Cranes and crane control systems

Abstract

To reduce the burden of verification on the operator. [Solution] A crane according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a slewing body, an attachment provided to the slewing body so as to be able to be raised and lowered, an end attachment connected to the attachment via a wire rope, and a control device that causes a display unit to display a trajectory for the end attachment to move from a second position to a first position in a display area representing the working space of the device in a two-dimensional coordinate system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a crane and a control system for a crane.

Background Art

[0002] In a slewing crane, the operator performs slewing, luffing, and hoisting operations according to the operation of the operator to carry the suspended load.

[0003] By the way, in recent years, since there is a tendency for a shortage of operators, simplification of the operation of the slewing crane has been required. Therefore, a technique has been proposed in which when a transport path is input from an operator, for example, the crane automatically moves the suspended load along the input movement path (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in order to automatically move the suspended load along the movement path, it is necessary to recognize various information such as the surrounding situation and the size of the suspended load, so complicated settings are required.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention suppresses setting of an orbit in a three-dimensional space by displaying an orbit in a display area represented by a two-dimensional coordinate system, thereby reducing the burden on an operator or the like.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A crane according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a slewing body, an attachment that is provided to be able to be raised and lowered relative to the slewing body, an end attachment connected to the attachment via a wire rope, and a control device that causes a display unit to display a trajectory for the end attachment to move from a second position to a first position in a display area that represents the working space of the device in a two-dimensional coordinate system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, the burden on the operator to confirm the trajectory is reduced by displaying the trajectory in a display area represented in a two-dimensional coordinate system. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing an example of a tower crane according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a tower crane according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure when registering a position in the simplified operation mode of the controller according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure illustrates a screen in simplified operation mode, as displayed by the display control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the processing procedure when controlling the movement of the hook in the simplified operation mode of the controller according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure illustrates a screen in simplified operation mode, as displayed by the display control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates a case where two target positions are set on the screen of the simplified operation mode, which is displayed by the display control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates a case where a virtual line (wall) is set on the screen of the simplified operation mode displayed by the display control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9]This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a remote control system for a tower crane according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments described below are illustrative and not limiting to the invention, and not all features or combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. In addition, identical or corresponding components in each drawing are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and their descriptions may be omitted.

[0011] In the embodiments of the present invention described below, an example using a mobile tower crane will be explained, but the crane is not limited to a mobile tower crane. For example, a crawler crane may be used, or a fixed power crane or unloader may be used.

[0012] (First embodiment) The following describes embodiments for carrying out the invention with reference to the drawings.

[0013] First, the overview of the tower crane 100 will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a side view showing an example of the tower crane 100 according to this embodiment.

[0014] The tower crane 100 comprises a self-propelled crawler-type lower vehicle 1, an upper slewing body 3 rotatably mounted on the lower vehicle 1, and a front attachment 7, described later, which is pivotably attached to the front of the upper slewing body 3.

[0015] The lower traveling body 1 includes, for example, a pair of left and right crawlers. The lower traveling body 1 moves the tower crane 100 by hydraulically driving each crawler with a left-side travel hydraulic motor 1ML and a right-side travel hydraulic motor 1MR (see Figure 2).

[0016] The upper slewing body 3 slews with respect to the lower traveling body 1 when the slewing mechanism 2 is hydraulically driven by a slewing hydraulic motor 2M (see Fig. 2).

[0017] The upper slewing body 3 constitutes the crane body of the tower crane 100 and has a slewing frame 4 extending in the front-rear direction. A boom attachment portion 4A is provided on the front side of the slewing frame 4, and the base end of the tower boom 8 of the front attachment 7 is attached to the boom attachment portion 4A so as to be able to rise and fall.

[0018] Also, among the slewing frames 4, the base end of a tower backstop 32, which will be described later, is attached to the rear side of the boom attachment portion 4A. Further, the base ends of a mast 33 and a gantry 36, which will be described later, are attached to the rear side of the boom attachment portion 4A of the slewing frame 4.

[0019] A counterweight 5 for balancing the weights of the front attachment 7 and the suspended load is disposed on the rear side of the slewing frame 4. Also, a boom hoisting winch (not shown) or the like is disposed on the rear side of the slewing frame 4.

[0020] The cab 6 is attached, for example, to the right front end portion of the slewing frame 4. An operating device 38 (see Fig. 2) for operating the driver's seat and various actuators is provided inside the cab 6.

[0021] The front attachment 7 is provided on the upper slewing body 3 and is for transporting loads such as materials between the ground and high places. The front attachment 7 includes a tower boom 8, a tower jib 10, a tower strut 13, a jib side link member 22, a tower jib pendant rope 26, and a jib hoisting wire rope 28, which will be described later.

[0022] The tower boom 8 is mounted to the upper slewing body 3 in a luffable manner. The tower boom 8 consists of a lower boom 8A whose base is mounted to the boom mounting section 4A of the slewing frame 4 in a luffable manner, a plurality of intermediate booms 8B whose bases are mounted to the tip of the lower boom 8A, and an upper boom 8C mounted to the tip of the intermediate boom 8B located at the very front.

[0023] The upper boom 8C has a shape in which the upper part protrudes forward when the tower boom 8 is in an upright position, and its lower edge is attached to the tip of the intermediate boom 8B. The tower jib 10 is attached to the upper boom 8C so that it can be raised and lowered. Furthermore, a sheave bracket 9 is attached to the rear side of the upper boom 8C.

[0024] The tower jib pendant rope 26 constitutes a pendant rope that connects the jib-side link member 22 and the tower jib 10. The tower jib pendant rope 26 is formed from two wire ropes of a fixed length. One end of the tower jib pendant rope 26 is connected to the jib-side link member 22 provided on the tower strut 13, and the other end is connected to the tip of the upper jib 10C of the tower jib 10.

[0025] The jib luffing wire rope 28 is wound around a jib luffing winch (not shown) and its end is connected to a tower strut 13. The jib luffing wire rope 28 luffs the tower jib 10 relative to the tower boom 8 via the tower strut 13.

[0026] The jib luffing wire rope 28 is composed of a lower spreader 28A, an upper spreader 28B, a winding rope 28C, and a boom-side pendant rope 28D. The lower spreader 28A is attached to the intermediate boom 8B of the tower boom 8 and has multiple sheaves. The upper spreader 28B is provided opposite the lower spreader 28A and has multiple sheaves. The winding rope 28C is wound sequentially around the sheaves of the lower spreader 28A and the upper spreader 28B and is then wound onto the jib luffing winch. One end of the boom-side pendant rope 28D is connected to the upper spreader 28B, and the other end is connected to a boom-side link member (not shown) provided at the connecting portion 16 of the tower strut 13.

[0027] Therefore, when the jib luffing winch winds up the jib luffing wire rope 28, the tower jib 10 can be raised. On the other hand, when the jib luffing winch unwinds the jib luffing wire rope 28, the tower jib 10 can be folded (lowered) towards the tower boom 8.

[0028] One end of the main hoisting rope 27 is wound around a main hoisting winch (not shown). The other end of the main hoisting rope 27 is attached to the hook HK via a sheave bracket 9, a guide sheave 11 on the tower jib 10, etc. Therefore, the hook HK can be raised and lowered in accordance with the winding and unwinding of the main hoisting rope 27 by the main hoisting winch.

[0029] The tower backstop 32 is located between the slewing frame 4 and the lower boom 8A of the tower boom 8. This tower backstop 32 supports the upright tower boom 8 from behind.

[0030] This embodiment describes the case where the end attachment connected to the tower boom 8 via a wire rope is a hook HK. However, this embodiment is not limited to a hook HK for the end attachment; any configuration that moves vertically by hoisting or lowering with a wire rope is acceptable, such as a bucket using a main hoisting rope and an auxiliary hoisting rope.

[0031] A tower lower spreader 34 is provided at the tip of the mast 33 and gantry 36, and a tower luffing wire rope 35 of a certain length is connected between the tower lower spreader 34 and the upper boom 8C of the tower boom 8. The tower luffing wire rope 35, which is wound sequentially via the tower lower spreader 34, is wound around a tower boom luffing winch (not shown) provided on the slewing frame 4.

[0032] Therefore, when the tower boom luffing winch winds up the tower luffing wire rope 35, the tower boom 8 can be raised. On the other hand, when the tower boom luffing winch unwinds the tower luffing wire rope 35, the tower boom 8 can be lowered (collapsed) towards the ground.

[0033] Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the tower crane 100 according to this embodiment.

[0034] <<Hydraulic drive system>> As shown in Figure 2, the hydraulic drive system of the tower crane 100 according to this embodiment includes hydraulic actuators HA that hydraulically drive each of the driven elements, such as the lower traveling body 1 (left and right crawlers), the upper slewing body 3, and the front attachment 7. The hydraulic drive system of the tower crane 100 according to this embodiment also includes an engine 37, a regulator 18, and a control valve unit 17.

[0035] The tower crane 100 includes hydraulic actuators HA such as travel hydraulic motors 1ML and 1MR, slewing hydraulic motor 2M, boom luffing hydraulic motor 5M, tower jib luffing hydraulic motor 6M, and main hoisting hydraulic motor 7M.

[0036] The slewing hydraulic motor 2M is an example of an actuator for slewing the upper slewing body 3 relative to the lower traveling body 1. The boom luffing hydraulic motor 5M is an example of an actuator for operating the tower boom luffing winch. The tower jib luffing hydraulic motor 6M is an example of an actuator for operating the jib luffing winch. The main hoisting hydraulic motor 7M is an example of an actuator for operating the main hoisting winch.

[0037] Engine 37 is the prime mover and the main power source in the hydraulic drive system. Engine 37 is, for example, a diesel engine that uses light oil as fuel. Engine 37 is mounted, for example, at the rear of the upper slewing body 3. Under direct or indirect control by the controller 30, which will be described later, Engine 37 rotates at a preset target rotational speed and drives the main pump 14 and the pilot pump 15.

[0038] The main pump 14 supplies hydraulic fluid to the control valve unit 17 through a high-pressure hydraulic line. The main pump 14 is mounted at the rear of the upper slewing body 3, for example, similar to the engine 37. The main pump 14 is driven by the engine 37, as described above. The main pump 14 is, for example, a variable displacement hydraulic pump, and as described above, under the control of the controller 30, the piston stroke length is adjusted by adjusting the tilt angle of the swash plate by the regulator 18, thereby controlling the discharge flow rate (discharge pressure).

[0039] The control valve unit 17 is a hydraulic control device that controls the hydraulic actuator HA in response to the operator's operation of the operating device 38, the content of remote operation, or operation commands related to the automatic operation function output from the controller 30. The control valve unit 17 is mounted, for example, in the center of the upper slewing body 3. As described above, the control valve unit 17 is connected to the main pump 14 via a high-pressure hydraulic line and selectively supplies hydraulic fluid supplied from the main pump 14 to each hydraulic actuator in response to the operator's operation or operation commands output from the controller 30. Specifically, the control valve unit 17 includes a plurality of control valves (also called "direction control valves") that control the flow rate and direction of the hydraulic fluid supplied from the main pump 14 to each of the hydraulic actuators HA.

[0040] <<Operation system>> The operating system of the tower crane 100 according to this embodiment includes a pilot pump 15, an operating device 38, an operating sensor 39, a proportional valve 31, and a controller 30.

[0041] The pilot pump 15 supplies pilot pressure to various hydraulic devices via the pilot line 25. The pilot pump 15 is mounted, for example, at the rear of the upper slewing body 3, similar to the engine 37. The pilot pump 15 is, for example, a fixed-displacement hydraulic pump and is driven by the engine 37 as described above.

[0042] The pilot pump 15 may be omitted. In this case, the relatively high-pressure hydraulic fluid discharged from the main pump 14 is reduced in pressure by a predetermined pressure reducing valve, and the resulting relatively low-pressure hydraulic fluid is supplied to various hydraulic devices as pilot pressure.

[0043] The control device 38 is located near the cockpit of the cabin 6 and is used by the operator to operate various driven elements. In other words, the control device 38 is used by the operator to operate the hydraulic actuators HA that drive each driven element. The control device 38 includes pedal devices and lever devices for operating each driven element (hydraulic actuator HA).

[0044] For example, the operating device 38 is electrically operated. Specifically, the operating sensor 39 is configured to detect the content of the operator's operation of the operating device 38. In this embodiment, the operating sensor 39 detects the operating direction and amount of the operating device 38 corresponding to each actuator, and outputs the detected values ​​to the controller 30.

[0045] The controller 30 then outputs a control command to the proportional valve 31 that corresponds to the content of the operation signal, that is, a control signal corresponding to the operation of the operating device 38. As a result, the proportional valve 31 inputs a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation of the operating device 38 to the control valve unit 17, and the control valve unit 17 can drive each hydraulic actuator HA according to the operation of the operating device 38.

[0046] Furthermore, the control valves (directional control valves) that drive each hydraulic actuator, which are built into the control valve unit 17, may be of the electromagnetic solenoid type. In this case, the operating signal output from the operating device 38 may be directly input to the control valve unit 17, that is, to the electromagnetic solenoid type control valve.

[0047] A proportional valve 31 is provided for each driven element (hydraulic actuator HA) that is operated by the operating device 38. The proportional valve 31 is located in the pipeline connecting the pilot pump 15 and the pilot port of the control valve in the control valve unit 17, and is configured to change the flow area of ​​the pipeline. In this embodiment, the proportional valve 31 operates in accordance with the control command output by the controller 30. Therefore, the controller 30 can supply the hydraulic fluid discharged by the pilot pump 15 to the pilot ports of the control valves in the control valve unit 17 that drive the travel hydraulic motors 1ML, 1MR, slewing hydraulic motor 2M, boom luffing hydraulic motor 5M, tower jib luffing hydraulic motor 6M, and main hoisting hydraulic motor 7M, via the proportional valve 31, regardless of the operator's operation of the operating device 38.

[0048] <<User Interface System>> The user interface system of the tower crane 100 according to this embodiment includes an operating device 38, an operating sensor 39, a display device D1, and an input device D2.

[0049] The display device D1 outputs various information to the user (e.g., operator) of the tower crane 100 inside the cabin 6.

[0050] The display device D1 is installed in a location easily visible to a seated operator inside the cabin 6 and is a device for outputting various information in a visual manner, such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (electroluminescence) display.

[0051] The input device D2 is located within close proximity to the seated operator in the cabin 6 and receives various inputs from the operator. The signals corresponding to the received inputs are then taken up by the controller 30.

[0052] For example, input device D2 is an input device that accepts operation input. An input device may include a touch panel mounted on the display device, a touch pad installed around the display device, a button switch, a lever, a toggle, a knob switch provided on the operation device 38 (lever device), etc.

[0053] Furthermore, for example, input device D2 may be a voice input device that accepts voice input from the operator. The voice input device may include, for example, a microphone.

[0054] Furthermore, for example, input device D2 may be a gesture input device that accepts gesture input from the operator. The gesture input device may include, for example, an imaging device (indoor camera) installed inside the cabin 6.

[0055] <<Communications System>> The communication system of the tower crane 100 according to this embodiment includes a communication device T1 capable of communicating with an external device.

[0056] The communication device T1 connects to a communication line NW and communicates with a device provided separately from the tower crane 100. The device provided separately from the tower crane 100 may include a portable communication terminal carried by a worker at the work site. The communication device T1 may include, for example, a mobile communication module compliant with standards such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation). The communication device T1 may also include, for example, a satellite communication module. Furthermore, the communication device T1 may include, for example, a Wi-Fi® communication module or a Bluetooth® communication module.

[0057] <<Control System>> The rotation sensor S1 outputs information regarding the rotation of the upper rotating body 3. The rotation sensor S1 detects, for example, the rotational angular velocity of the upper rotating body 3 relative to the lower traveling body 1. Furthermore, the rotation sensor S1 detects the rotation angle. The rotation sensor S1 may be, for example, a gyro sensor, resolver, rotary encoder, or IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). The detection signal corresponding to the rotation angle or rotational angular velocity of the upper rotating body 3 detected by the rotation sensor S1 is input to the controller 30.

[0058] The boom luffing sensor S2 outputs information regarding the luffing of the tower boom 8. For example, the boom luffing sensor S2 detects the luffing angle (tilt angle) of the tower boom 8. The boom luffing sensor S2 may also be, for example, a gyro sensor or an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). The detection signal corresponding to the luffing angle of the tower boom 8 from the boom luffing sensor S2 is input to the controller 30.

[0059] The tower jib luffing sensor S3 outputs information regarding the luffing of the tower jib 10. The tower jib luffing sensor S3 detects, for example, the luffing angle (tilt angle) of the tower jib 10. The tower jib luffing sensor S3 may also be, for example, a gyro sensor or an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). The detection signal corresponding to the luffing angle of the tower jib 10 from the tower jib luffing sensor S3 is received by the controller 30. The controller 30 can then calculate the luffing angle of the tower jib 10 relative to the tower boom 8 from the luffing angle (tilt angle) of the tower boom 8 and the luffing angle (tilt angle) of the tower jib 10.

[0060] The length sensor S4 outputs information regarding the length of the main winding rope 27 used to suspend the load with the hook HK. The length sensor S4 detects, for example, the length of the rope being unwound from the main winding winch.

[0061] The positioning device PS measures the position of the upper slewing body 3. The positioning device PS is, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) compass and detects the position and orientation of the upper slewing body 3. The detection signals corresponding to the position and orientation of the upper slewing body 3 are received by the controller 30. The function of detecting the orientation of the upper slewing body 3 may be realized by an orientation sensor attached to the upper slewing body 3. In this embodiment, the positioning device PS measures the current position of the tower crane 100 in a globally identifiable reference coordinate system.

[0062] A reference coordinate system is, for example, the World Geodetic System, which can determine a location on Earth. The World Geodetic System is a three-dimensional orthogonal XYZ coordinate system with its origin at the Earth's center of mass, the X-axis pointing in the direction of the intersection of the Greenwich Meridian and the equator, the Y-axis pointing in the direction of 90 degrees east longitude, and the Z-axis pointing in the direction of the North Pole.

[0063] The storage device ST is, for example, a read / write non-volatile storage medium. Examples of storage devices ST include, for instance, an SSD (Solid State Drive) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0064] The controller 30 controls the operation of each drive unit provided on the tower crane 100. The functions of the controller 30 may be realized by any hardware, or any combination of hardware and software. For example, the controller 30 is mainly composed of a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory), non-volatile auxiliary storage devices such as ROM (Read Only Memory), and various input / output interface devices. The controller 30 realizes various functions by, for example, loading a program installed in the auxiliary storage device into the memory device and executing it on the CPU.

[0065] The controller 30 controls, for example, the proportional valve 31 as the control target, and performs control related to the operation of the hydraulic actuator HA (driven element) of the tower crane 100.

[0066] Specifically, the controller 30 may control the operation of the hydraulic actuator HA (driven element) of the tower crane 100 based on the operation of the operating device 38, with the proportional valve 31 as the control target.

[0067] [Tower crane operation] Tower cranes, crawler cranes, and jib cranes, which are types of slewing cranes, primarily transport suspended loads by slewing, luffing, and hoisting / lowering. In other words, when automatically transporting suspended loads, it is necessary to specify the transport trajectory in three dimensions. However, when transporting suspended loads, if the height of the suspended load is not considered, the trajectory of the hook HK can be represented in a two-dimensional coordinate system.

[0068] Therefore, an example will be described in which the controller 30 according to this embodiment generates a trajectory (hereinafter also referred to as the target movement trajectory) in a two-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to the ground surface of the tower crane 100 (for example, the plane of the two-dimensional coordinate system of XY coordinates) in which the hook HK moves, and displays the trajectory.

[0069] The controller 30 then controls the transport of the suspended load to the target position in a two-dimensional coordinate system. The operator only needs to set the target position of the hook HK in a two-dimensional coordinate system representing the work site via the input device D2, thus reducing the burden of setting.

[0070] The operator may adjust the height of the suspended load. The operator uses the control device 38 to perform the lifting and lowering operations of the suspended load. Furthermore, the operator monitors the suspended load to prevent contact with any obstacles in the surrounding area.

[0071] [Controller Functional Configuration] Returning to Figure 2, the configuration of the controller 30 for transporting the suspended load to the target position will be described. The controller 30 includes an acquisition unit 301, an operation reception unit 302, a display control unit 303, a registration unit 304, a trajectory generation unit 305, and a control unit 306.

[0072] In this embodiment, we will describe a case in which the controller 30 performs semi-automatic control of the tower crane 100, which performs slewing and luffing operations while the operator is performing the operation. In this embodiment, the controller 30 outputs current to the proportional valve 31 and applies an arbitrary pilot pressure to the control valve unit 17 to automatically control the drive units (for example, the slewing hydraulic motor 2M, the boom luffing hydraulic motor 5M, and the tower jib luffing hydraulic motor 6M) provided in the tower crane 100.

[0073] The acquisition unit 301 acquires detection results from various sensors installed on the tower crane 100. For example, the acquisition unit 301 acquires operation signals from the operation sensor 39 that indicate operations performed on the operating device 38 operated by the operator.

[0074] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 301 acquires the rotational angular velocity and rotational angle of the upper rotating body 3 from the rotation sensor S1. The acquisition unit 301 acquires information regarding the luffing of the tower boom 8 (e.g., luffing angle) from the boom luffing sensor S2. In addition, the acquisition unit 301 acquires information regarding the luffing of the tower jib 10 (e.g., luffing angle) from the detection results of the boom luffing sensor S2 and the tower jib luffing sensor S3.

[0075] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 301 acquires the length of the main hoisting rope 27 unwound from the main hoisting winch from the length sensor S4. The acquisition unit 301 then determines the height of the suspended load from the length of the main hoisting rope 27, the luffing angle of the tower boom 8, and the luffing angle of the tower jib 10. This embodiment does not limit the method for determining the height of the suspended load. For example, the acquisition unit 301 may acquire image information showing the suspended load from the imaging device and determine the height of the suspended load based on this image information.

[0076] The operation reception unit 302 receives operations from the operator via one or more of the input device D2 and the operation device 38. For example, the operation reception unit 302 receives a press of a predetermined button on the operation device 38 in order to switch to the simplified operation mode.

[0077] The simplified operation mode according to this embodiment is an operation mode for transporting a suspended load to a pre-registered target position when an input operation is received from the rotation operation lever of the operating device 38.

[0078] The display control unit 303 performs control for displaying information on the display device D1. For example, when the display control unit 303 receives an operation to switch to the simplified operation mode, it displays the simplified operation mode screen.

[0079] In the simplified operation mode, the registration unit 304 registers the position information used for transporting the suspended load into the storage device ST, according to the registration operation received by the operation reception unit 302.

[0080] The position information stored in the memory device ST may be in any format, and may be relative position information based on the center position of the tower crane 100, or position information in a reference coordinate system (for example, the World Geodetic System). The position information may be a position in a two-dimensional coordinate system or a position in a three-dimensional coordinate system.

[0081] Furthermore, the position information stored in the memory device ST may be a combination of the slewing angle of the tower crane 100, the elevation angle of the tower boom 8, and the elevation angle of the tower jib 10.

[0082] The trajectory generation unit 305 generates a target movement trajectory for moving the hook HK (and the suspended load suspended by the hook HK) from its position before movement, in other words, the current position of the hook HK, to the position indicated by the position information registered in the storage device ST, in a two-dimensional coordinate system representing the ground surface (horizontal plane) of the tower crane 100. In this embodiment, an example of generating a target movement trajectory is described, but the method of generating the target movement trajectory is not limited to this, and for example, a target movement trajectory stored in the storage device ST may be read. In this embodiment, any method can be used as long as the target movement trajectory can be obtained.

[0083] Any method may be used to generate the target movement trajectory, regardless of whether it is a well-known method. For example, the trajectory generation unit 305 may generate the target movement trajectory based on the difference in the rotation angle between the current position of the hook HK and the position indicated by the position information, and the difference between the current elevation angle and the elevation angle when the hook HK reaches the position indicated by the position information. More specifically, the trajectory generation unit 305 may generate a trajectory such that while the upper rotating body 3 is rotated by the difference in rotation angle, the elevation angle of the tower boom 8 and at least one of the tower jibs 10 rise or fall by the difference in elevation angle. Furthermore, the trajectory generation unit 305 may generate a target movement trajectory that suppresses the swaying of the suspended load until it reaches the position indicated by the position information.

[0084] The control unit 306 controls the hoisting or lowering, slewing, and luffing of the tower crane 100.

[0085] For example, in the simplified operation mode, when the operation reception unit 302 receives an input operation from the slewing operation lever of the operation device 38, the control unit 306 controls the movement of the hook HK to a target position (an example of a first position) on a horizontal plane (coordinate system) that shows the working range of the tower crane 100 in two dimensions, by combining the slewing of the upper slewing body 3 and the raising and lowering of the front attachment 7.

[0086] Specifically, when the operation reception unit 302 receives an input operation from the slewing operation lever of the operation device 38, the control unit 306 controls the slewing motion of the upper slewing body 3 and the luffing motion of the front attachment 7 in such a way that the hook HK moves along a pre-generated target movement trajectory. In other words, when the control unit 306 receives an input operation from the slewing operation lever without using the simplified operation mode, the hook HK only moves within the slewing radius circle due to the slewing motion. However, when using the simplified operation mode, the hook HK can be moved within the working range of the tower crane 100.

[0087] In this embodiment, the luffing and lowering operation of the front attachment 7, combined with the slewing operation of the upper slewing body 3 by the control unit 306, may involve luffing and lowering both the tower boom 8 and the tower jib 10, or luffing and lowering only the tower boom 8 or the tower jib 10. Furthermore, when lowering the tower boom 8, the control unit 306 operates the tower boom 8 and the tower jib 10 simultaneously to maintain the absolute angle of the tower jib 10 with respect to the ground surface of the tower crane 100.

[0088] For example, if the target movement trajectory to reach the target point follows a trajectory that moves outward compared to the rotation radius circle, the control unit 306 moves the hook HK while widening the rotation radius by performing a rotation operation while simultaneously lowering either or both of the tower boom 8 and the tower jib 10. In another example, if the target movement trajectory to reach the target point follows a trajectory that moves inward compared to the rotation radius circle, the control unit 306 moves the hook HK while narrowing the rotation radius by performing a rotation operation while simultaneously raising either or both of the tower boom 8 and the tower jib 10.

[0089] Next, we will explain the specific processing procedures in the controller 30 and an example of the simplified operation mode screen displayed on the display device D1.

[0090] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure when registering a position in the simplified operation mode in the controller 30 according to this embodiment.

[0091] The display control unit 303 controls the display of the simplified operation mode screen on the display device D1 (S1301).

[0092] Figure 4 is an example of the screen in the simplified operation mode displayed by the display control unit 303 according to this embodiment. The screen in the simplified operation mode shown in Figure 4 displays a display area 1410, a first target button 1401, a second target button 1402, a third target button 1403, a setting button 1404, and a two-point setting button 1405.

[0093] The display area 1410 represents a coordinate system that shows the working range of the tower crane 100 in two dimensions. The reference position 1411 indicates the pivot center of the tower crane 100.

[0094] The triangular shape 1412 and the circular icon 1413 indicate the current state of the tower crane 100. Specifically, the triangular shape 1412 indicates the length of the front attachment 7 based on its current orientation and elevation, and the circular icon 1413 indicates the position of the hook HK. The length of the triangular shape 1412 from the reference position 1411 to the circular icon 1413 becomes shorter as the front attachment 7 is raised and longer as the front attachment 7 is lowered.

[0095] Circle 1450 is the circle that indicates the longest distance that the hook HK of tower crane 100 can reach. Circles 1451 and 1452 are circles that indicate predetermined distances.

[0096] The first target button 1401, the second target button 1402, and the third target button 1403 are buttons used for registering and reading location information. In this embodiment, when the operation reception unit 302 receives an operation to long-press the first target button 1401, the second target button 1402, or the third target button 1403, the registration unit 304 associates the current position information of the hook HK with the long-pressed target button and registers (stores) it in the storage device ST. The position information is used as the position for moving the hook HK.

[0097] In the tower crane 100 according to this embodiment, the position information registered in association with the target button is used as the position (hereinafter referred to as the target position) where the hook HK is stopped when the tower crane 100 is semi-automatically controlled by the controller 30. The position where the hook HK is stopped does not have to be the final destination; for example, the operator may perform operations to hoist or lower the load from the position where the controller 30 has semi-automatically stopped the hook HK.

[0098] In this embodiment, the location information registered in association with the target button is not limited to being used as the position where the hook HK is stopped. It may also be the position where the suspended load is placed, the position above the place where the load is placed before lowering, the starting point when moving the hook HK along the target movement trajectory, or the relay point when generating the target movement trajectory. In this way, the location information registered in association with the target button can be any location information used to generate the target movement trajectory.

[0099] The settings button 1404 is a button provided for making various settings.

[0100] The two-point setting button 1405 is used when the hook HK of the tower crane 100 moves between two positions.

[0101] This embodiment is not limited to a method of registering in the storage device ST a coordinate system that associates position information indicating the current position of the hook HK with the long-pressed target button. As a modification, the operation reception unit 302 receives an operation to indicate coordinates shown in the display area 1410, and also receives a long press of the target button. Then, the registration unit 304 registers in the storage device ST a coordinate system that associates the position information of the tower crane 100 in the working space corresponding to the indicated coordinates with the long-pressed target button.

[0102] Returning to Figure 3, the operation reception unit 302 determines whether or not it has received a registration operation by pressing and holding the first target button 1401, the second target button 1402, or the third target button 1403 (S1302). If it determines that it has not received a registration operation (S1302: NO), it terminates without performing any further processing.

[0103] On the other hand, if the operation reception unit 302 determines that it has received a registration operation by pressing and holding the first target button 1401, the second target button 1402, or the third target button 1403 (S1302: YES), the acquisition unit 301 acquires the rotation angle of the upper rotating body 3 from the rotation sensor S1, the luffing angle of the tower boom 8 from the boom luffing sensor S2, and the luffing angle of the tower jib 10 from the tower jib luffing sensor S3, and identifies position information indicating the position of the hook HK relative to the center position of the tower crane 100 from the acquired rotation angle and the multiple luffing angles (S1303).

[0104] The registration unit 304 associates the identified location information with the long-pressed target button (first target button 1401, second target button 1402, or third target button 1403) and registers (stores) it in the storage device ST (S1304). The color of the target button with registered location information may be different from the color of the target button without registered location information. This allows the operator to recognize the target button with registered location information when referring to the screen in simplified operation mode. In this embodiment, the case in which the location information to be registered in the storage device ST is the location information of the hook HK is described, but the location information to be registered in the storage device ST is not limited to the location information of the hook HK. The location information to be registered in the storage device ST may be any predetermined part of the hook HK or the front attachment 7, for example, the location information of the tip of the tower jib 10 may be used. In this embodiment, by registering the actual location where the predetermined part of the hook HK or the front attachment 7 exists, the operator can register the intended location with high accuracy. Therefore, the controller 30 can accurately generate a target movement trajectory using the position, thereby improving the accuracy of load transport.

[0105] In this embodiment, the controller 30 can register the position of the hook HK as position information by performing the control described above.

[0106] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure when controlling the movement of hook HK in the simplified operation mode in the controller 30 according to this embodiment.

[0107] The display control unit 303 controls the display of the simplified operation mode screen on the display device D1 (S1501).

[0108] Next, the operation reception unit 302 determines whether or not it has received a location information reading operation by pressing the target button (an example of a predetermined operation) (S1502). If it determines that it has not received a location information reading operation by pressing the target button (S1502: NO), the process ends.

[0109] On the other hand, if the operation reception unit 302 determines that it has received a request to read location information (S1502: YES), the acquisition unit 301 acquires (reads) location information corresponding to the pressed target button from the storage device ST, and identifies location information indicating the current position of the hook HK based on the detection results from the tower jib 10 using the slewing sensor S1, boom luffing sensor S2, and tower jib luffing sensor S3 (S1503).

[0110] Subsequently, the trajectory generation unit 305 generates multiple target movement trajectories (S1504) from the current position of the hook HK, based on the specified position information in a two-dimensional coordinate system, to the target position indicated by the position information corresponding to the pressed target button. In this embodiment, the trajectory generation unit 305 generates a target movement trajectory for the tower crane 100 to reach the target position by rotating left, and a target movement trajectory for the tower crane 100 to reach the target position by rotating right. In this way, when the trajectory generation unit 305 receives a position information read operation, it is possible to use the position information stored in the storage device ST as the position of the target movement trajectory that automatically operates the upper rotating body 3 and the front attachment 7 to move the hook HK.

[0111] The display control unit 303 displays a screen showing the target position and target movement trajectory (S1505). In this way, when the operation reception unit 302 receives a press of the target button, the display control unit 303 displays the target movement trajectory, which is used as the target position (an example of a second position where the hook HK stops) indicated by the position information corresponding to the target button. Note that this embodiment is not limited to using the read position information to the position that the hook HK reaches on the target movement trajectory, but may also be used to the position where the hook HK starts moving on the target movement trajectory. In this embodiment, by displaying the target movement trajectory in the display control unit 303, the operator can confirm the trajectory in which the hook HK moves under semi-automatic control by the controller 30.Therefore, before the semi-automatic control starts, the operator can visually check the area around the tower crane 100 to confirm whether or not the hook HK will come into contact with an obstacle when moving along the target movement trajectory, thereby improving safety.

[0112] Figure 6 is an example of the screen in the simplified operation mode displayed by the display control unit 303 according to this embodiment. The screen in the simplified operation mode shown in Figure 6 displays a display area 1610, a first target button 1601, a second target button 1602, a third target button 1603, a setting button 1404, and a two-point setting button 1405. Components similar to those in Figure 4 are assigned the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0113] The display control unit 303 displays multiple target buttons (an example of selection items) for which location information stored in the storage device ST has been set.

[0114] The triangular shape 1612 and the circular icon 1613 displayed in the display area 1610 indicate the current status of the tower crane 100.

[0115] When the operation reception unit 302 receives a selection of a target button, the display control unit 303 displays a circular icon (an example of display information) 1620 representing the target position for moving the hook HK at the coordinates corresponding to the position information set for the selected target button within the display area 1610, which represents the working space of the tower crane 100 in a two-dimensional coordinate system. The first target button 1601 is the button from which the position information has been read and is represented in a different color from the second target button 1602 and the third target button 1603. The target position may be the position registered as position information indicating the current position of the hook HK, or it may be the position corresponding to the coordinates instructed by the operator in the display area. The operator can easily recognize the target position by referring to the circular icon.

[0116] The display control unit 303 causes the display device D1 to display information on the display area 1610, which represents the working space of the device in a two-dimensional coordinate system, indicating the target movement trajectory for the hook HK to move from the current position (an example of a second position) to the target position (an example of a first position).

[0117] Specifically, the display area 1610 displays the first target movement trajectory 1621 and the second target movement trajectory 1622. The first target movement trajectory 1621 is the target movement trajectory used when the operation reception unit 302 receives a right turn operation from the rotation operation lever in the simplified operation mode. The second target movement trajectory 1622 is the target movement trajectory used when the operation reception unit 302 receives a left turn operation from the rotation operation lever in the simplified operation mode.

[0118] In this manner, the display control unit 303 displays multiple target movement trajectories that can be selected from the rotation control lever of the operating device 38.

[0119] Therefore, the operator can refer to the display area 1610 and select the target movement path to be used from the first target movement path 1621 and the second target movement path 1622. Since the operator can select the target movement path considering the surrounding conditions and the distance to reach the target position, improvements in work efficiency and safety can be achieved.

[0120] In this embodiment, the display control unit 303 displays figures 1612 and 1613 representing the tower crane 100, a circular icon 1620 representing the target position, and target movement trajectories 1621 and 1622 in the display area 1610, making it easy to recognize the relative positional relationship between the current tower crane 100 and the target position.

[0121] This embodiment does not restrict the types of images displayed in the display area 1610 by the display control unit 303. For example, the display control unit 303 may display an overhead image showing the area around the tower crane 100 based on image information captured by an imaging device installed on the tower crane 100. Furthermore, the display control unit 303 may display an image showing a virtual three-dimensional space, which represents the situation around the tower crane 100 using a three-dimensional model, from an overhead viewpoint. The image that the display control unit 303 displays in the display area only needs to be an image representing the working space of the tower crane 100 in a two-dimensional coordinate system. The two-dimensional coordinate system is, for example, a coordinate system corresponding to the horizontal plane on which the tower crane 100 is grounded. When the display control unit 303 displays an overhead image, etc., the operator can refer to the target movement trajectory superimposed on the overhead image, etc., to confirm whether the trajectory is appropriate considering the objects present in the surroundings.

[0122] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the display control unit 303 displays a target movement trajectory for the hook HK to move from the current position (an example of a second position) to the target position (an example of a first position) in the display area 1610. However, this embodiment is not limited to displaying a target movement trajectory for the hook HK to move from the current position (an example of a second position) to the target position (an example of a first position). For example, the display control unit 303 may display a trajectory from one position registered in one target button to the other position registered in the other target button as the target movement trajectory.

[0123] Returning to Figure 5, the operation reception unit 302 determines whether or not it has received a slewing operation from the slewing operation lever included in the operation device 38 (S1506). If the operation reception unit 302 determines that it has received a slewing operation from the slewing operation lever (S1506: YES), the control unit 306 performs drive control of at least one of the slewing hydraulic motor 2M, boom luffing hydraulic motor 5M, and tower jib luffing hydraulic motor 6M so that the hook HK moves along the target movement trajectory (S1507). For example, if the operation reception unit 302 receives a right slewing operation, the control unit 306 drives the hook HK to move along the first target movement trajectory 1621. As another example, if the operation reception unit 302 receives a left slewing operation, the control unit 306 drives the hook HK to move along the second target movement trajectory 1622.

[0124] In this embodiment, the control unit 306, while receiving a slewing operation (an example of a first operation), raises or lowers the wire rope in response to the raising or lowering of the front attachment 7 in order to move the hook HK to a target position (an example of a first position) so as to maintain the height position of the suspended load.

[0125] For example, while the control unit 306 is receiving a slewing operation (an example of the first operation), it performs an operation to simultaneously lower either the tower boom 8 or the tower jib 10, or both, and when performing the slewing operation, it retracts the wire rope by the distance the top of the tower jib 10 moves downward, thereby suppressing a change in the height of the suspended load. In another example, while the control unit 306 is receiving a slewing operation (an example of the first operation), it performs an operation to simultaneously raise either the tower boom 8 or the tower jib 10, or both, and when performing the slewing operation, it retracts the wire rope by the distance the top of the tower jib 10 moves upward, thereby suppressing a change in the height of the suspended load.

[0126] Thus, the control unit 306 according to this embodiment can suppress changes in the height of the suspended load. In other words, the controller 30 according to this embodiment can prevent the suspended load from coming into contact with the ground or obstacles due to changes in its height, thereby improving safety. In this embodiment, the suppression of changes in the height of the suspended load due to the winding up or winding down of the wire rope is not limited to control that keeps the height of the suspended load perfectly constant, but rather any control that offsets the distance the top of the tower jib moves vertically due to the luffing motion by a predetermined amount.

[0127] In this embodiment, when the operation reception unit 302 receives a slewing operation, the control unit 306 controls at least one of the slewing hydraulic motor 2M, boom luffing hydraulic motor 5M, and tower jib luffing hydraulic motor 6M to move at a predetermined slewing speed or predetermined luffing speed, regardless of the amount of inclination of the slewing operation lever. Note that the control unit 306 in this embodiment is not limited to moving at a predetermined slewing speed or predetermined luffing speed; there is also a method of controlling the speed so that it changes according to the amount of inclination, below a preset maximum slewing speed and below a preset maximum luffing speed.

[0128] The display control unit 303 changes the display within the display area 1610 of the simplified operation mode screen in accordance with the rotation and luffing movements while the rotation and luffing movements are being performed. For example, the display control unit 303 may change the orientation and length of the triangular shape 1612 and the circular icon 1613 in accordance with the movement of the tower crane 100. Alternatively, the display control unit 303 may not change the orientation of the triangular shape 1612, but may change the length of the triangular shape 1612, the target position and the target trajectory in accordance with the movement of the tower crane 100.

[0129] If the operation reception unit 302 determines that it has not received a slewing operation from the slewing operation lever (S1506: NO), the control unit 306 will not perform drive control on at least one of the slewing hydraulic motor 2M, boom luffing hydraulic motor 5M, and tower jib luffing hydraulic motor 6M. Furthermore, if drive control is already being performed, in other words, if the operation reception unit 302 stops accepting slewing operations before the hook HK moves to the target position, the control unit 306 will stop the combined control of the slewing movement of the upper slewing body 3 and the luffing of the front attachment 7. Therefore, if the operator recognizes an obstacle or the like at the destination of the hook HK and the suspended load by visual inspection, etc., they can stop the semi-automatic control, thereby improving safety.

[0130] The control unit 306 then determines whether the hook HK has reached the target position on the target movement trajectory (S1508). If it determines that the target position has not been reached (S1508: NO), the process returns to S1506.

[0131] On the other hand, if the control unit 306 determines that the hook HK has reached the target position on the target movement trajectory (S1509: YES), it controls the stopping of the slewing hydraulic motor 2M, the boom luffing hydraulic motor 5M, and the tower jib luffing hydraulic motor 6M, and terminates the process.

[0132] In this embodiment, while the operation reception unit 302 receives a rotation operation from the rotation operation lever and semi-automatic control is being performed so that the hook HK moves along the target movement trajectory, if the operation reception unit 302 receives a hoisting or lowering operation (an example of a second operation), the control unit 306 performs drive control of the main hoisting hydraulic motor 7M for the purpose of hoisting or lowering the wire rope.

[0133] In other words, while the controller 30 in this embodiment controls the movement of the hook HK to the target position, the operator monitors whether the suspended load is in contact with an obstacle, and if it recognizes that the suspended load is likely to come into contact with an obstacle at the current height, it performs a hoisting or lowering operation. Then, the control unit 306 performs hoisting or lowering control in response to the operation. In other words, while the control unit 306 in this embodiment controls the movement of the hook HK along the target movement trajectory, it adjusts the height of the suspended load according to the operator's operation, thereby suppressing contact of the suspended load with obstacles and improving safety.

[0134] The flowchart described above illustrates the case where the hook HK is moved from its current position to a target position. However, the controller 30 according to this embodiment does not limit the setting of the target position for moving the hook HK to a single location, but can also set multiple locations.

[0135] Figure 7 illustrates a case where two target positions are set on the simplified operation mode screen displayed by the display control unit 303 according to this embodiment. The simplified operation mode screen shown in Figure 7 displays a display area 1710, a first target button 1701, a second target button 1702, a third target button 1703, a setting button 1404, and a two-point setting button 1705. Components similar to those in Figure 4 are assigned the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0136] In the example shown in Figure 7, the operation reception unit 302 receives a press of the two-point setting button 1705, and then receives presses of the first target button 1701 and the third target button 1703. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 7, the operation reception unit 302 can receive presses of multiple target buttons once it has received a press of the two-point setting button 1705. When the operation reception unit 302 receives presses of the two-point setting button 1705, the first target button 1701, and the third target button 1703, the display control unit 303 displays the first target button 1701 and the third target button 1703 in a different color from the second target button 1702 and the setting button 1404.

[0137] The triangular shape 1712 and the circular icon 1713 displayed in the display area 1710 indicate the current status of the tower crane 100. The first circular icon 1620 displayed in the display area 1710 indicates the target position corresponding to the first target button 1701, and the second circular icon 1630 indicates the target position corresponding to the third target button 1703.

[0138] In this manner, when the operation reception unit 302 receives multiple presses of the target button, the display control unit 303 displays circular icons at multiple coordinates corresponding to the multiple position information set for each of the multiple target buttons. Furthermore, the display control unit 303 displays the target movement trajectory connecting these multiple coordinates in the display area 1710.

[0139] Therefore, the display area 1710 displays the first target movement trajectory 1721 and the second target movement trajectory 1731. The first target movement trajectory 1721 and the second target movement trajectory 1731 are connected based on the current position of hook HK.

[0140] The first target movement trajectory 1721 is the first target movement trajectory to the target position indicated by the first circular icon 1620, used when a right turn operation is received using the rotation operation lever in the simplified operation mode. The second target movement trajectory 1731 is the target movement trajectory to the target position indicated by the second circular icon 1630, used when a left turn operation is received using the rotation operation lever in the simplified operation mode.

[0141] Therefore, the operator can refer to the display area 1710 and select the target movement path to actually use from the first target movement path 1721 and the second target movement path 1731.

[0142] When the operation reception unit 302 receives a right turn operation, the control unit 306 performs drive control to move the hook HK to the target position indicated by the first circular icon 1620. When the operation reception unit 302 receives a left turn operation, the control unit 306 performs drive control to move the hook HK to the target position indicated by the second circular icon 1630. In other words, the operator can easily perform operations to repeatedly move the hook HK back and forth between the target position indicated by the first circular icon 1620 and the target position indicated by the second circular icon 1630, thereby reducing the burden on the operator.

[0143] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if an obstacle exists within the working range of the tower crane 100, a virtual line or shape representing the obstacle can be set so that the hook HK does not pass through the area where the obstacle exists. In the controller 30 according to this embodiment, any line or shape may be set, and in addition to virtual lines (walls), shapes such as rectangles or circles may be set.

[0144] Figure 8 is an example of a screen in the simplified operation mode displayed by the display control unit 303 according to this embodiment, showing the case where a virtual line (wall) is set. The simplified operation mode screen shown in Figure 8 displays a display area 1810, a first target button 1801, a second target button 1802, a third target button 1803, a setting button 1804, and a two-point setting button 1405. Components similar to those in Figure 4 are assigned the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0145] The triangular icon 1812 and the circular icon 1813 displayed in the display area 1810 indicate the current status of the tower crane 100. The circular icon 1820 indicates the target position corresponding to the third target button 1803.

[0146] The line 1825 displayed in the display area 1810 is a virtual line (wall) to suppress the target movement trajectory of the hook HK. The line 1825 is displayed when the operation reception unit 302 receives a press of the setting button 1804 and then receives a selection to display a virtual line.

[0147] Line 1825 may be registered according to the operator's operation of the tower crane 100. For example, after the tower crane 100 moves the hook HK to position 1825A by the operator's operation, the registration unit 304 registers position 1825A as a position for a virtual line according to the operator's operation. Furthermore, after the tower crane 100 moves the hook HK to position 1825B by the operator's operation, the registration unit 304 registers position 1825B as a position for a virtual line according to the operator's operation.

[0148] Then, when the operation reception unit 302 receives a selection of displaying a virtual line from the selection menu displayed by pressing the setting button 1804, the display control unit 303 displays a (straight) line 1825 connecting the registered positions 1825A and 1825B. Then, when the operation reception unit 302 receives a press of a target button (for example, the third target button 1803), the trajectory generation unit 305 generates a plurality of target movement trajectories 1821 and 1822 that indicate the hook HK will move from its current position to the target position indicated by the circular icon 1820, in an area closer to the tower crane 100 than the line 1825. At that time, the trajectory generation unit 305 may generate target movement trajectories that are a predetermined distance away from the line 1825 so that the suspended load and obstacles are separated by a predetermined distance.

[0149] The display control unit 303 then displays the generated target movement trajectories 1821 and 1822 in the display area 1810 of the display device D1.

[0150] In this embodiment, the position of a virtual line (wall) is registered based on the actual position of the hook HK. Therefore, a target movement trajectory can be accurately set so that the hook HK does not come into contact with obstacles. In other words, safety can be improved by suppressing contact between the hook HK and obstacles.

[0151] Furthermore, this embodiment does not limit the registration of virtual lines, etc., to registration based on the actual position of the hook HK. For example, lines drawn via the touch panel on the display area of ​​the screen in simplified operation mode may be registered as virtual lines (walls).

[0152] In this embodiment of the tower crane 100, the case in which a slewing operation using the slewing operation lever of the operating device 38 is used as the operation to start semi-automatic control has been described. However, in this embodiment, the operation to start semi-automatic control is not limited to a slewing operation using the slewing operation lever. For example, the controller 30 may control the hook HK to move along the target movement trajectory while a predetermined button on the operating device 38 is pressed. As a modified example, the controller 30 may start semi-automatic control when a predetermined button on the operating device 38 is pressed. In this modified example, if the controller 30 receives an operation from the operating lever of the operating device 38 while semi-automatic control is being performed, it stops the semi-automatic control in order to operate according to the operation from the operating lever.

[0153] In this embodiment, when the lower vehicle 1 is driven according to the operator's operation, the controller 30 determines, based on the position information measured by the positioning device PS, whether the position indicated by the position information registered in the target button has moved outside the working range of the front attachment 7. If the controller 30 determines that the position has moved outside the working range of the front attachment 7, the display control unit 303 displays the target button for which the position information that has moved outside the working range is registered by graying it out. The operation reception unit 302 suppresses the acceptance of pressing the grayed-out target button.

[0154] Thus, the controller 30 according to this embodiment suppresses setting the position information stored in the storage device ST as the position of the target movement path after the tower crane 100 has been moved by the lower traveling body 1. When the controller 30 determines that the tower crane 100 has moved back to its original position and the position indicated by the position information registered in the target button is within the working range of the front attachment 7, the display control unit 303 displays the grayed-out target button as selectable.

[0155] The display control unit 303 according to this embodiment displays only the target buttons that can be used as the target movement trajectory. In other words, the controller 30 according to this embodiment improves convenience by allowing the operator to press only the target buttons that are available to them.

[0156] (Modification 1 of the first embodiment) In the embodiments described above, an example was described in which location information indicating the current position of the hook HK is identified and stored in the storage device ST. However, the embodiments described above do not limit the location information to be stored in the storage device ST to the current position of the hook HK. Therefore, in this modified example, an example is described in which the registration unit 304 registers location information received from an external communication terminal in the storage device ST.

[0157] In this modified example, the workers present at the work site possess a portable communication terminal equipped with a GNSS receiver.

[0158] The worker then moves to the target position where the tower crane 100 will transport the load. After the worker has moved to the target position, the mobile communication terminal transmits the position information received by the GNSS receiver to the tower crane 100. This embodiment does not limit the external device for transmitting position information to the tower crane 100 to a mobile communication terminal; any device such as a tablet terminal, mobile PC, or smartphone may be used.

[0159] The acquisition unit 301 of the tower crane 100's controller 30 identifies the relative position information of the target position relative to the tower crane 100 from the position information received from the mobile communication terminal and the position information measured by the positioning device PS.

[0160] Then, when the operator of the tower crane 100 sees a message on the display device D1 indicating that location information has been received from a mobile communication terminal, they perform an operation to register the location information in association with the target button. The registration unit 304 then registers the location information received from the mobile communication terminal in association with the target button in the storage device ST.

[0161] Then, when the operation reception unit 302 receives confirmation that the target button has been pressed, the display control unit 303 can display a circular icon at the coordinates indicated by the registered location information, in other words, the location information received from the mobile communication terminal. Subsequent processing is the same as in the embodiment described above, and will not be explained further.

[0162] In this modified example, the operator can accurately register the position information without having to operate the tower crane 100, thus reducing the setup burden. Furthermore, the controller 30 can perform semi-automatic control of the tower crane 100 using the position indicated by the registered position information, thus reducing the operational burden.

[0163] (Modification 2 of the first embodiment) In the embodiments described above, an example was given in which the tower crane 100 is equipped with a positioning device PS. When the tower crane 100 is equipped with a positioning device PS, it is possible to recognize whether the position indicated by the registered position information is within the working range of the tower crane 100 when it moves with the lower traveling body 1. However, there are cases in which the tower crane 100 is not equipped with a positioning device PS. Therefore, as a modification, a case in which the tower crane 100 is not equipped with a positioning device PS will be described.

[0164] In this modified example, the controller 30 deletes all position information registered in the storage device ST when the lower traveling body 1 travels according to the operator's instructions. Therefore, in this modified example, if the operator wishes to use semi-automatic control again, the operator must re-register the position information.

[0165] Thus, the controller 30 in this modified version suppresses the setting of the position information stored in the memory device ST as the target movement trajectory position after the tower crane 100 has been moved by the lower traveling body 1. In this modified version, by suppressing the use of the position information stored in the memory device ST for generating the target movement trajectory after the tower crane 100 has been moved, the hook HK of the tower crane 100 is prevented from moving to an incorrect target position. Therefore, the controller 30 in this modified version can achieve improved work efficiency and safety.

[0166] (Second embodiment) In the second embodiment, a case in which an operator remotely controls the tower crane 100 will be described.

[0167] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of the remote control system SYS for the tower crane 100 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 9, the tower crane 100 and the remote control room RC are connected via a communication line NW. This enables the transmission and reception of information between the tower crane 100 and the remote control room RC.

[0168] The tower crane 100 transmits detection results from various sensors installed on the tower crane 100 to the remote control room RC using a communication device T1 installed on the tower crane 100. Furthermore, the tower crane 100 transmits image information captured by an imaging device (not shown) to the remote control room RC.

[0169] In the remote control system SYS according to this embodiment, a remote control room RC is provided. The remote control room RC is equipped with a display device D1E, an operating device 42, an operating sensor 43, an operating seat DS, a remote controller 40, and a communication device T2.

[0170] The remote controller 40 includes an acquisition unit 301, an operation reception unit 302, a display control unit 303, a registration unit 304, a trajectory generation unit 305, and a control unit 306, which were provided in the controller 30 of the above-described embodiment. The control unit 306 generates control commands for controlling the tower crane 100 and transmits the generated control commands to the tower crane 100 using the communication device T2.

[0171] Therefore, by having the configuration described above, the remote controller 40 can achieve semi-automatic control of the tower crane 100 using a simplified operation mode.

[0172] Specifically, when the remote controller 40 receives a registration operation, it registers position information indicating the position for moving the hook HK in a storage device (not shown) within the remote controller 40, and makes it possible to use the position information registered in the storage device as the position for automatically operating the upper rotating body 3 and the front attachment 7.

[0173] Furthermore, the display device D1E, under the control of the remote controller 40, can display the target movement trajectory using registered position information in a display area that represents the working space of the tower crane 100 in a two-dimensional coordinate system.

[0174] Furthermore, when a rotation operation is performed by the operating device 42, the remote controller 40 controls the rotation of the upper rotating body 3 and the elevation of the front attachment 7 in combination, so that the hook HK moves along a pre-generated target movement trajectory. This allows the controller to control the movement of the hook HK to a target position on a horizontal plane that represents the working range of the tower crane 100 in two dimensions.

[0175] In this embodiment, the tower crane 100 can be controlled from a remote location by operating it from the remote control room RC. Therefore, even when the work site is in a remote location, it becomes easier to secure operators for the tower crane 100.

[0176] In the embodiments described above, the case in which a tower crane 100 is used as the work machine was explained. However, the embodiments do not limit the work machine to a tower crane 100; any crane capable of luffing and slewing operations is acceptable.

[0177] In the embodiments and modifications described above, an example was described in which the controller 30 and the remote controller 40 move the hook HK along the target movement trajectory when a rotation operation is performed by the operator. However, the embodiments and modifications described above are not limited to control that moves the hook HK along the target movement trajectory when a rotation operation is performed by the operator.

[0178] In other words, the operator only needs to be able to refer to the target movement trajectory displayed on the display devices D1 and D1E to confirm whether the target movement trajectory is appropriate. After the operator confirms that the target movement trajectory is appropriate, the controller 30 and remote controller 40 may use various detection devices to grasp the surrounding situation and perform automatic control to move the hook HK along the target movement trajectory, regardless of the operator's turning operation.

[0179] <effect> The controller 30 and remote controller 40 according to the above-described embodiment and modified example perform combined control of the rotation of the upper slewing body 3 and the elevation of the front attachment 7 when a rotation operation is received. Therefore, the operator does not need to perform a combined operation of rotation and elevation, thus reducing the operator's burden. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the operator's operation is used as a trigger to perform combined control of the rotation of the upper slewing body 3 and the elevation of the front attachment 7. In other words, after the operator confirms that the suspended load can be moved, the rotation operation is received as a trigger to perform combined control of the rotation of the upper slewing body 3 and the elevation of the front attachment 7, thus ensuring safety without the need to install various detection devices.

[0180] The controller 30 and remote controller 40 according to the above-described embodiment and modified examples achieve a combination of swivel and luffing movements through a swivel operation during semi-automatic control. In other words, the operator does not need to combine swivel and luffing operations based on experience or intuition to move the end attachment (e.g., hook HK), thus reducing the operator's burden. Furthermore, even if the operator is not highly skilled, the end attachment (e.g., hook HK) can be moved to the target position, thus improving work efficiency.

[0181] The controller 30 and remote controller 40 according to the above-described embodiment and modified version reduce the burden of horizontal operation by combining slewing and luffing movements, making it easier for the operator to pay attention to the height of the load. For example, when the height of the suspended load is maintained during semi-automatic control, it becomes easier for the operator to check whether there are any obstacles in the direction of the load's movement. Furthermore, while the controller 30 and remote controller 40 are performing semi-automatic control, the operator is performing only a slewing operation, rather than a combination of slewing and luffing operations, making it easy to add a hoisting or lowering operation. Therefore, the operator can easily ensure that the suspended load moves while avoiding obstacles by performing a hoisting or lowering operation according to the conditions in the direction of the load's movement.

[0182] Furthermore, the controller 30 and remote controller 40 according to the above-described embodiment and modified example allow the operator to set the hook HK to move to a target position represented in a two-dimensional coordinate system within the working range of the tower crane 100. In other words, with the controller 30 and remote controller 40 according to the above-described embodiment, the hook HK can be moved to the target position simply by setting the target position in a two-dimensional coordinate system, thus reducing the setting burden on the operator.

[0183] Furthermore, the controller 30 and remote controller 40 according to the above-described embodiment and modified example display the target movement trajectory for the hook HK in a display area represented in a two-dimensional coordinate system. Therefore, the operator can grasp the target movement trajectory in a two-dimensional coordinate system, making it easy to confirm whether or not it is an appropriate trajectory.

[0184] Although embodiments of the crane according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be applied to all types of cranes, including other mobile cranes such as wheel cranes, truck cranes, rough terrain cranes, and all-terrain cranes, as well as tower cranes, overhead cranes, jib cranes, retractable cranes, stacker cranes, gantry cranes, unloaders, and foundation machinery such as earth drills. However, it is particularly effective for mobile cranes that have a traveling body and rotate relative to the traveling body. Various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions, deletions, and combinations are possible within the scope described in the claims. These also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0185] 100 Tower Cranes 1. Lower running body 2. Swivel mechanism 3. Upper rotating body 5 Counterweight 8 Tower Boom 10 Tower Jibs 27 Main winding rope 28. Jib luffing wire rope 35. Tower Relief Wire Rope HK Hook 2M Swivel Hydraulic Motor 5M Boom Luffing Hydraulic Motor 6M Tower Jib Luffing Hydraulic Motor 7M Main Winding Hydraulic Motor 30 controllers 301 Acquisition Department 302 Operation Reception Section 303 Display Control Unit 304 Registration Department 305 Trajectory generation part 306 Control Unit D1 display device D2 Input Device

Claims

1. A rotating body and An attachment provided to the aforementioned rotating body so as to be able to rise and fall, An end attachment connected to the aforementioned attachment via a wire rope, A control device that displays the trajectory of the end attachment moving from a second position to a first position on a display area representing the working space of the device in a two-dimensional coordinate system, A crane equipped with a cranes.

2. The control device accepts an operation to specify the coordinates of the display area displayed on the display unit, or receives position information indicating a position from an external device. The trajectory is displayed as the first position or the second position, which is the position in the working space of the crane corresponding to the coordinates indicated by the operation, or the position indicated by the received position information. The crane according to claim 1.

3. The control device identifies the current position of the end attachment or a predetermined part of the attachment, and stores the position information indicating the identified position in a storage device. When a predetermined operation is received, the position indicated by the stored position information is used as the first position or the second position to display the trajectory. The crane according to claim 1.

4. The control device displays a plurality of trajectories for the end attachment to move from the first position to the second position, which can be selected from the operating device. The crane according to claim 1.

5. The control device receives an operation to display a predetermined figure or line in the display area. The display unit displays the trajectory of the end attachment, which is shown to move in a region closer to the crane compared to the region of space corresponding to the predetermined figure or line. The crane according to claim 1.

6. A crane having a slewing body, an attachment that is provided to be able to move up and down relative to the slewing body, and an end attachment connected to the attachment via a wire rope, A display device that shows the trajectory of the end attachment moving from a second position to a first position in a display area representing the working space of the crane in a two-dimensional coordinate system, A crane control system equipped with the following features.

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