving material; and a working device to supply the paving material to the front of the screed machine.

[0003] A road machine moves along a road surface for paving with paving materials. Therefore, a technology for assisting the movement of a road machine has been proposed.

[0004] For example, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, an optical sensor detects a running reference line set on the road surface, thereby identifying the deviation of the asphalt roller in the left and right directions, and then changes the direction of the wheel to correct the deviation. Thus, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to move along the road surface.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 04-032883 Summary of the invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0009] However, Patent Document 1 has a problem in that since a member indicating a travel reference line needs to be provided on the road surface, it is difficult to provide the member on the cut surface of the pavement material after it is cut, considering the burden on workers.

[0010] One embodiment of the present invention provides a technology for reducing the workload when paving a cut surface by appropriately detecting a cut surface to be paved.

[0011] Means for solving problems

[0012] A road machine according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a tractor; a leveler disposed at the rear of the tractor and paving a first paving material; a working device that supplies the first paving material to the front of the leveler; and a control unit configured to perform processing on an area where cutting marks of a second paving material originally paved on a road surface are present by paving the area with the first paving material based on cutting marks of the second paving material originally paved on the road surface represented in image information captured by a camera device.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, by appropriately detecting the cut surface, paving the detected cut surface becomes easy, and thus the workload can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the road pavement system according to the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2A It is a side view of the asphalt roller according to the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2B It is a top view of the asphalt roller according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2C It is a rear view of the asphalt roller according to the first embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a controller of the asphalt roller according to the first embodiment and devices connected to the controller.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of image information captured by the front camera of the asphalt finisher according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing a first example of a reference line generated with respect to image information captured by the imaging device of the asphalt finisher according to the first embodiment.

[0022] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing a second example of a reference line generated with respect to image information captured by the imaging device of the asphalt finisher according to the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining the steering angle control performed by the movement control unit according to the first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 8 It is a diagram showing an overhead image generated by the information control unit according to the first embodiment.

[0025] Fig. 9 It is a rear view of the asphalt roller according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments described below are examples and do not limit the invention, and all features or combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential features of the invention. In addition, in each of the drawings, the same or corresponding structures are sometimes marked with the same or corresponding symbols, and the description is omitted.

[0027] (First embodiment)

[0028] First, refer to Figure 1 , an overview of the road pavement system SYS according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the road pavement system SYS according to the first embodiment.

[0029] <Equipment that constitutes the road paving system>

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the road pavement system SYS according to the first embodiment includes an asphalt roller 100, a communication terminal 200, and a remote management device 300 (an example of a communication terminal). The asphalt roller 100 and the remote management device 300 are connected via a public network NT.

[0031] Furthermore, the road paving system SYS can make various settings related to the control of the asphalt roller 100 in the communication terminal 200 according to the input from the user or automatically, and send them to the asphalt roller 100. Thus, various operations of the asphalt roller 100 can be controlled or monitored from the communication terminal 200.

[0032] The asphalt roller 100 may also transmit information indicating the current status to one or more of the communication terminal 200 and the remote management device 300. Furthermore, the asphalt roller 100 may transmit log information indicating the paving result of the road surface to one or more of the communication terminal 200 and the remote management device 300.

[0033] The remote management device 300 is a terminal provided for remote management of a work site. For example, the remote management device 300 manages the construction status by storing log information transmitted from the asphalt roller 100.

[0034] The communication terminal 200 is considered to be, for example, a terminal carried by a user who manages work at a work site or a user who performs work at a work site.

[0035] The communication terminal 200 receives image information indicating the current working state of the asphalt roller 100 from the asphalt roller 100 and displays it on a display device (liquid crystal panel) (not shown). Thus, a user who manages the work at the work site can recognize the current working state of the asphalt roller 100.

[0036] The road paving system SYS may include one or more communication terminals 200 . Thus, the road paving system SYS can provide information related to the asphalt roller 100 to multiple users using the multiple communication terminals 200 .

[0037] The road paving system SYS may include one or more asphalt rollers 100. Thus, the road paving system SYS can collect data from the asphalt rollers 100, provide information to users based on the collected data, and perform settings related to the control of the asphalt rollers 100. Next, a specific asphalt roller 100 will be described.

[0038] [Overview of Asphalt Roller]

[0039] Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C A configuration example of an asphalt roller 100 as a road machine according to the present embodiment is shown. Figure 2A shows a side view, Figure 2B shows a top view, Figure 2C A rear view is shown.

[0040] The asphalt roller 100 is mainly composed of a tractor 1 , a hopper 2 and a leveler 3 .

[0041] The tractor 1 is a device for moving the asphalt roller 100, and tows the leveler 3. In the present embodiment, the tractor 1 uses a traveling hydraulic motor to rotate two or four wheels to move the asphalt roller 100. The traveling hydraulic motor rotates by receiving a supply of hydraulic oil from a hydraulic pump driven by an engine such as a diesel engine. A driver's seat 1S and an operation panel 65 are arranged on the upper part of the tractor 1.

[0042] Camera devices 51 (right camera 51R, left camera 51L, front camera 51F) are installed on the right side, left side and front of the tractor 1. A display device 52 is provided at a position that is easily visible to the driver sitting in the driver's seat 1S. In the present embodiment, the direction of the hopper 2 viewed from the tractor 1 is set to the front (+X direction), and the direction of the leveler 3 viewed from the tractor 1 is set to the rear (-X direction). The +Y direction corresponds to the left direction, and the -Y direction corresponds to the right direction.

[0043] The hopper 2, which is an example of a working device, is a mechanism for containing paving materials (for example, asphalt mixture). The working device is a device that supplies paving materials to the front of the leveler 3. In the present embodiment, it is configured to be able to be opened and closed in the vehicle width direction by a hydraulic cylinder. The asphalt roller 100 usually sets the hopper 2 to a fully open state and receives paving materials from the compartment of the dump truck. In addition, if the paving materials in the hopper 2 are reduced, the hopper 2 is closed, and the paving materials located near the inner wall of the hopper 2 are concentrated in the center of the hopper 2, thereby enabling the conveying device CV, which is an example of a working device, to supply paving materials to the leveler 3.

[0044] The screed 3 is a mechanism for paving the paving material. In the present embodiment, it is configured to be able to rise and fall in the vertical direction and to be able to extend and retract in the vehicle width direction by means of a hydraulic cylinder. The width of the screed 3 is greater than the width of the tractor 1 when it extends in the vehicle width direction. In the present embodiment, the screed 3 includes a main screed 30, a left telescopic screed 31L, and a right telescopic screed 31R. The left telescopic screed 31L and the right telescopic screed 31R are configured to be able to extend and retract in the vehicle width direction (Y-axis direction). Moreover, the left telescopic screed 31L and the right telescopic screed 31R that can extend and retract in the vehicle width direction are arranged to be staggered with each other in the travel direction (X-axis direction). Therefore, it is possible to have a width (length in the vehicle width direction) that is longer than when it is not staggered, it is possible to extend longer in the vehicle width direction, and it is possible to construct a wider newly installed paving body. The present embodiment describes a case where the screed 3 has a structure that can extend and retract in the vehicle width direction. However, the present embodiment is not limited to a structure that can extend and retract the screed 3. In a modified example, there is a method of using a fixed-width screed machine for the asphalt roller 100 .

[0045] The controller 50 is a control unit for controlling the asphalt roller 100. The controller 50 is, for example, a computer including a CPU, a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, etc. The controller 50 is a computer including a CPU and a RAM, and is mounted on the tractor 1. Various functions of the controller 50 are realized by, for example, the CPU executing a program stored in the auxiliary storage device 48.

[0046] The auxiliary storage device 48 is a device for storing various information. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary storage device 48 is a nonvolatile memory and is incorporated into the controller 50. However, the auxiliary storage device 48 may be configured outside the controller 50 as a structure different from the controller 50.

[0047] The tractor 1 is equipped with a camera 51. The camera 51 is configured to obtain information related to the space around the asphalt roller 100 and can output the obtained information to the controller 50. The camera 51 involved in this embodiment includes a front camera 51F, a left camera 51L, and a right camera 51R. There is also a method in which the camera 51 is installed at a position other than the right side, left side, and front of the tractor 1 (for example, the rear). The camera 51 can also be equipped with a wide-angle lens or a fisheye lens. The camera 51 can also be installed on the hopper 2 or on the leveler 3.

[0048] The imaging device 51 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a camera including an imaging element such as CCD or CMOS. The imaging device 51 may be any space recognition device capable of recognizing a space based on the asphalt roller 100, and there is also a method using a laser radar (LIDAR).

[0049] The camera device 51 according to this embodiment includes a front camera 51F, a left camera 51L, and a right camera 51R. Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the front camera 51F is mounted on the upper front end of the tractor 1, and is mounted so that its optical axis 51FX extends forward in the direction of travel and forms an angle α with the road surface when viewed from the side. Figure 2A to Figure 2C As shown, the left camera 51L is installed at the upper end of the left side of the tractor 1, and is installed so that its optical axis 51LX forms an angle β with the left side of the tractor 1 in a top view and an angle γ with the road surface in a rear view. As for the right camera 51R, the left and right are reversed and installed in the same manner as the left camera 51L. Figure 2B An area 51FA surrounded by a dotted line represents the imaging range of the front camera 51F, an area 51LA surrounded by a dashed line represents the imaging range of the left camera 51L, and an area 51RA surrounded by a dashed line represents the imaging range of the right camera 51R.

[0050] The camera device 51 is mounted on the asphalt roller 100 via a bracket, a strut, a rod, etc. In the present embodiment, the camera device 51 is mounted on the tractor 1 via a mounting strut. However, the camera device 51 may be directly mounted on the tractor 1 without a mounting strut, or may be embedded in the tractor 1.

[0051] In this embodiment, the camera device 51 outputs the acquired input image to the controller 50. In the case where the input image is acquired using a fisheye lens or a wide-angle lens, the camera device 51 may also output to the controller 50 a corrected input image obtained by correcting the distortion or skew in appearance generated by using these lenses. Alternatively, the input image without correcting the distortion or skew in appearance may be output to the controller 50 as it is. In this case, the distortion or skew in appearance is corrected by the controller 50.

[0052] The display device 52 is a device for displaying various information. In the present embodiment, the display device 52 is a liquid crystal display provided on the operation panel 65 , and displays various images output by the controller 50 .

[0053] The fixing plate 70 is a plate-shaped member for preventing the paving material fed in the vehicle width direction by the screw SC from scattering in front of the screw SC so as to appropriately feed the paving material in the vehicle width direction by the screw SC.

[0054] The side plate 71 is also mounted on the distal end of the molding plate 72. The molding plate 72 is a component for adjusting the amount of the paving material that is retained in front of the left telescopic screed machine 31L and the right telescopic screed machine 31R among the paving materials spread by the screw SC, and is configured to be able to be extended and retracted in the vehicle width direction together with the left telescopic screed machine 31L and the right telescopic screed machine 31R.

[0055] Next, refer to Figure 3 , the controller 50 mounted on the asphalt roller 100 will be described. Figure 3 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the controller 50 of the asphalt roller 100 according to the present embodiment and devices connected to the controller 50 .

[0056] The travel speed sensor 47 is configured to detect the travel speed of the asphalt roller 100. Figure 3 In the example shown, the travel speed sensor 47 is an encoder that detects the angular velocity of the rotation shaft of the rear wheel travel motor that drives the rear wheels of the tractor 1. The travel speed sensor 47 may be a non-contact switch that detects a slit formed in a rotating plate.

[0057] exist Figure 3 In the example shown, the auxiliary storage device 48 stores a log information storage unit 48a. The log information storage unit 48a stores log information that is the construction result of the asphalt roller 100. The log information will be described later.

[0058] The communication device (an example of a communication unit) 53 wirelessly communicates with devices existing around the asphalt roller 100 or a server that manages the work site. As the wireless communication standard of the communication device 53, this embodiment can use any one or more of Wi-Fi (registered trademark), wireless LAN, and Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.

[0059] The leveler control device 55 is configured to control the extension and retraction amounts of the left telescopic leveler 31L and the right telescopic leveler 31R. Figure 3 In the example shown, the leveler control device 55 controls the flow rate of the working oil flowing into the leveler telescopic cylinder (not shown) for telescoping the left telescopic leveler 31L and the right telescopic leveler 31R. The leveler control device 55 switches the connection / disconnection of the pipe connecting the rod-side oil chamber of the leveler telescopic cylinder and the hydraulic pump according to the control command from the controller 50. In this way, the telescoping of the left telescopic leveler 31L and the right telescopic leveler 31R can be realized.

[0060] The drive system controller 54 controls the tractor 1 according to the control command. For example, the drive system controller 54 performs rotation control (speed control) of the rear wheel travel motor of the tractor 1 and steering angle control of the front wheels (example driving wheels) of the tractor 1 according to the steering angle and speed indicated by the control command.

[0061] More specifically, the controller 50 has an acquisition unit 50a, a cutting surface determination unit 50b, a baseline generation unit 50c, a movement control unit 50d, a leveler control unit 50e, an information control unit 50f and a communication control unit 50g as functional blocks composed of software, hardware or a combination thereof.

[0062] The acquisition unit 50a acquires various information. The acquisition unit 50a acquires detection information from various sensors. For example, the acquisition unit 50a acquires image information captured by the camera device 51 (the front camera 51F, the left camera 51L, and the right camera 51R). In addition, the acquisition unit 50a acquires detection information (for example, including the speed of the asphalt roller 100) detected by the travel speed sensor 47. In addition, the acquisition unit 50a acquires steering angle information from the tractor 1.

[0063] In the present embodiment, the movement control of the asphalt roller is performed based on the image information captured by the imaging device 51 .

[0064] Figure 4 2 is a diagram showing an example of image information captured by the front camera 51F of the asphalt roller 100 according to the present embodiment. Figure 4 In the image information shown, for convenience of explanation, the structure of the asphalt roller 100 shown in the image information is omitted.

[0065] In this embodiment, it is taken as an example that the asphalt roller 100 performs construction on an area after the pavement material is cut by the road cutting machine.

[0066] exist Figure 4 In the example shown, an area 401 after the pavement material has been previously cut by a road cutter is shown. Hereinafter, the area after the pavement material has been cut from the existing road surface by the road cutter is referred to as a cut surface. Figure 4 As shown, the road surface cutting machine cuts several centimeters of the existing paved surface (an example of a road surface paved with the second paving material), thereby causing cutting marks to appear on the cut surface 401.

[0067] exist Figure 4 In the example shown, the cutting marks of the cutting surface 401 appear in the form of stripes that are substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the road cutting machine. The cutting marks are marks that appear by cutting the paving material from the existing paved surface, and appear in the form of, for example, a plurality of stripes along the direction of travel of the road cutting machine. The shape and interval of the plurality of stripes vary depending on the type of road cutting machine. The stripes of the cutting marks include, for example, an example formed by a combination of any one or more of a plurality of straight lines and a plurality of ellipses.

[0068] As long as the cut surface 401 is an area after cutting the existing paved surface, it becomes the paving target area of ​​the asphalt roller 100. Therefore, in this embodiment, the area showing the cutting marks in the image information captured by the front camera 51F is determined as the cut surface, in other words, the paving target area.

[0069] That is, the controller 50 of the asphalt roller 100 according to the present embodiment performs control such that the area where the cutting marks appear in the image information captured by the front camera 51F is paved with the paving material (first paving material). Figure 4 The cutting marks shown are shown as an example and differ depending on the type of the road cutter, etc. However, as long as the cutting marks are produced by the road cutter, the area cut by the road cutter can be found based on the image information regardless of the type of the road cutter, etc.

[0070] In the past, the paving target area was determined by detecting the height difference between the road shoulder and the road shoulder using a stereo camera, etc. However, in a working environment, it is sometimes difficult to detect the height difference from above using a stereo camera, etc. Therefore, in this embodiment, as an example, the cutting surface is determined based on the cutting marks appearing in the image information.

[0071] Then, the cutting surface determination unit 50b of the controller 50 determines the cutting surface 401 where the cutting mark appears based on the image information captured by the front camera 51F acquired by the acquisition unit 50a. Any method can be used to determine the cutting surface 401 as long as it is a determination method based on the cutting mark of the paving material represented in the image information. For example, there is a method in which the cutting surface determination unit 50b determines the cutting surface 401 by pattern matching related to the cutting mark of the paving material represented in the image information. In order to perform pattern matching, image information that pre-shows the cutting mark is pre-stored in the auxiliary storage device 48. Then, the cutting surface 401 is determined by comparing the image information stored in the auxiliary storage device 48 with the image information captured by the front camera 51F. As another example, there is a method in which the cutting surface determination unit 50b determines the cutting surface 401 based on the feature information of each area constituting the image information. When the feature quantity extracted from the image information for each area is similar to the feature quantity representing the cutting mark by more than a predetermined threshold, the cutting surface determination unit 50b determines the area as the cutting surface 401. The feature quantity representing the cutting mark is pre-stored in the auxiliary storage device 48. As another example, there is a method for determining using a learned model that performs machine learning on cutting marks represented in image information. The cutting surface determination unit 50b inputs the image information captured by the front camera 51F into the learned model and determines the cutting surface based on the output result from the learned model. The specific steps of this method are described in the following modified example. At this time, the cutting surface determination unit 50b also determines the boundary lines 402L and 402R between the cutting surface 401 and the shoulder. In other words, the cutting surface determination unit 50b determines the width of the cutting surface in the left-right direction based on the asphalt roller 100 according to the presence or absence of cutting marks.

[0072] This embodiment describes a method in which the cutting surface determining unit 50b determines the cutting surface 401 based on the cutting marks. However, this embodiment is not limited to the method in which the cutting surface 401 is determined based on the cutting marks. As a modified example, there is a method in which the controller 50 determines the boundary lines 402L and 402R based on the difference between an area including cutting marks of the paving material appearing in the image information and an area without cutting marks appearing in the image information.

[0073] Return to Figure 3The reference line generation unit 50c generates a reference line (an example of a track) used as a reference when the asphalt roller 100 moves based on the determined cutting surface 401. The reference line involved in this embodiment is a line used as a reference when the center of the asphalt roller 100 moves. The center of the asphalt roller 100 involved in this embodiment is, for example, set as the center position in the travel direction and width direction of the asphalt roller 100. In addition, the center of the asphalt roller 100 can be any position used as a reference when performing movement control, for example, it can also be the center of gravity position when no paving materials are loaded.

[0074] The method for generating the reference line by the reference line generating unit 50c of the present embodiment may use any method. For example, the reference line generating unit 50c may use the center line between the boundary lines 402L and 402R of the cutting surface 401 determined by the cutting surface determining unit 50b as the reference line. Furthermore, as a modified example, there is also a method in which the reference line generating unit 50c generates the reference line in a manner that is along the center of the cutting surface 401 and is a track represented by stripes appearing as cutting marks on the cutting surface 401.

[0075] Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing a first example of a reference line generated based on image information captured by the imaging device of the asphalt roller 100 according to the present embodiment. Figure 5 In the image information 501 shown, the structure of the asphalt roller 100 shown in the image information is also omitted.

[0076] exist Figure 5 In the example shown, the cutting marks are represented as stripes from the front to the depth direction. In addition, the cutting surface determination unit 50b determines the boundary lines 503L and 503R together with the cutting surface 502 of the image information 501 according to the presence or absence of the cutting marks. Then, the reference line generation unit 50c generates a reference line 511 (an example of a track) in a manner passing through the center of the cutting surface 502 according to the direction of the stripes appearing on the cutting surface 502 and the boundary lines 503L and 503R.

[0077] Figure 6 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second example of a reference line generated based on image information captured by the imaging device of the asphalt roller 100 according to the present embodiment. Figure 6 In the image information 601 shown, the structure of the asphalt roller 100 shown in the image information is also omitted.

[0078] exist Figure 6In the example shown, the cut surface 602 is curved to the right, and the stripes represented by the cutting marks are also curved to the right. The cut surface determination unit 50b determines the boundary lines 603L and 603R together with the cut surface 602 of the image information 601 according to the presence or absence of the cutting marks. Then, the reference line generation unit 50c generates a reference line 611 (an example of a track) in a manner passing through the center of the cut surface 602 according to the direction of the stripes appearing on the cut surface 602 and the boundary lines 603L and 603R.

[0079] Return to Figure 3 The movement control unit 50d outputs a control command indicating the steering angle and speed to the drive system controller 54 so as to move along the generated reference line. Thus, the asphalt roller 100 performs automatic movement control to pave the cut surface.

[0080] Figure 7 2 is a diagram for explaining the steering angle control performed by the movement control unit 50d according to the present embodiment. Figure 7 In the example shown, Figure 7 The reference line 701 shown shows, for example, a part of the reference line 611 generated by the above-described processing performed by the reference line generating unit 50 c . Figure 7 The vehicle body center line 702 shown is a line passing through the center of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction of the asphalt roller 100 .

[0081] exist Figure 7 In the case shown in FIG. 1 , the movement control unit 50d recognizes that the deviation amount d between the position coordinate 703 indicating the center of the current asphalt roller 100 and the position coordinate 704 on the reference line 701 has deviated. Furthermore, the movement control unit 50d recognizes the angle θ between the reference line 701 and the vehicle body center line 702. Then, the movement control unit 50d calculates the steering angle of the tractor 1 to correct the deviation amount d and the angle θ. In addition, the calculation method of the steering angle to correct the deviation amount d and the angle θ can be used by a known method, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0082] Thus, in the present embodiment, as a process of paving the cut surface with paving material, for example, the movement control unit 50d performs steering angle control and speed control to move the tractor 1 along a reference line determined based on the cut surface. Thus, the cut surface can be properly detected to pave the cut surface, thereby improving the paving accuracy. As a process of paving the cut surface with paving material, the present embodiment describes an example of moving the tractor 1 along a reference line determined based on the cut surface. However, the present embodiment does not limit the process of paving the cut surface with paving material to the process of moving the tractor 1 along a reference line determined based on the cut surface, as long as it is a process for spreading paving material on the cut surface determined based on image information and paving with the paving material. For example, the present embodiment is not limited to a method of generating a reference line at the center of the cut surface in the vehicle width direction. As a modified example, there is a method in which the movement control unit 50d moves the tractor 1 using a boundary line at the end of the cut surface. Specifically, there is a method in which the movement control unit 50d calculates the deviation between the boundary line and the end of the telescopic screed machine 31 and controls one or more of the steering angle of the tractor 1 and the extension and retraction of the telescopic screed machine 31 to suppress the deviation.

[0083] Return to Figure 3 , the leveling machine control unit 50e outputs a control instruction to the leveling machine control device 55 for causing the telescopic leveling machine 31 to be telescopic in a manner corresponding to the width of the road surface on which the paving material is spread, based on the boundary line (an example of the length of the cutting surface in the vehicle width direction) determined by the cutting surface determination unit 50b. In this way, the length of the leveling machine 3 in the vehicle width direction can be made consistent with the width of the cutting surface, so that the paving material can be appropriately paved on the paving target road surface. Furthermore, the workload for performing telescopic control of the telescopic leveling machine 31 can be reduced.

[0084] This embodiment describes an example in which the telescopic screed 31 is extended and retracted so that the length of the screed 3 in the vehicle width direction is consistent with the width of the cut surface. However, this embodiment is not limited to the example in which the telescopic screed 31 is extended and retracted. As a modified example, when the width of the cut surface is constant, there is a method in which the asphalt roller 100 uses a screed of a fixed width that matches the width of the cut surface to pave the paving material.

[0085] The information control unit 50f performs various controls on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 50a.

[0086] For example, the information control unit 50 f generates bird's-eye view image data with a predetermined height from the asphalt roller 100 as a viewpoint based on the image information acquired by the acquisition unit 50 a .

[0087] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an overhead image generated by the information control unit 50f according to this embodiment. Figure 8In the example shown, the information control unit 50f generates a bird's-eye view image based on the image information captured by the camera 51. A known method can be used to generate the bird's-eye view image. The information control unit 50f then superimposes the image G1 showing the asphalt roller 100 on the generated bird's-eye view image.

[0088] The information control unit 50f superimposes images (e.g., images showing a thick line) G802R and G802L showing the boundary line between the cutting surface and the shoulder determined by the cutting surface determination unit 50b on the bird's-eye view image data. Furthermore, the information control unit 50f superimposes an image (e.g., an image showing a dashed line) G801 showing the reference line generated by the reference line generation unit 50c on the bird's-eye view image data.

[0089] Thus, when the user refers to the bird's-eye view image, he or she can recognize the relationship between the cut surface shown in the bird's-eye view image and the baseline and boundary lines superimposed on the bird's-eye view image. In other words, by confirming whether the baseline is superimposed along the cut surface, the user can understand whether the asphalt roller 100 can move along the cut surface from now on. Specifically, when there is not a significant difference in height between the cut surface and the uncut road surface, it may be difficult for the user to understand the difference in the bird's-eye view image generated based on the image information captured by the camera device 51. In contrast, Figure 8 In the bird's-eye view image shown, images G802R and G802L are superimposed on the boundary line. Therefore, the controller 50 superimposes and displays images G802R and G802L as virtual visual information on the bird's-eye view image representing the real space, thereby expanding the real world and making it easier for the user to recognize the surrounding conditions of the object being constructed by the asphalt roller 100.

[0090] Return to Figure 3 The communication control unit 50g uses the communication device 53 to control the sending and receiving of information between the external device and this device.

[0091] <Remote monitoring>

[0092] There is a method in which the communication control unit 50 g uses the communication device 53 to transmit and receive information for remotely monitoring the asphalt roller 100 with the communication terminal 200 or the remote management device 300 .

[0093] For example, the communication control unit 50g sends the following to the communication terminal 200: Figure 8 The bird's-eye view image shown is an example of image information showing the current construction status. The communication terminal 200 is carried by a user at the work site.

[0094] Furthermore, the communication control unit 50g receives information for controlling the steering angle or speed of the asphalt roller 100 from the communication terminal 200. The movement control unit 50d outputs a control command based on the received information to the drive system controller 54. Thus, the asphalt roller 100 can be remotely controlled from the communication terminal 200 or the remote management device 300.

[0095] That is, the user can judge whether the moving direction of the asphalt roller 100 is appropriate by referring to the bird's-eye view image by using the communication terminal 200. Then, if the user judges that the moving direction of the asphalt roller 100 is inappropriate, the user can send information for controlling the steering or speed to the asphalt roller 100 from the communication terminal 200. Thus, the track of the asphalt roller 100 can be corrected. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to remotely monitor whether the asphalt roller 100 has performed appropriate construction on the cutting surface.

[0096] That is, in the road pavement system SYS according to the present embodiment, even if the user does not ride on the asphalt roller 100, appropriate construction can be achieved.

[0097] <User Ride>

[0098] There is also a method in which a user rides on the asphalt roller 100. At this time, there is also a method in which the asphalt roller 100 performs automatic movement control to move along the cut surface through the above control. There is also a method in which the display device 52 of the asphalt roller 100 displays the above-mentioned bird's-eye view image data. Thereby, the user can confirm the moving direction of the asphalt roller 100. Furthermore, there is also a method in which, when the user recognizes that the moving direction based on the automatic movement control is wrong, the asphalt roller 100 is directly operated using the operation panel 65 or the steering wheel (not shown). Thereby, the asphalt roller 100 corrects the track of moving along the cut surface.

[0099] <Log storage>

[0100] In this embodiment, a method of recording the construction results performed by the asphalt roller 100 as a log is used. For example, there is a method in which the information control unit 50f records the length of the cutting surface in the vehicle width direction determined by the cutting surface determination unit 50b in the log information storage unit 48a as the working width of the construction. That is, the asphalt roller 100 involved in this embodiment processes in a manner of paving the determined cutting surface. In this way, the determined cutting surface becomes the paved area.

[0101] Then, the information control unit 50f records the log information indicating the length of the cutting surface in the vehicle width direction (the length between the boundary lines) determined by the cutting surface determination unit 50b in the log information storage unit 48a provided in the auxiliary storage device 48 as the working width of the paving material (an example of the processing result). In addition, this embodiment takes the example of recording the working width of the paving material (an example of the processing result) in the log information storage unit 48a as the log information, but the information related to the working width (an example of the processing result) may not be recorded as the log information. As a modified example, there is also a method of sending the information related to the working width (an example of the processing result) to the management device that manages the log information.

[0102] Furthermore, there is also a method in which an external device manages the log information recorded in the log information storage unit 48a. In the present embodiment, by recording and managing the log information, it is easy to manage the information related to the area under construction, so that the workload can be reduced.

[0103] For example, there is a method in which the communication control unit 50g transmits the log information recorded in the log information storage unit 48a to the remote management device 300 at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, the transmission destination is not limited to the remote management device 300, and there is a method in which the transmission is to the communication terminal 200 and a cloud service, for example.

[0104] The road paving system SYS according to the present embodiment can confirm whether the cut surface is properly identified by the asphalt roller 100 by managing log information related to the asphalt roller 100. Therefore, the user can recognize whether the construction is properly performed.

[0105] In addition, the present embodiment describes a method for determining a cutting surface based on cutting marks indicated in the image information, and determining a reference line for the asphalt roller 100 to move based on the cutting surface. However, the present embodiment only shows a method for determining a reference line for the asphalt roller 100 to move based on the cutting surface, and other methods may also be used. For example, there is a method for determining a reference line for the asphalt roller 100 to move by combining a cutting surface determined based on cutting marks appearing in the image information and construction data for determining an area where the asphalt roller 100 is working. The construction data includes information related to the height of the paving material used by the asphalt roller 100, so that the road surface can be constructed more accurately. Furthermore, the present embodiment is not limited to the method for determining the reference line by determining the cutting surface. As a modified example, there is also a method of extracting the difference between the area where the cutting marks appear and the uncut area, and determining the boundary lines 402R and 402L based on the difference, thereby determining the reference line for the asphalt roller 100 to move based on the boundary lines 402R and 402L. That is, the controller 50 only needs to be able to find the cut area based on the cut marks indicated in the image information and determine the reference line.

[0106] (Variation of the first embodiment)

[0107] In the above embodiment, the example of controlling the movement of the asphalt roller 100 according to the determined construction surface and controlling the telescopic movement of the left telescopic screed 31L and the right telescopic screed 31R in the vehicle width direction is described. However, the method of controlling the movement and the telescopic movement is not limited to the above embodiment, and there is also a method of controlling only one of them. Therefore, in this modified example, the example of controlling only the movement of the asphalt roller 100 is taken.

[0108] In this modification, similarly to the above embodiment, the controller 50 determines the cutting surface based on the cutting marks appearing in the image information and generates a reference line based on the cutting surface. Then, the controller 50 outputs a control command to the drive system controller 54 to move along the reference line.

[0109] On the other hand, the telescopic control of the left telescopic screed 31L and the right telescopic screed 31R is performed by the user's operation. The user who performs this operation may be a user riding behind the asphalt roller 100 to operate the screed 3 or a user riding in the driver's seat 1S of the asphalt roller 100.

[0110] In addition, in this modification, the example in which the controller 50 performs movement control and the user performs extension and retraction control is described. However, the present invention is not limited to the method shown in this modification, and for example, there is also a method in which the user performs movement control and the controller 50 performs extension and retraction control.

[0111] (Variation 2 of the first embodiment)

[0112] In this modification, a method of using a learned model generated by machine learning as the cutting surface determination unit 50b to determine the cutting surface based on the cutting marks appearing in the image information is described. Compared with the method of performing pattern matching, the method of determining the cutting surface using the learned model generated by machine learning does not require the preparation of all image information representing the cutting marks of the road cutting machine, and thus can reduce the workload.

[0113] In the present embodiment, there is a method of providing a learning device for performing machine learning as the road paving system SYS. The learning device may be, for example, a local server installed in a remote monitoring area or a cloud service.

[0114] The learning device performs machine learning using image information in which the cutting surface is indicated by annotations and image information in which the cutting surface is not present as training data, thereby generating a learned model. The annotation for the cutting surface is set by the user specifying the area where the cutting mark appears. As machine learning, for example, deep learning can be considered to be applicable. Specifically, as machine learning, a method of learning by back propagation using a neural network can be considered, but other methods can also be used.

[0115] When image information is input, the learned model outputs information that identifies the cut surface that exists in the image information.

[0116] The learning device outputs the learned model to the asphalt roller 100. The output method may be any method, for example, it may be transmitted via a public network, or it may be stored in the auxiliary storage device 48 via a pluggable non-volatile memory.

[0117] The learned model is then stored in the auxiliary storage device 48 of the asphalt roller 100 .

[0118] The cut surface identification unit 50 b of the asphalt roller 100 according to the present modification inputs the image information to the learned model stored in the auxiliary storage device 48 , thereby acquiring information identifying the cut surface reflected in the image information.

[0119] For example, the cutting marks appearing on the cutting surface differ depending on the type of road cutting machine. Therefore, in this modification, a learned model that has been machine-learned using the cutting marks of the type corresponding to the road cutting machine used at the work site is stored in the asphalt roller 100. Thus, the cutting surface can be determined based on the cutting marks shown at the work site, thereby improving the accuracy of determining the cutting surface.

[0120] Furthermore, there is a method of updating the learned model as needed. For example, when the cut surface identification unit 50b makes an erroneous detection in the identification of the cut surface based on the image information, the image information in which the erroneous detection occurred is output to the learning device.

[0121] There is a method in which a learning device performs re-learning by inputting training data that specifies a correct cutting surface to the image information. There is a method in which a user specifies a cutting surface for the image information.

[0122] Then, the relearned learned model is stored in the auxiliary storage device 48 of the asphalt roller 100. In the present modification, the detection accuracy of the cut surface can be improved by performing relearning.

[0123] Thus, in this variant, by using the learned model to determine the cutting surface, the workload of making a program for detecting the cutting surface can be reduced. Furthermore, when using the learned model, the training data for learning can be added and updated as needed, thereby improving the detection accuracy of determining the cutting surface.

[0124] (Second embodiment)

[0125] In the above embodiment, an example of determining the cutting surface based on the image information captured by the front camera 51F is described. However, the image information used to determine the cutting surface is not limited to the image information captured by the front camera 51F. Therefore, in the second embodiment, an example of providing an imaging device near each distal end of the left telescopic leveler 31L and the right telescopic leveler 31R is described.

[0126] Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a rear view of the asphalt roller 100 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 9 In the example shown, in addition to the front camera 51F, the left camera 51L, and the right camera 51R shown in the first embodiment, a left auxiliary camera 51U and a right auxiliary camera 51V are provided.

[0127] The left auxiliary camera (an example of a detection device) 51U is installed near the upper end (+Z direction) of the distal end of the left telescopic leveler 31L. The optical axis 51UX of the left auxiliary camera 51U faces downward. Therefore, the imaging range of the left auxiliary camera 51U includes the boundary line between the left end (+Y direction) of the cutting surface and the shoulder and the side plate 71 of the left telescopic leveler 31L.

[0128] The right auxiliary camera (an example of a detection device) 51V is provided near the upper end (in the +Z direction) of the distal end of the right telescopic leveler 31R. The optical axis 51VX of the right auxiliary camera 51V is directed downward. Thus, the imaging range of the right auxiliary camera 51V includes the boundary line between the right end (in the -Y direction) of the cutting surface and the road shoulder and the side plate 71 of the right telescopic leveler 31R.

[0129] The controller 50 of the asphalt roller 100 according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment.

[0130] The acquisition unit 50 a acquires image information from the left auxiliary camera 51U and the right auxiliary camera 51V in addition to performing the processing of the first embodiment.

[0131] The cutting surface determination unit 50b determines the cutting surface based on the image information obtained from the left auxiliary camera 51U and the right auxiliary camera 51V. At this time, the cutting surface determination unit 50b also determines the boundary line between the cutting surface and the shoulder. There is a method for calculating the deviation between the side plate 71 (an example of the end of the leveler) and the boundary line when the cutting surface determination unit 50b determines the cutting surface based on the image information obtained from the left auxiliary camera 51U and the right auxiliary camera 51V.

[0132] The screed control unit 50e outputs a control command for extending and retracting the telescopic screed 31 to the screed control device 55 based on the boundary line (an example of the length of the cutting surface in the vehicle width direction) determined by the cutting surface determination unit 50b. For example, there is a method in which the screed control unit 50e outputs a control command for extending and retracting the telescopic screed 31 to the screed control device 55 in a manner that suppresses the amount of deviation between the side plate 71 (an example of the end of the screed) determined by the cutting surface determination unit 50b and the boundary line.

[0133] In this embodiment, the detection accuracy of the position of the boundary line is improved by installing the left auxiliary camera 51U and the right auxiliary camera 51V at the distal end of the telescopic leveler 31. Therefore, the telescopic leveler 31 can be telescopically controlled according to the cutting surface, thereby improving the construction accuracy of the road surface.

[0134] The installation position of the camera device in the above embodiment is shown as an example, and is not limited to the above position. As long as the camera range includes at least a part of the cutting surface (for example, the boundary line), it can be any position. For example, there is a method of installing the camera device at the distal end of a rod-shaped member extending from the asphalt roller 100 in the vehicle width direction.

[0135] <Function>

[0136] As described above, according to the asphalt roller 100 involved in the above embodiment, the cutting surface as the construction object can be determined based on the cutting marks represented in the image information. In addition, the asphalt roller 100 can perform appropriate construction treatment on the cutting surface after cutting the paving material by paving the cutting surface with the paving material. Therefore, the construction accuracy can be improved.

[0137] Furthermore, since the detected cut surface can be properly treated, it is easy to control the movement of the asphalt roller 100 and the extension and contraction of the screed machine 3. Therefore, the work burden of the passengers or operators of the asphalt roller 100 can be reduced.

[0138] The above describes the implementation methods of the construction machinery and road paving system involved in the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above implementation methods, etc. Various changes, corrections, replacements, additions, deletions and combinations can be made within the scope of the technical solution. Of course, these contents also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0139] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-156594 filed on September 29, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0140] Explanation of symbols

[0141] 100-asphalt roller, 3-screed machine, 30-main screed machine, 31L-left telescopic screed machine, 31R-right telescopic screed machine, 47-travel speed sensor, 48-auxiliary storage device, 48a-log information storage unit, 50-controller, 50a-acquisition unit, 50b-cutting surface determination unit, 50c-baseline generation unit, 50d-movement control unit, 50e-screed machine control unit, 50f-information control unit, 50g-communication control unit, 51F-front camera, 51R-right camera, 51L-left camera, 51U-left auxiliary camera, 51V-right auxiliary camera, 53-communication device, 54-drive system controller, 55-screed machine control device, 200-communication terminal, 300-remote management device.

Claims

1. A road machine comprising: Tractor; A leveler, arranged behind the tractor, for leveling the first paving material; A working device supplies the first paving material to the front of the leveling machine; and The control unit is configured to perform a process of paving a region where the cut marks appear with the first paving material based on the cut marks of the second paving material originally paved on the road surface indicated in the image information captured by the imaging device.

2. The road machine according to claim 1, wherein: A cut surface representing a region where the second paving material has been cut is determined based on the cut mark, and the cut surface included in the road surface is paved with the first paving material.

3. The road machine according to claim 2, wherein: As a process of paving the area where the cutting mark appears with the first paving material, the tractor is moved along a track determined based on the determined cutting surface.

4. The road machine according to claim 3, wherein: A center line between a plurality of boundary lines that are boundaries of the cutting surface in the vehicle width direction is a track at a predetermined position of the road machine.

5. The road machine according to claim 1, wherein: As a process of paving the area where the cutting mark appears with the first paving material, the tractor is moved along a track determined based on a boundary line between an area where the cutting mark exists and an area where the cutting mark does not exist indicated in the image information.

6. The road machine according to claim 1, wherein: The leveler can be extended and retracted freely in the vehicle width direction of the road machine. As a process of paving the region where the cut mark appears with the first paving material, the extension and contraction control of the screed machine is performed according to the length of the region where the cut mark exists in the vehicle width direction.

7. The road machine according to claim 6, wherein: The camera device is arranged near the distal end of the leveler. The extension and retraction of the leveler is controlled based on the end in the vehicle width direction of the region where the cutting mark appears in the image information captured by the camera device provided near the distal end of the leveler.

8. The road machine according to claim 1, wherein: The camera device is installed at one or more positions near the distal end of the leveler and at the upper end of the tractor.

9. The road machine according to claim 1, wherein: The invention further includes a storage unit that stores log information indicating a result of paving the region where the cut mark appears with the first paving material.

10. The road machine according to claim 2, wherein: A learned model is further provided, wherein the learned model has a function of outputting a region of the cut surface appearing in the image information based on the image information captured by the camera device, The road machine is configured to identify the cut surface reflected in the image information by inputting the image information captured by the imaging device provided in the road machine into the learned model.

11. A road paving system, comprising a road machine and a communication terminal, wherein: The road machine comprises: Tractor; A leveler, arranged behind the tractor, for leveling the first paving material; A working device for supplying the first paving material to the front of the leveling machine; Communications department, sending or receiving information; and a control unit configured to perform processing for paving the area where the cutting mark appears with the first paving material based on the cutting mark of the second paving material originally paved on the road surface indicated in the image information captured by the camera device, The communication terminal is configured to transmit or receive the information to or from the communication unit provided in the road machine.

Images