Display unit for excavator, display unit for work machine, and monitor system of excavator

Abstract

To provide a display unit for an excavator capable of facilitating management of an excavator that is autonomously controlled.SOLUTION: A display unit for an excavator in an aspect of an embodiment includes a control unit that is configured so as to, when the excavator is to perform multiple actions in sequence under autonomous control, acquire information relevant to the operation from the excavator, and when recognizing that the operation of the excavator is switched based on the information, change the content to be displayed about the excavator.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device for a shovel, a display device for a work machine, and a monitoring system for a shovel. [Background technology]

[0002] Excavators that perform autonomous control have been proposed in the past. When an excavator performs autonomous control, a remote system has been proposed in which a management device is provided so that the status of the excavator can be grasped remotely (see Patent Document 1). In the remote system, a specialized staff member can determine the status of an excavator that performs autonomous control based on the contents displayed on the management device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-152970 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the system described in Patent Document 1, no consideration is given to what information should be displayed on the display of the management device. In other words, it is considered that the state of the shovel can be more easily grasped by displaying information on the display of the management device according to the operation of the shovel.

[0005] In view of the above, by displaying information according to the operation of an excavator performing autonomous control, it becomes easier to understand the state of the excavator, and therefore easier to manage the excavator performing autonomous control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A display device for a shovel according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit configured to acquire information relating to a plurality of operations from the shovel when the shovel performs the operations in sequence through autonomous control, and to change the content displayed regarding the shovel when it is recognized that the operation of the shovel is to be switched based on the information. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it becomes easy to recognize the state of an excavator performing autonomous control, thereby facilitating management of an excavator performing autonomous control. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a remote management system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the shovel (excavator) according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a drive control system of the shovel according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the remote management system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a display screen generated by the screen generating unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a display screen generated by the screen generating unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a display screen generated by a screen generating unit according to the first modification. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a display screen generated by the screen generating unit according to the first modification. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a display screen generated by a screen generating unit according to the second modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is an example, not a limitation of the invention, and all features and combinations described in the embodiment are not necessarily essential to the invention. In addition, the same or corresponding components in each drawing are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and the description may be omitted.

[0010] (First embodiment) First, an overview of the remote management system SYS according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the remote management system SYS according to the first embodiment.

[0011] <Devices that make up the remote management system> As shown in FIG. 1, the remote management system SYS according to the first embodiment includes a shovel 100, a fixed point measuring device 400, and a management device 200.

[0012] The shovel 100, the fixed point measuring device 400, and the management device 200 are connected to each other so as to be able to transmit and receive data via a communication line NW. For example, the shovel 100 is capable of wireless communication.

[0013] The shovel 100 is configured to perform work at a work site through autonomous control.

[0014] There may be one or more shovels 100. In the remote management system SYS, the shovel 100 can provide information relating to the autonomous control of the shovel 100 to the management device 200.

[0015] The fixed point measuring device 400 is provided at a work site where the shovel 100 performs work, and is configured to detect the conditions of the work site.

[0016] There may be one or more fixed-point measuring devices 400. This allows the remote management system SYS to provide the management device 200 with information about the work site through the fixed-point measuring device 400.

[0017] The shovel 100 and the fixed point measurement device 400 transmit information about the shovel 100 and information about the work site to the management device 200 via the communication line NW. For this reason, the shovel 100 and the fixed point measurement device 400 are provided with sensors that can three-dimensionally recognize the position and shape of objects present at the work site. For example, the shovel 100 is provided with a spatial recognition device S7 (described later), and the fixed point measurement device 400 is provided with a spatial recognition device S41 (described later). Therefore, the shovel 100 and the fixed point measurement device 400 can transmit the results of three-dimensional measurement of the work site to the management device 200.

[0018] The spatial recognition devices S7 and S41 may use LIDAR to capture images of the work site. The LIDAR measures the distance between the LIDAR and, for example, one million or more points within the monitoring range. Note that this embodiment is not limited to a method using LIDAR, and any spatial recognition device capable of measuring the distance between an object may be used. For example, a stereo camera or a distance measuring device such as a millimeter wave radar may be used.

[0019] The management device 200 is provided so that an administrator can manage a work site including the excavator 100. The management device 200 includes a display device D1.

[0020] The display device D1 displays a screen based on the information transmitted from the shovel 100 and the fixed point measuring device 400. In other words, the display device D1 displays information related to the work site, etc., allowing the manager to check the situation at the work site.

[0021] In this way, the management device 200 can present the situation of the work site including the shovel 100 from various angles, according to the detection results from the shovel 100 and the fixed point measurement device 400. Note that in this embodiment, the devices that measure the work site including the shovel 100 are not limited to the shovel 100 and the fixed point measurement device 400, and may be other types of devices, such as a drone that flies over the work site or a spatial recognition device that can be carried by a user.

[0022] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which a display device for a shovel for monitoring the shovel 100 performing autonomous control is applied to the management device 200. In this embodiment, the display device for a shovel is not limited to the management device 200, and may be applied to other devices. For example, the display may be displayed on a tablet terminal or the like held by a manager at the work site, or may be displayed on a display device within the shovel 100.

[0023] <Excavator configuration example> Next, an overview of a shovel 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a side view of the shovel 100 as a work machine according to the first embodiment. An upper rotating body 3 is rotatably mounted on a lower traveling body 1 of the shovel 100 via a rotating mechanism 2. A boom 4 is attached to the upper rotating body 3. An arm 5 is attached to the tip of the boom 4, and a bucket 6 is attached to the tip of the arm 5 as an end attachment. The end attachment may be a slope bucket, a dredging bucket, or the like.

[0024] The boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 constitute an excavation attachment, which is an example of an attachment, and are hydraulically driven by a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, and a bucket cylinder 9, respectively. A boom angle sensor S1 is attached to the boom 4, an arm angle sensor S2 is attached to the arm 5, and a bucket angle sensor S3 is attached to the bucket 6. The excavation attachment may be provided with a bucket tilt mechanism.

[0025] The boom angle sensor S1 detects the rotation angle of the boom 4. In this embodiment, the boom angle sensor S1 is an acceleration sensor, and can detect the boom angle, which is the rotation angle of the boom 4 relative to the upper rotating body 3. For example, the boom angle is at its minimum when the boom 4 is lowered to the lowest, and increases as the boom 4 is raised.

[0026] The arm angle sensor S2 detects the rotation angle of the arm 5. In this embodiment, the arm angle sensor S2 is an acceleration sensor, and can detect the arm angle, which is the rotation angle of the arm 5 with respect to the boom 4. For example, the arm angle is at its minimum when the arm 5 is fully closed, and increases as the arm 5 is opened.

[0027] The bucket angle sensor S3 detects the rotation angle of the bucket 6. In this embodiment, the bucket angle sensor S3 is an acceleration sensor, and can detect the bucket angle, which is the rotation angle of the bucket 6 with respect to the arm 5. For example, the bucket angle is at its minimum when the bucket 6 is fully closed, and increases as the bucket 6 is opened.

[0028] The boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, and the bucket angle sensor S3 may be a potentiometer using a variable resistor, a stroke sensor that detects the stroke amount of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder, or a rotary encoder that detects the rotation angle around the connecting pin, etc. The boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, and the bucket angle sensor S3 constitute a posture sensor that detects the posture of the excavation attachment.

[0029] The upper rotating body 3 is equipped with a cabin 10 serving as a driver's cab, an engine 11, an aircraft tilt sensor S4, a turning angular velocity sensor S5, an imaging device S6, a spatial recognition device S7, a positioning device S8, a communication device T1, and the like.

[0030] An excavator controller 30 is installed in the cabin 10. Also installed in the cabin 10 are a driver's seat, an operating device, and the like.

[0031] The shovel controller 30 is a calculation device that executes various calculations. The shovel controller 30 is provided, for example, in the cabin 10 and controls the drive of the shovel 100. The functions of the shovel controller 30 may be realized by any hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the shovel controller 30 is mainly configured with a microcomputer including a central processing unit (CPU), a memory device such as a random access memory (RAM), a non-volatile auxiliary storage device such as a read only memory (ROM), and various input / output interfaces. The shovel controller 30 executes various programs installed in the non-volatile auxiliary storage device on the CPU, for example, to realize various functions.

[0032] The engine 11 is a drive source of the excavator 100. In this embodiment, the engine 11 is a diesel engine. An output shaft of the engine 11 is connected to input shafts of the main pump 14 and the pilot pump 15.

[0033] The machine body inclination sensor S4 is configured to detect the inclination of the upper rotating body 3 with respect to a predetermined plane. In this embodiment, the machine body inclination sensor S4 is an acceleration sensor that detects the inclination angle about the front-rear axis and the left-right axis of the upper rotating body 3 with respect to the horizontal plane. The front-rear axis and the left-right axis of the upper rotating body 3 are, for example, perpendicular to each other and pass through the shovel center point, which is a point on the rotation axis of the shovel 100.

[0034] The rotation angular velocity sensor S5 is configured to detect the rotation angular velocity of the upper rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the rotation angular velocity sensor S5 is a gyro sensor. The rotation angular velocity sensor S5 may be a resolver or a rotary encoder, etc. The rotation angular velocity sensor S5 may detect a rotation speed. The rotation speed may be calculated from the rotation angular velocity.

[0035] The imaging device S6 is configured to acquire images of the periphery of the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the imaging device S6 includes a front camera S6F that images the space in front of the shovel 100, a left camera S6L that images the space to the left of the shovel 100, a right camera S6R that images the space to the right of the shovel 100, and a rear camera S6B that images the space behind the shovel 100.

[0036] The imaging device S6 may be, for example, a monocular camera having an imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS, and may output the captured image to the display device DI.

[0037] The front camera S6F is attached, for example, to the roof of the cabin 10. The left camera S6L is attached to the left end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3. The right camera S6R is attached to the right end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3. The rear camera S6B is attached to the rear end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3.

[0038] In this embodiment, by providing the imaging device S6 in the above-mentioned arrangement, it is possible to capture images of objects present around the shovel 100.

[0039] The spatial recognition device S7 is configured to recognize the state of the space around the shovel 100. The spatial recognition device S7 includes a rear space recognition device S7B that detects the space behind the shovel 100, a left space recognition device S7L that detects the space to the left of the shovel 100, a right space recognition device S7R that detects the space to the right of the shovel 100, and a front space recognition device S7F that detects the space in front of the shovel 100.

[0040] The spatial recognition device S7 may use a LIDAR to detect objects present around the shovel 100. The LIDAR measures the distance between the LIDAR and, for example, one million or more points within a monitoring range. Note that this embodiment is not limited to a method using a LIDAR, and any spatial recognition device capable of measuring the distance between an object may be used. For example, a stereo camera may be used, or a distance measuring device such as a distance image camera or a millimeter wave radar may be used. When a millimeter wave radar or the like is used as the spatial recognition device S7, a number of signals (laser light, etc.) may be emitted from the spatial recognition device S7 toward an object, and the reflected signals may be received, and the distance and direction of the object may be derived from the reflected signals.

[0041] The rear space recognition device S7B is attached to the rear end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3. The left space recognition device S7L is attached to the left end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3. The right space recognition device S7R is attached to the right end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3. The forward space recognition device S7F is attached to the front end of the upper surface of the cabin 10.

[0042] The spatial recognition device S7 may be configured to detect a predetermined object within a predetermined area set around the shovel 100. For example, the spatial recognition device S7 may have a human detection function configured to be able to detect a person while distinguishing between a person and an object other than a person.

[0043] The positioning device S8 is configured to acquire information related to the position of the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the positioning device S8 is configured to measure the position and orientation of the shovel 100 in a reference coordinate system. Specifically, the positioning device S8 is a GNSS receiver incorporating an electronic compass, and measures the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the current position of the shovel 100, and measures the orientation of the shovel 100. The reference coordinate system according to this embodiment is, for example, the World Geodetic System. The World Geodetic System is a three-dimensional orthogonal XYZ coordinate system with the origin at the center of gravity of the earth, the X axis in the direction of the intersection of the Greenwich meridian and the equator, the Y axis in the direction of 90 degrees east longitude, and the Z axis in the direction of the North Pole.

[0044] The communication device T1 is configured to control communication with devices external to the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the communication device T1 is configured to control communication between the communication device T1 and devices external to the shovel 100 via a communication line NW (including a wireless communication network). The communication device T1 includes, for example, a mobile communication module compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), and 5G (5th Generation), a satellite communication module for connecting to a satellite communication network, and the like.

[0045] Furthermore, the communication device T1 controls wireless communication between the excavator 100 and an external GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) surveying system, for example.

[0046] [Excavator drive control system] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a drive control system of the excavator 100 in Fig. 2. In Fig. 3, a mechanical power transmission system is indicated by a double line, a hydraulic oil line is indicated by a thick solid line, a pilot line is indicated by a dashed line, and an electric drive and control system is indicated by a dotted line.

[0047] The drive system of the excavator 100 according to this embodiment includes the engine 11, the regulator 13, the main pump 14, and the control valve unit 17. Moreover, the hydraulic drive system of the excavator 100 according to this embodiment includes hydraulic actuators such as the traveling hydraulic motors 1L, 1R, the swing hydraulic motor 2A, the boom cylinder 7, the arm cylinder 8, and the bucket cylinder 9, which hydraulically drive the lower traveling body 1, the upper rotating body 3, the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6, respectively, as described above.

[0048] The engine 11 is a main power source in the hydraulic drive system, and is mounted, for example, on the rear of the upper rotating body 3. Specifically, the engine 11 rotates at a constant speed at a preset target speed under direct or indirect control by a shovel controller 30 (described later), and drives the main pump 14 and the pilot pump 15. The engine 11 is, for example, a diesel engine that uses light oil as fuel.

[0049] The regulator 13 controls the discharge amount of the main pump 14. For example, the regulator 13 adjusts the angle (tilt angle) of the swash plate of the main pump 14 in response to a control command from the shovel controller 30. The regulator 13 includes, for example, regulators 13L and 13R, as described later.

[0050] The main pump 14 is mounted on the rear of the upper rotating body 3, for example, like the engine 11, and supplies hydraulic oil to the control valve unit 17 through a high-pressure hydraulic line. The main pump 14 is driven by the engine 11 as described above. The main pump 14 is, for example, a variable displacement hydraulic pump, and as described above, under the control of the shovel controller 30, the tilt angle of the swash plate is adjusted by the regulator 13 to adjust the stroke length of the piston, thereby controlling the discharge flow rate (discharge pressure). The main pump 14 includes, for example, main pumps 14L and 14R, as described below.

[0051] The control valve unit 17 is a hydraulic control device that controls the hydraulic system in the excavator 100. In this embodiment, the control valve unit 17 includes control valves 171 to 176. The control valve 175 includes a control valve 175L and a control valve 175R, and the control valve 176 includes a control valve 176L and a control valve 176R. The control valve unit 17 is configured to selectively supply hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14 to one or more hydraulic actuators through the control valves 171 to 176. The control valves 171 to 176 control, for example, the flow rate of hydraulic oil flowing from the main pump 14 to the hydraulic actuators and the flow rate of hydraulic oil flowing from the hydraulic actuators to a hydraulic oil tank. The hydraulic actuators include a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, a bucket cylinder 9, traveling hydraulic motors 1L and 1R, and a swing hydraulic motor 2A. More specifically, the control valve 171 corresponds to the left traveling hydraulic motor 1L, the control valve 172 corresponds to the right traveling hydraulic motor 1R, and the control valve 173 corresponds to the swing hydraulic motor 2A. In addition, the control valve 174 corresponds to the bucket cylinder 9, the control valve 175 corresponds to the boom cylinder 7, and the control valve 176 corresponds to the arm cylinder 8.

[0052] The pilot pump 15 is an example of a pilot pressure generating device, and is configured to be able to supply hydraulic oil to the hydraulic control device via a pilot line. In this embodiment, the pilot pump 15 is a fixed displacement hydraulic pump. However, the pilot pressure generating device may be realized by the main pump 14. That is, the main pump 14 may have a function of supplying hydraulic oil to various hydraulic control devices via a pilot line, in addition to a function of supplying hydraulic oil to the control valve unit 17 via a hydraulic oil line. In this case, the pilot pump 15 may be omitted.

[0053] The operating device 26 is a device that an operator uses to operate the actuator. The actuator includes at least one of a hydraulic actuator and an electric actuator.

[0054] The discharge pressure sensor 28 is configured to detect the discharge pressure of the main pump 14. In this embodiment, the discharge pressure sensor 28 outputs the detected value to the shovel controller 30.

[0055] The operation sensor 29 is configured to detect the operation content of the operator using the operating device 26. In this embodiment, the operation sensor 29 detects the operation direction and operation amount of the operating device 26 corresponding to each actuator, and outputs the detected value to the shovel controller 30. In this embodiment, the shovel controller 30 controls the opening area of ​​the proportional valve 31 according to the output of the operation sensor 29. Then, the shovel controller 30 supplies the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve in the control valve unit 17. The pressure of the hydraulic oil (pilot pressure) supplied to each pilot port is, in principle, a pressure according to the operation direction and operation amount of the operating device 26 corresponding to each hydraulic actuator. In this way, the operating device 26 is configured to be able to supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the pilot port of the corresponding control valve in the control valve unit 17.

[0056] The proportional valve 31, which functions as a control valve for machine control, is disposed in a pipe connecting the pilot pump 15 and the pilot port of the control valve in the control valve unit 17, and is configured so as to be able to change the flow path area of ​​the pipe. In this embodiment, the proportional valve 31 operates in response to a control command output by the shovel controller 30. Therefore, the shovel controller 30 can supply the hydraulic oil discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the pilot port of the control valve in the control valve unit 17 via the proportional valve 31, regardless of the operation of the operating device 26 by the operator.

[0057] With this configuration, the shovel controller 30 can operate the hydraulic actuator corresponding to a specific operating device 26 even when no operation is being performed on that specific operating device 26.

[0058] For example, when the shovel controller 30 is configured to perform autonomous control over the shovel 100, it sets one or more of a target rotation angle for the upper rotating body 3, target angles for each of the upper rotating body 3, the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6, and a target rotation speed for the engine 11 based on the operations performed by the autonomous control, and controls the operation of various components of the shovel 100.

[0059] Furthermore, for example, the shovel controller 30 outputs a control command to the regulator 13 as necessary to change the discharge rate of the main pump 14.

[0060] In addition, for example, the shovel controller 30 performs control related to a machine guidance function that guides (guides) the manual operation of the shovel 100 by the operator through the operation device 26. In addition, the shovel controller 30 performs control related to a machine control function that automatically assists the manual operation of the shovel 100 by the operator through the operation device 26.

[0061] Note that some of the functions of the shovel controller 30 may be realized by another controller (control device). That is, the functions of the shovel controller 30 may be realized in a distributed manner by a plurality of controllers. For example, the machine guidance function and the machine control function may be realized by a dedicated controller (control device).

[0062] <Block structure of remote management system> Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of the remote management system SYS according to this embodiment. The example shown in Fig. 4 shows block configurations of the management device 200, the fixed point measurement device 400, and the shovel 100 included in the remote management system SYS. Note that the hardware configuration of the shovel 100 is as described above, and therefore will not be described here.

[0063] <Configuration of fixed point measurement device> The fixed point measurement device 400 includes a communication device T3, a position information storage unit 450, an imaging device S40, a spatial recognition device S41, and a controller 430.

[0064] The communication device T3 is an interface for communicating with the outside, such as the management device 200, through the communication line NW. The communication device T3 may be any device that can be connected to the communication line NW, and may be, for example, a mobile communication module compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE, 4G, and 5G.

[0065] The position information storage unit 450 stores the position information of the fixed point measurement device 400. The position information is expressed in a reference coordinate system similar to the position information acquired by the GNSS, for example. The reference coordinate system is, for example, the world geodetic system described above.

[0066] The imaging device S40 is configured to acquire images of the work site where the shovel 100 is working. The imaging device S40 is, for example, a monocular camera having an imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS.

[0067] The spatial recognition device S41 detects objects present in the work site where the shovel 100 is working. The spatial recognition device S41 uses, for example, a LIDAR as described above.

[0068] The controller 430 performs control related to the fixed point measurement device 400. The functions of the controller 430 may be realized by, for example, any hardware or any combination of hardware and software. The controller 430 may be configured mainly with a computer including, for example, a processor device such as a CPU, a memory device (main storage device) such as a RAM, and an auxiliary storage device such as a ROM. For example, the controller 430 realizes various functions by loading a program installed in the auxiliary storage device into the memory device and executing the program on the CPU.

[0069] <Configuration of Management Device 200> The management device 200 includes a controller 230, a communication device T2, and a display device D1.

[0070] The communication device T2 is configured to control communication between the communication device T1 attached to the shovel 100 and the communication device T3 attached to the fixed point measurement device 400.

[0071] The controller 230 is a calculation device that executes various calculations. In this embodiment, the controller 230 is configured with a microcomputer including a CPU and a memory. Various functions of the controller 230 are realized by the CPU executing a program stored in the memory.

[0072] The display device D1 may be a multi-display consisting of four monitors arranged in two vertical rows and two horizontal columns as shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment, by configuring the display device D1 as a multi-display, the status of a plurality of excavators can be managed. Note that this embodiment does not limit the number of displays, and the number may be other than four. Also, the display device D1 may be configured as one single display.

[0073] Next, the functional blocks of the controller 430 of the fixed point measuring device 400, the shovel controller 30 of the shovel 100, and the controller 230 of the management device 200 will be described.

[0074] <<Function block of fixed point measurement device>> Each functional block in the controller 430 of the fixed point measuring device 400 will be described. Each functional block in the controller 430 is conceptual, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. All or part of each functional block can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit. All or any part of each processing function performed in each functional block is realized by a program executed by a CPU. Alternatively, each functional block may be realized as hardware using wired logic. The controller 430 has a transmission control unit 431 by implementing a program.

[0075] The transmission control unit 431 transmits the image information by the imaging device S40, the measurement information by the spatial recognition device S41, and the position information stored in the position information storage unit 450 to the management device 200 in association with each other. The transmission control unit 431 transmits the image information and the measurement information at predetermined time intervals. For example, the transmission control unit 431 may transmit the information every time the imaging device S40 captures an image (e.g., less than one second) or every time the spatial recognition device S41 measures an image (e.g., less than one second).

[0076] <<Excavator functional blocks>> Each functional block in the shovel controller 30 of the shovel 100 will be described. Each functional block in the shovel controller 30 is conceptual, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. All or a part of each functional block can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit. All or any part of each processing function performed in each functional block is realized by a program executed by a CPU. Alternatively, each functional block may be realized as hardware using wired logic. By realizing a program, the shovel controller 30 includes an acquisition unit 301, an shovel state identification unit 302, an operation setting unit 303, a target trajectory generation unit 304, an autonomous control unit 305, a transmission control unit 306, and an actuator driving unit 307.

[0077] The shovel controller 30 according to this embodiment realizes autonomous control of the shovel 100. The shovel controller 30 according to this embodiment can control a plurality of types of work for the shovel 100. The work according to this embodiment is a task assigned to the shovel 100 at a work site.

[0078] The shovel 100 according to this embodiment can perform various tasks under the control of the shovel controller 30. Tasks that can be performed include, for example, excavation and loading, and ground leveling work. Note that this embodiment shows an example of tasks that can be performed by the shovel 100, and is not limited to excavation and loading, and ground leveling work.

[0079] In this embodiment, the work that the shovel 100 can perform is realized by one operation of the shovel 100 or a combination of multiple operations. For example, when the work is excavation and loading, the operations must be performed in the order of excavation location transition, excavation, lifting, and soil discharge. In other words, the work of the shovel 100 is realized by combining these multiple operations. The excavation location transition is the operation of moving the bucket 6 to the excavation location, the excavation is the operation of inserting the bucket into the soil and lifting it up, the lifting is the operation of lifting the soil and moving it to the discharge destination, and the soil discharge is the operation of discharging the soil from the bucket 6 to a dump truck or the like. The operation of the shovel 100 in this embodiment represents control of the work performed by the shovel 100 divided into one or more operations. In other words, the work of the shovel 100 is realized by combining one or more operations.

[0080] The acquisition unit 301 acquires signals from various detection devices provided in the shovel 100. For example, the acquisition unit 301 acquires the detection results of a boom angle sensor S1, an arm angle sensor S2, and a bucket angle sensor S3. The acquisition unit 301 also acquires image information, measurement information, and position information.

[0081] The image information is information captured by the imaging device S6. The measurement information is information measured by the spatial recognition device S7. The position information is information indicating the position and orientation of the shovel 100 in a reference coordinate system measured by the positioning device S8.

[0082] The shovel state identifying unit 302 is configured to identify the state of the shovel 100 based on the signal acquired by the acquiring unit 301. In this embodiment, the state of the shovel 100 includes the position and orientation of the shovel 100 and the states of the attachments of the shovel 100 (for example, the positions of the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6). The position of the shovel 100 is, for example, the position of the shovel 100 in the reference coordinate system (the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the reference point of the shovel 100). The shovel state identifying unit 302 identifies the position and orientation of the shovel 100 based on the output of the positioning device S8.

[0083] The state of the attachment (e.g., the positions of the boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6) can be determined from the detection results of the angle sensors (boom angle sensor S1, arm angle sensor S2, and bucket angle sensor S3) and the respective sizes of the boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6.

[0084] The operation setting unit 303 sets the operations to be performed by the shovel 100 in sequence according to the work set as autonomous control. In this embodiment, when the shovel 100 completes one operation, the operation setting unit 303 sets the next operation for achieving the corresponding work. By repeating this setting, a work that combines a plurality of operations can be achieved. Note that the setting of the work for the shovel 100 is assumed to be performed in advance by an administrator or the like, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0085] The target trajectory generating unit 304 generates a target trajectory of the shovel 100 for performing the operation set by the operation setting unit 303 .

[0086] For example, a target trajectory for performing a set operation is generated based on data related to a target construction surface stored in a non-volatile storage device (not shown) of the shovel 100. The target trajectory generating unit 304 may generate a target trajectory for performing a set operation based on information related to the topography around the shovel 100 recognized by the spatial recognition device S7.

[0087] The autonomous control unit 305 determines the operation content of the operating element (hydraulic actuator) in order to move along the target trajectory generated by the target trajectory generating unit 304, and generates an operation signal according to the determined operation content, thereby realizing the autonomous operation function of the shovel 100.

[0088] The transmission control unit 306 performs control for transmitting various information to the management device 200 via the communication device T1.

[0089] For example, the transmission control unit 306 controls the transmission to the management device 200 of image information captured by the imaging device S6, measurement information detected by the spatial recognition device S7, position information indicating the position and orientation of the shovel 100, and status information indicating the status of the attachment.

[0090] Furthermore, the transmission control unit 306 controls the transmission of information relating to the operation being performed by the shovel 100 to the management device 200. In this embodiment, the transmission control unit 306 controls the transmission of information relating to the operation currently set in the shovel 100 and information relating to the items corresponding to the operation to the management device as information relating to the operation. Furthermore, when autonomous control is set in the shovel 100, the transmission control unit 306 may transmit the type of work set in the shovel 100 to the management device 200.

[0091] The type of work set for the shovel 100 is, for example, excavation and loading or ground leveling work.

[0092] The actions currently set for the shovel 100 are actions that constitute work, such as moving the excavation site, excavating, lifting, and soil removal. Note that the actions of the shovel 100 described in this embodiment are shown as examples and differ depending on the implementation. In other words, the work performed by the shovel 100 and the actions that constitute the work differ depending on the type of work machine, the implementation of the work machine program, or the requests of the management side that manages the work machine.

[0093] The items corresponding to the operation are, for example, an item indicating the current state that the manager wants to check while the shovel 100 is performing the operation, and an item indicating the goal of the operation. In this embodiment, parameters (e.g., numerical information) in the items are transmitted to the management device 200. The items indicating the current state include, for example, the remaining number of excavations, the actual swing angle, etc. The items indicating the goal of the operation include, for example, the target swing angle.

[0094] Furthermore, regardless of the operation, the transmission control unit 306 controls the transmission of information relating to the current status of the shovel 100 to be confirmed to the management device 200. In this embodiment, the current status includes, for example, the drive mode, traveling mode, remaining amount of urea water, remaining amount of fuel, water temperature, and oil temperature of the shovel 100.

[0095] The transmission by the transmission control unit 306 is performed at predetermined time intervals. The predetermined time may be any time, but is set to a time interval that allows recognition of a situation that has changed due to the work of the shovel 100. For example, the transmission control unit 306 may transmit the above information at one-second intervals.

[0096] The actuator driving unit 307 is configured to drive the actuator mounted on the excavator 100. In this embodiment, the actuator driving unit 307 generates and outputs an actuation signal for each of the plurality of solenoid valves included in the proportional valve 31 based on the operation signal generated by the autonomous control unit 305.

[0097] Each solenoid valve that receives the actuation signal increases or decreases the pilot pressure acting on the pilot port of the corresponding control valve in the control valve unit 17. As a result, the hydraulic actuator corresponding to each control valve operates at a speed according to the stroke amount of the control valve.

[0098] <<Functional block of management device>> Each functional block in the controller 230 of the management device 200 will be described. Each functional block in the controller 230 is conceptual, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. All or part of each functional block can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit. All or any part of each processing function performed in each functional block is realized by a program executed by a CPU. Alternatively, each functional block may be realized as hardware using wired logic. The controller 230 includes a reception control unit 231, an operation determination unit 232, a screen generation unit 233, and a display control unit 234 by implementing a program.

[0099] The reception control unit 231 performs control for receiving various information from each of the fixed point measuring device 400 and the shovel 100 via the communication device T2.

[0100] For example, the reception control unit 231 receives image information, measurement information, and position information from a fixed point measuring device 400 (an example of a device present in the vicinity of the shovel 100).

[0101] The reception control unit 231 also receives image information, measurement information, position information, and status information from the shovel 100. The image information is information captured by the imaging device S6. The measurement information is information measured by the spatial recognition device S7. The position information is information indicating the position and orientation of the shovel 100 in a reference coordinate system measured by the positioning device S8. The status information is information indicating the status of the attachments (e.g., the positions of the boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6).

[0102] Furthermore, the reception control unit 231 receives (acquires) information on the operation being executed by the shovel 100 from the shovel 100 performing autonomous control. The information on the operation includes the operation currently set in the shovel 100 and information on the items corresponding to the operation. When the shovel 100 starts working, the information may also include the type of work to be started (for example, excavation and loading, or leveling work, etc.).

[0103] Furthermore, the reception control unit 231 receives, from the shovel 100, information regarding the current status of the shovel 100 that is to be confirmed, regardless of the operation.

[0104] The operation determination unit 232 determines, based on the information received by the reception control unit 231, whether or not the operation of the shovel 100 has been switched.

[0105] The screen generator 233 generates a display screen to be displayed on the display device D1. The screen generator 233 according to this embodiment generates a display screen for managing the autonomously controlled shovel 100. The display screen is updated according to the current operation of the shovel 100.

[0106] Furthermore, when the operation determination unit 232 determines that the operation has been switched, the screen generation unit 233 changes the content displayed regarding the shovel 100. In other words, the screen generation unit 233 generates a display screen showing content suitable for the operation of the shovel 100.

[0107] When the work of the shovel 100 is excavation and loading, the shovel 100 repeats the operations of moving the excavation site, excavating, lifting, and discharging soil. If an abnormal situation occurs while the shovel 100 is repeating these operations, the operation switches to standby. The screen generation unit 233 of the management device 200 of this embodiment generates a display screen that switches in response to these operations. Next, the operation of the shovel 100 will be described.

[0108] For example, when the operation is a transition to an excavation location, the excavator 100 performs autonomous control to identify the excavation location and control the attachment so that the bucket 6 moves to the excavation location. During the operation, the screen generator 233 may generate a display screen showing, for example, the ground shape, the target swing angle, and the actual swing angle as items corresponding to the operation.

[0109] When the operation is excavation, the shovel 100 performs control to excavate the ground. During the operation, the screen generator 233 may generate a display screen showing items corresponding to the operation, such as the ground shape at the excavation site, the remaining work time, and the remaining number of excavations.

[0110] When the operation is lifting, the shovel 100 performs control to lift the excavated soil. During the operation, the screen generator 233 may generate a display screen showing, as items corresponding to the operation, for example, the soil shape in the bed of the dump truck, the target turning angle, and the actual turning angle.

[0111] When the operation is soil dumping, the excavator 100 performs control to dump soil from the lifted attachment. During the operation, the screen generator 233 may generate a display screen showing, for example, the loading weight of the dump truck at the soil dumping destination as an item corresponding to the operation. Furthermore, the screen generator 233 may generate a display screen showing the position and posture of the dump truck at the soil dumping destination and the free space in the loading space of the dump truck.

[0112] The items corresponding to the above-mentioned operations are shown as examples, and may be changed depending on the embodiment when managing the excavator, the request of the manager, etc.

[0113] In this embodiment, a case where the work of the shovel 100 is excavation and loading will be described. However, in this embodiment, the work of the shovel is not limited to excavation and loading, and may be, for example, ground leveling work. In ground leveling work, the shovel 100 continues to perform ground leveling operations. In this case, the screen generator 233 may generate a display screen including, for example, construction accuracy, calculation results of the tip of the bucket 6, and the like, as items corresponding to the ground leveling operations. Next, the screens generated by the screen generator 233 will be described.

[0114] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a display screen generated by the screen generating unit 233 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, a display screen 500 includes an excavation location display field 501, a shovel status display field 502, a dump truck bed display field 503, an overhead view image display field 504, a work display field 505, and an operation item display field 506.

[0115] The overhead image display field 504 displays an overhead image including the periphery of the shovel 100. The screen generating unit 233 generates the overhead image displayed in the overhead image display field 504 based on the image information of the imaging device S6 received from the shovel 100 and the image information of the imaging device S40 received from the fixed point measuring device 400. The overhead image displays an icon 541 indicating the shovel 100. The icon 541 is, for example, an image previously stored in the management device 200 according to the model of the shovel 100. The overhead image displayed in the overhead image display field 504 may be a still image or a video.

[0116] The overhead image is displayed so as to include the surrounding conditions of the shovel 100. Therefore, the overhead image includes an excavation site 542 and a dump truck 543. As a result, when the display screen is displayed, the manager can recognize the positional relationship between the shovel 100, the excavation site 542, and the dump truck 543.

[0117] The excavation location display field 501 shows the shape of the soil at the excavation location excavated by the shovel 100. The screen generating unit 233 generates an image showing the soil shape shown in the excavation location display field 501 based on the measurement information of the spatial recognition device S7 received from the excavator 100 that measured the excavation location, or the measurement information of the spatial recognition device S41 received from the fixed point measurement device 400. In this embodiment, an image of the soil shape is generated in which the height of each piece of soil present at the work location is shown by color, based on a predetermined height (for example, the surface of the ground). This makes it possible to show the depth (height) of the excavation location 511 in the excavation location display field 501. In addition, the height indicator 512 shows the correspondence between the depth (height) and the color. The depth (height) may show a scale unit. This makes it possible to recognize the depth of the excavation location 511 by the color displayed in the excavation location display field 501.

[0118] The shovel status display field 502 displays information related to the current status of the shovel 100. For example, the shovel status display field 502 displays a three-dimensional model 321 showing the current shape of the shovel 100 based on the received status information. This allows the manager to recognize the current operation being performed by the shovel 100. Furthermore, the shovel status display field 502 displays information related to the current status of the shovel 100 that changes regardless of the operation. For example, an icon 522 indicating the current drive mode of the shovel 100, an icon 523 indicating the current travel mode of the shovel 100, an indicator 524 indicating the remaining amount of urea water in the shovel 100, an indicator 525 indicating the temperature of the cooling water of the shovel 100, an indicator 526 indicating the remaining amount of fuel in the shovel 100, and an indicator 527 indicating the temperature of the working oil flowing through the hydraulic drive system of the shovel 100 are displayed. In this way, the screen generator 233 generates the image to be displayed in the shovel status display field 502 based on the status information, information relating to the state of the shovel 100, and the like.

[0119] The dump truck bed display field 503 shows the shape of the soil in the bed of the dump truck that is the target of the excavator 100 to unload. The screen generator 233 generates an image showing the soil shape shown in the area 531 showing the bed of the dump truck in the dump truck bed display field 503 based on the measurement information of the spatial recognition device S7 received from the excavator 100 that measures the bed of the dump truck, for example, or the measurement information of the spatial recognition device S41 received from the fixed point measurement device 400. In this embodiment, an image of the soil shape is generated in which the height of each piece of soil present in the bed is shown by color, based on a predetermined height (for example, the bottom surface of the bed). This makes it possible to show the height of the soil loaded in the bed of the dump truck in the dump truck bed display field 503. In addition, the height indicator 532 shows the correspondence between the height and the color. The height may be shown in scale units. This makes it possible to recognize the height of the soil loaded in the bed of the dump truck.

[0120] The work display field 505 displays information about a work set for autonomous control of the shovel 100. Specifically, a plurality of operations constituting the work are displayed according to the order in which the operations are to be performed.

[0121] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the case where the set work is "digging and loading" is shown. The work "digging and loading" is configured to include, as a plurality of actions, "excavation location transition" 551, "digging" 552, "lifting" 553, "earth removal" 554, and "waiting" 555. In addition, in the work display field 505, the display mode of the frame line of the work currently being performed by the shovel 100 is displayed differently from the display mode of the frame lines of the other actions. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the frame line of "digging" 552 is displayed thicker than the other frame lines. This allows the manager to recognize the work currently being performed by the shovel 100. In the example shown in FIG. 5, an example of making the frame line thicker as the display mode will be described, but the display mode is not limited to the method of making the frame line thicker. For example, the color of the frame line of the work currently being performed by the shovel 100 may be changed, or the frame line may be made to blink.

[0122] The operation item display field 506 displays information related to an operation currently being performed by the shovel 100. Specifically, the operation item display field 506 displays, for each item corresponding to an operation currently being performed by the shovel 100, a current parameter (e.g., numerical information) for that item.

[0123] In the example shown in Fig. 5, the current operation of the shovel 100 is "excavation." As items corresponding to the operation "excavation," "remaining work time" and "remaining number of excavations" are shown. "Remaining work time" is the remaining time until the operation is completed, and is expressed as "XX minutes." "Remaining number of excavations" is the number of excavations to be performed until the operation is completed, and is expressed as "YX (number)."

[0124] The calculation of the parameters shown in the corresponding items may be performed by the management device 200 or by the shovel 100. For example, the management device 200 may calculate the parameters shown in the corresponding items based on a construction plan for the shovel 100 stored in a non-volatile storage device (not shown) and information received from the shovel 100. In other words, the calculation of the "remaining work time" and the "remaining number of excavations" shown in Fig. 5 may be performed by the management device 200 or by the shovel 100. The calculation method may be a well-known method, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0125] On the display screen, the display field corresponding to the current operation may be displayed in a different display manner from the other display fields. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the operation of the shovel 100 is "digging" 552. Therefore, the excavation location display field 501, which is the display field corresponding to "digging" 552, is highlighted. Specifically, the border of the excavation location display field 501 is displayed thicker than the other display fields. This allows the manager to recognize that this is a display field that corresponds to the current operation of the shovel 100 and requires attention.

[0126] The display control unit 234 displays the display screen generated by the screen generation unit 233 on the display device D1.

[0127] In this embodiment, various pieces of information on the display screen displayed by the display control unit 234 may be updated in response to information received from the shovel 100. For example, the information displayed in the shovel status display field 502 and the shape of the three-dimensional model 321 may be updated in response to the received status and state information of the shovel 100. Furthermore, the parameters displayed in the operation item display field 506 or the overhead image shown in the overhead video display field 504 may be updated in response to the received information.

[0128] In this embodiment, when the operation determination unit 232 determines that the operation has been switched, the screen generation unit 233 generates a display screen in which the displayed content has been changed. In response to this, the display control unit 234 displays the display screen in which the content has been changed on the display device D1. As a result, the displayed content is switched in accordance with the operation of the shovel 100.

[0129] For example, when the operation of the shovel 100 is switched from "digging" to "lifting", the display control unit 234 switches the display screen. Next, the display screen when the operation of the shovel 100 is switched from "digging" to "lifting" will be described.

[0130] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a display screen generated by the screen generating unit 233 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the display screen 600 includes an excavation location display field 601, an excavator status display field 502, a dump truck bed display field 603, an overhead image display field 504, a work display field 605, and an operation item display field 606. The excavator status display field 502 and the overhead image display field 504 display the same contents as those in Fig. 5, and therefore their explanations will be omitted. The same reference numerals will be assigned to the same display contents as those in Fig. 5, and their explanations will be omitted.

[0131] The display screen shown in FIG. 6 is a screen generated by the screen generating unit 233 when the operation of the shovel 100 is switched from excavation to lifting (earth and sand).

[0132] The display of a work display field 605 shown in FIG. 6 has been changed compared to the work display field 505 shown in FIG. 5 in accordance with the operation switched by the shovel 100. The work display field 505 is configured to include "Excavation location transition" 651, "Excavation" 652, "Lifting" 653, "Soil removal" 654, and "Waiting" 655. Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the border of "Lifting" 653 is displayed thicker than the borders of the other operations. Furthermore, the border of "Excavation" 652 has been changed to be thinner compared to "Excavation" 552 in FIG. 5. This allows the manager to recognize that the operation currently being performed by the shovel 100 has been switched from "Excavation" to "Lifting".

[0133] In this way, the screen generating unit 233 displays the order of a plurality of operations performed by the shovel 100 in the work display field 605. Then, when it is recognized that the operation of the shovel 100 is to be switched, the screen generating unit 233 switches the display of the work display field 605 so that the operation performed by the shovel 100 can be recognized. This allows the manager to recognize the operation currently being performed by the shovel 100. This makes it easier for the manager to grasp the current status of the shovel 100.

[0134] The operation item display field 606 switches between items displayed depending on the operation currently being performed by the shovel 100. Specifically, the operation item display field 606 displays "target swing angle" and "actual swing angle" as items corresponding to "lifting." The "target swing angle" displays an angle determined according to the target trajectory, and the "actual swing angle" displays an angle detected by an angle sensor.

[0135] When it is recognized that the operation of the shovel 100 is to be switched, the screen generating unit 233 generates a display screen in which the display fields related to the operation after the switch are changed. This allows the manager to grasp the detailed state of the current operation of the shovel 100. At that time, the screen generating unit 233 also changes the display of the display fields related to other operations ("digging") other than the operation after the switch. In this embodiment, the screen generating unit 233 generates a display image in which the display fields of items related to other operations ("digging") are hidden. This makes it easier for the manager to recognize the current state of the shovel 100 because the display of display fields not related to the current operation of the shovel 100 is suppressed, making it easier to check the display fields related to the current operation.

[0136] In this way, when it is recognized that the operation of the shovel 100 is to be switched, the screen generator 233 generates a display screen so as to start displaying items corresponding to the operation after the switch and hide items of other operations. This makes it easy for the manager to grasp the status related to the current operation of the shovel 100 by checking the contents displayed on the display screen, thereby reducing the burden on the manager when checking.

[0137] When it is recognized that the operation of the shovel 100 is to be switched, the display by the screen generating unit 233 is maintained in the shovel status display field 502. In other words, the display related to the status of the shovel 100, which changes regardless of the operation of the shovel 100, is maintained even when the operation is switched. This allows the manager to easily recognize the status of the shovel 100, since the confirmation method for information that changes regardless of the operation of the shovel 100 does not change depending on the operation.

[0138] 6, the display mode of the display field corresponding to the current operation is switched. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the dump truck bed display field 603, which is the display field corresponding to "lifting" 653, is highlighted. Specifically, the border of the dump truck bed display field 603 is displayed thicker than the other display fields. Also, the border of the excavation location display field 601 is changed to be thinner than the excavation location display field 501 in FIG. 5. In other words, as the operation currently being performed by the excavator 100 has been switched from "digging" to "lifting", the manager can recognize that he needs to pay more attention to the dump truck bed display field 603 rather than the excavation location display field 601.

[0139] In this way, in the management device 200 according to this embodiment, the content displayed on the display screen can be switched according to the operation of the shovel 100 performing autonomous control.

[0140] (Variation 1) The above-described embodiment shows an example of the display screen, and the display screen is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Therefore, in Modification 1, another aspect of the display screen will be described.

[0141] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the operation item display field is switched depending on the operation of the shovel 100. In contrast, in Modification 1, an example will be described in which display fields are displayed for all operations.

[0142] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating a display screen generated by the screen generating unit 233 according to this modified example. As shown in Fig. 7, the display screen 700 includes an excavation location display field 501, an excavator status display field 502, a dump truck bed display field 703, an overhead view video display field 504, a work display field 505, a turning location transition / lifting item display field 706, an excavation item display field 707, and an earth removal item display field 708. The same display contents as those in Fig. 5 are assigned the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0143] The display screen shown in FIG. 7 is displayed when the work of the shovel 100 is digging and loading and the shovel 100 is currently performing an excavation operation.

[0144] The dump truck bed display field 703 is displayed grayed out because it is a display field that does not correspond to the operation (excavation) currently being performed by the excavator 100.

[0145] Similarly, the turning location transition / lifting item display field 706 and the earth removal item display field 708 are displayed grayed out because they are display fields that do not correspond to the operation (excavation) currently being performed by the excavator 100.

[0146] The excavation location display field 501 is displayed in an emphasized manner because it is a display field corresponding to the operation (excavation) currently being performed by the shovel 100. Specifically, the border of the excavation location display field 501 is displayed thicker than the other borders.

[0147] The excavation item display field 707 is displayed in an emphasized manner because it is a display field corresponding to the operation (excavation) currently being performed by the shovel 100. Specifically, the border of the excavation item display field 707 is displayed thicker than the other borders.

[0148] In the example shown in FIG. 7, the display field corresponding to the operation currently being performed by the shovel 100 is highlighted, and the display field corresponding to the operation not currently being performed by the shovel 100 is displayed in a grayed-out state.

[0149] Then, when the operation of the shovel 100 is switched from "digging" to "lifting", the display control unit 234 switches the display screen. Next, the display screen when the operation of the shovel 100 is switched from "digging" to "lifting" will be described.

[0150] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating a display screen generated by the screen generating unit 233 according to this modified example. As shown in Fig. 8, the display screen 800 includes an excavation location display field 801, an excavator status display field 502, a dump truck bed display field 603, an overhead view video display field 504, a work display field 605, a turning location transition / lifting item display field 806, an excavation item display field 807, and an earth removal item display field 808. The same display contents as those in Fig. 6 are assigned the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0151] The excavation location display field 801 is displayed grayed out because it is a display field that does not correspond to the operation (lifting) currently being performed by the excavator 100.

[0152] The dump truck bed display field 603 is highlighted because it is a display field corresponding to the operation (lifting) currently being performed by the excavator 100. Specifically, the border of the dump truck bed display field 703 is displayed thicker than the other borders.

[0153] Similarly, the turning place transition / lifting item display field 806 is displayed in an emphasized manner because it is a display field corresponding to the operation (lifting) currently being performed by the excavator 100. Specifically, the border of the turning place transition / lifting item display field 806 is displayed thicker than the other borders.

[0154] The excavation item display field 807 and the earth removal item display field 808 are displayed in gray because they are display fields that do not correspond to the operation (lifting) currently being performed by the excavator 100.

[0155] In this way, when it is recognized that the operation of the shovel 100 is to be switched, the screen generating unit 233 generates a display screen in which the display field corresponding to the operation after the switch is highlighted compared to the display fields corresponding to other operations. In this embodiment, the highlighted display is exemplified by changing the display mode of the border of the display field. The method of changing the display mode is not limited to changing the border to a thicker one, and the color of the border may be changed. This makes it easier for the administrator to visually check the display field corresponding to the operation after the switch, making it easier to check the status of the current operation of the shovel 100.

[0156] Furthermore, when it is recognized that the operation of the shovel 100 is to be switched, the screen generating unit 233 generates a display screen in which display fields that do not correspond to the switched operation are changed to gray out. This makes it difficult to visually recognize display fields that are not related to the switched operation, in other words, it becomes easier to visually recognize display fields that correspond to the operation compared to display fields that do not correspond to the operation. This makes it easier to check the status related to the current operation of the shovel 100.

[0157] (Variation 2) In the first modification, a case where the display method of the display column is changed by changing the display mode of the frame of the display column and graying out the display column has been described. However, the first modification does not limit the change mode of the display column to changing the display mode of the frame and graying out the display column. In the second modification, a case where the display column is enlarged and reduced will be described.

[0158] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a display screen generated by the screen generating unit 233 according to this modified example. As shown in Fig. 9, the display screen 900 includes an excavation location display field 901, an excavator status display field 502, a dump truck bed display field 903, an overhead view video display field 504, a work display field 605, a turning location transition / lifting item display field 906, an excavation item display field 907, and an earth removal item display field 908. The same display contents as those in Fig. 8 are assigned the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0159] The excavation location display field 901 is a display field that does not correspond to the operation (lifting) currently being performed by the excavator 100, and is therefore displayed in a reduced size and grayed out.

[0160] The dump truck bed display field 903 is a display field corresponding to the action (lifting) currently being performed by the excavator 100, and is therefore displayed enlarged from a reduced state (such as the excavation site display field 901) with a thicker border.

[0161] Similarly, the turning location transition / lifting item display field 906 is a display field corresponding to the action (lifting) currently being performed by the excavator 100, and therefore is displayed enlarged from a reduced state (such as display areas 907 and 908) with a thicker border.

[0162] An excavation item display field 907 and an earth removal item display field 908 are display fields that do not correspond to the operation (lifting) currently being performed by the excavator 100, and are therefore displayed in a reduced size and grayed out.

[0163] In this way, when the screen generation unit 233 recognizes that the operation of the shovel 100 is to be switched, it generates an enlarged display screen in which the display field corresponding to the operation after the switch has a thicker border compared to the display fields corresponding to other operations.

[0164] Furthermore, when it is recognized that the operation of the shovel 100 is to be switched, the screen generating unit 233 generates a reduced display screen with display fields that do not correspond to the switched operation grayed out. This makes it difficult to visually recognize the display fields that do not correspond to the switched operation, in other words, it becomes easier to visually recognize the display fields that correspond to the operation compared to the display fields that do not correspond to the operation. This makes it easier to check the status regarding the current operation of the shovel 100. Note that in this modified example, an example has been described in which the expansion or reduction of the display field is combined with changing the display mode of the frame line or graying it out. However, this modified example is not limited to this combination, and only the expansion or reduction of the display field may be performed.

[0165] <effect> In the above-described embodiment and modified example, the management device 200 switches the display content according to the operation of the shovel 100 performing autonomous control. In other words, by performing a display appropriate to the operation of the shovel 100, the manager managing the shovel 100 with the management device 200 can check the status according to the current operation of the shovel 100. In other words, the manager can appropriately recognize the current status of the shovel 100, and therefore, if an abnormality occurs in the shovel 100, the abnormality can be recognized immediately, thereby improving safety.

[0166] In the above-mentioned embodiment and modified examples, a case has been described in which a shovel is used as an example of a work machine. However, the configurations shown in the embodiment and modified examples are not limited to being applied to a shovel as a work machine, and may be applied to, for example, a crane, a forklift, etc. In other words, in the above-mentioned embodiment and modified examples, a case has been described in which the management device 200 manages the shovel 100, but the management device may also be applied as a management device (an example of a display device for a work machine) that manages a work device.

[0167] The above describes the embodiments showing examples of a display device for a shovel, a display device for a work machine, and a monitoring system for a shovel, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions, deletions, and combinations are possible within the scope of the claims. Naturally, these also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0168] 100 Shovel 1 Undercarriage 2 Swivel mechanism 3. Upper rotating body 4. Boom 5 Arm 6 Bucket S6 imaging device S7 spatial recognition device S8 Positioning Device T1 Communications Equipment DI display device 30 Excavator Controller 301 Acquisition Department 302 Excavator condition identification section 303 Operation setting section 304 Target trajectory generation unit 305 Autonomous Control Unit 306 Transmission control section 307 Actuator drive unit 31 Proportional valve 200 Management device T2 Communication Equipment D1 display device 230 Controller 231 Reception control section 232 Operation judgment section 233 Screen generation section 234 Display control section 400 Fixed-point measuring device T3 Communications Equipment S40 Imaging device S41 Spatial recognition device 430 Controller 431 Transmission control section 450 Location information storage unit

Claims

1. When the shovel performs a plurality of operations in sequence through autonomous control, information regarding the operations is acquired from the shovel; A control unit configured to change content displayed regarding the shovel when it is recognized that the operation of the shovel will be switched based on the information, A display device for the excavator.

2. The control unit is configured to change a display of a field related to the operation after the operation is switched when the operation is recognized to be switched. The display device for a shovel according to claim 1.

3. The control unit is configured to change display of a field related to an action other than the action after the action is switched when the action is recognized to be switched. The display device for a shovel according to claim 2.

4. The control unit is configured to, when it is recognized that the motion is switched, perform display such that a field related to the motion after the switching is highlighted compared to fields related to other motions. The display device for a shovel according to claim 3.

5. When it is recognized that the motion is switched, the control unit changes a display mode of a frame of a field related to the motion after the switching, or changes the display mode of the field related to the motion after the switching so as to enlarge the field. The display device for a shovel according to claim 4.

6. When it is recognized that the operation is switched, the control unit changes a field related to the other operation to gray out or reduces the field related to the other operation. The display device for a shovel according to claim 4.

7. The control unit is configured to, when it is recognized that the motion is switched, start displaying a field related to the motion after the switching and hide a field related to the other motion. The display device for a shovel according to claim 3.

8. The information acquired from the shovel includes information indicating a status of the shovel that changes regardless of the operation, The control unit is configured to maintain the display of the field related to the status of the shovel even when it is recognized that the operation is switched. The display device for a shovel according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. The control unit is configured to display a sequence of the plurality of operations performed by the shovel, and when it is recognized that the operation is to be switched, to switch the display so that the operation performed by the shovel can be recognized. The display device for a shovel according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

10. When the work machine performs a plurality of operations in sequence through autonomous control, information is acquired from the work machine; a control unit configured to change content displayed regarding the work machine when it is recognized that the operation of the work machine will be switched based on the information, A display device for a work machine.

11. A shovel configured to autonomously perform a plurality of operations and transmit information relating to the operations; a control device configured to receive the information from the shovel, perform display based on the information received from the shovel, and change content displayed regarding the shovel when it is recognized that the operation of the shovel is to be switched based on the information; An excavator monitoring system equipped with:

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