Work machine and control device

Abstract

To reduce impact exerted onto an ambient environment, of sound generated by work being execute.SOLUTION: A work machine includes: a work driving source for generating driving force, a work apparatus for using the driving force of the work driving source to perform prescribed work; a sensor for acquiring environment information being information on an ambient environment of an own device; and a control part for determining whether or not to perform influence reduction control on the basis of the environment information acquired by the sensor, and executing the influence reduction control being prescribed control for reducing influence on the ambient environment exerted by sound generated when the work apparatus performs the prescribed work in the case of determining to perform the influence reduction control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work machine and a control device. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of automatic control technology, machines that perform various tasks are becoming more widespread. For example, a working machine that autonomously travels within a predetermined work area and performs tasks such as mowing the lawn and cleaning has been proposed. It is desirable to suppress noise generated by the operation of the machine to perform tasks in these working machines. For example, a technology has been proposed for suppressing noise in lawnmowers by setting the engine speed to a low speed when no mowing work is being performed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-16436 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the problem of noise from the work machine has not been fully solved, for example, the noise generated when work is being carried out still affects the surrounding environment.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of reducing the impact that sound produced when work is being performed has on the surrounding environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, A work drive source that generates a drive force; a work device that performs a predetermined work using the driving force of the work drive source; and A sensor for acquiring environmental information, which is information regarding the environment surrounding the device; a control unit that determines whether or not to perform influence reduction control based on the environmental information acquired by the sensor, and when it is determined that influence reduction control is performed, executes influence reduction control, which is a predetermined control that reduces the influence that sound generated when the work equipment performs the predetermined work has on the surrounding environment; A work machine comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the impact of sounds produced when work is being performed on the surrounding environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a work machine control system 100 according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of the appearance of a work machine 20. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a functional configuration of a work machine 20. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of a control device 40. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the flow of processing by a control unit 24 of a work machine 20. [Figure 6] 4 is a sequence chart showing a specific example of the flow of processing by a control unit 43 of a control device 40. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <Outline of work machine control system> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a work machine control system 100 according to an embodiment. The work machine control system 100 includes an environmental sensor 10, a work machine 20, a communication device 30, and a control device 40. The communication device 30 and the control device 40 are communicably connected via a network 50. The communication device 30 communicates with the environmental sensor 10 and the work machine 20 by wireless communication. The communication device 30 may be configured using a communication device such as a base station device of a mobile communication network or an access point of a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). A plurality of communication devices 30 may be provided on the network 50. The environmental sensor 10 and the work machine 20 communicate with the control device 40 and other information devices connected to the network 50 by communicating with an appropriate communication device 30 depending on their positions, communication conditions, and the like.

[0011] The network 50 may be a network using wireless communication or a network using wired communication. The network 50 may be configured by combining a plurality of networks. In the area where the work machine 20 performs work (hereinafter referred to as the "work area"), for example, an unspecified number of people and animals may be present, a building 6 may be present, or an unspecified number of other objects may be present.

[0012] When a predetermined influence condition is satisfied, the work machine 20 executes a predetermined influence reduction control. The influence condition is a predetermined condition indicating that the sound emitted by the work machine is likely to influence the surrounding environment. For example, the influence condition may be determined to be that the work machine is located within a predetermined area, or that the work machine is located within a predetermined distance from a person, a living thing, or a predetermined facility. The influence reduction control is a predetermined control that reduces the influence of the sound when the work machine is being performed on the surrounding environment. For example, the influence reduction control may be determined to be a control that allows the work machine to travel or work to be performed with a smaller sound than normal operation, or may be determined to be a control that allows the work machine to travel or work to be completed in a shorter time than normal operation. In the following description, a specific example in which the control that allows the work machine to travel or work to be performed with a smaller sound than normal operation (hereinafter referred to as "low sound control") is determined to be the influence reduction control will be described in detail.

[0013] <Environmental Sensor> The environmental sensor 10 acquires information in the work area. The environmental sensor 10 may be configured using, for example, a camera. In this case, the environmental sensor 10 may capture an image of the space in the work area and transmit the image obtained by capturing the image to the communication device 30. The environmental sensor 10 may also detect people, dogs, cats, and other animals present in the work area by analyzing the image obtained by capturing the image. In this case, the environmental sensor 10 may transmit information indicating the detection result (for example, information indicating the position of the detected animal or information indicating the type of the detected animal) to the communication device 30. In this case, the environmental sensor 10 may be configured using a lidar (Light Detection and Ranging: LIDAR) instead of a camera.

[0014] <Work equipment> FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of the appearance of the working machine 20. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of the working machine 20. The working machine 20 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is a device that performs lawn mowing as a task. Therefore, for example, a cutting unit 92 for mowing the lawn is provided as a working device. However, the working machine 20 in this embodiment does not need to be limited to a device that performs lawn mowing. For example, the working machine 20 may be configured as a cleaning machine that performs cleaning by operating a cleaning member (for example, a brush or a mop) in response to the operation of the work drive source 261. In this case, for example, a cleaning member and a rotating shaft may be provided as working devices. For example, the working machine 20 may be configured as a blower that generates an airflow (wind) by operating an airflow generator in response to the operation of the work drive source 261, and blows away fallen leaves, cut grass, and the like. In this case, for example, an airflow generator may be provided as working devices.

[0015] The work machine 20 includes a first communication unit 211, a second communication unit 212, a memory unit 22, a sensor 23, a control unit 24, a work drive source 261, a traveling drive source 262, a rotating shaft 91, a cutting unit 92, a front wheel 93a, and a rear wheel 93b. The front wheel 93a and the rear wheel 93b rotate in response to the driving of the traveling drive source 262. The work machine 20 travels in response to the rotation of the front wheel 93a and the rear wheel 93b. The cutting unit 92 operates in response to the driving of the work drive source 261, and the work of mowing grass or weeds (hereinafter referred to as "grass mowing work"). Each component of the work machine 20 will be described below.

[0016] The first communication unit 211 is a communication device that communicates in a first communication method. The first communication method is a communication method used in communication with the communication device 30. For example, a wireless LAN such as WiFi or a wireless communication method such as Bluetooth may be used as the first communication method. The first communication unit 211 communicates with the communication device 30 under the control of the control unit 24.

[0017] The second communication unit 212 is a communication device that communicates in a second communication method. The first communication method and the second communication method are different communication methods. The second communication method is a communication method used for communication with other work machines 20. For example, a communication method such as Bluetooth or infrared communication may be used as the second communication method. The second communication unit 212 communicates with other work machines 20 according to the control of the control unit 24.

[0018] The storage unit 22 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device, a semiconductor storage device, etc. The storage unit 22 functions as a map information storage unit 221 and a control information storage unit 222, for example.

[0019] The map information storage unit 221 stores map information. The stored map information is map information of an area including at least a work area. The map information includes information on the locations of facilities and buildings that exist in the area covered by the map information. Specific examples of facilities include houses, commercial facilities, restaurants, amusement facilities, and sports facilities. The map information storage unit 221 may further store attribute information of each facility. For example, information indicating the time period during which each facility is used may be stored as the attribute information. For example, for facilities that are used for a limited time such as commercial facilities, restaurants, amusement facilities, and sports facilities, information indicating the time period during which the facility is used (for example, opening time and closing time) may be included in the attribute information. In addition, if the facility is a residence (such as a detached house or an apartment building), information indicating that the facility is a residence may be included in the attribute information.

[0020] The control information storage unit 222 stores information (hereinafter referred to as "control information") indicating the content of control by the control unit 24. For example, the control information may include information indicating a criterion used when the control unit 24 operates, or may include information indicating the content of the operation performed by the control unit 24 when the criterion is satisfied.

[0021] The sensor 23 is configured using one or more types of sensors. The sensor 23 acquires information about the environment around the work machine 20 (hereinafter referred to as "environmental information"). In this embodiment, the sensor 23 includes a position sensor 231, an image sensor 232, an object sensor 233, and a sound sensor 234.

[0022] The position sensor 231 acquires position information of the current position of the device. The position sensor 231 acquires the position information of the current position, for example, by communicating with a satellite positioning system or a base station of a mobile phone network. Specific examples of the satellite positioning system include GPS (Global Positioning System) and Galileo. The position sensor 231 outputs the acquired position information to the control unit 24.

[0023] The image sensor 232 generates an image showing objects and the like around the work machine 20. The image sensor 232 outputs the generated image to the control unit 24. The image sensor 232 may be configured using, for example, a camera that receives visible light and generates an image, or may be configured using a sensor (for example, LIDAR) that irradiates infrared rays or electromagnetic waves of other wavelengths, receives reflected light (reflected waves), and generates an image.

[0024] The object sensor 233 detects the presence of an object located around the work machine 20. The object sensor 233 outputs a signal or information indicating the detection result to the control unit 24. The object sensor 233 may detect the presence of an object by irradiating, for example, infrared rays, electromagnetic waves of other wavelengths, or sound waves (ultrasonic waves) and receiving reflected light (reflected waves).

[0025] The sound sensor 234 detects the volume of surrounding sounds. The sound sensor 234 outputs signals and information indicating the detection results to the control unit 24. One of the sounds detected by the sound sensor 234 is a sound generated from the work machine 20. Therefore, it is desirable that the sound sensor 234 is attached to the work machine 20 in an orientation and position that allows it to detect the volume of sounds generated from the work machine 20 (particularly sounds generated by the operation of the work drive source 261, the rotating shaft 91, and the cutting unit 92).

[0026] The control unit 24 is configured using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The control unit 24 functions as a low volume determination unit 241, a low volume control unit 242, and an autonomous control unit 243 by the processor executing a program. All or part of the functions of the control unit 24 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The above program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may be, for example, a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, or a semiconductor storage device (e.g., an SSD: Solid State Drive), or a storage device such as a hard disk or a semiconductor storage device built into a computer system. The above program may be transmitted via an electric communication line.

[0027] The quiet sound judgment unit 241 acquires environmental information, and judges whether or not quiet sound control should be performed based on the acquired environmental information. Below, some specific examples of the judgment process of the quiet sound judgment unit 241 will be given. For example, the quiet sound judgment unit 241 may judge to perform quiet sound control depending on the position of its own device (work machine 20) being a position where quiet sound control should be performed. The position where quiet sound control should be performed may be an area indicating that position (hereinafter referred to as a "quiet sound control area") that is determined in advance, or a criterion for that (hereinafter referred to as a "position judgment criterion") may be determined in advance. The quiet sound control area is one specific example of an effect reduction control area that is an area indicating a position where effect reduction control should be performed.

[0028] The low noise control area may be defined, for example, in map information stored in the map information storage unit 221. In this case, the low noise judgment unit 241 acquires information indicating the position of the own device (work machine 20) from the position sensor 231, and judges whether the own device is located within the low noise control area defined in the map information. Then, when the low noise judgment unit 241 judges that the own device is located within the low noise control area, it judges to perform low noise control.

[0029] The map information may further define information indicating additional conditions for determining whether or not low volume control should be performed in the low volume control area. For example, the additional conditions may include a day of the week for determining whether or not low volume control should be performed, a time period, the detection of a predetermined object such as a human body, or the detection of a sound with a predetermined sound pressure or higher.

[0030] When an additional condition is defined, the low volume judgment unit 241 judges that low volume control is to be performed when the position of the device itself is within the low volume control area and the additional condition is satisfied. When a condition related to sound is defined as the additional condition, the low volume judgment unit 241 may judge whether or not the additional condition is satisfied based on the detection result of the sound sensor 234. When a condition related to a surrounding object is defined as the additional condition, the low volume judgment unit 241 may judge whether or not the additional condition is satisfied based on the detection result of the image sensor 232 or the object sensor 233. The additional condition may be defined commonly to all low volume control areas, or may be defined individually for each low volume control area.

[0031] The position determination criterion may be defined, for example, in the control information stored in the control information storage unit 222. For example, the position determination criterion may be defined as the fact that the own device is within a predetermined distance from a facility or building with a predetermined attribute. In this case, the low sound determination unit 241 may obtain information indicating the position of the own device (work machine 20) from the position sensor 231, obtain position information of the facility or building with the predetermined attribute from the map information, and calculate the distance therebetween to determine whether the position determination criterion is satisfied.

[0032] For example, restaurants and homes may be defined as facilities or structures with a predetermined attribute. Different distances may be defined for each attribute. Different time periods or days of the week may be further defined as additional conditions for each attribute. For example, if the location is within a predetermined distance from a restaurant, the additional condition may be that the location is within the restaurant's business hours. For example, if the location is within a predetermined distance from a home, the additional condition may be that the location is within normal sleeping hours (e.g., from night to early morning).

[0033] For example, the position determination criterion may be defined as the device being within a predetermined distance from a person or living thing. In this case, the low volume determination unit 241 may acquire information indicating whether or not a person or living thing has been detected based on the detection result of the image sensor 232 or the object sensor 233, and may determine that the person or living thing is within the predetermined distance if a person or living thing is detected. The low volume determination unit 241 may determine the area of ​​a person's face or body by analyzing the image captured by the image sensor 232, and may determine that the area is within the predetermined distance if the area is equal to or larger than a predetermined size.

[0034] The quiet sound determination unit 241 may acquire the detection result of the environment sensor 10 as environment information via the first communication unit 211, and may determine whether or not the position determination criterion is satisfied based on the acquired detection result. For example, position information of a person or living thing determined by the environment sensor 10 may be acquired. By using such information, the quiet sound determination unit 241 can determine whether or not a person or living thing that is in a position that cannot be directly detected from the device itself because it is in a shadow (occurrence of occlusion, etc.) is within a predetermined distance.

[0035] The quiet sound determination unit 241 may acquire information notified from another work machine 20 via the second communication unit 212 as environmental information, and may determine whether or not the position determination criterion is satisfied based on the acquired information. For example, in another work machine 20, position information of a person or living thing determined based on the image sensor 232 or the object sensor 233 may be acquired. By using such information, the quiet sound determination unit 241 can determine whether or not a person or living thing that is in a position that cannot be directly detected from the own device due to being in a shadow (occurrence of occlusion, etc.) is within a predetermined distance.

[0036] The low volume determination unit 241 may acquire information notified from the control device 40 via the first communication unit 211 as environmental information, and determine whether or not the position determination criterion is satisfied based on the acquired information. A specific example of such a position determination criterion is whether or not it is within a predetermined distance from the position of the communication terminal. Since a communication terminal is generally carried by a person, the position of the communication terminal is often almost the same as the position of the person. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not it is within a predetermined distance from a person based on whether or not it is within a predetermined distance from the position of the communication terminal. In this case, information regarding the position of each communication terminal may be notified from the control device 40.

[0037] When a person or living thing is detected based on the image sensor 232 or the object sensor 233, the low sound judgment unit 241 may notify other work machines 20 of information indicating the detection result (e.g., the detected position) via the second communication unit 212.

[0038] The quiet control unit 242 performs quiet control when the quiet determination unit 241 determines that quiet control should be performed. Quiet control is control in which the volume of sound generated by the work machine 20 is reduced compared to when normal control is performed. Quiet control may be, for example, a predetermined control in which the operating sound of the work drive source 261 is reduced. Specifically, quiet control may be, for example, control in which the amount of displacement per unit time of the cutting unit 92, which is the work equipment, is reduced. More specifically, quiet control may be, for example, control in which the number of rotations per unit time of the rotating shaft 91 (work equipment) is reduced compared to normal control.

[0039] The autonomous control unit 243 autonomously controls the operation of its own device (work machine 20). For example, the autonomous control unit 243 may determine the travel path and speed of its own device, and control the operation of the travel drive source 262 and the orientation of the wheels 93. For example, the autonomous control unit 243 may determine whether its own device is to perform a predetermined task, and control the operation of the work drive source 261.

[0040] The work drive source 261 drives the cutting unit 92 attached to the bottom surface of the machine body under the control of the control unit 24 to cut grass such as turf that grows from the ground surface across the cutting unit 92. The cutting unit 92 is configured using, for example, a cutter blade. The work drive source 261 may be configured using, for example, a motor or an engine.

[0041] The traveling drive source 262 can rotate the rear wheels 93b to move the work machine 20. The traveling drive source 262 may be configured using, for example, a motor or an engine.

[0042] 4 is a schematic block diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of the control device 40. The control device 40 is configured using an information processing device such as a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet, a server device, a single board computer, etc. The control device 40 includes a communication unit 41, a storage unit 42, and a control unit 43.

[0043] The communication unit 41 is configured using a communication device. The communication unit 41 communicates with the communication device 30 via the network 50. The communication unit 41 communicates with the environmental sensor 10 and the work machine 20 via the communication device 30.

[0044] The storage unit 42 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 42 includes a map information storage unit 421, a control information storage unit 422, and a work machine information storage unit 423. The map information storage unit 421 and the control information storage unit 422 store the same type of information as the map information storage unit 221 and the control information storage unit 222, respectively.

[0045] The work machine information storage unit 423 stores information about the multiple work machines 20 to be controlled. The work machine information storage unit 423 stores at least information (hereinafter referred to as "operation sound information") indicating, directly or indirectly, the volume of the operation of each work machine 20. For example, information indicating the average volume of the sound generated when each work machine 20 performs normal operation may be defined as the operation sound information. In this case, the sound volume during travel may be defined as the operation sound information, or the sound volume during work may be defined as the operation sound information. For example, information indicating whether the travel drive source 262 of each work machine 20 is a motor or an engine may be defined as the operation sound information. For example, information indicating whether the work drive source 261 of each work machine 20 is a motor or an engine may be defined as the operation sound information.

[0046] The control unit 43 is configured using a processor such as a CPU and a memory. The control unit 43 functions as an information acquisition unit 431, a low sound determination unit 432, and a work machine determination unit 433 by the processor executing a program. All or part of the functions of the control unit 43 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC, a PLD, or an FPGA. The above program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, or a semiconductor storage device (for example, an SSD: Solid State Drive), or a storage device such as a hard disk or a semiconductor storage device built into a computer system. The above program may be transmitted via an electric communication line.

[0047] The information acquisition unit 431 acquires information by communicating with other devices via the communication unit 41. The information acquisition unit 431 may acquire information output from the environmental sensor 10 by communicating with the environmental sensor 10, for example. The information acquisition unit 431 may acquire information indicating at least the position of the communication terminal in the work area by communicating with a position information server (not shown), for example. Specific examples of such communication terminals include mobile communication devices such as smartphones and mobile phones. The information acquisition unit 431 may acquire information on the volume of the work sound obtained by the sound sensor 234 of each work machine 20 from each work machine 20, for example. In this case, the information acquisition unit 431 may register the acquired information in the work machine information storage unit 423 as operation sound information.

[0048] The low sound judgment unit 432 judges whether or not low sound control is to be performed for each work machine 20 to be controlled. The low sound judgment unit 432 may perform judgment processing for each work machine 20 by performing processing similar to that of the low sound judgment unit 241 of the work machine 20. The low sound judgment unit 432 may notify each work machine 20 of information indicating the judgment result. In this case, each work machine 20 may operate according to the information notified from the control device 40.

[0049] The work machine determination unit 433 determines the work machine 20 to be operated and the area in which the work machine 20 is to be operated (hereinafter referred to as the "allocated area") for each work machine 20 to be controlled. The work machine determination unit 433 allocates an area including an area determined to require low noise control based on, for example, the same criteria as those used by the low noise determination unit 432 in the determination process, to a work machine 20 that can operate with relatively low noise among the work machines 20 to be controlled as an allocated area (hereinafter referred to as the "low noise device"). The work machine determination unit 433 allocates an area determined not to require low noise control based on, for example, the same criteria as those used by the low noise determination unit 432 in the determination process, to a work machine 20 that cannot operate with relatively low noise among the work machines 20 to be controlled as an allocated area (hereinafter referred to as the "normal device"). A work machine 20 that can perform work faster (more efficiently) may be defined as a normal device, not based on the criteria of whether it can operate with low noise or not.

[0050] The work machine 20 capable of operating with less noise may be determined based on, for example, the operation sound information. When the sound volume during operation is defined as the operation sound information, a work machine 20 having a lower sound volume during operation may be selected as the work machine 20 capable of operating with less noise. When the type of the traveling drive source 262 or the work drive source 261 is defined as the operation sound information, a work machine 20 operated by, for example, a motor may be selected as the work machine 20 capable of operating with less noise. When the timing of maintenance is defined as the operation sound information, a work machine 20 for which the time since maintenance was performed is shorter may be selected as the work machine 20 capable of operating with less noise.

[0051] The work machine determination unit 433 transmits a control signal to each work machine 20 based on the determination result, and instructs the work in each assigned area.

[0052] 5 is a flow chart showing a specific example of the flow of processing by the control unit 24 of the working machine 20. First, the low sound judgment unit 241 acquires environmental information using the sensor 23, the first communication unit 211, and the second communication unit 212 of the working machine 20 (step S101). The low sound judgment unit 241 performs low sound judgment processing based on the acquired environmental information (step S102). If it is determined that low sound control is to be performed as a result of the low sound judgment processing (step S103-YES), the low sound control unit 242 controls the working machine 20 to operate at low sound (step S104). If it is determined that low sound control is not to be performed as a result of the low sound judgment processing (step S103-NO), the low sound control unit 242 controls the working machine 20 to operate at normal sound (step S105).

[0053] FIG. 6 is a sequence chart showing a specific example of the flow of processing by the control unit 43 of the control device 40. First, the information acquisition unit 431 acquires information (step S201). The work machine determination unit 433 determines the assigned area based on the acquired information (step S202). The work machine determination unit 433 assigns a low-noise device to the work machine 20 that operates in the assigned area including the area that is determined to be low-noise controlled among the assigned areas (step S203-YES). The work machine determination unit 433 transmits an operation command including information on the assigned area to the assigned low-noise device (step S204). The work machine determination unit 433 assigns a normal device to the work machine 20 that operates in the area that is determined not to be low-noise controlled among the assigned areas (step S203-NO). The work machine determination unit 433 transmits an operation command including information on the assigned area to the assigned normal device (step S205).

[0054] This configuration can reduce the impact on the surrounding environment of noise caused when the work machine 20 is performing work. More specifically, whether or not to operate at a low volume is determined according to the surrounding environment, and if it is determined that the work machine 20 should operate at a low volume, control is performed to operate at a low volume, thereby reducing the impact of sound.

[0055] As described above, the low-noise control is one specific example of the influence reduction control. When it is determined that the control should be performed to operate at a low noise level, the control unit 24 may execute, instead of the low-noise control, a control in which the volume is the same as or higher than that of the normal control, but the working speed or the traveling speed is faster than that of the normal control (hereinafter referred to as "high-speed control") as the influence reduction control. For example, when it is determined that the control should be performed to operate at a low noise level, the control unit 24 executes the high-speed control. For example, the control unit 24 may control the traveling drive source 262 to perform a faster traveling speed (for example, to increase the number of rotations of the wheels 93) and control the work drive source 261 to perform a faster work speed (for example, to increase the number of rotations per unit time of the rotating shaft 91). By controlling in this way, the time that the working machine 20 is located in a certain area (for example, the low-noise control area) can be shortened. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the impact of the sound of the working machine 20 on the environment in that area.

[0056] The work machine 20 may be configured not to include the autonomous control unit 243. In this case, the work machine 20 may be operated by a person, for example.

[0057] The work machine 20 may be configured not to include the autonomous control unit 243 and the traveling drive source 262. In this case, the work machine 20 may be configured to be operated by a person and to move in conjunction with the movement of the person.

[0058] <Summary of the embodiment> The above embodiment discloses at least the following work machine and control device. The working machine (e.g., 20) of the above embodiment is A work drive source (e.g., 261) that generates a driving force; A work device (e.g., 91, 92) that performs a predetermined work using the driving force of the work driving source; A sensor (e.g., 23) for acquiring environmental information, which is information about the environment surrounding the device; a control unit (e.g., 24) that determines whether or not to perform influence reduction control based on the environmental information acquired by the sensor, and, when it is determined that influence reduction control is performed, executes influence reduction control, which is a predetermined control that reduces the influence that sound generated when the work equipment performs the predetermined work has on the surrounding environment; Equipped with.

[0059] According to this embodiment, whether or not to execute the influence reduction control is determined based on the environmental information, so that it is possible to reduce the influence that the sound generated when the work equipment performs a predetermined operation has on the surrounding environment, depending on the environment.

[0060] According to the above embodiment, The sensor acquires location information indicating a location of the device itself; The control unit acquires map information indicating an influence reduction control area in which the influence reduction control should be performed, and determines to perform influence reduction control when the position of the device itself is within the influence reduction control area.

[0061] According to this embodiment, it is possible to perform influence reduction control based on map information indicating an influence reduction control area, which is an area where influence reduction control should be performed.

[0062] According to the above embodiment, The sensor acquires information indicating whether or not a person or living thing is present around the device; The control unit determines to perform influence reduction control when information indicating the presence of a person or living thing around the device is acquired.

[0063] According to this embodiment, it is possible to perform the influence reduction control only when a person or living thing is present around the device itself, which makes it possible to prevent a decrease in efficiency due to the influence reduction control being unnecessarily performed.

[0064] According to the above embodiment, Further comprising a communication unit (e.g., 211, 212) for communicating with other devices; The sensor acquires location information indicating a location of the device itself; The control unit transmits the location information to another device via the communication unit, and determines whether or not to perform impact reduction control based on information received from the other device, which determines whether or not the control unit itself will perform impact reduction control.

[0065] According to this embodiment, the result of the determination as to whether or not to perform the effect reduction control can be obtained from another device, so there is no need to determine whether or not to perform the effect reduction control in the work machine body, which makes it possible to reduce the cost and weight of the work machine.

[0066] According to the above embodiment, The control unit determines whether or not to perform effect reduction control further based on at least one piece of information of the day of the week, the date, or the time.

[0067] According to this embodiment, the influence reduction control can be executed based on information such as the day of the week, date, time, etc. Therefore, it becomes possible to execute the influence reduction control at a timing when it is desired to suppress the influence of sound to a low level, such as at night or early in the morning (e.g., normal bedtime).

[0068] According to the above embodiment, The work equipment includes a cutting unit (e.g., 92) that cuts grass or turf, and a transmission unit (e.g., 91) that displaces the cutting unit using the driving force of the work drive source, The control unit changes a displacement amount per unit time of the cutting portion when performing the influence reduction control.

[0069] According to this embodiment, by changing the amount of displacement of the cut portion per unit time, it is possible to control the volume of the sound generated by the displacement of the cut portion and to keep the impact on the surroundings low.

[0070] According to the above embodiment, Further, the device includes a driving source (e.g., 262) for generating a driving force for driving the device; The control unit controls the operation of the travel drive source when performing the influence reduction control.

[0071] According to this embodiment, by changing the traveling speed, it is possible to reduce the impact on the surroundings. For example, by slowing down the traveling speed, it is possible to reduce the volume of the sound generated by traveling. For example, by increasing the traveling speed, it is possible to reduce the time that the work machine is located in a certain area, and it is possible to reduce the impact on the area.

[0072] The control device (e.g., 40) of the above embodiment includes: A communication unit (e.g., 41) for communicating with other devices; A work machine information storage unit (e.g., 423) that stores information about a plurality of work machines in advance; A map information storage unit (e.g., 421) that stores information about an area in which the work machine is to perform a predetermined work; A control unit (e.g., 43) that determines a combination of an area where the impact reduction control should be performed, an area where the impact reduction control does not need to be performed, and the work machine that will work in that area based on the information about the work machine, and instructs each work machine to work in the assigned area via the communication unit based on the determination result; Equipped with.

[0073] According to this embodiment, by appropriately allocating areas where impact reduction control should be performed and areas where impact reduction control is not necessary based on the performance of the work equipment, etc., it is possible to reduce the impact on the surrounding environment of sounds generated when the work equipment performs a specified task.

[0074] According to the above embodiment, The work machine information storage unit stores information regarding maintenance performed on each work machine, The control unit determines a combination of an area and a work machine based on the information related to the maintenance.

[0075] According to this embodiment, the combination of each area and the work machine can be appropriately determined based on the maintenance status of each work machine.

[0076] According to the above embodiment, The work machine information storage unit stores information regarding sounds generated by each work machine, The control unit determines a combination of an area and a work machine based on information related to the sound.

[0077] According to this embodiment, the combination of each area and each work machine can be appropriately determined based on the sound generated by each work machine.

[0078] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 100...work machine control system, 10...environmental sensor, 20...work machine, 211...first communication unit, 212...second communication unit, 22...storage unit, 221...map information storage unit, 222...control information storage unit, 23...sensor, 231...position sensor, 232...image sensor, 233...object sensor, 234...sound sensor, 24...control unit, 241...low sound determination unit, 242...low sound control unit, 243 ...Autonomous control unit, 261...work drive source, 262...travel drive source, 91...rotation shaft, 92...cutting unit, 93a...front wheels, 93b...rear wheels, 30...communication device, 40...control device, 41...communication unit, 42...storage unit, 421...map information storage unit, 422...control information storage unit, 423...work machine information storage unit, 43...control unit, 431...information acquisition unit, 432...low sound judgment unit, 433...work machine judgment unit, 6...building

Claims

1. A work drive source that generates a drive force; a work device that performs a predetermined work using the driving force of the work drive source; and A sensor for acquiring environmental information, which is information regarding the environment surrounding the device; a control unit that determines whether or not to perform influence reduction control based on the environmental information acquired by the sensor, and when it is determined that influence reduction control is performed, executes influence reduction control, which is a predetermined control that reduces the influence that sound generated when the work equipment performs the predetermined work has on the surrounding environment; Equipped with a communication unit configured to communicate with another device, the another device including a second sensor configured to detect a person or a living thing present in an environment surrounding the other device as second environmental information; The sensor acquires location information indicating a location of the device itself; The control unit transmits the position information to the other device via the communication unit, and determines whether or not the device performs influence reduction control based on the second environmental information received from the other device that determines whether or not the device performs influence reduction control. Work machine.

2. The sensor acquires location information indicating a location of the device itself; The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the control unit acquires map information indicating an impact reduction control area in which the impact reduction control should be performed, and determines to perform impact reduction control when the position of the device is within the impact reduction control area.

3. The sensor acquires information indicating whether or not a person or living thing is present around the device; The work machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit determines to perform influence reduction control when information indicating the presence of a person or living thing around the work machine is acquired.

4. The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines whether or not to perform the influence reduction control further based on at least one piece of information of a day of the week, a date, or a time.

5. The work equipment includes a cutting unit that cuts grass or turf, and a transmission unit that displaces the cutting unit using a driving force of the work drive source, The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit changes a displacement amount per unit time of the cutting portion when performing the influence reduction control.

6. Further, the device further includes a driving source for generating a driving force for driving the device; The work machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls an operation of the travel drive source when performing the influence reduction control.

Images