Work support system and work support program

Abstract

This prevents users from forgetting to re-register the reference posture information when moving the work machine. [Solution] A work support system 1 comprises: posture sensors 2A to 2C attached to the work section 103 of a hydraulic excavator 100 for detecting posture information of the work section 103; and a control unit 33 that registers posture information as reference posture information in response to a user's registration operation with the work section 103 as the reference posture, and after registration, calculates information to be notified to the user based on the reference posture information and the current posture information. The system further comprises lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R that detect changes in tilt accompanying the operation of travel operation levers 107L and 107R, and when the control unit 33 determines that the hydraulic excavator 100 has moved based on the operation detection information from the lever operation detection units 4L and 4R, it requests the user to re-register the reference posture information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a work support system and a work support program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, construction machinery incorporating a machine guidance function (so-called ICT construction machinery) has been provided. Here, machine guidance is a technology that supports the operation of construction machinery based on information obtained using measurement technology. Machine guidance includes 2D machine guidance and 3D machine guidance. 2D machine guidance is a relative work support system based on the edge of a bucket or the like. Also, 3D machine guidance is an absolute work support system that uses position information obtained from measurement technologies such as total stations (TS) and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS).

[0003] As a conventional 2D machine guidance, for example, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1. This 2D machine guidance is composed of a sensor unit, a control unit, a portable information terminal, and a notification unit. The sensor unit is held by a movable part of a hydraulic excavator and acquires the attitude information of the movable part. The control unit collects the attitude information acquired by the sensor unit through data communication with the sensor unit. The portable information terminal calculates the movable amount to the excavation target based on the attitude information collected by the control unit. The notification unit notifies the operator (user) of the hydraulic excavator of the movable amount to the excavation target calculated by the portable information terminal device.

[0004] In such 2D machine guidance, it is necessary to register a reference attitude (for example, a state where the bucket is placed on the ground surface) serving as a reference for calculating the movable amount for each work location. For example, after the work at one point is completed, when the construction machinery moves several meters, the angle of the construction machinery and the height with respect to the excavation target surface may change. Therefore, even if the movement is small, after the movement, it is necessary to re-register the reference attitude before resuming the work in order to ensure accuracy.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7207575 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, conventional 2D machine guidance allows construction machinery to continue working without re-registering the reference posture when it moves, which means there is a possibility that the user may be notified of the amount of movement required to reach the construction target calculated based on an incorrect reference posture.

[0007] Therefore, this disclosure aims to provide a work support system and work support program that can prevent users from forgetting to re-register reference posture information when moving work machinery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In one embodiment, the following solution is provided. A sensor unit attached to the movable part of a work machine to detect the posture information of the movable part, A work support system comprising: a control unit that, in response to a user's registration operation with the movable part as the reference posture, registers the posture information as reference posture information, and after registration calculates information to be notified to the user based on the reference posture information and the current posture information; The machine further comprises a lever operation detection unit attached to a travel operation lever for operating the aforementioned work machine, which detects changes in tilt associated with the operation of the travel operation lever, The control unit, A movement determination means that determines the movement of the work machine based on the operation detection information of the lever operation detection unit, The system includes a re-registration operation request means that, when it is determined that the work machine has moved, requests the user to perform a re-registration operation of the reference posture information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, it becomes possible to provide a work support system and work support program that can prevent users from forgetting to re-register reference posture information when they move a work machine. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows a hydraulic excavator to which the work support system of this disclosure is applied. [Figure 2] This is a view looking forward from the control panel of a hydraulic excavator. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the work support system. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing the screen for requesting the re-registration of reference posture information. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the work support system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following describes each embodiment in detail with reference to the attached drawings. (Working machinery) Figure 1 shows a hydraulic excavator 100 to which the work support system 1 of this disclosure is applied, and Figure 2 is a view of the hydraulic excavator 100 from the control unit 105 looking forward. As shown in Figure 1, the work support system 1 of this disclosure is applied to a hydraulic excavator 100, which is a work machine (construction machine), and supports the work of the user operating the hydraulic excavator 100 through functions such as machine guidance.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hydraulic excavator 100 comprises a lower traveling body 101, an upper rotating body 102 that is rotatably connected to the upper part of the lower traveling body 101, and a working section 103 connected to the front of the upper rotating body 102.

[0013] The lower vehicle 101 is equipped with left and right crawler tracks 104L and 104R. When the left and right crawler tracks 104L and 104R are driven simultaneously in the same direction, the lower vehicle 101 moves straight forward or backward. When either the left or right crawler track 104L or 104R is driven in the forward or backward direction, the lower vehicle 101 performs a pivot turn. Furthermore, when the left and right crawler tracks 104L and 104R are driven simultaneously in opposite directions, the lower vehicle 101 performs a super-pivot turn.

[0014] The upper rotating body 102 is equipped with a control unit 105 in which the user sits. The control unit 105 is provided with a driver's seat 106 in which the user sits, left and right driving control levers 107L and 107R located in front of the driver's seat 106, and left and right work control levers 108L and 108R located on the left and right sides of the driver's seat 106.

[0015] The left and right drive control levers 107L and 107R are operating devices for controlling the left and right crawler tracks 104L and 104R, and are operated by tilting them in the forward and backward directions from the neutral position. When the left drive control lever 107L is operated forward, the left crawler track 104L is driven forward, and when the left drive control lever 107L is operated backward, the left crawler track 104L is driven backward. Similarly, when the right drive control lever 107R is operated forward, the right crawler track 104R is driven forward, and when the right drive control lever 107R is operated backward, the right crawler track 104R is driven backward. The left and right drive control levers 107L and 107R are integrally equipped with a pedal portion 107a at their base ends, and tilting in the forward and backward directions is also possible by pushing and pulling the pedal portion 107a with the foot.

[0016] The left and right operation levers 108L and 108R are operating devices for controlling the slewing mechanism (not shown) of the upper slewing body 102 and the work section 103, and are operated in the forward / backward and left / right directions from the neutral position. There are multiple types of operation patterns for the operation levers 108L and 108R, which can be selected according to the user's preference.

[0017] The working unit 103 includes a boom 111 that is connected to the front part of the upper slewing body 102 so as to be capable of pitching operation, an arm 112 that is connected to the tip of the boom 111 so as to be capable of rotation operation, and a bucket 114 that is connected to the tip of the arm 112 so as to be capable of rotation operation via a link 113.

[0018] The boom 111 pitches according to the hydraulic expansion and contraction operation of a boom cylinder (not shown) interposed between the upper slewing body 102 and the boom 111. The arm 112 rotates according to the hydraulic expansion and contraction operation of an arm cylinder (not shown) interposed between the boom 111 and the arm 112. The bucket 114 rotates according to the hydraulic expansion and contraction operation of a bucket cylinder (not shown) interposed between the arm 112 and the link 113. Note that the work support system 1 is not limited to the hydraulic excavator 100, and can be widely applied to various work machines used in work such as civil engineering, construction, agriculture, and transportation.

[0019] (Work support system) FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the work support system 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the work support system 1 includes a plurality of attitude sensors 2A to 2C, a portable information terminal device 3, and lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R.

[0020] (Attitude sensor) The plurality of attitude sensors 2A to 2C include a boom attitude sensor 2A, an arm attitude sensor 2B, and a link attitude sensor 2C. The boom attitude sensor 2A is attached to the boom 111 and detects the attitude information (pitching angle) of the boom 111. The arm attitude sensor 2B is attached to the arm 112 and detects the attitude information (rotation angle) of the arm 112. The link attitude sensor 2C is attached to the link 113 and indirectly detects the attitude information (rotation angle) of the bucket 114.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, each attitude sensor 2A to 2C includes a detection unit 21 that detects attitude information of the object to be detected, a calculation unit 22 that processes the attitude information detected by the detection unit 21, a data communication unit 23 that wirelessly transmits the attitude information, and a battery 24 that supplies power to each unit. By operating on the power of the battery 24 and transmitting attitude information via wireless communication, each attitude sensor 2A to 2C can be easily installed in any location without the need to provide separate cables for power supply and data communication. The detection unit 21 uses an IMU (INERTIAL MEASUREMENT UNIT) sensor, and Bluetooth® is used for wireless communication in the data communication unit 23.

[0022] (Mobile Information Terminal Device) The mobile information terminal device 3 is a so-called smartphone or tablet device, and it performs 2D machine guidance by executing application software (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "app") related to the work support system 1. When using 2D machine guidance, the user performs a predetermined reference posture registration operation (for example, a tap operation on the reference posture registration screen) with the work unit 103 in a reference posture (for example, a posture in which the bucket 114 is placed on the ground) before starting work. When the predetermined reference posture registration operation is performed, the mobile information terminal device 3 acquires posture information from posture sensors 2A to 2C and registers it as reference posture information. Subsequently, based on the registered reference posture information and the current posture information, the mobile information terminal device 3 calculates the current cutting edge position of the bucket 114 and the amount of movement (deviation) from the current cutting edge position to the construction target, and notifies the user of this calculated information.

[0023] In such 2D machine guidance systems, reference posture information must be re-registered for each work location. For example, if the hydraulic excavator 100 moves a few meters after completing work at one location, the angle of the hydraulic excavator 100 and its height relative to the excavation target surface may change. Therefore, even after moving a small distance, it is necessary to re-register the reference posture information before resuming work to ensure accuracy. The work support system 1 of this disclosure is characterized by a configuration that prevents the user from forgetting to re-register the reference posture information when the hydraulic excavator 100 is moved. This characteristic configuration will be described in detail below.

[0024] (Lever operation detection sensor) The lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R are attached to the left and right travel control levers 107L and 107R, respectively, and detect changes in tilt associated with the operation of the travel control levers 107L and 107R. The lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R include a detection unit 41 that detects the attitude information of the travel control levers 107L and 107R, a calculation unit 42 that processes the attitude information detected by the detection unit 41, a data communication unit 43 that wirelessly transmits the attitude information, and a battery 44 that supplies power to each unit. By operating on the power of the battery 44 and transmitting attitude information via wireless communication, the lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R can be easily installed in any location without the need to provide cables for power supply and data communication.

[0025] The detection unit 41 uses an IMU (INERTIAL MEASUREMENT UNIT) sensor, but there are no restrictions on the detection method as long as it can detect the operation of the lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R. The data communication unit 43 uses Bluetooth® for wireless communication, but there are no restrictions on the communication method. The data communication unit 43 transmits the detected attitude information of the driving operation levers 107L and 107R to the portable information terminal device 3, but similar information may also be transmitted to the construction equipment information display device 5 (see Figure 2) provided on the control unit 105. Furthermore, the lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R may have the same configuration as the attitude sensors 2A to 2C.

[0026] (Functional configuration of a mobile information terminal device) The portable information terminal device 3 comprises a movement determination means and a re-registration operation request means, as a functional configuration realized through the cooperation of hardware and software.

[0027] The movement determination means determines the movement of the hydraulic excavator 100 based on the operation detection information from the lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R. For example, the movement determination means automatically starts or restarts monitoring of operation detection information in response to a registration or re-registration operation of reference posture information, and determines that the hydraulic excavator 100 has moved when the amount of change in the operation detection information exceeds a predetermined threshold (e.g., 15°). However, even if the movement determination means determines that the hydraulic excavator 100 has moved based on the operation detection information from the lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R, if it determines that the hydraulic excavator 100 has returned to its original position within a predetermined time, it considers that the hydraulic excavator 100 has not moved.

[0028] The re-registration request means requests the user to re-register the reference posture information when it determines that the hydraulic excavator 100 has moved. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the re-registration request screen G1 for reference posture information is displayed on the display screen G of the portable information terminal device 3, and an alarm sound is emitted to request the user to re-register the reference posture information.

[0029] Such movement determination means and re-registration request means prevent the user from forgetting to re-register the reference posture information when the hydraulic excavator 100 is moved. Furthermore, even if it is determined that the hydraulic excavator 100 has moved, if it is determined that the hydraulic excavator 100 has returned to its original location within a predetermined time, the user is not requested to re-register the reference posture information, thus preventing unnecessary re-registration requests.

[0030] (Specific configuration of a mobile information terminal device) As shown in Figure 3, the portable information terminal device 3 comprises a data communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, a control unit 33, and a notification unit 34. The portable information terminal device 3 is installed on the interior side of the windshield 120 that covers the front of the control unit 105, for example, as shown in Figure 2. In this case, the portable information terminal device 3 is installed so that the display screen G constituting the notification unit 34 faces the interior.

[0031] The data communication unit 31 communicates with the posture sensors 2A-2C and the lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R. The data communication unit 31 can also be used for downloading and upgrading the application software related to the work support system 1. The communication methods of the data communication unit 31 include wireless and wired communication. Wireless communication can utilize, for example, Bluetooth®, while wired communication can utilize, for example, USB 3.0. Various communication methods, both wireless and wired, can be applied to data communication.

[0032] The memory unit 32 stores posture information acquired from posture sensors 2A to 2C, operation detection information acquired from lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R, and application software related to the work support system 1.

[0033] The control unit 33 determines the movement of the hydraulic excavator 100 based on the operation detection information from the lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R. When the control unit 33 determines that the hydraulic excavator 100 has moved, it instructs the notification unit 34 to execute a notification requesting the re-registration of the reference posture information.

[0034] The notification unit 34 executes notifications using a display screen G or an alarm sound in response to a notification execution instruction from the control unit 33. For example, when the notification unit 34 receives a notification execution instruction from the control unit 33 regarding a request for re-registration of reference attitude information, it displays the reference attitude information re-registration request screen G1 (see Figure 4) and outputs an alarm sound to request the user to perform the re-registration operation of the reference attitude information. Note that the notification means of the notification unit 34 are not limited to screen displays or sounds, and various notification means (e.g., lamps, vibrations, etc.) can be applied as long as they are recognizable by the user.

[0035] (Processing procedure of the work support system) Next, the specific processing steps for realizing the aforementioned work support system 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 5 and other figures.

[0036] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the work support system 1. As shown in Figure 5, when the control unit 33 of the portable information terminal device 3 determines that a reference posture has been registered in the 2D machine guidance application software (S0), it starts operation detection (lever angle measurement) by the lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R (S1). The lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R transmit the detected operation detection information (lever angle data) to the portable information terminal device 3 (S2). The portable information terminal device 3 stores the operation detection information received from the lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R in the storage unit 32 (S3).

[0037] The control unit 33 of the portable information terminal device 3 calculates the amount of angle change of the travel operation levers 107L and 107R based on the operation detection information of the lever operation detection sensors 4L and 4R, and determines whether the calculated amount of angle change exceeds a predetermined threshold (for example, 15°) (S4). In step S4, the control unit 33 also determines whether the calculated amount of angle change has exceeded the predetermined threshold for a predetermined period of time or longer. In other words, the control unit 33 determines that the hydraulic excavator 100 has moved if the calculated amount of angle change has exceeded the predetermined threshold for a predetermined period of time or longer, but if the time for which the calculated amount of angle change exceeded the predetermined threshold is less than the predetermined period of time, it is considered that the hydraulic excavator 100 has not moved.

[0038] If the result of the determination in step S4 is "not exceeded", the control unit 33 of the mobile information terminal device 3 repeats steps S1 to S3. If it is "exceeded", the notification unit 34 issues an alert to the user (see Figure 4) (S5) and prompts the user to re-register the reference attitude information. Once the user has completed re-registering the reference attitude information (S6), the control unit 33 stops the alert on the notification unit 34 (S7) and then determines whether there is a request to terminate the application (S8). If there is no request, the control unit 33 returns to step S1, and if there is a request to terminate the application, it terminates the application and ends this flow (S9).

[0039] Although each embodiment has been described in detail above, the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope described in the claims. Furthermore, it is possible to combine all or more of the components of the embodiments described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1. Work support system 2A Boom attitude sensor (sensor unit) 2B Attitude sensor for arm (sensor unit) 2C Link Attitude Sensor (Sensor Unit) 21 Detection unit 22 Arithmetic section 23 Data Communications Department 24 batteries 3. Portable Information Terminal Device (Control Unit) 31 Data Communications Department 32 Storage section 33 Control Unit 34 Notification Department 4L, 4R lever operation detection sensor (lever operation detection unit) 41 Detection unit 42 Arithmetic section 43 Data Communications Department 44 batteries 5. Construction Equipment Information Display Device 100 Hydraulic Excavator (Work Machine) 101 Lower running body 102 Upper rotating body 103 Working part (movable part) 104L, 104R Crawler Track System 105 Control Unit 106 Driver's seat 107L, 107R Driving control lever 107a Pedal section 108L, 108R Operation lever 111 Boom 112 Arm 113 links 114 buckets 120 Windshield G display screen G1 Re-registration request screen

Claims

1. A sensor unit attached to the movable part of a work machine to detect the posture information of the movable part, A work support system comprising: a control unit that, in response to a user's registration operation with the movable part as the reference posture, registers the posture information as reference posture information, and after registration calculates information to be notified to the user based on the reference posture information and the current posture information; The machine further comprises a lever operation detection unit attached to a travel operation lever for operating the aforementioned work machine, which detects changes in tilt associated with the operation of the travel operation lever, The control unit, A movement determination means that determines the movement of the work machine based on the operation detection information of the lever operation detection unit, A work support system comprising: a re-registration operation request means that, when it is determined that the work machine has moved, requests the user to perform a re-registration operation of the reference posture information.

2. The work support system according to claim 1, wherein the movement determination means determines, based on the operation detection information of the lever operation detection unit, that the work machine has moved, and if it determines that the work machine has returned to its original location within a predetermined time, the movement of the work machine is deemed not to have occurred.

3. The work support system according to claim 1, wherein the movement determination means automatically starts or restarts monitoring of the operation detection information in response to the registration operation or the re-registration operation.

4. A work support program that causes a computer to operate as a control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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