Control device for work vehicles, work vehicles, control methods, programs

Abstract

The system will implement more appropriate control based on the condition of the work vehicle. [Solution] One aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for a work vehicle, comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the status of the work vehicle; a determination unit that determines the current operating status of the work vehicle based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a prediction unit that predicts the operating status of the work vehicle from the present time onward based on the operating status of the work vehicle determined by the determination unit; and a control unit that controls the work vehicle based on the operating status of the work vehicle predicted by the prediction unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device for a work vehicle, a work vehicle, a control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] For various purposes such as reducing fuel consumption rate and improving performance, each part of a vehicle is controlled. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an engine control method that automatically adjusts or stops the engine rotation speed according to the operation state of the machine.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The control of each part of a vehicle, including the configuration described in Patent Document 1, is performed based on the state of the vehicle at that time. However, the control performed based on the state of the vehicle at that time may not always be suitable depending on the subsequent state of the vehicle. Therefore, it is desired to perform more appropriate control according to the state of the vehicle.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a control device for a work vehicle, a work vehicle, a control method, and a program that can perform more appropriate control according to the operating state of the work vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for a work vehicle, comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the status of the work vehicle; a determination unit that determines the current operating status of the work vehicle based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a prediction unit that predicts the operating status of the work vehicle from the present onward based on the operating status of the work vehicle determined by the determination unit; and a control unit that controls the work vehicle based on the operating status of the work vehicle predicted by the prediction unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to each aspect of this disclosure, more appropriate control can be performed depending on the operating status of the work vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows the configuration of a work vehicle according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the operational status of the above-mentioned work vehicles at a work site. [Figure 3] This figure shows the hardware configuration of a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This figure shows the functional configuration of a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the range of engine speed and engine torque according to the operating status of the work vehicle of this disclosure. [Figure 6] This figure shows the processing flow of a control device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0010] (Composition of work vehicles) Figure 1 shows the configuration of a work vehicle according to an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the work vehicle 1 is used for various tasks at a work site or the like. In this embodiment, the work vehicle 1 is, for example, a dump truck that transports soil, gravel, etc. The work vehicle 1 comprises a vehicle body 10 and a control device 2.

[0011] The vehicle body 10 includes a running section 11 for driving, a driver's cab 12, a cargo bed (work section) 13, and an exhaust gas treatment device 17.

[0012] The running gear 11 includes wheels 14, an engine 15, a steering mechanism (not shown), a braking mechanism (not shown), a transmission mechanism (not shown), etc. The engine 15 drives at least some of the wheels 14 to move the work vehicle 1. The steering mechanism steers at least some of the wheels 14 to change the direction of travel of the work vehicle 1. The braking mechanism applies brakes to the wheels 14 to decelerate the work vehicle 1.

[0013] The driver's cab 12 is where the operator of the work vehicle 1 sits and operates and controls the running gear 11, cargo bed 13, etc. The driver's cab 12 is located at the front of the vehicle body 10. The cargo bed 13 is located at the rear of the vehicle body 10. The cargo bed 13 can be raised and lowered by the operator of the work vehicle 1.

[0014] The exhaust gas treatment device 17 processes the exhaust gas from the engine 15. The exhaust gas treatment device 17 is equipped with a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter), a catalyst, etc. The DPF collects and burns particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas. The catalyst, etc., oxidizes and reduces nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), etc. contained in the exhaust gas. This exhaust gas treatment device 17 is regenerated by raising the temperature of the exhaust gas under the control of the control device 2, which will be described later.

[0015] Figure 2 shows an example of the operation status of the above-mentioned work vehicle at a work site. As shown in FIG. 2, such a work vehicle 1 transports loads such as earth and sand, gravel, etc. within the work site S. For this reason, the work vehicle 1, for example, 1) Traveling movement to the loading location P1 2) Loading of the load by another work vehicle 5 such as a shovel car at the loading location P1 3) Traveling movement from the loading location P1 to the unloading location P2 4) Unloading at the unloading location P2 performs the operations in sequence. The work vehicle 1 repeatedly performs the operations of 1) to 4) within the work site S. In FIG. 1, only one work vehicle 1 is shown, but a plurality of work vehicles 1 are arranged within the work site S.

[0016] In the present embodiment, for example, there is a height difference between the loading location P1 and the unloading location P2, and the loading location P1 is set at a lower position than the unloading location P2. Note that the loading location P1 may be set at a higher position than the unloading location. For this reason, in the work site S, there is an inclined road SL between the loading location P1 and the unloading location P2, and the work vehicle 1 passes through this inclined road SL when moving between the loading location P1 and the unloading location P2. When moving from the loading location P1 to the unloading location P2, the work vehicle 1 climbs the inclined road SL, and when moving from the unloading location P2 to the loading location P1, the work vehicle 1 descends the inclined road SL. In the following description, when the work vehicle 1 climbs the inclined road SL, the inclined road SL is referred to as an uphill, and when the work vehicle 1 descends the inclined road SL, the inclined road SL is referred to as a downhill. Note that the content and order of the operations performed by the work vehicle 1 shown in 1) to 4) above are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate. Also, the movement route of the work vehicle 1 exemplified in the present embodiment when performing the operations of 1) to 4) is merely an example and can be changed as appropriate.

[0017] (Configuration of the control device) FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, the functions of the control device 2 will be described in detail. The control device 2 comprises a CPU 20, a memory 21, a communication interface 24, and a storage unit 25. The CPU 20 may be any form of FPGA, GPU, or similar device.

[0018] The CPU 20 is the processor responsible for controlling the overall operation of the control unit 2. The various functions of the CPU 20 will be described later.

[0019] Memory 21 is the so-called main memory. Instructions and data necessary for the CPU 20 to operate based on the program are stored in memory 21.

[0020] The communication interface 24 is a communication interface for communicating with various parts of the work vehicle 1.

[0021] The memory unit 25 is a so-called auxiliary storage device, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0022] In other embodiments, the control device 2 may include, in addition to or instead of the above configuration, a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device). Examples of PLDs include PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In this case, some or all of the functions implemented by the processor may be implemented by the integrated circuit. Multiple such control devices 2 may be provided, such as a vehicle body controller or engine controller for the work vehicle 1.

[0023] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device according to the embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the CPU 20, by operating based on a predetermined program, functionally comprises an information acquisition unit 31, a history information storage unit 32, a plan information registration unit 33, a determination unit 34, a prediction unit 35, and a control unit 36. The predetermined program may be for realizing only a part of the functions to be performed by the control device 2. For example, the program may perform its functions in combination with other programs already stored in the storage unit 25, or in combination with other programs implemented in other devices.

[0024] The information acquisition unit 31 acquires information regarding the status of the work vehicle 1. As information regarding the status of the work vehicle 1, the information acquisition unit 31 acquires from various parts such as the position of the work vehicle 1, the vehicle speed, the rotational speed of the engine 15, the torque generated by the engine 15, the tilt angle of the vehicle body 10, the operating state of the braking mechanism, and the operating state of the cargo bed 13. The information acquisition unit 31 acquires information regarding the status of the work vehicle 1 from, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) or sensors provided on various parts. Furthermore, if the work vehicle 1 is equipped with cameras that take pictures of the area in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel or the surrounding area, the information acquisition unit 31 may also acquire images or videos taken by the cameras as information regarding the status of the work vehicle 1.

[0025] The history information storage unit 32 stores information regarding the operating status history of the work vehicle 1. Examples of information regarding the operating status history of the work vehicle 1 include the work performed by the work vehicle 1 (e.g., the work described in 1) to 4) above), the time the work was performed, location information of the place where the work was performed, travel route information when the work vehicle 1 was traveling, vehicle speed, operating status of the engine 15, and rotational speed of the engine 15. Note that this history information storage unit 32 is not an essential component and can be omitted as appropriate.

[0026] The planning information registration unit 33 stores information regarding the operational plan for the work to be carried out by the work vehicle 1. The operational plan includes, for example, information regarding the order, location, and time of the work to be carried out by the work vehicle 1 each day. Note that the planning information registration unit 33 is not a mandatory component and can be omitted as appropriate.

[0027] The determination unit 34 determines the current operating status of the work vehicle 1 based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 31.

[0028] For example, the determination unit 34 determines, based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 31, whether the operating status of the work vehicle 1 at the present time is "traveling downhill". Therefore, the determination unit 34 determines, for example, a1) The inclination angle of the work vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction is smaller than a preset inclination angle threshold. If condition a1) is met, the operating status of work vehicle 1 is determined to be "traveling downhill".

[0029] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the range of engine speed and engine torque according to the operating state of the work vehicle of this disclosure. Figure 5 illustrates the maximum values ​​of engine speed and engine torque when work vehicle 1 is in motion, the range of engine speed and engine torque X when traveling downhill, the range of engine speed and engine torque Y when waiting for work to begin, and the range of engine speed and engine torque Z when traveling uphill. On a downhill slope, even without opening the throttle, the vehicle speed increases and the rotational speed of the wheels 14 increases, so as shown in range X of Figure 5, the rotational speed of the engine 15 increases while the torque generated by the engine 15 is small. For this reason, the determination unit 34, as shown in Figure 5, a2) The rotational speed of the engine 15 of the work vehicle 1 is higher than the rotational speed reference value r1, and the torque generated by the engine 15 is lower than the torque reference value t1. If condition a2) is met, the operating status of work vehicle 1 is determined to be "traveling downhill".

[0030] In addition to this, for example, the determination unit 34, a3) Based on the location information of work vehicle 1 obtained by GPS, work vehicle 1 is located on ramp SL and is moving in the direction of descending ramp SL. a4) From the images obtained by the camera, it can be estimated that work vehicle 1 is traveling downhill. If at least one of the above conditions is met, it may be determined that the operating status of work vehicle 1 is "traveling downhill."

[0031] For example, the determination unit 34 determines, based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 31, whether the operating status of the work vehicle 1 at the present time is "on standby for work". Therefore, as shown in the range Y of Figure 5, the determination unit 34 a11) The rotational speed of the engine 15 of the work vehicle 1 is lower than the rotational speed reference value r2, and the torque generated by the engine 15 is lower than the torque reference value t2. If condition a11) is met, the operational status of work vehicle 1 is determined to be "on standby for work".

[0032] In addition to this, for example, the determination unit 34, a12) The vehicle speed of work vehicle 1 is 0. a13) The location information of work vehicle 1 has not changed. a14) In the camera image and the location information of other work vehicles 5, there are no other work vehicles 5 around work vehicle 1. a15) In the camera image and the location information of other work vehicles 5, the distance between work vehicle 1 and other work vehicles 5 is greater than a predetermined distance. a16) In the camera image and the position information of the other work vehicle 5, the other work vehicle 5 is moving away from work vehicle 1. a17) The bucket of the other work vehicle 5 (excavator) is not facing the work object such as soil, but is facing the predetermined direction while stationary. If at least one of these conditions is met, it may be determined that the operational status of work vehicle 1 is "on standby for work".

[0033] For example, the determination unit 34 determines, based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 31, whether the operating status of the work vehicle 1 at the present time is "stopped on an uphill slope". Therefore, the determination unit 34 determines, for example, a21) The inclination angle of the work vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction is greater than a preset inclination angle threshold. a22) The vehicle speed of work vehicle 1 is lower than the preset speed standard value. If both conditions a21) and a22) are met, the operating status of work vehicle 1 is determined to be "stopped on an uphill slope".

[0034] In addition to this, for example, the determination unit 34, a23) Based on camera images and GPS location information, it was determined that work vehicle 1 stopped while traveling uphill. If these conditions are met, it may be determined that the operational status of work vehicle 1 is "stopped on an uphill slope".

[0035] The prediction unit 35 predicts the operating status of the work vehicle 1 from the present time onward, based on the current operating status of the work vehicle 1 determined by the determination unit 34. The prediction unit 35 predicts whether the current operating status of the work vehicle 1 determined by the determination unit 34 will continue from the present time onward.

[0036] For example, if the determination unit 34 determines that the operating status of the work vehicle 1 at the present time is "driving downhill", the prediction unit 35 predicts whether the work vehicle 1 will continue to "driving downhill" from this point onward. The prediction unit 35 uses, for example, the history information of the operating status of the work vehicle 1 stored in the history information storage unit 32, b1) The ratio of the time spent traveling downhill to the total operating time of work vehicle 1 is smaller than the standard ratio. b2) The average time spent driving downhill is longer than the specified time. If both conditions b1) and b2) are met, the prediction unit 35 predicts that the work vehicle 1 will continue to travel downhill from this point onward. In other words, the prediction unit 35 predicts whether or not the vehicle will continue to travel downhill for a long period of time.

[0037] Here, we will explain the intention behind setting condition b1). When condition b1) is met, the engine speed and engine torque are often outside the range X, and other tasks other than downhill driving make up a large proportion of the work. In this case, the regeneration process can be performed during other tasks when the engine speed and engine torque are outside the range X. Therefore, condition b1) is set to prevent the regeneration process from being performed when the engine speed and engine torque are within the range X. Also, when condition b1) is not met, the engine speed and engine torque are often within the range X. In this case, even if it is inefficient, regeneration control is necessary, so the regeneration process is performed when the engine speed and engine torque are within the range X.

[0038] In addition to this, for example, the prediction unit 35, b3) Based on camera images and GPS location information, work vehicle 1 continues to travel downhill. If this can be predicted, then it may be predicted that work vehicle 1 will continue to travel downhill from this point onward.

[0039] For example, if the determination unit 34 determines that the operating status of the work vehicle 1 at the present time is "waiting for work," the prediction unit 35 predicts whether the work vehicle 1 will continue to be "waiting for work" from this point forward. The prediction unit 35 uses, for example, the history information of the operating status of the work vehicle 1 stored in the history information storage unit 32, b11) The proportion of time spent "on standby for work" to the total operating time of work vehicle 1 is greater than the baseline proportion. b12) The average amount of time spent in the "waiting for work" state is longer than the specified time. If both conditions b11) and b12) are met, it is predicted that work vehicle 1 will continue to be in a "waiting state for work" from this point forward.

[0040] In addition to this, for example, the prediction unit 35, b13) In the vicinity of other work vehicles 5, the operating status of other work vehicles 5 obtained from camera images and GPS location information is acquired via a server, etc., and it can be predicted that other work vehicles 5 are waiting to perform work. If conditions b13) are met, it may be predicted that work vehicle 1 will continue to be in a "waiting state for work" from this point forward.

[0041] For example, if the determination unit 34 determines that the operating status of the work vehicle 1 at the present time is "stopped on an uphill slope", the prediction unit 35 predicts whether the work vehicle 1 will continue to be "stopped on an uphill slope" from this point onward. The prediction unit 35, for example, b21) Based on GPS location information and images obtained from the camera, the location where work vehicle 1 stopped on an uphill slope was partway up the slope, and it continued to go uphill afterwards. If conditions b21) are met, it is predicted that work vehicle 1 will remain "stopped on an uphill slope" from this point onward, and then restart to climb the uphill slope.

[0042] The control unit 36 ​​controls the work vehicle 1 based on the operating state of the work vehicle 1 predicted by the prediction unit 35. If the prediction unit 35 predicts that the current operating state of the work vehicle 1 will continue from the present time onward, the control unit 36 ​​controls the work vehicle 1 based on the predicted operating state of the work vehicle 1.

[0043] For example, if the prediction unit 35 predicts that the work vehicle 1 will continue to travel downhill from the present time, the control unit 36 ​​will not perform the regeneration process of the exhaust gas treatment device 17. The regeneration process of the exhaust gas treatment device 17 requires the exhaust gas from the engine 15 to raise the temperature of the exhaust gas treatment device 17 (DPF, catalyst, etc.) to above a predetermined temperature. When the work vehicle 1 continues to travel downhill, the exhaust gas flow rate from the engine 15 is high and the exhaust temperature is low, making it difficult for the temperature of the exhaust gas treatment device 17 to rise. For this reason, if the regeneration process of the exhaust gas treatment device 17 has already been performed, the regeneration process will be stopped, and if a command to start the regeneration process is received while the work vehicle 1 is traveling downhill, the start of the regeneration process will be stopped. This prevents the regeneration process of the exhaust gas treatment device 17 from being performed in an inefficient manner. The control unit 36 ​​then starts (restarts) the regeneration process of the exhaust gas treatment device 17 when the operating status of the work vehicle 1 is no longer "driving downhill".

[0044] For example, if the prediction unit 35 predicts that the work vehicle 1 will continue to be in a "waiting state for work" from the present time onward, the control unit 36 ​​stops the idling of the engine 15 of the work vehicle 1 (idle stop). This reduces fuel consumption while the vehicle is "waiting state for work".

[0045] For example, if the prediction unit 35 predicts that the work vehicle 1 will remain "stopped on an uphill slope" from the present moment onward, and then restart to climb the slope, the control unit 36 ​​increases the idling speed of the engine 15 of the work vehicle 1. As shown in range Z of Figure 5, when the work vehicle 1 climbs an uphill slope, it is necessary to increase the rotational speed of the engine 15 to generate high torque. In contrast, when "stopped on an uphill slope," the engine 15 is rotating at idling speed, so it is necessary to open the throttle to increase the rotational speed of the engine 15. For this reason, when restarting to climb the slope from a state of "stopped on an uphill slope," increasing the idling speed of the engine 15 in advance improves the responsiveness of the engine 15 when the operator opens the throttle.

[0046] (Processing flow of the control unit) Figure 6 is a diagram showing the processing flow of the control device according to the present disclosure. The processing flow shown in Figure 6 is automatically and repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals after the engine 15 of the work vehicle 1 is started by the operator.

[0047] The control device 2 primarily sequentially performs the following steps: step S1 to acquire information, step S2 to determine the current operating status of the work vehicle 1, step S3 to predict the operating status of the work vehicle 1 from the present onward, and step S4 to control the work vehicle 1.

[0048] In step S1, which involves acquiring information, the information acquisition unit 31 acquires information regarding the status of the work vehicle 1. The information acquisition unit 31 acquires information regarding the status of the work vehicle 1, such as the position of the work vehicle 1, the vehicle speed, the rotational speed of the engine 15, the tilt angle of the vehicle body 10, the operating status of the braking mechanism, and the operating status of the cargo bed 13.

[0049] In step S2, which determines the current operating status of work vehicle 1, first, the operating status of work vehicle 1 is determined based on the acquired information (step S21). If the above conditions a1) or a2) are met, the determination unit 34 determines that the operating status of work vehicle 1 is "driving downhill" (Yes in step S22).

[0050] Next, if it is determined that the operating status of work vehicle 1 is "driving downhill", in step S3, which predicts the operating status of work vehicle 1 from the present moment onward, the prediction unit 35 predicts whether work vehicle 1 will continue to drive downhill from the present moment onward (step S31). If both of the above conditions b1) and b2) are met, the prediction unit 35 predicts that work vehicle 1 will continue to drive downhill from the present moment onward (Yes in step S32). If neither of the above conditions b1) and b2) are met (No in step S32), the process returns to step S1 and is repeated.

[0051] Next, in step S4, which controls the work vehicle 1, if it is predicted that the work vehicle 1 will continue to travel downhill from this point onward, the control unit 36 ​​will not perform the regeneration process of the exhaust gas treatment device 17 (step S41).

[0052] Furthermore, if the operating status of the work vehicle 1 is not determined to be "driving downhill" in step S22 (No in step S22), and if the above condition a11) is met, the determination unit 34 determines that the operating status of the work vehicle 1 is "waiting for work" (Yes in step S23).

[0053] If the operating status of work vehicle 1 is determined to be "waiting for work", in step S3, which predicts the operating status of work vehicle 1 from the present time onward, the prediction unit 35 predicts whether work vehicle 1 will continue to be "waiting for work" from the present time onward (step S33). If both of the above conditions b11) and b12) are met, the prediction unit 35 predicts that work vehicle 1 will continue to be "waiting for work" from the present time onward (Yes in step S34). If neither of the above conditions b11) and b12) are met (No in step S34), the process returns to step S1 and is repeated.

[0054] If it is predicted that the work vehicle 1 will continue to be in a "waiting state for work" from this point onward, in step S4, which controls the work vehicle 1, the control unit 36 ​​stops the idling of the engine 15 of the work vehicle 1 (idle stop) (step S42).

[0055] Furthermore, if the operating status of work vehicle 1 is not determined to be "waiting for work" in step S23 (No in step S23), the determination unit 34 determines that the operating status of work vehicle 1 is "stopped on an uphill slope" if both of the above conditions a21) and a22) are met (Yes in step S24). If neither of the above conditions a21) and a22) are met, the process returns to step S1 and is repeated.

[0056] If the operating status of work vehicle 1 is determined to be "stopped on an uphill slope", in step S3, which predicts the operating status of work vehicle 1 from the present time onward, the prediction unit 35 predicts whether work vehicle 1 will continue to be "stopped on an uphill slope" from the present time onward (step S35). If the above condition b21) is met, the prediction unit 35 predicts that work vehicle 1 will continue to be "stopped on an uphill slope" from the present time onward (Yes in step S36). If the above condition b21) is not met (No in step S36), the process returns to step S1 and is repeated.

[0057] If it is predicted that the work vehicle 1 will remain "stopped on an uphill slope" from this point onward, in step S4, the control unit 36 ​​increases the idling speed of the engine 15 of the work vehicle 1 (step S43).

[0058] Subsequently, unless the operating status of work vehicle 1 changes, steps S41, S42, and S43 are maintained. If the operating status of work vehicle 1 changes (step S5), the control in steps S41, S42, and S43 is released (step S6).

[0059] (Effects / Actions) According to this embodiment, more appropriate control can be performed according to the operating status of the work vehicle 1.

[0060] While embodiments of this invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments described above, and design changes and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention are also included.

[0061] In the embodiment described above, the flow of the control method for the work vehicle 1 in the control device 2 was explained, but the order can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, examples were given for determining the current operating status of the work vehicle 1 and predicting the operating status of the work vehicle 1 from the present time onward, but these conditions can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the operation of the work vehicle 1 was controlled when its operating state was "driving downhill," "waiting for work," or "stopped on an uphill slope." However, the operation of the work vehicle 1 may also be controlled in operating states other than those shown herein. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the control of the work vehicle 1 was performed by not performing the regeneration process of the exhaust gas treatment device 17, stopping the engine 15 from idling, and increasing the idle speed of the engine 15. However, other control methods may be used.

[0062] In the embodiments described above, the work vehicle 1 is a dump truck, but it is not limited to this. For example, the work vehicle 1 in other embodiments may be other work vehicles such as a hydraulic excavator, bulldozer, or wheel loader.

[0063] Furthermore, some or all of the program executed by the computer in the above embodiment can be distributed via a computer-readable recording medium or communication line. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 1...Work vehicle, 2...Control device, 5...Work vehicle, 10...Vehicle body, 15...Engine, 17...Exhaust gas treatment device, 31...Information acquisition unit, 32...History information storage unit, 33...Planning information registration unit, 34...Determination unit, 35...Prediction unit, 36...Control unit

Claims

1. An information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the status of the work vehicle, A determination unit determines the current operating status of the work vehicle based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit, A prediction unit predicts the operating status of the work vehicle from the present time onward based on the operating status of the work vehicle determined by the determination unit, A control device for a work vehicle, comprising: a control unit that controls the work vehicle based on the operating state of the work vehicle predicted by the prediction unit; and

2. If the prediction unit predicts that the current operating state of the work vehicle will continue beyond the present time, the control unit controls the work vehicle based on the predicted operating state of the work vehicle. A control device for a work vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned work vehicle is equipped with an exhaust gas treatment device, The determination unit determines that the current operating status of the work vehicle is that it is traveling downhill. Furthermore, if the prediction unit predicts that the work vehicle will continue to travel downhill from this point onward, The control unit shall not perform the regeneration process of the exhaust gas treatment device. The control device for a work vehicle according to claim 2.

4. The determination unit determines that the current operating status of the work vehicle is that it is waiting for work to begin. Furthermore, if the prediction unit predicts that the state of waiting for work will continue from the present time onward, The control unit stops the engine installed in the work vehicle. A control device for a work vehicle according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The determination unit determines that the current operating status of the work vehicle is that it is stopped on an uphill slope with the engine running. Furthermore, if the prediction unit predicts that the work vehicle will resume driving uphill from this point onward, The control unit increases the rotational speed of the engine. A control device for a work vehicle according to claim 1.

6. The system further includes a history information storage unit that stores information regarding the operating status history of the aforementioned work vehicle, The prediction unit predicts the operating status of the work vehicle from the present time onward based on the information regarding the operating status history of the work vehicle stored in the history information storage unit. A control device for a work vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The system further includes a planning information registration unit for registering information regarding the operational plan of the work to be carried out by the aforementioned work vehicle, The prediction unit predicts the operating status of the work vehicle from the present time onward based on the information regarding the work vehicle's operation plan registered in the planning information registration unit. A control device for a work vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The aforementioned information acquisition unit acquires information about other work vehicles located in the surrounding area. The prediction unit predicts the operating status of the work vehicle from the present time onward, based on information regarding the other work vehicle. A control device for a work vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The work vehicle itself, A control device for a work vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, comprising Work vehicle.

10. Steps include obtaining information regarding the status of the work vehicle, Based on the acquired information, the step of determining the current operating status of the work vehicle, A step of predicting the operating status of the work vehicle from the present time onward based on the determined operating status of the work vehicle, The steps include controlling the work vehicle based on the predicted operating state of the work vehicle. A method for controlling work vehicles.

11. Steps include obtaining information regarding the status of the work vehicle, Based on the acquired information, the step of determining the current operating status of the work vehicle, A step of predicting the operating status of the work vehicle from the present time onward based on the determined operating status of the work vehicle, A program that causes a computer to perform the steps of controlling the work vehicle based on the predicted operating status of the work vehicle.

Images