Soil information acquisition system and work machine equipped with same

Abstract

To provide a soil information acquisition system capable of acquiring soil information at an appropriate timing at a work site, and a work machine equipped with the system.SOLUTION: A soil information acquisition system 100 has a main body position detection unit 33, an acquisition timing determination unit 503, a soil information acquisition unit 502, and a storage unit 506. The main body position detection unit 33 acquires position information of a hydraulic excavator 1 at a work site. The acquisition timing determination unit 503 determines the acquisition timing based on the soil-related information, which is information related to changes in the soil at the work site. The soil information acquisition unit 502 receives the acquisition signal output from the acquisition timing determination unit 503 and acquires soil information according to the acquisition signal. The storage unit 506 stores the position information and the soil information in association with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a soil information acquisition system and a work machine equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a work machine that excavates the ground at a work site. The work machine has a lower traveling body capable of traveling on the ground, an upper body mounted on the lower traveling body, and a work attachment supported by the upper body. When the work machine is a hydraulic excavator, the work attachment has a bucket disposed at its tip. The work machine can excavate the ground while the bucket is in contact with the ground.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a shovel having a sensor attached to a working attachment and a hardness estimation unit that estimates the hardness of the ground based on the detection value of the sensor. The hardness estimation unit estimates the hardness of the ground based on the detection value of the sensor when the tip of the working attachment performs a predetermined operation of contacting the ground at a predetermined speed and angle and on pre-stored data.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a measuring device including a multi-axis motion sensor mounted on a construction machine, a measuring unit that measures hardness information of a construction object based on a reaction force accompanying an impact during construction detected by the multi-axis motion sensor, a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the construction machine, and a communication unit that transmits the hardness information and the position information to the outside. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-163621 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-111950 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the problem that surrounding soil information is continually detected periodically at predetermined intervals during work, and therefore a large capacity is required for the memory unit that stores the soil information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a soil information acquisition system capable of acquiring soil information at an appropriate time at a work site, and a work machine equipped with the same.

[0008] The present invention provides a soil information acquisition system for use with a work machine having a body including a traveling part capable of traveling on the ground and a work attachment attached to the body so as to be movable relative to the body and performing a predetermined work on the ground, and for acquiring soil information, which is information related to the soil quality at a work site. The soil information acquisition system includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the work machine at the work site, an acquisition timing determination unit that determines acquisition timing based on soil-related information, which is information related to changes in the soil quality at the work site, and outputs an acquisition signal corresponding to the acquisition timing, a soil information acquisition unit that receives the acquisition signal output from the acquisition timing determination unit and acquires the soil information in response to the acquisition signal, and a memory unit that stores the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit and the soil information acquired by the soil information acquisition unit in association with each other.

[0009] According to this configuration, the acquisition timing determination unit determines the acquisition timing based on soil-related information, which is information related to changes in the soil at the work site, and the soil information acquisition unit acquires the soil information according to the acquisition timing. Therefore, soil information is acquired at an appropriate timing according to the possibility of changes in the soil information around the work machine, preventing excessive acquisition of information or insufficient acquisition. As a result, the storage capacity required for the storage unit can be reduced compared to when soil information is acquired periodically and stored in the storage unit together with position information.

[0010] In the above configuration, it is desirable that the acquisition timing determination unit sets a virtual reference range that is estimated to have a certain soil type at the work site, and determines the acquisition timing based on the relative position of the work machine with respect to the reference range as the soil-type-related information.

[0011] According to this configuration, soil information can be acquired and stored efficiently at a more appropriate time based on the relative position of the work machine and the reference range.

[0012] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the acquisition timing determination unit sets, as the reference range, a range surrounded by a reference circle of a predetermined radius centered on the aircraft in a planar view at a predetermined reference timing.

[0013] With this configuration, by focusing on the fact that soil types are similar in a predetermined range in a plan view at a work site, the timing for acquiring soil type information can be determined according to the relative position of the reference circle and the work machine, which makes it possible to prevent soil type information from being frequently acquired in areas having the same soil type.

[0014] In the above configuration, it is desirable that the acquisition timing determination unit outputs the acquisition signal when the work machine, as the traveling part travels, passes over a boundary circle that is set concentrically with the reference circle so as to be included in the reference circle.

[0015] According to this configuration, new soil information can be obtained when the work machine passes a preset boundary circle, so that even if the work machine is working while moving toward the outside of the reference circle, appropriate soil information according to the work position can be obtained.

[0016] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the acquisition timing determination unit outputs the acquisition signal when the work attachment passes over the reference circle.

[0017] According to this configuration, new soil information can be obtained when the work attachment passes a preset reference circle, so that even if the work machine is working while moving toward the outside of the reference circle, appropriate soil information according to the work position can be obtained.

[0018] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the acquisition timing determination unit sets a range from the airframe to a predetermined depth underground at a predetermined reference timing as the reference range.

[0019] With this configuration, by focusing on the fact that soil properties are similar within a certain range in the depth direction of the ground at the work site, the timing of acquiring soil property information can be determined according to the relative position of the work machine and the reference range, which makes it possible to prevent soil property information from being frequently acquired within a depth direction range having the same soil property.

[0020] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the acquisition timing determination unit determines the acquisition timing based on the elapsed time from the time when the soil information acquisition unit previously acquired the soil information as the soil-related information.

[0021] According to this configuration, even when performing work that does not change the position of the machine, soil information can be obtained at an appropriate time taking into account changes in soil quality over time.

[0022] In the above configuration, it is desirable to further include a weather information acquisition unit capable of acquiring weather information at the work site, and the acquisition timing determination unit determines the acquisition timing based on the weather information acquired by the weather information acquisition unit as the soil-related information.

[0023] According to this configuration, even when performing work that does not change the position of the machine, soil information can be obtained at an appropriate time taking into account changes in soil properties due to weather.

[0024] In the above configuration, it is desirable that the memory unit further comprises a transmitting unit, which is arranged at a location away from the work machine, and transmits the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit and the soil information acquired by the soil information acquisition unit, and a receiving unit, which is arranged at a location away from the transmitting unit, and receives the location information and the soil information transmitted from the transmitting unit and inputs them into the memory unit.

[0025] According to this configuration, the location information and soil information acquired at the work site are stored in a memory unit located at a remote location, making it possible to accumulate soil information.

[0026] In the above configuration, it is desirable to further include a sub-transmitter unit that transmits the location information and soil information stored in the memory unit to other work machines at the work site, and a sub-receiver unit that is arranged on the other work machines and receives the location information and soil information transmitted from the sub-transmitter unit.

[0027] According to this configuration, soil information acquired by one work machine at the same work site can be transmitted to other work machines, allowing the soil information to be used efficiently by a plurality of work machines.

[0028] What is provided by the present invention is a work machine comprising a body including a running part capable of running on the ground, a work attachment supported on the body so as to be movable relative to the body and performing specified work on the ground, and a soil information acquisition system as described above.

[0029] According to this configuration, in the work machine, the acquisition timing determination unit determines the acquisition timing based on soil-related information, which is information related to changes in the soil at the work site, and the soil information acquisition unit acquires soil information according to the acquisition timing. Therefore, soil information is acquired at an appropriate timing according to the possibility of changes in the soil information around the work machine, preventing excessive acquisition of information or insufficient acquisition. As a result, the storage capacity required for the storage unit of the work machine can be reduced compared to when soil information is acquired periodically and stored in the storage unit together with position information. Effect of the Invention

[0030] According to the present invention, there is provided a soil information acquisition system capable of acquiring soil information at an appropriate time at a work site, and a work machine equipped with the same. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a work machine equipped with a soil information acquisition system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram of a soil information acquisition system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a reference range of the work machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view for explaining parameters for calculating the excavation radius of the work machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an initial setting operation of the soil information acquisition system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]4 is a flowchart showing a soil information acquisition operation of the soil information acquisition system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the soil information acquisition operation of the soil information acquisition system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart showing a soil information acquisition operation of the soil information acquisition system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a server of the soil information acquisition system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a side view showing a reference range of a work machine according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a work attachment of a work machine according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a side view of a hydraulic excavator 1 (working machine) equipped with a soil information acquisition system 100 (FIG. 2) according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] The hydraulic excavator 1 includes a lower traveling body 10 capable of traveling on the ground G (traveling surface), an upper rotating body 12 (upper main body) rotatably supported on the lower traveling body 10, and a work attachment 20 mounted on the upper rotating body 2. The lower traveling body 10 and the upper rotating body 12 constitute the machine body of the present invention.

[0035] The lower traveling body 10 is capable of traveling on a ground surface G. The lower traveling body 10 includes a crawler-type traveling unit.

[0036] The upper rotating body 12 has a rotating frame 121 supported by the lower traveling body 10, and a cab 13 mounted on the rotating frame 121. The cab 13 allows an operator to get in, and various devices for operating the hydraulic excavator 1 are arranged therein.

[0037] The work attachment 20 is attached to the upper rotating body 12 so as to be movable relative to the upper rotating body 12, and performs a predetermined work on the ground. The work attachment 20 includes a boom 21 connected to the front end of the revolving frame 121 so as to be rotatable in the hoisting direction around a horizontal central axis of rotation, an arm 22 connected to the tip of the boom 21 so as to be rotatable around the horizontal central axis of rotation, and a bucket 23 connected to the tip of the arm 22 so as to be rotatable around the horizontal central axis of rotation. In this embodiment, the central axes of rotation of the boom 21, the arm 22, and the bucket 23 are set parallel to each other. The boom 21 and the arm 22 constitute the hoisting body of the present invention, and the bucket 23 constitutes the working member of the present invention. In addition, the work attachment 20 further includes a boom cylinder 21S that expands and contracts to hoist the boom 21, an arm cylinder 22S that expands and contracts to rotate the arm 22, and a bucket cylinder 23S that expands and contracts to rotate the bucket 23. These cylinders consist of hydraulic cylinders.

[0038] The cab 13 is mounted on the front of the revolving frame 121 at a location adjacent to the boom 21 in the width direction of the revolving frame 121 (on the left side of the boom 21 in the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2), and constitutes a driver's cab for operating the hydraulic excavator 1. That is, within the cab 13, an operator performs operations for causing the lower traveling structure 10 to travel, the upper revolving structure 12 to rotate, and the work attachment 20 to operate.

[0039] 2 is a block diagram of a hydraulic excavator 1 including a soil information acquisition system 100 according to this embodiment. The soil information acquisition system 100 acquires soil information, which is information relating to the soil at a work site. The hydraulic excavator 1 further includes an operation unit 31, an input unit 32, a main body position detection unit 33 (position information acquisition unit), an attachment position detection unit 34 (distance detection unit), a cylinder pressure detection unit 35, an imaging device 36, a weather information acquisition unit 37, a drive unit 41, a display unit 42, and a transmission unit 43.

[0040] The operation unit 31 is disposed in the cab 13 and is operated by an operator. That is, the operation unit 31 receives operations for operating the hydraulic excavator 1. The operations include traveling of the lower traveling structure 10, rotating of the upper rotating structure 12, driving of the work attachment 20 (the boom 21, the arm 22, and the bucket 23), and the like.

[0041] The input unit 32 is disposed inside the cab 13 and accepts input of various types of information. As an example, the input unit 32 has various input buttons, switches, a touch panel included in a display unit 42 described below, and the like. In particular, the input unit 32 is capable of accepting input of the distance from the upper rotating body 12 (rotation central axis CL) to the tip of the work attachment 20 (bucket tip 23A), which is information referenced in a soil information acquisition operation described below.

[0042] The main body position detection unit 33 acquires position information of the hydraulic excavator 1 at the work site. As an example, the main body position detection unit 33 acquires main body coordinate information, which is information on the absolute coordinates at the work site of a main body reference point provided in advance on the upper rotating body 12. The main body position detection unit 33 constituting the main body reference point is disposed on the upper surface of the cab 13 and functions as a GNSS mobile station. Meanwhile, in order to acquire the above main body coordinate information, the soil information acquisition system 100 has a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) reference station (not shown). The GNSS reference station is a reference station disposed at the work site or at a position closest to the work site. Note that, as the GNSS, in addition to the well-known GPS (Global Positioning System), satellite positioning systems such as GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), Galileo, and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) may be adopted.

[0043] The attachment position detection unit 34 is disposed at the front end of the upper surface of the cab 13. As an example, the attachment position detection unit 34 is configured with a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensor. The attachment position detection unit 34 can detect the distance L from the upper rotating body 12 to the bucket tip 23A of the bucket 23. The attachment position detection unit 34 may be a TOF (Time Of Flight) sensor, a stereo camera, or the like.

[0044] Cylinder pressure detection unit 35 is disposed in a hydraulic circuit for driving work attachment 20, and detects the cylinder pressures of boom cylinder 21S, arm cylinder 22S, and bucket cylinder 23S described above. The cylinder pressures detected by cylinder pressure detection unit 35 are referenced by soil information acquisition unit 502, which will be described later, and are used to estimate the soil quality (ground hardness) of the work site.

[0045] The imaging device 36 is disposed at the tip of the cab 13. The imaging device 36 takes images of the ground around the bucket 23 of the work attachment 20. The images taken by the imaging device 36 are referenced by the soil information acquisition unit 502 and used to estimate the soil quality at the work site. Note that the imaging device 36 may also serve as the attachment position detection unit 34 described above.

[0046] The weather information acquiring unit 37 is capable of acquiring weather information for the work site. As one example, the weather information acquiring unit 37 is configured with a thermometer / hygrometer that is attached to the hydraulic excavator 1 and acquires ambient temperature and humidity information. As another example, the weather information acquiring unit 37 is connected to the Internet or the like to acquire weather information for the work site based on forecast information provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency or the like. The weather information includes predicted rainfall values, morning, daytime, and nighttime temperatures, humidity, and the like. The weather information acquiring unit 37 may also acquire, as weather information, the accumulated rainfall amount for a certain period of time measured by a rain gauge installed at the work site.

[0047] The drive unit 41 drives various structural components of the hydraulic excavator 1, including the lower traveling structure 10, the upper rotating structure 12, and the work attachment 20, which are operated by the operation unit 31. The drive unit 41 includes hydraulic circuits such as a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor.

[0048] The display unit 42 is disposed in the cab 13, and displays various information to inform the operator of the information. The information includes the soil information acquired by the soil information acquisition system 100, the position information of the hydraulic excavator 1, and the like.

[0049] The transmission unit 43 transmits the position information of the hydraulic excavator 1 acquired by the main body position detection unit 33 and the soil information of the work site acquired by the soil information acquisition unit 502 to a server 90 described below.

[0050] The control unit 50 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores a control program, a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a working area for the CPU, etc. As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 50 is connected to an operation unit 31, an input unit 32, a main body position detection unit 33, an attachment position detection unit 34, a cylinder pressure detection unit 35, an imaging device 36, a weather information acquisition unit 37, a drive unit 41, a display unit 42, and a transmission unit 43. The control unit 50 functions to include a drive control unit 501, a soil information acquisition unit 502, an acquisition timing determination unit 503, a judgment unit 504, an input command unit 505, and a memory unit 506 by the CPU executing the control program stored in the ROM.

[0051] The drive control unit 501 inputs a drive command signal to the drive unit 41 in accordance with the content of the operation received by the operating unit 31. As a result, the operations of the lower traveling structure 10, the upper rotating structure 12, the work attachment 20, etc. are controlled.

[0052] The soil information acquisition unit 502 receives the acquisition signal output from the acquisition timing determination unit 503, and acquires soil information of the work site in response to the acquisition signal. A known method may be adopted as a method for the soil information acquisition unit 502 to acquire the soil information. As an example, the soil information acquisition unit 502 can acquire soil information (ground hardness) of the ground G in response to the magnitude of the reaction force when the bucket tip 23A of the work attachment 20 contacts the ground G. The reaction force can be estimated by each cylinder pressure detected by the cylinder pressure detection unit 35. At this time, the attitude of the work attachment 20 may be set to a preset reference attitude, or when the reaction force is detected in an arbitrary attitude, the detected reaction force may be corrected in response to the attitudes (rotation angle, ground angle) of the boom 21, the arm 22, and the bucket 23.

[0053] The acquisition timing determination unit 503 determines the acquisition timing for acquiring soil information based on soil-related information, which is information related to changes in soil at the work site, and outputs an acquisition signal corresponding to the acquisition timing.

[0054] The determination unit 504 executes various determination operations in the soil information acquisition operation executed by the soil information acquisition unit 502 and the acquisition timing decision unit 503 .

[0055] When the acquired soil information is to be transmitted to the server 90, the input command unit 505 inputs a command signal corresponding to the soil information to the transmission unit 43.

[0056] The storage unit 506 stores the position information of the hydraulic excavator 1 acquired by the main body position detection unit 33 and the soil information acquired by the soil information acquisition unit 502 in association with each other.

[0057] Of the above components, the input unit 32, the main body position detection unit 33, the attachment position detection unit 34, the cylinder pressure detection unit 35, the imaging device 36, the weather information acquisition unit 37, the transmission unit 43, and the control unit 50 constitute a part of the soil information acquisition system 100. The soil information acquisition system 100 also includes a server 90.

[0058] The server 90 is located at a location away from the work site where the hydraulic excavator 1 performs work, for example, in a data management center or a remote operation center that comprehensively manages work of a plurality of hydraulic excavators 1. The server 90 has a server receiving unit 901 and a server storage unit 902.

[0059] The server receiving unit 901 is disposed at a location remote from the transmitting unit 43, and receives the location information and the soil quality information transmitted from the transmitting unit 43, and inputs and stores them in the server memory unit 902.

[0060] The server storage unit 902 stores the location information and the soil quality information received by the transmission unit 43 in association with each other.

[0061] Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a reference range of the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 4 is a side view for explaining parameters for calculating the attachment length (digging radius) of the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the initial setting operation of the soil information acquisition system 100. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the soil information acquisition operation of the soil information acquisition system 100.

[0062] In this embodiment, the acquisition timing determination unit 503 of the soil information acquisition system 100 determines an appropriate acquisition timing for acquiring soil information, and the soil information acquisition unit 502 acquires the soil information according to that timing.

[0063] The acquisition timing determination unit 503 sets a virtual reference range P (also referred to as an applicable range of soil information) in which soil quality is estimated to be constant at the work site, and determines the acquisition timing based on the relative position of the hydraulic excavator 1 with respect to the reference range P as soil-related information. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the acquisition timing determination unit 503 sets a range surrounded by a reference circle of a predetermined radius centered on the rotation central axis CL of the upper rotating body 12 in a plan view at a predetermined reference timing (at the time of initial setting) as the reference range P. In other words, the soil information acquisition operation performed by the soil information acquisition system 100 is based on the technical idea that the soil quality is assumed to be constant within the reference range P in Fig. 3, and that the soil quality is different outside the reference range P and therefore further soil information needs to be acquired.

[0064] 4, the attachment position detection unit 34 detects the maximum length l1 of the work attachment 20 with respect to a reference point (x1, z1) set at the upper end of the cab 13. The x coordinate of the reference point corresponds to the horizontal distance from the swing central axis CL to the reference point. The z coordinate of the reference point is, for example, the height from the ground. As a result, the distance L (maximum digging radius) from the swing central axis CL to the bucket tip 23A is calculated based on the following equations 1 and 2.

[0065]

number

number

[0066] 3 shows a circle (inner circle) with a radius of distance L and an outer circle with a radius of distance 2L, which are described by the current bucket tip 23A of the work attachment 20 when the upper rotating body 12 rotates about the rotation central axis CL. That is, the reference range P in Fig. 3 is a circle with a radius of distance 2L and centered on the rotation central axis CL. The radius of the reference range P may be set to any value greater than the distance L.

[0067] The reference range P may be set at the time of shipment from the factory in accordance with the application of the work machine (construction machine) represented by the hydraulic excavator 1. Alternatively, the reference range P may be input by an operator via the input unit 32 at the work site.

[0068] In particular, the size (radius) of the reference range P can be set as follows: (i) A value that is linked to the reference range P (application range) and stored in advance at the time of shipment from the factory is used. (ii) When the worker selects an appropriate length from the multiple lengths of the work attachment 20 stored in the storage unit 506 and displayed on the display unit 42, the radius according to the length is automatically set. (iii) The worker inputs machine specification information required to calculate the radius of the reference range P from the input unit 32, calculates the distance L when the work attachment 20 is in a preset reference posture, and sets the distance 2L as the radius of the reference range P. The machine specification information includes information such as the lengths of the boom 21, the arm 22, and the bucket 23. In addition, in the reference posture, the postures of the boom 21, the arm 22, and the bucket 23 relative to the upper rotating body 12 are preset.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 5, when a worker inputs a predetermined work start signal from the input unit 32 to start work at a work site, the soil information acquisition system 100 executes an initial setting operation. At this time, the main body position detection unit 33 acquires position information of the hydraulic excavator 1 at the work site (step S1). Next, the drive control unit 501 drives the work attachment 20 to bring the bucket tip 23A into contact with the ground surface G at a predetermined speed. Based on the cylinder pressure detected by the cylinder pressure detection unit 35 at this time, the soil information acquisition unit 502 acquires soil information (step S2). Note that, as described above, the soil information may be estimated based on an image of the ground surface G captured by the imaging device 36. Next, the storage unit 506 stores the acquired position information and soil information in association with each other (step S3).

[0070] 6, when work by the hydraulic excavator 1 is started, the judgment unit 504 judges whether or not the hydraulic excavator 1 has moved a distance Q or more from the initial setting operation by referring to the position information detected by the main body position detection unit 33 (step S11). As an example, the distance Q is set to a distance L. Here, if the hydraulic excavator 1 has moved a distance Q or more (YES in step S11), the acquisition timing decision unit 503 inputs an acquisition signal to the soil information acquisition unit 502 to newly acquire soil information. As a result, the soil information acquisition unit 502 acquires the soil information (step S12). Then, the storage unit 506 stores the acquired soil information and the current position information of the hydraulic excavator 1 in association with each other (step S13).

[0071] Table 1 shows the relationship between the position information and the soil information stored in the storage unit 506. [Table 1]

[0072] In this way, a plurality of pieces of information (a combination of soil information and position information) for the current work site are stored in the storage unit 506. When only the latest information is to be used, the information at the time of initial setting may be overwritten in step S13.

[0073] While the memory unit 506 stores the above information, the input command unit 505 may display an input signal corresponding to the information on the display unit 42 to notify the operator of surrounding soil information. Also, the input command unit 505 may input the input signal to the transmission unit 43, so that the information is stored in the server memory unit 902 via the server receiving unit 901.

[0074] Furthermore, in step S11 of Fig. 6, if the hydraulic excavator 1 has not moved the distance Q or more (NO in step S11), the soil information acquisition unit 502 ends the flow in Fig. 6 without acquiring new soil information. Step S11 in Fig. 6 is repeatedly executed while the hydraulic excavator 1 is working.

[0075] As described above, in this embodiment, the acquisition timing determination unit 503 determines the acquisition timing based on soil-related information, which is information related to changes in the soil at the work site, and the soil information acquisition unit 502 can acquire soil information according to the acquisition timing. Therefore, soil information is acquired at an appropriate timing according to the possibility of changes in the soil information around the hydraulic excavator 1, preventing excessive acquisition of information and insufficient acquisition of information. As a result, the storage capacity required for the storage unit 506 can be reduced compared to the case where soil information is acquired periodically and stored in the storage unit together with position information.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the acquisition timing determination unit 503 sets a virtual reference range that is estimated to have a certain soil quality at the work site, and determines the acquisition timing using the relative position of the hydraulic excavator 1 with respect to the reference range as the soil-related information. With this configuration, the reference range can be set according to the state of the work site, the size and use of the hydraulic excavator, etc., and soil information can be acquired and stored efficiently at a more appropriate timing.

[0077] Particularly in this embodiment, the acquisition timing determination unit 503 sets, as the reference range, a range enclosed by a reference circle of a predetermined radius centered on the upper rotating body 12 (rotation central axis CL) in a plan view at a predetermined reference timing. With this configuration, it is possible to determine the timing for acquiring soil information according to the relative position of the reference circle and the hydraulic excavator 1, focusing on the fact that soil properties are similar in a predetermined range in a plan view at a work site. This makes it possible to prevent soil information from being frequently acquired in ranges having the same soil property.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the acquisition timing determination unit 503 outputs an acquisition signal corresponding to the acquisition timing when the hydraulic excavator 1, as the lower traveling body 10 (traveling part) travels, passes through an area surrounded by a boundary circle (a circle with a radius of the distance L) that is set concentrically with the reference circle so as to be included in the reference circle. With this configuration, new soil information can be acquired when the hydraulic excavator 1 passes through a preset boundary circle, so that appropriate soil information according to the work position can be acquired even when the hydraulic excavator 1 works while moving toward the outside of the reference circle.

[0079] In this case, the acquisition timing determination unit 503 may output the acquisition signal when the work attachment 20 passes over the reference circle (a circle having a radius of the distance 2L). Even in this configuration, new soil information can be acquired when the work attachment 20 passes over the reference circle, so that appropriate soil information according to the work position can be acquired even when the hydraulic excavator 1 performs work while moving toward the outside of the reference circle.

[0080] On the other hand, the acquisition timing determination unit 503 may set the radius of the reference circle based on the distance between the upper rotating body 12 and the bucket tip 23A detected by the attachment position detection unit 34 or the imaging device 36 (distance detection unit). As an example, the radius of the reference circle may be set to a value twice the distance. With this configuration, the reference circle can be appropriately set according to the actual length of the work attachment 20 detected by the distance detection unit, regardless of the specifications of the work attachment 20 attached to the upper rotating body 12. The radius of the reference circle may be set to any value that exceeds the distance.

[0081] The acquisition timing determination unit 503 may also set the radius of the reference circle based on the distance between the upper rotating body 12 and the bucket tip 23A input to the input unit 32. In this case, as one example, the radius of the reference circle may be set to a value twice the distance. With this configuration as well, the reference circle can be appropriately set in accordance with the length of the work attachment 20 input by the worker, regardless of the specifications of the work attachment 20 attached to the upper rotating body 12. In this case as well, the radius of the reference circle may be set to any value that exceeds the distance.

[0082] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be described, and descriptions of commonalities will be omitted. The same applies to the other embodiments described below.

[0083] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the soil information acquisition operation of the soil information acquisition system 100 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, steps S21, S22, and S23 are executed in sequence, corresponding to steps S11, S12, and S13 in the first embodiment (FIG. 6). Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the hydraulic excavator 1 has not moved by the distance Q or more in step S21 (NO in step S21), the determination unit 504 determines whether or not a time T or more has elapsed since the previous soil information acquisition time (step S24). Here, if the time T or more has elapsed, new soil information is acquired in step S22, and the storage unit 506 stores the soil information and the position information in association with each other in step S23. As a result, it is possible to acquire multiple pieces of soil information under conditions where the hydraulic excavator 1 has not moved significantly, in other words, at approximately the same position in the work site, using the difference in time as a variable.

[0084] If it is determined in step S24 that the time T or more has not elapsed (NO in step S24), the soil information acquisition unit 502 ends the flow in FIG. 7 without acquiring new soil information.

[0085] In this embodiment, the possibility that the soil quality may change due to changes in the amount of moisture in the ground caused by changes in temperature between morning and afternoon is taken into consideration. That is, even if the hydraulic excavator 1 has not moved significantly, the soil information acquisition unit 502 acquires new soil information after a predetermined time (for example, four hours) has elapsed. Note that the predetermined time is not limited to four hours, and can be set according to the climate of the work site, etc.

[0086] In another embodiment, the predetermined time may be set in accordance with the climate of the shipping destination of the hydraulic excavator 1 at the time of shipping from a factory. Also, in accordance with the location information of the hydraulic excavator 1, information on the difference in temperature during the day may be obtained from meteorological information for the area including the work site, and the predetermined time may be set to be shorter when the difference in temperature is large and longer when the difference in temperature is small.

[0087] As described above, in this embodiment, the acquisition timing determination unit 503 determines the acquisition timing by using the time elapsed since the timing when the soil information acquisition unit 502 previously acquired the soil information as the soil-related information. Therefore, even when performing work in which the position of the hydraulic excavator 1 does not change, it is possible to acquire changes in soil quality over time at appropriate timing.

[0088] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the soil information acquisition operation of the soil information acquisition system 100 according to this embodiment.

[0089] In this embodiment, steps S31, S32, and S33 are executed in sequence, corresponding to steps S11, S12, and S13 in the first embodiment (FIG. 6). Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the hydraulic excavator 1 has not moved the distance Q or more in step S31 (NO in step S31), the determination unit 504 determines whether or not the weather has changed since the previous soil information was acquired (step S34). Note that this determination is made with reference to the information acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 37 described above. Here, if the weather at the work site has changed or is estimated to have changed, new soil information is acquired in step S32, and the storage unit 506 stores the soil information and the position information in association with each other in step S33. As a result, it is possible to acquire a plurality of pieces of soil information under conditions where the hydraulic excavator 1 has not moved significantly, in other words, at approximately the same position at the work site, using differences in weather information as variables.

[0090] If it is determined in step S34 that the surrounding weather has not changed (NO in step S34), the soil information acquisition unit 502 ends the flow in FIG. 8 without acquiring new soil information.

[0091] As described above, in this embodiment, the acquisition timing determination unit 503 determines the acquisition timing of the weather information acquired by the weather information acquisition unit 37 as soil-related information. With this configuration, even when performing work that does not change the position of the hydraulic excavator 1, it is possible to acquire weather-induced changes in soil quality at appropriate timing.

[0092] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the server 90 of the soil information acquisition system 100 according to this embodiment. In the first embodiment described above, in addition to the storage unit 506 of the control unit 50, the server 90 stores the soil information acquired by the hydraulic excavator 1 (hydraulic excavator 1A in Fig. 9) and the position information of the hydraulic excavator 1 in association with each other. In this case, the position information and soil information acquired at the work site are stored in a server storage unit 902 arranged at a remote location, so that soil information can be accumulated. As a result, in subsequent work, the above information can be effectively used to perform automatic control of the hydraulic excavator 1, etc.

[0093] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the server 90 further includes a sub-transmitting unit 903. The sub-transmitting unit 903 transmits the position information and the soil information stored in the server memory unit 902 to the hydraulic excavator 1B (another work machine) at the work site. The soil information acquisition system 100 further includes a sub-receiving unit 44. The sub-receiving unit 44 is disposed in the hydraulic excavator 1B, and receives the position information and the soil information transmitted from the sub-transmitting unit 903, and inputs and stores the information in the memory unit 506 in the hydraulic excavator 1B.

[0094] In this manner, in this embodiment, by transmitting soil information acquired by one hydraulic excavator 1A at the same work site to another hydraulic excavator 1B, the soil information can be efficiently used and shared among a plurality of hydraulic excavators. In particular, the frequency with which soil information is acquired by the hydraulic excavator 1B can be reduced.

[0095] Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 10 is a side view showing a reference range of the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the acquisition timing determination unit 503 sets a range from the lower traveling structure 10 to a predetermined depth underground at a predetermined reference timing (at the time of initial setting) as a reference range D. This embodiment is based on the assumption that the soil quality is approximately constant within a predetermined depth range underground.

[0096] In this manner, in this embodiment, by focusing on the fact that the soil properties are similar within a certain range in the depth direction of the ground at the work site, the timing of acquiring soil property information can be determined according to the relative position of the work machine and the reference range, thereby making it possible to prevent soil property information from being frequently acquired within a depth direction range having the same soil properties.

[0097] Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the work attachment 20 of the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment. In the first embodiment, the boom 21, the arm 22, and the bucket 23 are each described as rotating (swinging) around a horizontal central axis of rotation. In this embodiment, the work attachment 20 has a swinging boom 22A, which connects the boom 21 and the arm 22B to each other. The swinging boom is capable of swinging around a central axis of rotation extending along the longitudinal direction of the boom 21 (offset boom specification).

[0098] That is, in this embodiment, the angle θ between the boom 21 and the swing boom 22A in a plan view is variable. In FIG. 11, the swing boom 22A is shown swinging to the right, but the swing boom 22A can also swing to the left. Therefore, it is desirable to set the reference range P based on the case where the maximum floor surface excavation radius becomes small when the offset amount (swing angle) is maximized on each of the left and right. Also, in this embodiment, the relative position of the bucket 23 (bucket tip 23A) with respect to the upper rotating body 12 may be geometrically calculated from information on the length and relative angle of the boom 21 with respect to the upper rotating body 12, the length and relative angle of the swing boom 22A with respect to the boom 21, the length and relative angle of the arm 22B with respect to the swing boom 22A, and the length and relative angle of the bucket 23 with respect to the arm 22B.

[0099] As described above, in this embodiment, even if the work attachment 20 has a distinctive structure, by setting the reference range P according to that structure, soil information can be obtained at an appropriate time.

[0100] The above describes the soil information acquisition system and the work machine equipped with the same according to the embodiment of the present invention. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, the present invention can take the following modified embodiments.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the hydraulic excavator 1 has been used as the working machine, but the present invention is not limited to this. The working machine according to the present invention may have a structure other than that of a hydraulic excavator. In particular, the working member disposed at the tip of the working attachment 20 is not limited to the bucket 23. Also, the upper body according to the present invention may be in a form that does not rotate relative to the lower traveling body 10. In this case, the front-rear direction of the upper body and the front-rear direction of the lower traveling body 10 coincide with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1. Hydraulic excavator 10 Undercarriage (airframe) 100 Soil information acquisition system 12 Upper rotating body (aircraft) 121 Swivel Frame 13 Cab 20 Work attachment 21 Boom 21S Boom cylinder 22 Arm 22A Swinging Boom 21S Arm Cylinder 23 Bucket 23A Bucket tip 23S Bucket Cylinder 31 Operation section 32 Input section 33 Main unit position detection unit (position information acquisition unit) 34 Attachment position detector 35 Cylinder pressure detection section 36 Imaging device 37 Weather Information Acquisition Department 41 Drive unit 42 Display section 43 Transmitter 50 Control section 501 Drive control unit 502 Soil information acquisition department 503 Acquisition timing determination unit 504 Judgment section 505 Input Command Unit 506 Storage section 90 Servers 901 Server Receiving Unit (Receiving Unit) 902 Server memory unit (memory unit) CL central axis of rotation D. Reference range P Reference Range G ground

Claims

1. A soil information acquisition system for use in a work machine having a body including a traveling section capable of traveling on a ground surface and a work attachment attached to the body so as to be movable relative to the body and performing a predetermined work on the ground surface, the soil information acquisition system acquiring soil information which is information regarding the soil quality of a work site, comprising: a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the work machine at a work site; an acquisition timing determination unit that determines an acquisition timing based on soil-related information that is information related to changes in soil at a work site and outputs an acquisition signal corresponding to the acquisition timing; a soil information acquisition unit that receives the acquisition signal output from the acquisition timing determination unit and acquires the soil information in response to the acquisition signal; A storage unit that stores the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit and the soil information acquired by the soil information acquisition unit in association with each other, The soil information acquisition system, wherein the acquisition timing determination unit sets a virtual reference range that is estimated to have a certain soil quality at the work site, and determines the acquisition timing based on the relative position of the work machine with respect to the reference range as the soil-related information.

2. The soil information acquisition system according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition timing determination unit sets, as the reference range, a range surrounded by a reference circle of a predetermined radius centered on the aircraft in a planar view at a predetermined reference time.

3. The soil information acquisition system according to claim 2, wherein the acquisition timing determination unit outputs the acquisition signal when the work machine passes a boundary circle that is set concentrically with the reference circle so as to be included in the reference circle as the traveling part travels.

4. The soil information acquisition system according to claim 2 , wherein the acquisition timing determination unit outputs the acquisition signal when the work attachment passes over the reference circle.

5. The soil information acquisition system according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition timing determination unit sets a range from the machine body to a predetermined depth underground at a predetermined reference time as the reference range.

6. A soil information acquisition system for use in a work machine having a body including a running part capable of running on the ground and a work attachment attached to the body so as to be movable relative to the body and performing a predetermined task on the ground, the soil information acquisition system acquiring soil information which is information regarding the soil quality of a work site, comprising: a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the work machine at a work site; an acquisition timing determination unit that determines an acquisition timing based on soil-related information that is information related to changes in soil at a work site and outputs an acquisition signal corresponding to the acquisition timing; a soil information acquisition unit that receives the acquisition signal output from the acquisition timing determination unit and acquires the soil information in response to the acquisition signal; A storage unit that stores the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit and the soil information acquired by the soil information acquisition unit in association with each other, A soil information acquisition system in which the acquisition timing determination unit determines the acquisition timing based on the elapsed time from the time when the soil information acquisition unit last acquired the soil information, as the soil-related information.

7. A soil information acquisition system for use in a work machine having a body including a running part capable of running on the ground and a work attachment attached to the body so as to be movable relative to the body and performing a predetermined task on the ground, the soil information acquisition system acquiring soil information which is information regarding the soil quality of a work site, comprising: a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the work machine at a work site; an acquisition timing determination unit that determines an acquisition timing based on soil-related information that is information related to changes in soil at a work site and outputs an acquisition signal corresponding to the acquisition timing; a soil information acquisition unit that receives the acquisition signal output from the acquisition timing determination unit and acquires the soil information in response to the acquisition signal; A storage unit that stores the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit and the soil information acquired by the soil information acquisition unit in association with each other, A weather information acquisition unit capable of acquiring weather information for the work site, A soil information acquisition system, wherein the acquisition timing determination unit determines the acquisition timing based on the weather information acquired by the weather information acquisition unit as the soil-related information.

8. The memory unit is disposed at a location remote from the work machine, A transmitting unit that transmits the location information acquired by the location information acquiring unit and the soil information acquired by the soil information acquiring unit; A receiving unit that is disposed at a location away from the transmitting unit, receives the location information and the soil information transmitted from the transmitting unit, and inputs the location information and the soil information into the storage unit; The soil information acquisition system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

9. a sub-transmitter that transmits the position information and the soil information stored in the memory unit to other work machines at the work site; a sub-receiving unit that is disposed on the other work machine and receives the position information and the soil information transmitted from the sub-transmitting unit; The soil information acquisition system according to claim 8 , further comprising:

10. An aircraft body including a running part capable of running on the ground; a work attachment supported on the machine body so as to be movable relative to the machine body and performing a predetermined work on the ground; A soil information acquisition system according to any one of claims 1 to 9; A work machine comprising:

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