System, method, and computer program product for determining wear, damage, or change of work implement

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products may determine wear, damage, alteration, or other characteristics of a portion of a front link (4) of an excavator (1, 120). Systems, methods, and computer program products may include determining that an excavator (1, 120) is in a predetermined condition that weighs at least a portion of a front link (4) of the excavator (1, 120) based on a signal from at least one sensor (22a-22c, 23a-23d) of the excavator (1, 120); determining the weight of the portion of the front link (4) of the excavator (1, 120) under the condition that the excavator (1, 120) is in a state of weighing the portion of the front link (4) of the excavator (1, 120); determining that the determined weight of the portion of the front link (4) exceeds a predetermined weight range; and electronically outputting information about further actions to be taken for the part of the front link (4) of the excavator (1, 120).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to systems, methods, and computer program products for determining wear, damage, or alteration of work tools. Background Technology

[0002] The working tools on a working machine may wear out, become damaged, or be changed during the lifespan of the machine to which it is connected. Identifying excessive wear or damage can be challenging for the operator, and when a working tool is actually changed, the operator may forget to change the selected tool in the control system / display. This can lead to unexpected downtime or the use of inappropriate parameters.

[0003] U.S. Patent No. 9,315,970 (“'970 Patent”) describes a stress and / or cumulative damage monitoring system for bulldozing equipment such as excavators, trucks, wire rope shovels and drills, hydraulic shovels, wheel loaders, and graders. According to '970 Patent, the system includes: a strain gauge located at one of a plurality of strain gauge locations; a data acquisition unit for acquiring real-time strain data from the strain gauge; a processor and memory for processing the acquired real-time strain data to calculate one or more measurements of actual cumulative damage and / or actual instantaneous stress; and at least one output device for providing information comparing these measurements with corresponding reference values. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method relating to an excavator can be performed or implemented. The method may include: determining, based on signals from at least one sensor of the excavator, that the excavator is in a predetermined state of weighing at least a portion of the excavator's front link; determining, under the condition that the excavator is in the state of weighing the portion of the excavator's front link, the weight of that portion of the excavator's front link; determining that the determined weight of the portion of the front link exceeds a predetermined weight range; and electronically outputting information regarding further actions to be taken against the portion of the excavator's front link. The predetermined state may be a state in which the working tool of the excavator's front link is expected to have no effective load.

[0005] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon can be executed or implemented, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method. The method may include: determining, based on signals from at least one sensor of a working machine, that the working machine is in a predetermined state for weighing a working tool of the working machine; automatically determining the weight of the working tool in the state of weighing the working tool, without requiring input from an operator of the working machine; determining that the determined weight of the working tool exceeds a predetermined weight range; and electronically outputting information regarding further actions to be taken for the working tool. Optionally, the predetermined state may be a state in which the working tool is expected to be without payload. The further actions may include: inspecting the working tool, replacing some or all of the working tool, arranging for the replacement of some or all of the working tool, updating one or more parameters corresponding to different working tools of the working tool that have been replaced and associated with the determined weight, or performing a payload unloading operation.

[0006] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an excavator may be provided or implemented. The excavator may include: a lower traveling body; an upper rotating body operably connected to the lower traveling body and configured to rotate relative to the lower traveling body; a front link having a first end operably connected to the upper rotating body, the front link including a boom, a stick, and a working tool located at a second end opposite the first end; a plurality of inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors including a first IMU sensor operably coupled to the upper rotating body, a second IMU sensor operably coupled to the boom, and a third IMU sensor operably coupled to the stick; and circuitry configured to: The system determines that the excavator is in a predetermined state for determining the weight of the working tool, the predetermined state being based on the position of the front linkage determined according to feedback from the second and third IMU sensors, and the position of the upper rotating body determined according to feedback from the first IMU sensor; under the condition that the excavator is in the state for determining the weight of the working tool, the system determines the weight of the working tool; determines that the determined weight of the working tool exceeds a predetermined weight range; and electronically outputs information at the excavator and / or remotely from the excavator, the information indicating that further action will be taken regarding the working tool based on the fact that the weight of the working tool exceeds the predetermined weight range. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 It is a side elevation view of a working machine according to one or more embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

[0008] Figure 2 Another operating machine according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, which is implemented in a system according to one or more embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

[0009] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of a control system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 4 This is a functional block diagram illustrating various exemplary operations according to one or more embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

[0011] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a method according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0012] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for determining wear, damage, and / or alteration of work equipment. Additionally or alternatively, embodiments of the invention may relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for determining when a payload remains in the work tool after a payload dumping or disposal operation.

[0013] According to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, using sensors (e.g., position sensors, IMUs, pressure sensors, etc.) on the working machine that determine the position and load of the front linkage, the working tool can be weighed at one or more appropriate times. This weight can help determine wear, damage, and tool changes. Using this information, alerts can be promptly issued to operators and / or technicians to schedule maintenance / replacement, or machine settings can be adjusted in the event of a tool change if the operator has forgotten to change the settings. Additionally or alternatively, the determined weight can be used to alert the operator in the event of excessive material jamming on the working tool (i.e., backflow), which may prompt cleaning and / or changes to the workflow. The weight of the installed working tool and / or candidate working tools for installation can be downloaded to the working machine, for example, from a backend system to create an initial wear baseline. Alternatively, the weight of other parts of the front linkage (such as tilt rotators and / or couplings (e.g., quick couplers)) can be downloaded to the working machine to create an initial weight or wear baseline.

[0014] Generally, some work machines (such as excavators (e.g., hydraulic excavators)) may have an articulated working member constructed from multiple rotatably connected front components. Such an articulated working member can be considered as a front linkage. Furthermore, in work machines with such articulated working members, attitude information detection sensors (e.g., inertial measurement units (IMUs)) can be installed on each of the multiple front components constituting the working member (e.g., boom, stick, bucket, quick coupler, etc.) to detect the attitude information of each front component. The detection signals from the attitude information detection sensors can be input to a controller via an onboard network (wired and / or wireless), and the controller can be used to calculate the attitude of each front component. The calculated attitude of the front components can be displayed on a display (such as a monitor) inside and / or outside the work machine and used for limiting and controlling the work machine's range of motion (e.g., automatic control).

[0015] Now turning Figure 1 The figure illustrates a working machine 1 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Here, the working machine 1 is a hydraulic excavator, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the working machine 1 may be mobile or non-mobile, and may include, but is not limited to, machinery (e.g., vehicles) that perform certain types of operations associated with specific industries such as mining, construction, farming, transportation, forestry, etc., and operate between or within work environments, such as construction sites, mines, forests, power plants, road applications, marine applications, demolition applications (e.g., grabbing and dumping or demolition vehicles), etc.

[0016] The working machine 1 may include: a lower traveling body 2, which may be a tracked or rail-mounted traveling body; an upper rotating body 3, which may be operably connected to the lower traveling body 2 and configured to rotate relative to the lower traveling body 2; and a front link 4, which may be regarded as an articulated working component or machine having a first end operably connected to the upper rotating body 3.

[0017] The lower traveling body 2 may include a drive system, which may include a transmission and a ground propulsion device (if the working machine 1 is movable). The transmission device may include any device or group of devices that can transmit force between the power system and the ground propulsion device. The transmission device may include one or more of the following: mechanical transmission, gear transmission, belt, pulley, disc, chain, pump, motor, clutch, brake, torque converter, hydraulic coupling, etc. According to one or more embodiments, the propulsion device may include a track. In alternative embodiments, the propulsion device may additionally or alternatively include wheels.

[0018] According to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the front linkage 4 may include a boom 5, a stick 6, and a working implement or tool 7, which in this example is a bucket. However, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to... Figure 1 The front linkage 4 configuration shown may include additional or alternative components such as a front boom, an offset boom, a quick coupler, a coupling, a tilt swivel, etc. More generally, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the front linkage 4 may include all components from the boom 5 to the working tool 7 (including both ends). Optionally, the working machine 1 may have more than one working tool simultaneously.

[0019] The boom 5 may define or form a first end of the front link 4 and may be rotatably connected to the upper rotating body 3. The working tool 7 may form a second end of the front link 4, which is opposite to the first end at the upper rotating body 3. The stick 6 may be rotatably connected to the boom 5 and may be driven inward (towards the upper rotating body 3) and outward (away from the upper rotating body 3) relative to the support portion serving as a fulcrum. The working tool 7 may be rotatably connected to the stick 6.

[0020] The working machine 1 may include a travel motor for moving the lower traveling body 2, a rotary motor for rotating the upper rotating body 3, and various hydraulic actuators, such as boom cylinders 8, stick cylinders 9, and bucket cylinders 10, for respectively driving the boom 5, stick 6, and working tool 7. Note that a pair of boom cylinders 8 may be associated with the boom 5, one on each side of the boom 5. Figure 1 The boom cylinder 8 on the left side of boom 5 is shown.

[0021] The operator's cab 11 can be mounted on the upper rotating body 3, serving as both the operator's cab and the engine compartment 12, which houses various types of equipment, such as engines. The operator's cab 11 can be considered an operating station. The hydraulic system for driving the various hydraulic actuators of the working machine 1 can be implemented in the upper rotating body 3. The engine (which may be an internal combustion engine) may be part of the power system. Additionally or alternatively, the power system may include additional or other power sources, such as electric motors, fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, generators, etc.

[0022] The cab 11 may provide an operator's seat, various manipulators for traveling, rotating, and operating the boom 5, stick 6, and work tools 7, and monitors for various displays and settings. For example, the cab 11 may include an operator interface 24 and one or more manual control devices 26 for controlling the work machine 1. The operator interface 24 and the manual control devices 26 may be operatively coupled to a control system, which may be or include a controller 25. Optionally, one or both of the operator interface 24 and / or the manual control devices 26 may be considered part of the control system. Optionally, the work machine 1 may be remotely controlled from outside the cab 11, or the cab 11 or a portion thereof may not be provided for remote control of the work machine 1. Additionally or alternatively, the work machine 1 may operate autonomously or semi-autonomously.

[0023] The operator interface 24 may be or may include, for example, a control panel implemented on or implemented as a display device, operable to display, for example, a graphical user interface (GUI) providing some or all of the operator interface 24. According to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, such an operator interface 24 may be implemented using multiple display devices. A non-limiting example of the manual control device 26 is or includes one or more joysticks, but embodiments of the disclosed subject matter are not limited thereto. Alternatively, as noted above, the cab 11 (and therefore the operator interface 24 and manual control device 26) may be located outside the operating machine 1, for example, in a back-end system 150 (see, for example...). Figure 2 ) place.

[0024] The manual control device 26 can control the rotation of the upper rotating body 3 relative to the lower traveling body 2. Such rotation can be referred to as or characterized as oscillation, particularly the oscillation of the working tool 7. The manual control device 26 can also control the movement of the front link 4 (including portions of the front link, such as the working tool 7) relative to the upper rotating body 3. For example, the manual control device 26 can be operated to move the working tool 7 to the outermost or most extended position, i.e., as far away from the upper rotating body 3 as possible. Similarly, the manual control device 26 can be operated to move the working tool 7 to the innermost or least extended position, i.e., as close to the rotating body 3 as possible when constraints permit. Such movement of the working tool 7 can be characterized as or considered to be in the radial direction. Thus, the working tool 7 can be radially extended to the outermost and innermost positions and retracted from the outermost and innermost positions, respectively. Incidentally, according to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, dirt or soil, etc. (e.g., other fine or granular materials), may not constitute the payload of the working tool 7.

[0025] The working machine 1 may also include multiple sensors (such as inertial navigation units or inertial measurement units (IMUs) 22a to 22c, multiple pressure sensors 23a, 23b, and 23d) and a controller 25, which may be implemented in a circuit or using a circuit. The controller 25 may be considered as a control system or part of a control system. Note that each boom cylinder 8 may have a corresponding pressure sensor 23b. The working machine 1 may also have a swing angle sensor at the upper rotating body 3, and / or a working tool angle sensor (e.g., a bucket angle sensor) at the working tool 7.

[0026] Generally, sensors 22a to 22c can measure or detect angular velocity and acceleration, or can be used to measure or detect angular velocity and acceleration. Further, according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, sensors 22a to 22c can be considered attitude information detection sensors. Sensors 22a, 22b, and 22c can be mounted on the stick 6, boom 5, and upper rotating body 3, respectively, or can be part of the stick, boom, and upper rotating body. In this regard, sensors 22a, 22b, and 22c can respectively use corresponding detection signals provided to the controller 25 via an onboard network connection (such as via a controller area network (CAN)) to detect, or can be used to detect, information regarding the attitude (including position) of the stick 6, boom 5, and upper rotating body 3. Sensors 22a, 22b, and 22c can be considered as a second IMU sensor, a third IMU sensor, and a first IMU sensor, respectively. According to one or more embodiments, the respective sensors 22a to 22c may have individual identification numbers and may be configured to identify which detection signal input to the controller 25 comes from which sensor 22a to 22c by outputting detection information with the individual identification numbers.

[0027] Pressure sensors 23a, 23b, and 23d can detect pressure at corresponding portions of the front link 4. Among other information, these pressure sensors 23a, 23b, and 23d can also indicate the weight (force / torque) of the corresponding portion of the front link 4. Signals from pressure sensors 23a, 23b, and 23d can be received by controller 25 and used to determine the weight (force / torque) of the corresponding portion of the front link 4. According to one or more embodiments, this weight (force / torque) information can be based on known characteristics of portions of the front link 4 (i.e., the working tool 7, the stick 6, and the boom 5), which can be stored in a computer-readable memory accessible to controller 25.

[0028] Now turning Figure 2The figure illustrates another working machine 120 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Here, the working machine 120 may be an excavator (e.g., a hydraulic excavator) and may include a clamshell bucket or grab bucket as a working tool or implement 127. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this. Figure 2 The front link 4 configuration shown may include additional or alternative components such as a front boom, offset boom, quick coupler, coupling, tilt swivel, etc. More generally, according to embodiments of this disclosure, the front link 4 may include all components (including both ends) from the boom 5 to the working tool 127. For simplicity, it is no longer referred to here in relation to... Figure 2 Detailed description and Figure 1 The corresponding parts of the working machine 1 correspond to some parts of the working machine 120. According to one or more embodiments, the working machine 120 can be implemented in a system 100, which may also include a background system 150.

[0029] like Figure 1 Like the working machine 1, the working machine 120 can interchange working tools, or even include multiple working tools simultaneously, including a grab bucket (e.g., as shown), a shovel bucket (e.g., as shown) Figure 1 (as shown in the figure). In the case that the working tool 127 is a grab bucket or clamshell bucket, the working machine 1 may optionally detect the opening of the grab bucket / clamshell bucket to dump or unload the payload of the grab bucket / clamshell bucket without a position sensor.

[0030] This may include, but is not limited to, machinery (e.g., vehicles) that perform certain types of operations associated with specific industries such as mining, construction, farming, transportation, forestry, etc., and that operate between or within work environments, such as construction sites, mines, forests, power plants, road applications, marine applications, demolition applications (e.g., grabbing and dumping or demolishing vehicles), etc. Incidentally, as an example, the payload of the work tool 127 according to one or more embodiments of the disclosed subject matter may be timber, a vehicle to be demolished, or a vehicle that has already been demolished.

[0031] Optionally, the working machine 120 may have a communication system 48. The communication system 48 can communicate, for example wirelessly, with the back-end system 150 and / or other machines or vehicles (such as one or more transport trucks at the site). The communication system 48 can be implemented in a circuit or using circuitry. Among other information or data, load or payload data can be transmitted from the working machine 120 to, for example, the back-end system 150 via the communication system 48. Optionally, Figure 1 The operating machine 1 may include a communication system 48.

[0032] Now turning Figure 3 , Figure 3A block diagram illustrating the configuration of an information processing system 50 for a work machine 1 or work machine 120 according to one or more embodiments of the disclosed subject matter is shown. Figure 3 As illustrated herein, the information processing system 50 may include an input unit 52, a communication unit 53, a storage unit 54, a display unit 55, an audio unit 56, a sensor unit 57, and a controller 25. As used herein, the controller 25 may include only one controller or multiple controllers.

[0033] In an exemplary implementation, the information processing system 50 of the work machine 1 or work machine 120, or a portion thereof, may be implemented using circuitry or processing circuitry. This circuitry or processing circuitry may include a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, an integrated circuit, an ASIC (“Application-Specific Integrated Circuit”), a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor unit (MPU), conventional circuitry, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functionalities. A processor may be considered as processing circuitry or circuitry because such processors include transistors and other circuitry therein. A processor may be a programmable processor that executes a program stored in memory. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or device may be hardware that performs or is programmed to perform the listed functionalities. This hardware may be any hardware disclosed herein or otherwise known that is programmed or configured to perform the listed functionalities. When the hardware is a processor that can be considered a type of circuit, the circuit, device, or unit may be a combination of hardware and software used to configure the hardware and / or the processor.

[0034] Input unit 52 may have the function of receiving one (or more) inputs of operational information from a user of information processing system 50, who may be an operator of work machine 1 or work machine 120. In this embodiment, for example, input unit 52, which may be implemented in or using circuitry, may be implemented as or represent operator interface 24, manual control device 26, touch panel of display unit 55, and / or one or more foot pedals in cab 11. Generally, input unit 52 may receive input and provide output to controller 25 based on or using that input. For example, an example of input from an operator may be a command input to operator interface 24 to weigh some or all of the front linkage 4 (such as work tool 7 or work tool 127). Other examples of input may be or may include input components that control the movement of work machine 1 or work machine 120 or parts thereof (such as front linkage 4 or parts thereof, such as work tool 7 or work tool 127).

[0035] The communication unit 53 may have a communication interface that functions as a transmitter and receiver, for example, to perform communication with external devices based on control from the controller 25. In this embodiment, the communication unit 53 may be configured using communication devices such as a local CAN, wired or wireless LAN, a communication card for Bluetooth, a router for communication, and a modem for communication. According to one or more embodiments, the communication unit 53 may be implemented as or represent a communication system 48.

[0036] Storage unit 54 may have the function of storing various information used by controller 25. For example, storage unit 54 may store wear data associated with the wear of the front link 4 or its parts (such as tool 7 or tool 127). Such wear data may include the initial weight of each of a plurality of tools (including tool 7 and / or tool 127), the wear rate of the plurality of tools, the wear characteristic curves of the plurality of tools, and / or the wear thresholds of the plurality of tools. Optionally, the foregoing may be applied to some or all of the parts of the front link 4. According to one or more embodiments, the operator of the working machine 1 or the working machine 120 may input wear data (e.g., initial weight) via input unit 52, or otherwise associate (e.g., select from a drop-down menu) with wear data relating to the front link or its parts (e.g., tool 7 or tool 127). As an example, when tool 7 or tool 127 is first mounted on the front link 4, the operator may input wear data associated with the added tool. Storage unit 54 can be configured using storage devices such as magnetic storage devices, semiconductor storage devices, and optical storage devices. As noted above, the weights of the installed work tools 7, 127 and / or candidate work tools used for installation can be downloaded, for example, from the back-end system 150 to the work machines 1, 120 to create an initial wear baseline. Such data can be stored in storage unit 54 and accessed by controller 25. Alternatively, the weights of other parts of the front linkage (such as the tilt rotator and / or connectors (e.g., quick couplers)) can be downloaded to the work machines to create an initial weight or wear baseline. This data can also be stored in storage unit 54 and accessed by controller 25.

[0037] Display unit 55 may have the function of displaying various information based on control from controller 25. For example, display unit 55 may display some or all of the input information acquired by input unit 52. Such information may include information about the wear of the front link 4 or its portions (such as tool 7 or tool 127). As an example, the information may indicate that the wear of a portion of the front link 4 has exceeded a wear threshold or is about to exceed a wear threshold (including an estimated amount of time when the portions of the front link 4 are expected to exceed the wear threshold). According to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the wear threshold may be a predetermined weight range for the portions of the front link 4. Additionally or alternatively, the information may indicate to the operator the current wear information and does not correspond to a newly connected tool, and / or the operator needs to change parameters to correspond to a newly connected tool. In this case, the operator can use input unit 52 to set the current wear information and / or the parameters corresponding to the newly connected tool. Display unit 55 may be configured using display devices such as liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, and organic EL displays. Display unit 55 can be implemented as a monitor or display (e.g., as part of operator interface 24) and can be equipped with a touch panel to input information to controller 25. Optionally, the off-board system can issue alerts to parties other than the operators of work machines 1, 120 (such as operators at back-end system 150, dealers or owners of work machines 1, 120 or work tools 7, 127, and / or field maintenance personnel) informing them that maintenance is needed or may be needed soon. Additionally or alternatively, return material type information can be output from work machines 1, 120 to foremen, for example, for training or to consider changes to the process, thereby better ensuring that the complete emptying of work tools 7, 127 has occurred.

[0038] The audio unit 56 may have the function of outputting sound based on control from the controller 25. In this embodiment, the audio unit 56 may be implemented as a horn or loudspeaker of the work machine 1 or work machine 120. In this embodiment, optionally, the audio unit 56 may output sound, for example, information about wear related to a portion of the front link 4, which may include or may be part of instructions to the operator of the work machine 1 or work machine 120.

[0039] Sensor unit 57 can detect various data or information from the operating machine 1 or operating machine 120. According to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, sensor unit 57 can be implemented as or represent some or all of the sensors 22a to 22c of the operating machine 1 or operating machine 120, some or all of the pressure sensors 23a, 23b, 23d, and / or one or more other sensors (e.g., a triaxial accelerometer (including an acceleration sensor, a gravity sensor, and a fall detection sensor) or a triaxial gyroscope sensor (including an angular velocity sensor and a geomagnetic sensor)). Therefore, sensor unit 57 can sense data or information associated with some or all of the aforementioned sensors. Such sensed data or information can be sent to controller 25 and processed by the controller.

[0040] The controller 25 may have some or all of the functions of the control information processing system 50. For example, the controller 25 may control the operation of the work machine 1 or the work machine 120 based on information from the input unit 52, information from the storage unit 54 and / or information from the sensor unit 57.

[0041] Generally, controller 25 can determine the weight of the front link 4 or a portion thereof (such as tool 7 or tool 127) based on data from sensors (such as sensors 22a to 22c and pressure sensors 23a, 23b, 23d) and determine whether the weight is reduced or increased relative to a previously determined weight. A reduction or increase may correspond to improper wear of a portion of the front link 4, damage to a portion of the front link 4, a configuration change of the front link 4 (e.g., replacement of tool 7 or tool 127), or the payload remaining in or on tool 7 or tool 127. In other words, the working machines 1, 120 can be used as a scale to determine the weight of a portion of the front link 4, and such weight can be determined at appropriate times. Therefore, according to one or more embodiments, controller 25 can determine the weight of a portion of the front link 4 discontinuously, at least when such weight determination is related to determining wear of a portion of the front link 4. Conversely, controller 25 can determine the weight of a portion of the front link 4 only at appropriate times to determine the wear of that portion of the front link 4, although the determination of weight can be performed continuously, periodically, or once at such appropriate times. Figure 4 It is a functional block diagram of various operations related to determining the weight of a portion of the front link 4, according to one or more embodiments of the disclosed subject matter.

[0042] Determining the weight of a portion of the front link 4 at an appropriate time may include the controller 25 first determining that the working machines 1 and 120 are in a predetermined state for determining the weight of a portion of the front link 4. The working machines 1 and 120, or portions thereof (such as some or all of the front link 4), may be stationary or movable in the predetermined state for determining the weight of a portion of the front link 4. Figure 4 This indicates that controller 25 can determine at operation or function 204 that the working machines 1 and 120 are in a predetermined state.

[0043] As an example, the predetermined state for determining the weight of the working tools 7 and 127 can be a state where the working tools 7 and 127 have no effective load, are expected to have no effective load, or are below a predetermined remaining effective load or return material threshold. In other words, the effective load may be zero, may be expected to be zero, or may be below a predetermined remaining effective load or return material threshold.

[0044] For example, after changing or replacing work tools 7, 127, or typically at the end of a specific work cycle or the triggering of a work cycle (such as after a dumping or releasing operation of work tools 7, 127), or before the start of another work cycle (such as before a digging, loading, or grabbing operation of work tools 7, 127), the payload may be zero, expected to be zero, or below a predetermined remaining payload or return material threshold. Optionally, a predetermined time may elapse in a predetermined state before the controller 25 determines the weight of a portion of the front link 4, for example, to allow work tools 7, 127 to be positioned or stabilized at the end of a work cycle, when engaged with the front link 4, or before the start of another work cycle.

[0045] The controller 25 can determine that the working machines 1, 120 are in a predetermined state, such as when a specific cycle or work cycle triggering ends, to automatically determine the weight of a portion of the front link 4 using position data corresponding to the positioning of the front link 4 or a portion thereof. Such position data may be provided by one or more sensors of the working machines 1, 120, such as one or more sensors 22a to 22c and / or one or more pressure sensors 23a, 23b, 23d. Alternatively, the detection of the end of a specific cycle or work cycle triggering can use position data corresponding to the positioning (e.g., orientation, swing angle, etc.) of the entire working machines 1, 120. Such position data may be provided by one or more sensors of the working machines 1, 120, such as an inertial navigation unit (INU) or a global positioning system (GPS) unit on the working machines 1, 120.

[0046] Additionally or alternatively, controller 25 may determine, in response to manual operation input by the operator of the working machines 1, 120 to manual control device 26 or input unit 52, that the working machines 1, 120 are in a predetermined state determining the weight of a portion of the front linkage 4. This manual operation may include, for example, a tilting or grab release command input by the operator, or a check weight or check wear command input by the operator. The latter may be implemented where the working tools of the working machines do not have a defined work cycle, such as in the case of rollers on a road roller, or according to an inspection schedule, but embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0047] When the working machines 1 and 120 are in a predetermined state for determining the weight of a portion of the front link 4, the controller 25 can check or determine the weight of that portion. This determination can be made using feedback from one or more sensors, such as one or more sensors 22a to 22c and / or one or more pressure sensors 23a, 23b, 23d. Generally, the weight calculation of portions of the working implements 7 and 127 can be performed based on or using the center of gravity of the working machines 1 and 120, the structure of the front link 4, the positioning of the front link 4, the positioning of the working machines 1 and 120 (e.g., the upper rotating body 3) relative to gravity, etc., and using kinematic mathematics and the forces associated with the pressure sensors 23a, 23b, 23d, the controller 25 can calculate the mass of each portion of the working machines 1 and 120, and then subtract the known mass to obtain the corresponding weight of the portion of the front link 4.

[0048] The controller 25 can automatically determine the weight of a portion of the front link 4, for example, by using position data corresponding to the positioning of the front link 4 or a portion thereof, or in response to operator input (e.g., a command) (and when the working machines 1, 120 are in a predetermined state for determining the weight of a portion of the front link 4), for example, upon detecting the end of a specific cycle or the triggering of a work cycle. Such weight determination can be performed continuously, periodically, or once when the working machines 1, 120 are in the predetermined state.

[0049] The controller 25 can determine whether the weight of a portion of the front link 4 exceeds a predetermined weight range. The predetermined weight range may be based on or may include one or more predetermined weight thresholds (e.g., minimum or maximum values) and / or one or more weight-over-time wear characteristic curves associated with one or more portions of the front link 4. Optionally, this determination may be based on or use one or more previous weight determination values, i.e., changes in the weight of a portion of the front link 4 relative to previous weights, such as previous weight determination values ​​and / or the initial weight of the portion of the front link 4 when it was initially coupled to the front link 4.

[0050] A predetermined weight range can be stored in storage unit 54 of information processing system 50 and accessed by controller 25, for example, to determine whether the weight of a portion of the front link 4 exceeds the predetermined weight range. Optionally, storage unit 54 can store the predetermined weight range for each portion of the front link 4, and / or the predetermined weight ranges for multiple different working tools that can be connected to the front link 4. Operators of working machines 1 and 120 can set specific working tools (e.g., working tool 7 or working tool 127) when a working tool is connected to the front link 4; operators can also set parameters for the working tools connected to the front link 4. Therefore, controller 25 can know which predetermined weight ranges to access when comparing the current weight of the working tools. In this regard, the baseline or initial weight and / or weight wear characteristic curve of the connected working tools can be provided to information processing system 50 (e.g., to storage unit 54) by manual input by the operator, download via communication system 48 or communication unit 53, automatic via work cycle monitoring, and / or via maintenance testing. Figure 4 This indicates that various information or data can be entered at operation or function 202 and accessed by controller 25 to determine whether the weight of a portion of the front link 4 exceeds a predetermined weight range.

[0051] According to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, controller 25 may determine that the weight of a portion of the front link 4 (such as the weight of the working tools 7, 127) has decreased or increased, and such decrease or increase corresponds to improper wear of a portion of the front link 4, damage to a portion of the front link 4, a configuration change of the front link 4 (e.g., replacement of the working tool 7 or the working tool 127), or the payload remaining in or on the working tool 7 or the working tool 127. Figure 4 This indicates whether the determined weight of the portion of the front link 4 according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure is within or exceeds a predetermined weight range for the operation to be performed. If the determined weight is within the predetermined weight range, according to... Figure 4 Operations or functions in section 206 will not output notifications.

[0052] Here, the increase in weight may correspond to a configuration change in the front link 4 (in which a heavier component of the front link has been added), or the payload may remain in or on the working tool 7 or the working tool 127. Figure 4 Operation or function 210 can represent any of these scenarios. Residual payload can be considered as reload material. Reduction may correspond to improper wear (i.e., wear requiring replacement or repair of the corresponding part or requiring arrangement for replacement or repair) or partial damage to the front link 4 (which may also lead to replacement or repair of the corresponding part or arrangement for repair or replacement). Figure 4The operation or function 208 can represent any of these scenarios. Generally, according to one or more embodiments, the portion of the front link 4 that will wear out will be the portion that interacts with the work material.

[0053] In the case of reduction, the weight can be reduced from a predetermined weight range to a range exceeding the predetermined weight range. According to one or more embodiments, a predetermined amount can be reduced, wherein the predetermined amount can correspond to damage to a portion of the front link 4 or wear of a portion of the front link 4 over time, particularly wherein the amount corresponding to damage for the former is greater than the amount corresponding to wear over time for the latter. Further, the predetermined amount corresponding to wear over time may itself be lower than a predetermined weight change threshold, wherein the predetermined weight change threshold may correspond to a predetermined amount corresponding to damage. In other words, the controller 25 can distinguish whether a portion of the front link 4 is experiencing wear over time or damage based on whether the weight change is lower than the predetermined weight change threshold (wear over time) or higher than the predetermined weight change threshold (damage).

[0054] When changing the work tool (such as work tool 7 or work tool 127), the weight may increase or decrease relative to the immediately preceding work tool. Figure 4 Operation / function 210 or operation / function 208 can represent any of these scenarios. This increase may correspond to replacing the same type of work tool, for example, because the work tool has become worn or damaged, as discussed above. Here, the weight of the newly connected work tool should correspond to the work tool in an unworn or undamaged state, for example, differing from or within the so-called new weight or initial weight of the newly connected work tool by a predetermined amount. The new weight or initial weight can be the weight of a brand-new work tool or a refurbished work tool. Such a new weight or initial weight of the newly connected work tool can be stored in storage unit 54 before being connected to the front link 4 and accessed by controller 25 for comparison with the weight of the newly connected work tool to determine whether the newly connected work tool corresponds to the new weight or initial weight. If the weight of the newly connected work tool differs from or within the new weight or initial weight by a predetermined amount, it can be determined that the newly connected work tool corresponds to the new weight or initial weight.

[0055] Alternatively, the increase in weight of the newly connected work tool may correspond to a different type of work tool, for example, changing from work tool 7 to work tool 127, or vice versa. Alternatively, the different type of work tool may correspond to a reduction in weight of the newly connected work tool compared to the previous work tool. Figure 4Operation / function 210 or operation / function 208 can represent any of these scenarios. Here, storage unit 54 can store different weights (including different weight ranges) of different types of work tools. When a newly connected work tool is connected to the front link 4, the weight of the newly connected work tool can be determined and compared with the stored weight. Such comparisons can be made to detect tool changes and even identify the type of work tool connected to the front link 4.

[0056] If the determined weight of a portion of the front link 4 exceeds a predetermined weight range, the controller 25 may cause one or more notifications to be output locally at the work machines 1, 120, and / or remotely at a location other than the work machines 1, 120 (e.g., at the background system 150). Notifications that may be output by the display unit 55 and / or the audio unit 56 may be information, alarms, and / or further actions to be taken. Example notifications may be based on whether the weight of a portion of the front link 4 is above or below a predetermined weight range, and may include alarms for replacing a portion of the front link 4, parts replacement information (e.g., type, availability, etc.), estimated tooling life, instructions to update one or more tooling parameters corresponding to the newly connected tooling, residual payload (i.e., return load), instructions for removing the return load, instructions for performing another payload unloading operation, scheduling a replacement of a portion of the front link 4, and inspecting a portion of the front link 4.

[0057] Industrial applicability

[0058] As noted above, embodiments of this disclosure relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for determining wear, damage, and / or alteration of work equipment. Additionally or alternatively, embodiments of the invention may relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for determining when a payload remains in the work tool after a payload dumping or disposal operation.

[0059] As noted above, the working tools on a work machine (e.g., an excavator) may wear out, become damaged, or be replaced during the service life of the work machine to which it is attached. Identifying excessive wear or damage can be challenging for the operator, and when a working tool is actually changed, the operator may forget to change the selected working tool in the control system / display. This can lead to unexpected downtime or the use of inappropriate parameters.

[0060] According to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, using sensors (e.g., position sensors, IMUs, pressure sensors, etc.) on the working machine that determine the position of the front linkage and the load, the working tool can be weighed at one or more appropriate times. This weight can help determine wear, damage, and tool changes. Using this information, alerts can be promptly issued to operators and / or technicians to schedule maintenance / replacement, or machine settings can be adjusted in the event of a tool change if the operator has forgotten to change the settings. Additionally or alternatively, the determined weight can be used to alert the operator in cases where excessive material is jammed on the working tool (i.e., material backflow), which may prompt cleaning and / or changes to the work process.

[0061] According to one or more embodiments, the weight of the installed working tool and / or candidate working tools used for installation can be downloaded to the working machine, for example, from a backend system, to create an initial wear baseline. This data can be stored in a storage unit of the working machine and accessed by the working machine's controller. Alternatively, the weight of other parts of the front linkage, such as the tilt rotator and / or couplings (e.g., quick couplers), can be downloaded to the working machine to create an initial weight or wear baseline. This data can also be stored in a storage unit and accessed by the working machine's controller.

[0062] The determined weight of the front link can inform the operator and / or technicians or maintenance personnel that there may be a weight-related problem with the front link that may need to be checked. According to one or more embodiments, the front link can be weighed at different times as components attached to it are sequentially disengaged. For example, the weight of the front link can be determined using a work tool, then determined again after the work tool is disengaged, and again after the next component (e.g., a tilt rotator or connector) is removed. Optionally, an alarm or notification can be output to the operator of the work machine to execute the sequential disengagement process.

[0063] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of method 300 according to an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter. Some or all of method 300 can be performed via one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors (such as one or more processors of controller 25), cause one or more processors to perform some or all of method 300. According to one or more embodiments, method 300 may be referred to or characterized as a method for determining one or more of the following: improper wear of one or more portions of front link 4, partial damage to front link 4, configurational change of front link 4 (e.g., replacement of work tool 7 or work tool 127), or payload remaining in or on a work tool (such as work tool 7 or work tool 127).

[0064] At 302, method 300 may involve determining whether a working machine (such as working machine 1 or working machine 120) is in a predetermined state for weighing at least a portion of the front link 4 (such as working tool 7 or working tool 127). Controller 25 may determine whether the working machine is in a predetermined state for determining the weight of a portion of the front link 4.

[0065] According to one or more embodiments, controller 25 can determine that the working machines 1, 120 are in a predetermined state to automatically determine the weight of a portion of the front link 4 using position data corresponding to the positioning of the front link 4 or a portion thereof, for example, upon detecting the end of a specific cycle or work cycle trigger. Such position data may be provided by one or more sensors of the working machines 1, 120, such as one or more sensors 22a to 22c and / or one or more pressure sensors 23a, 23b, 23d. Alternatively, the detection of the end of a specific cycle or work cycle trigger can use position data corresponding to the positioning (e.g., orientation, swing angle, etc.) of the entire working machines 1, 120. Such position data may be provided by one or more sensors of the working machines 1, 120, such as an inertial navigation unit (INU) or a global positioning system (GPS) unit on the working machines 1, 120.

[0066] Additionally or alternatively, controller 25 may determine, in response to manual operation input by the operator of the working machines 1, 120 to manual control device 26 or input unit 52, that the working machines 1, 120 are in a predetermined state determining the weight of a portion of the front linkage 4. This manual operation may include, for example, a tilting or grab release command input by the operator, or a check weight or check wear command input by the operator. The latter may be implemented where the working tools of the working machines do not have a defined work cycle, such as in the case of rollers on a road roller, or according to an inspection schedule, but embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0067] At operation or step 304, and when the working machines 1, 120 are in a predetermined state for determining the weight of a portion of the front link 4, method 300 can determine the weight of one or more portions of the front link 4.

[0068] Such weight determination can utilize feedback from one or more sensors, such as one or more of sensors 22a to 22c and / or one or more of pressure sensors 23a, 23b, 23d. Controller 25 can automatically determine the weight of a portion of the front link 4, for example, by using position data corresponding to the positioning of the front link 4 or its portion, or in response to operator input (e.g., commands) (and in the case that the working machines 1, 120 are in a predetermined state for determining the weight of a portion of the front link 4).

[0069] At 306, method 300 involves determining whether the determined weight is within a predetermined weight range. In other words, operation 306 may involve determining that the determined weight exceeds a predetermined weight range. For example, controller 25 may determine that the weight of a portion of the front link 4 (such as the weight of the working tools 7, 127) has decreased or increased, and such decrease or increase corresponds to improper wear of a portion of the front link 4, damage to a portion of the front link 4, a configuration change of the front link 4 (e.g., replacement of working tool 7 or working tool 127), or the payload remaining in or on working tool 7 or working tool 127.

[0070] Operation 308 of method 300 involves a situation where the determined weight of a portion of the front link 4 is less than a predetermined weight range (e.g., a minimum threshold). Here, a notification can be output indicating that the portion of the front link 4 is excessively worn or the tool has been changed.

[0071] Operation 310 of method 300 involves a situation where the determined weight of a portion of the front link 4 exceeds a predetermined weight range (e.g., a minimum or maximum threshold). Here, a notification can be output, indicating whether there is a return of material or a change in the operating tool.

[0072] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, aspects of this disclosure may be embodied as a system, method, or computer program product. Therefore, aspects of this disclosure may take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects, which may generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of this disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable program code thereon.

[0073] The functionality of the elements disclosed herein can be implemented using circuitry or processing circuitry, including general-purpose processors, application-specific processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (“Application-Specific Integrated Circuits”), conventional circuitry, and / or combinations thereof configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered to be processing circuitry or a circuit that includes transistors and other circuitry. A processor can be a programmable processor that executes a program stored in memory. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or device is hardware that performs or is programmed to perform the listed functions. This hardware can be any hardware disclosed herein or otherwise known that is programmed or configured to perform the listed functions. When the hardware is a processor that can be considered a type of circuit, the circuit, device, or unit is a combination of hardware and software used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0074] Further, as used herein, the term "circuit" may refer to any or all of the following: (a) a hardware circuit implementation only (such as an implementation in analog and / or digital circuits only); (b) a combination of circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of processors or (ii) a processor / software (including digital signal processors), software, and memory portion that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions); and (c) a circuit, such as a microprocessor or a portion of a microprocessor, which requires software or firmware to operate, even if the software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of "circuit" may be applied to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuit" may also cover an implementation of a processor (or processors) only or a portion of a processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0075] According to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the terms "data," "content," "information," and similar terms may be used interchangeably to refer to data that can be transmitted, received, manipulated, and / or stored. The term "network" may refer to a group of interconnected computers or other computing devices. Within a network, these computers or other computing devices may be interconnected directly or indirectly via various means, including via one or more switches, routers, gateways, access points, etc.

[0076] Various aspects of this disclosure have been described above with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, the flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this disclosure. For example, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a portion of a module, segment, or code that includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than indicated in the figures. For example, depending on the included functionality, two blocks shown consecutively may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or these blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, may be implemented by a system based on dedicated hardware, or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions, that performs the specified function or action.

[0077] It should also be understood that each box in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of boxes in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagrams.

[0078] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other means to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of writing including instructions that implement the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of a flowchart and / or block diagram. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other means to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other means, thereby producing a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0079] Embodiments of the disclosed subject matter can also be described using the following brackets.

[0080] (1) An excavator comprising: a lower traveling body; an upper rotating body operably connected to and configured to rotate relative to the lower traveling body; a front link having a first end operably connected to the upper rotating body, the front link including a boom, a stick, and a working tool located at a second end opposite to the first end; a plurality of inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors including a first IMU sensor operably coupled to the upper rotating body, a second IMU sensor operably coupled to the boom, and a third IMU sensor operably coupled to the stick; and circuitry, the circuitry being The configuration is as follows: determining that the excavator is in a predetermined state for determining the weight of the working tool, the predetermined state being based on the position of the front linkage determined according to feedback from the second and third IMU sensors, and the position of the upper rotating body determined according to feedback from the first IMU sensor; determining the weight of the working tool under the condition that the excavator is in the state for determining the weight of the working tool; determining that the determined weight of the working tool exceeds a predetermined weight range; and electronically outputting information at the excavator and / or remotely from the excavator, the information indicating that further action will be taken regarding the working tool based on the fact that the weight of the working tool exceeds the predetermined weight range.

[0081] (2) The excavator according to (1), wherein the circuit determines that the determined weight of the working tool exceeds the predetermined weight range, which involves the determined weight of the working tool being reduced by a predetermined amount from the predetermined weight range, the predetermined amount indicating that the working tool is damaged.

[0082] (3) The excavator according to (1) or (2), wherein the circuit determines that the determined weight of the working tool exceeds the predetermined weight range, which involves the determined weight of the working tool being reduced from the predetermined weight range by an amount less than a predetermined threshold.

[0083] (4) The excavator according to any one of (1) or (3), wherein the circuit determines that the determined weight of the working tool exceeds the predetermined weight range, which involves changing the determined weight of the working tool to correspond to a weight associated with a different working tool.

[0084] (5) The excavator according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the circuit outputs the information at the excavator to the operator of the excavator in the form of an alarm, the information instructing the operator to update one or more working tool parameters corresponding to the different working tools as the further action to be taken.

[0085] (6) The excavator according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein determining the predetermined state of the weight of the working tool is a state in which the working tool should have no effective load, and wherein the circuit determines that the determined weight of the working tool exceeds the predetermined weight range involves the determined weight of the working tool increasing from the predetermined weight range.

[0086] (7) The excavator according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the circuit outputs the information at the excavator electronically to the operator of the excavator in the form of an alarm, the information instructing the operator to control the excavator to perform another payload unloading operation.

[0087] (8) The excavator according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the circuit outputs the information electronically at a distance from the excavator, the information indicating that the further action to be taken with respect to the working tool is to arrange for the replacement of the working tool or part of the working tool.

[0088] (9) The excavator according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the circuit automatically determines the weight of the working tool under the condition that the excavator is in the state of determining the weight of the working tool, and without the need for input from the operator of the excavator.

[0089] (10) An excavator according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the circuit determines the weight of the working tool when the excavator is stationary and under the condition that the excavator is in the state of determining the weight of the working tool.

[0090] (11) A method relating to an excavator, the method comprising: determining, based on signals from at least one sensor of the excavator, that the excavator is in a predetermined state of weighing at least a portion of the excavator's front link; determining, under the condition that the excavator is in the state of weighing the portion of the excavator's front link, the weight of the portion of the excavator's front link; determining that the determined weight of the portion of the front link exceeds a predetermined weight range; and electronically outputting information regarding further actions to be taken against the portion of the excavator's front link, wherein the predetermined state is a state in which the working tool of the excavator's front link is expected to have no effective load.

[0091] (12) The method according to (11), wherein the portion of the front link is the working tool.

[0092] (13) The method according to (11) or (12), wherein the further action includes one of the following: inspecting the portion of the front link, replacing some or all of the portion of the front link, arranging to replace some or all of the portion of the front link, updating one or more parameters corresponding to the different portions of the front link associated with the portion of the front link that is replaced with the determined weight, or performing another load unloading operation.

[0093] (14) The method according to any one of (11) to (13), wherein determining that the determined weight of the portion of the front link exceeds the predetermined weight range involves reducing the determined weight from the predetermined weight range by at least a predetermined amount.

[0094] (15) The method according to any one of (11) to (14), wherein determining that the determined weight of the portion of the front link exceeds the predetermined weight range involves the determined weight being lower than the predetermined weight characteristic curve corresponding to the portion of the front link.

[0095] (16) The method according to any one of (11) to (15), wherein determining that the determined weight of the portion of the front link exceeds the predetermined weight range involves changing the determined weight to a weight associated with a different portion of the front link.

[0096] (17) The method according to any one of (11) to (16), wherein determining that the determined weight of the portion of the front link exceeds the predetermined weight range involves the determined weight increasing from the predetermined weight range, and wherein the method further comprises electronically outputting information in the form of an alarm to the operator of the excavator regarding the further action to be taken against the portion of the front link of the excavator, the information instructing the operator to control the excavator to perform another payload unloading operation.

[0097] (18) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising: determining, based on signals from at least one sensor of a working machine, that the working machine is in a predetermined state of weighing a working tool of the working machine; automatically determining the weight of the working tool under the condition that the working machine is in the state of weighing the working tool, without input by an operator of the working machine; determining that the determined weight of the working tool exceeds a predetermined weight range; and electronically outputting information about further actions to be taken for the working tool, wherein the further actions comprise one of: inspecting the working tool, replacing some or all of the working tool, arranging for the replacement of some or all of the working tool, updating one or more parameters corresponding to a different working tool of the working tool that has been replaced with the working tool associated with the determined weight, or performing a payload unloading operation.

[0098] (19) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to (18), wherein the weight of the work tool is automatically determined under the condition that the work machine is in the state of weighing the work tool and is performed without the need for input by the operator of the work machine when a part of the work machine is moving.

[0099] (20) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to (18) or (19), wherein determining that the determined weight of the working tool exceeds the predetermined weight range involves the weight reduction of the working tool, and wherein the working tool is a bucket or a grab bucket.

[0100] It must be noted that, as used in the specification and appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural indicators unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In other words, unless otherwise clearly indicated, the words “a” and “an,” etc., as used herein, have the meaning of “one or more.” The use of the term “at least one” followed by a list of one or more items (e.g., “at least one of A and B” or “one or more of A and B”) should be interpreted as referring to one item selected from the listed items (A or B) or any combination of two or more of the listed items (A and B; A, A and B; A, B and B), unless otherwise stated herein or obviously contradicted by the context. Similarly, the word “or” as used herein refers to any possible permutation of a set of items. For example, the phrase “A, B or C” refers to at least one of A, B, C or any combination thereof, such as any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C; or multiples of any item such as A and A; B, B and C; A, A, B, C and C, etc.

[0101] Additionally, it should be understood that the terms used herein (such as “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “height,” “length,” “width,” “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “outer,” “internal,” “external,” etc.) describe reference points only and do not necessarily limit embodiments of the disclosed subject matter to any particular orientation or configuration. Furthermore, terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third” identify only one of the various parts, components, reference points, operations, and / or functions as described herein, and similarly do not necessarily limit embodiments of the disclosed subject matter to any particular configuration or orientation.

[0102] While various aspects of this disclosure have been specifically shown and described with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various additional embodiments can be conceived through modifications to the disclosed machinery, components, systems, and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of this disclosure as defined by the claims and any equivalents.

Claims

1. An excavator (1, 120), said excavator comprising: Lower moving body (2); An upper rotating body (3) is operably connected to the lower traveling body (2) and is configured to rotate relative to the lower traveling body (2); The front link (4) has a first end operably connected to the upper rotating body (3), and the front link includes a boom (5), a stick (6) and a working tool (7, 127) located at a second end opposite to the first end. Multiple inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors (22a to 22c), the inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors including a first IMU sensor operably coupled to the upper rotating body, a second IMU sensor operably coupled to the boom, and a third IMU sensor operably coupled to the stick; and Circuit (25), the circuit being configured as follows: The excavator (1, 120) is determined to be in a predetermined state that determines the weight of the working tool (7, 127), the predetermined state being based on the position of the front link (4) determined according to feedback from the second IMU sensor and the third IMU sensor, and the position of the upper rotating body (3) determined according to feedback from the first IMU sensor. Under the condition that the excavator (1, 120) is in the state of determining the weight of the working tool (7, 127), the weight of the working tool (7, 127) is determined. It was determined that the weight of the work tool (7, 127) exceeded the predetermined weight range, and Information is output electronically at the excavator (1, 120) and / or at a location away from the excavator (150), indicating that further action will be taken with respect to the working tool (7, 127) based on the fact that the weight of the working tool (7, 127) exceeds the predetermined weight range.

2. The excavator according to claim 1, wherein the circuit (25) determines that the determined weight of the working tool (7, 127) exceeds the predetermined weight range, which involves the determined weight of the working tool (7, 127) being reduced by a predetermined amount from the predetermined weight range, the predetermined amount indicating that the working tool (7, 127) is damaged.

3. The excavator according to claim 1, wherein the circuit (25) determines that the determined weight of the working tool (7, 127) exceeds the predetermined weight range by a reduction of the determined weight of the working tool (7, 127) from the predetermined weight range by an amount less than a predetermined threshold.

4. The excavator of claim 1, wherein the circuit (25) determines that the determined weight of the working tool (7, 127) exceeds the predetermined weight range by changing the determined weight of the working tool (7, 127) to a weight corresponding to a different job.

5. The excavator according to claim 4, wherein the circuit (25) electronically outputs the information at the excavator (1, 120) to the operator of the excavator (1, 120) in the form of an alarm, the information instructing the operator to update one or more working tool parameters corresponding to different working tools as further actions to be taken.

6. The excavator according to claim 1, The predetermined state for determining the weight of the working tool (7, 127) is a state in which the working tool (7, 127) should have no effective load, and The circuit (25) determines that the determined weight of the working tool (7, 127) exceeds the predetermined weight range, which means that the determined weight of the working tool (7, 127) increases from the predetermined weight range.

7. The excavator according to claim 6, wherein the circuit (25) electronically outputs the information at the excavator (1, 120) to the operator of the excavator (1, 120) in the form of an alarm, the information instructing the operator to control the excavator (1, 120) to perform another payload unloading operation.

8. The excavator according to claim 1, wherein the circuit (25) outputs the information electronically at a distance from the excavator (1, 120), the information indicating that the further action to be taken with respect to the working tool (7, 127) is to arrange for the replacement of the working tool (7, 127) or a part thereof.

9. The excavator according to claim 1, wherein the circuit (25) automatically determines the weight of the working tool (7, 127) under the condition that the excavator (1, 120) is in the state of determining the weight of the working tool (7, 127), without requiring input from the operator of the excavator (7, 127).

10. The excavator according to claim 1, wherein the circuit (25) determines the weight of the working tool (7, 127) under the condition that the excavator (1, 120) is in the state of determining the weight of the working tool (7, 127) when the excavator (1, 120) is stationary.

11. A method (300) relating to an excavator (1, 120), the method comprising: Based on signals from at least one sensor (22a to 22c, 23a to 23d) of the excavator (1, 120), it is determined that the excavator (1, 120) is in a predetermined state (302) for weighing at least a portion of the front link (4) of the excavator (1, 120). Under the condition that the excavator (1, 120) is in the state of weighing the portion of the front link (4) of the excavator (1, 120), the weight (304) of the portion of the front link (4) of the excavator (1, 120) is determined. It is determined that the weight of the front link (4) exceeds the predetermined weight range (306); and Information (308, 310) regarding further actions to be taken against the portion of the front link (4) of the excavator (1, 120) is output electronically. The predetermined state is the state in which the working tool (7, 127) of the front link (4) of the excavator (1, 120) is expected to have no effective load.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the portion of the front link (4) is the working tool (7,127).

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the further action comprises one of the following: inspecting the portion of the front link (4), replacing some or all of the portions of the front link (4), arranging to replace some or all of the portions of the front link (4), updating one or more parameters corresponding to the different portions of the front link (4) associated with the determined weight of the replaced portion of the front link (4), or performing another load unloading operation.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining that the determined weight of the portion of the front link (4) exceeds the predetermined weight range involves reducing the determined weight from the predetermined weight range by at least a predetermined amount.

15. The method according to claim 11, The determination that the weight of the portion of the front link (4) exceeds the predetermined weight range involves the determined weight increasing from the predetermined weight range, and The method further includes electronically outputting information in the form of an alarm to the operator of the excavator (1, 120) regarding the further action to be taken against the portion of the front link (4) of the excavator (1, 120), the information instructing the operator to control the excavator (1, 120) to perform another load unloading operation (310).

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