Excavator

Abstract

A shovel according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a lower running body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower running body, an actuator mounted on the lower running body or the upper rotating body, and a control device capable of restricting the movement of the actuator, wherein the control device has an operation control unit that determines whether the shovel has entered an inaccessible area set for an obstacle installed within a working area, and that slows down or stops the operation of the shovel if it is determined that the shovel has entered.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shovel. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a work machine that detects buried objects and, if there is a possibility that the attachment will collide with the buried object, controls the attachment to slow down or stop operation or to move the attachment away from the buried object (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0133128 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in addition to buried objects, there are obstacles such as utility poles and electric wires at the work site, and the operator must be careful of such obstacles when driving the shovel, which reduces work efficiency.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a shovel that can improve work efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The shovel according to the embodiment of the present invention is The device includes a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, an actuator mounted on the lower traveling body or the upper rotating body, and a control device capable of restricting movement of the actuator, the control device having an operation control unit that determines whether or not a shovel has entered an access-prohibited area set for an obstacle installed in a working area, and that decelerates or stops the operation of the shovel when it is determined that the shovel has entered, and a display unit that displays the access-prohibited area by superimposing it on a layout drawing or a construction plan drawing, and the layout drawing or the construction plan drawing before and after the access-prohibited area is set are simultaneously displayed on the display unit. . Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a shovel capable of improving work efficiency can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a shovel according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 is a top view showing an example of a shovel according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 1C] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a shovel according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 1D] FIG. 1 is a top view showing an example of a shovel according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the drive control system of the excavator shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] A block diagram showing a configuration example of a controller and a machine guidance device. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an image of a layout plan before a no-entry area is set for an excavator placed on a roadway. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an image of a layout plan after a no-entry area has been set. [Figure 6] A flowchart showing an example of a no-entry area setting process [Figure 7] FIG. 13 shows another example of an image of a layout plan after a no-entry area has been set. [Figure 8] Network diagram including the excavator in Figure 1A [Figure 9] A diagram showing an example of the outer surface configuration of a shovel [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing another example of the configuration of a controller and a machine guidance device. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing another example of the configuration of the controller and the machine guidance device. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a side view showing an example of a shovel according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] Schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an excavator management system [Figure 14] A diagram showing an example of CG animation [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an image displayed during the no-entry area setting process. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of an image displayed during the no-entry area setting process; [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing yet another example of the configuration of an image displayed during the no-entry area setting process; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations may be omitted.

[0010] [First embodiment] First, the overall configuration of an example of a shovel 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1A to 1D. Figs. 1A and 1C are side views showing an example of the shovel 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 1B and 1D are top views showing an example of the shovel 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1A is the same as Fig. 1C except for reference symbols and auxiliary lines, and Fig. 1B is the same as Fig. 1D except for reference symbols and auxiliary lines.

[0011] In this embodiment, the excavator 100 is equipped with hydraulic actuators. The hydraulic actuators include a left traveling hydraulic motor 2ML, a right traveling hydraulic motor 2MR, a swing hydraulic motor 2A, a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, and a bucket cylinder 9.

[0012] The lower traveling structure 1 of the excavator 100 includes a crawler 1C. The crawler 1C is driven by a traveling hydraulic motor 2M mounted on the lower traveling structure 1. Specifically, the crawler 1C includes a left crawler 1CL and a right crawler 1CR. The left crawler 1CL is driven by a left traveling hydraulic motor 2ML, and the right crawler 1CR is driven by a right traveling hydraulic motor 2MR.

[0013] An upper rotating body 3 is mounted on a lower traveling body 1 of the excavator 100 so as to be rotatable via a rotating mechanism 2. A boom 4 is attached to the upper rotating body 3. An arm 5 is attached to the tip of the boom 4. A bucket 6 is attached to the tip of the arm 5 as an end attachment (working part). A slope bucket, a dredging bucket, a breaker, or the like may be attached as the end attachment.

[0014] The boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 constitute an excavation attachment AT as an example of an attachment, and are hydraulically driven by a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, and a bucket cylinder 9, respectively. A boom angle sensor S1 is attached to the boom 4. An arm angle sensor S2 is attached to the arm 5. A bucket angle sensor S3 is attached to the bucket 6. The excavation attachment may be provided with a bucket tilt mechanism. The boom angle sensor S1, arm angle sensor S2, and bucket angle sensor S3 are sometimes referred to as "attitude sensors."

[0015] The boom angle sensor S1 detects the rotation angle of the boom 4. The boom angle sensor S1 is, for example, an acceleration sensor that detects the inclination with respect to a horizontal plane to detect the rotation angle of the boom 4 with respect to the upper rotating body 3.

[0016] The arm angle sensor S2 detects the rotation angle of the arm 5. The arm angle sensor S2 is, for example, an acceleration sensor that detects the inclination with respect to a horizontal plane to detect the rotation angle of the arm 5 with respect to the boom 4.

[0017] The bucket angle sensor S3 detects the rotation angle of the bucket 6. The bucket angle sensor S3 is, for example, an acceleration sensor that detects the inclination with respect to a horizontal plane to detect the rotation angle of the bucket 6 with respect to the arm 5.

[0018] If the excavation attachment has a bucket tilt mechanism, the bucket angle sensor S3 additionally detects the rotation angle of the bucket 6 around the tilt axis. The boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, and the bucket angle sensor S3 may be a potentiometer using a variable resistor, a stroke sensor that detects the stroke amount of the corresponding hydraulic cylinder, a rotary encoder that detects the rotation angle around the connection, or the like.

[0019] The upper rotating body 3 is equipped with a power source such as an engine 11, a counterweight 3w, a vehicle body inclination sensor S4, and a swing angular velocity sensor S5, and is covered with a cover 3a. The vehicle body inclination sensor S4 detects the inclination angle of the upper rotating body 3. The vehicle body inclination sensor S4 is, for example, an acceleration sensor that detects the inclination with respect to a horizontal plane and detects the inclination angle of the upper rotating body 3. The swing angular velocity sensor S5 detects the swing angular velocity of the upper rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the swing angular velocity sensor S5 is a gyro sensor. The swing angular velocity sensor S5 may be a resolver or a rotary encoder, etc. The swing angular velocity sensor S5 may detect the swing speed. The swing speed may be calculated from the swing angular velocity.

[0020] A cabin 10 serving as a driver's cab is provided on the upper rotating body 3. In the cabin 10, an operation device 26, a controller 30, a display device 40, a sound output device 43, an input device 45, a storage device 47, and a gate lock lever 49 are provided.

[0021] The controller 30 functions as a main control unit that controls the drive of the shovel 100. The controller 30 is composed of an arithmetic processing unit including a CPU and an internal memory. The various functions of the controller 30 are realized by the CPU executing programs stored in the internal memory. The controller 30 also functions as a machine guidance device 50 that guides the operation of the shovel 100.

[0022] The machine guidance device 50 executes a machine guidance function and guides the operation of the excavator 100. In this embodiment, the machine guidance device 50 notifies the operator of work information such as the distance between the target construction surface, which is the surface of the target terrain set by the operator, and the working part of the attachment. The target construction surface may be set in a reference coordinate system. The reference coordinate system is, for example, the World Geodetic System. The World Geodetic System is a three-dimensional orthogonal XYZ coordinate system with the origin at the center of gravity of the earth, the X axis in the direction of the intersection of the Greenwich meridian and the equator, the Y axis in the direction of 90 degrees east longitude, and the Z axis in the direction of the North Pole. In addition, an arbitrary point on the construction site may be set as a reference point, and the target construction surface may be set based on a relative positional relationship with the reference point. The distance between the target construction surface and the working part of the attachment is, for example, the distance between the tip (toe) of the bucket 6 as an end attachment, the back surface of the bucket 6, the tip of the breaker as an end attachment, etc., and the target construction surface. The machine guidance device 50 notifies the operator of work information via the display device 40, the sound output device 43, etc., and guides the operation of the shovel 100.

[0023] The machine guidance device 50 may execute a machine control function to automatically assist the operator in operating the excavator. For example, when the machine guidance device 50 executes the machine control function, it assists the movement of the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 so that the tip position of the bucket 6 coincides with the target construction surface when the operator is performing an excavation operation. More specifically, for example, when the operator is performing an arm closing operation, at least one of the boom cylinder 7 and the bucket cylinder 9 is automatically extended and retracted to coincide with the target construction surface and the tip position of the bucket 6. In this case, the operator can perform excavation work while simultaneously moving the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 to coincide with the tip position of the bucket 6 with the target construction surface by simply operating one operation lever.

[0024] In this embodiment, the machine guidance device 50 is incorporated in the controller 30, but the machine guidance device 50 and the controller 30 may be provided separately. In this case, the machine guidance device 50 is configured with a processing unit including a CPU and an internal memory, similar to the controller 30. Various functions of the machine guidance device 50 are realized by the CPU executing programs stored in the internal memory.

[0025] The display device 40 displays images including various types of work information in response to commands from a machine guidance device 50 included in the controller 30. The display device 40 is, for example, an in-vehicle liquid crystal display connected to the machine guidance device 50.

[0026] The sound output device 43 outputs various kinds of sound information in response to a sound output command from the machine guidance device 50 included in the controller 30. The sound output device 43 includes, for example, an in-vehicle speaker connected to the machine guidance device 50. The sound output device 43 may also include an alarm such as a buzzer.

[0027] The input device 45 is a device for allowing the operator of the shovel 100 to input various pieces of information to the controller 30 including the machine guidance device 50. The input device 45 is configured to include, for example, a membrane switch provided on the surface of the display device 40. The input device 45 may also be configured to include a touch panel or the like.

[0028] The storage device 47 is a device for storing various types of information. The storage device 47 is, for example, a non-volatile storage medium such as a semiconductor memory. The storage device 47 stores various types of information output by the controller 30 including the machine guidance device 50.

[0029] The gate lock lever 49 is provided between the door of the cabin 10 and the driver's seat, and is a mechanism for preventing the excavator 100 from being operated erroneously. When the operator gets into the driver's seat and pulls up the gate lock lever 49, the operator is unable to exit the cabin 10 and is able to operate the various operating devices. When the operator presses down the gate lock lever 49, the operator is able to exit the cabin 10 and is unable to operate the various operating devices.

[0030] The upper revolving body 3 and the cabin are provided with an imaging device 80, which is an imaging means. The imaging device 80 is an example of a surroundings monitoring device, and is configured to capture images of the surroundings of the excavator 100. The imaging device 80 includes a rear camera 80B and a rear upper camera 80UB attached to the rear end of the upper surface of the upper revolving body 3, a front camera 80F and a front upper camera 80UF attached to the front end of the upper surface of the cabin 10, a left camera 80L and an upper left camera 80UL attached to the left end of the upper surface of the upper revolving body 3, and a right camera 80R and an upper right camera 80UR attached to the right end of the upper surface of the upper revolving body 3. The rear camera 80B, the rear upper camera 80UB, the front camera 80F, the front upper camera 80UF, the left camera 80L, the upper left camera 80UL, the right camera 80R, and the upper right camera 80UR are digital cameras having imaging elements such as CCD or CMOS, and send the captured images to a display device 40 provided in the cabin 10.

[0031] The rear camera 80B is configured to capture an image of a rear and diagonally downward direction of the shovel 100. The rear upper camera 80UB is configured to capture an image of a rear and diagonally upward direction of the shovel 100. The front camera 80F is configured to capture an image of a front and diagonally downward direction of the shovel 100. The front upper camera 80UF is configured to capture an image of a front and diagonally upward direction of the shovel 100. The left camera 80L is configured to capture an image of a left and diagonally downward direction of the shovel 100. The left upper camera 80UL is configured to capture an image of a left and diagonally upward direction of the shovel 100. The right camera 80R is configured to capture an image of a right and diagonally downward direction of the shovel 100. The right upper camera 80UR is configured to capture an image of a right and diagonally upward direction of the shovel 100.

[0032] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1A, the rear camera 80B is configured so that a dashed line M1, which is a virtual line representing the optical axis, forms an angle (depression angle) φ1 with respect to a virtual plane (a virtual horizontal plane in the example of FIG. 1A) perpendicular to the rotation axis K. The rear upper camera 80UB is configured so that a dashed line M2, which is a virtual line representing the optical axis, forms an angle (elevation angle) φ2 with respect to a virtual plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K. The front camera 80F is configured so that a dashed line M3, which is a virtual line representing the optical axis, forms an angle (depression angle) φ3 with respect to a virtual plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K. The front upper camera 80UF is configured so that a dashed line M4, which is a virtual line representing the optical axis, forms an angle (elevation angle) φ4 with respect to a virtual plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K. Although not shown in the figure, the left camera 80L and the right camera 80R are similarly configured so that their optical axes form a depression angle with respect to an imaginary plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K, and the upper left camera 80UL and the upper right camera 80UR are similarly configured so that their optical axes form an elevation angle with respect to an imaginary plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K.

[0033] In FIG. 1C, region R1 represents the portion where the monitoring range (imaging range) of front camera 80F and the imaging range of front upper camera 80UF overlap, and region R2 represents the portion where the imaging range of rear camera 80B and the imaging range of rear upper camera 80UB overlap. That is, rear camera 80B and rear upper camera 80UB are arranged so that their imaging ranges partially overlap in the vertical direction, and front camera 80F and front upper camera 80UF are also arranged so that their imaging ranges partially overlap in the vertical direction. Although not shown in the figure, left camera 80L and upper left camera 80UL are also arranged so that their imaging ranges partially overlap in the vertical direction, and right camera 80R and upper right camera 80UR are also arranged so that their imaging ranges partially overlap in the vertical direction.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1C, the rear camera 80B is configured so that the dashed line L1, which is a virtual line representing the lower boundary of the imaging range, forms an angle (depression angle) θ1 with respect to a virtual plane (virtual horizontal plane in the example of FIG. 1C) perpendicular to the rotation axis K. The rear upper camera 80UB is configured so that the dashed line L2, which is a virtual line representing the upper boundary of the imaging range, forms an angle (elevation angle) θ2 with respect to a virtual plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K. The front camera 80F is configured so that the dashed line L3, which is a virtual line representing the lower boundary of the imaging range, forms an angle (depression angle) θ3 with respect to a virtual plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K. The front upper camera 80UF is configured so that the dashed line L4, which is a virtual line representing the upper boundary of the imaging range, forms an angle (elevation angle) θ4 with respect to a virtual plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K. The angles (depression angles) θ1 and θ3 are preferably 55 degrees or more. In FIG. 1C, the angle (depression angle) θ1 is about 70 degrees, and the angle (depression angle) θ3 is about 65 degrees. The angle (elevation angle) θ2 and the angle (elevation angle) θ4 are preferably 90 degrees or more, more preferably 135 degrees or more, and even more preferably 180 degrees. In FIG. 1C, the angle (elevation angle) θ2 is about 115 degrees, and the angle (elevation angle) θ4 is about 115 degrees. Although not shown, the left camera 80L and the right camera 80R are similarly configured so that the lower boundaries of their imaging ranges form a depression angle of 55 degrees or more with respect to a virtual plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K, and the upper left camera 80UL and the upper right camera 80UR are similarly configured so that the upper boundaries of their imaging ranges form an elevation angle of 90 degrees or more with respect to a virtual plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K.

[0035] Therefore, the shovel 100 can detect an object present in the space above the cabin 10 by the front upper camera 80UF. Also, the shovel 100 can detect an object present in the space above the engine hood by the rear upper camera 80UB. Also, the shovel 100 can detect an object present in the space above the upper rotating body 3 by the upper left camera 80UL and the upper right camera UR. In this way, the shovel 100 can detect an object present in the space above the shovel 100 by the rear upper camera 80UB, the front upper camera 80UF, the upper left camera 80UL, and the upper right camera 80UR.

[0036] In FIG. 1D, region R3 represents a portion where the imaging range of the front camera 80F overlaps with the imaging range of the left camera 80L, region R4 represents a portion where the imaging range of the left camera 80L overlaps with the imaging range of the rear camera 80B, region R5 represents a portion where the imaging range of the rear camera 80B overlaps with the imaging range of the right camera 80R, and region R6 represents a portion where the imaging range of the right camera 80R overlaps with the imaging range of the front camera 80F. That is, the front camera 80F and the left camera 80L are arranged so that their imaging ranges partially overlap in the left-right direction, the left camera 80L and the rear camera 80B are also arranged so that their imaging ranges partially overlap in the left-right direction, the rear camera 80B and the right camera 80R are also arranged so that their imaging ranges partially overlap in the left-right direction, and the right camera 80R and the front camera 80F are also arranged so that their imaging ranges partially overlap in the left-right direction. Also, although not shown in the figure, the front upper camera 80UF and the upper left camera 80UL are also positioned so that their imaging ranges partially overlap in the left-right direction, the upper left camera 80UL and the rear upper camera 80UB are also positioned so that their imaging ranges partially overlap in the left-right direction, the rear upper camera 80UB and the upper right camera 80UR are also positioned so that their imaging ranges partially overlap in the left-right direction, and the upper right camera 80UR and the front upper camera 80UF are also positioned so that their imaging ranges partially overlap in the left-right direction.

[0037] With this arrangement, the front upper camera 80UF can capture an image of, for example, the space in which the tip of the boom 4 is located when the boom 4 is raised to its maximum height and objects in the surrounding space. Therefore, the controller 30 can prevent the tip of the boom 4 from coming into contact with an electric wire suspended above the shovel 100 by using, for example, an image captured by the front upper camera 80UF.

[0038] The front upper camera 80UF may be attached to the cabin 10 so that the arm 5 and the bucket 6 are within the imaging range of the front upper camera 80UF even if at least one of the arm 5 and the bucket 6 is rotated in the boom upper limit position, which is the position in which the boom 4 is raised to the highest degree. In this case, even if at least one of the arm 5 and the bucket 6 is opened to the maximum extent in the boom upper limit position, the controller 30 can determine whether or not there is a risk of contact between a surrounding object and the excavation attachment AT.

[0039] A GPS device (GNSS receiver) P1, a transmitting device T1, and an obstacle detection device 90 are provided on the top of the cabin 10.

[0040] The GPS device P1 detects the position of the excavator 100 using its GPS function, and supplies the position information to the machine guidance device 50 in the controller 30.

[0041] The transmitter T1 is a transmitting unit that transmits information to the outside of the shovel 100.

[0042] The obstacle detection device 90 is another example of a surroundings monitoring device, and detects obstacles such as electric wires, utility poles, people, animals, vehicles (dump trucks, etc.), work equipment, construction machinery, buildings, electric wires, and fences around the shovel 100. Furthermore, a person may be determined by a helmet, a safety vest, a predetermined mark attached to a work suit or a helmet, or the like. The obstacle detection device 90 is, for example, a camera such as a monocular camera or a stereo camera, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, a laser radar (LIDAR: Light Detection Ranging), a distance image sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like, and sends a detected signal to the controller 30. The obstacle detection device 90 is configured to calculate a distance from the obstacle detection device 90 or the shovel 100 to a recognized object. The obstacle detection device 90 as a surroundings monitoring device may be configured to detect a predetermined object within a predetermined area set around the shovel 100. That is, the obstacle detection device 90 may be configured to identify at least one of the type, position, and shape of an object. For example, the obstacle detection device 90 may be configured to distinguish between a human and a non-human object. Also, the obstacle detection device 90 may be configured to calculate the distance from the obstacle detection device 90 or the shovel 100 to a recognized object.

[0043] The shovel 100 does not necessarily have to include both the imaging device 80 and the obstacle detection device 90 as a surroundings monitoring device. The surroundings monitoring device may be configured only with the obstacle detection device 90 as long as the obstacle detection device 90 can grasp the positional relationship between the surrounding objects and the shovel 100, and may be configured only with the imaging device 80 as long as the imaging device 80 can grasp the positional relationship between the surrounding objects and the shovel 100.

[0044] In this embodiment, the obstacle detection device 90 includes a rear sensor 90B and a rear upper sensor 90UB which are LIDARs attached to the rear end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3, a front sensor 90F and a front upper sensor 90UF which are LIDARs attached to the front end of the upper surface of the cabin 10, a left sensor 90L and an upper left sensor 90UL which are LIDARs attached to the left end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3, and a right sensor 90R and an upper right sensor 90UR which are LIDARs attached to the right end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3.

[0045] The rear sensor 90B is configured to detect an object present behind and diagonally below the shovel 100. The rear upper sensor 90UB is configured to detect an object present behind and diagonally above the shovel 100. The front sensor 90F is configured to detect an object present in front of and diagonally below the shovel 100. The front upper sensor 90UF is configured to detect an object present in front of and diagonally above the shovel 100. The left sensor 90L is configured to detect an object present to the left of and diagonally below the shovel 100. The left upper sensor 90UL is configured to detect an object present to the left of and diagonally above the shovel 100. The right sensor 90R is configured to detect an object present to the right of and diagonally below the shovel 100. The right upper sensor 90UR is configured to detect an object present to the right of and diagonally above the shovel 100.

[0046] The obstacle detection device 90 may be arranged in the same manner as the imaging device 80. That is, the rear sensor 90B and the rear upper sensor 90UB may be arranged so that their monitoring ranges (detection ranges) partially overlap in the vertical direction, the front sensor 90F and the front upper sensor 90UF may be arranged so that their detection ranges partially overlap in the vertical direction, the left sensor 90L and the left upper sensor 90UL may be arranged so that their detection ranges partially overlap in the vertical direction, and the right sensor 90R and the right upper sensor 90UR may be arranged so that their detection ranges partially overlap in the vertical direction. Also, the front sensor 90F and the left sensor 90L may be arranged so that their detection ranges partially overlap in the horizontal direction, the left sensor 90L and the rear sensor 90B may be arranged so that their detection ranges partially overlap in the horizontal direction, the rear sensor 90B and the right sensor 90R may be arranged so that their detection ranges partially overlap in the horizontal direction, and the right sensor 90R and the front sensor 90F may be arranged so that their detection ranges partially overlap in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the front upper sensor 90UF and the upper left sensor 90UL may be positioned so that their detection ranges partially overlap in the left-right direction, the upper left sensor 90UL and the rear upper sensor 90UB may be positioned so that their detection ranges partially overlap in the left-right direction, the rear upper sensor 90UB and the upper right sensor 90UR may be positioned so that their detection ranges partially overlap in the left-right direction, and the upper right sensor 90UR and the front upper sensor 90UF may be positioned so that their detection ranges partially overlap in the left-right direction.

[0047] The rear sensor 90B, the front sensor 90F, the left sensor 90L, and the right sensor 90R may be configured so that their optical axes form a depression angle with respect to an imaginary plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K, and the rear upper sensor 90UB, the front upper sensor 90UF, the left upper sensor 90UL, and the right upper sensor 90UR may be configured so that their optical axes form an elevation angle with respect to an imaginary plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K.

[0048] The rear sensor 90B, the front sensor 90F, the left sensor 90L, and the right sensor 90R may be configured so that the lower boundary of each detection range forms a depression angle with respect to an imaginary plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K, and the rear upper sensor 90UB, the front upper sensor 90UF, the upper left sensor 90UL, and the upper right sensor 90UR are configured so that the upper boundary of each detection range forms an elevation angle with respect to an imaginary plane perpendicular to the rotation axis K.

[0049] In this embodiment, the rear camera 80B is disposed adjacent to the rear sensor 90B, the front camera 80F is disposed adjacent to the front sensor 90F, the left camera 80L is disposed adjacent to the left sensor 90L, and the right camera 80R is disposed adjacent to the right sensor 90R. The rear upper camera 80UB is disposed adjacent to the rear upper sensor 90UB, the front upper camera 80UF is disposed adjacent to the front upper sensor 90UF, the upper left camera 80UL is disposed adjacent to the upper left sensor 90UL, and the upper right camera 80UR is disposed adjacent to the upper right sensor 90UR.

[0050] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1D, both the imaging device 80 and the obstacle detection device 90 are attached to the upper rotating body 3 so as not to protrude from the contour of the upper rotating body 3 in a top view. However, at least one of the imaging device 80 and the obstacle detection device 90 may be attached to the upper rotating body 3 so as to protrude from the contour of the upper rotating body 3 in a top view.

[0051] The rear upper camera 80UB may be omitted or may be integrated into the rear camera 80B. The rear camera 80B integrated with the rear upper camera 80UB may be configured to cover a wide imaging range including the imaging range covered by the rear upper camera 80UB. The same applies to the front upper camera 80UF, the upper left camera 80UL, and the upper right camera 80UR. The rear upper sensor 90UB may be omitted or may be integrated into the rear sensor 90B. The same applies to the front upper sensor 90UF, the upper left sensor 90UL, and the upper right sensor 90UR. At least two of the rear upper camera 80UB, the front upper camera 80UF, the upper left camera 80UL, and the upper right camera 80UR may be integrated as one or more omnidirectional cameras or hemispherical cameras.

[0052] Next, a configuration example of a drive control system of the shovel 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the drive control system of the shovel 100.

[0053] The display device 40 is provided in the cabin 10 and displays an image including work information and the like supplied from the machine guidance device 50. The display device 40 is connected to the controller 30 including the machine guidance device 50 via a communication network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) or a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), a dedicated line, or the like.

[0054] The display device 40 has a conversion processing unit 40a that generates an image to be displayed on the image display unit 41. The conversion processing unit 40a generates an image including a captured image to be displayed on the image display unit 41 based on image data obtained from the imaging device 80. Image data is input to the display device 40 from each of the left camera 80L, the right camera 80R, and the rear camera 80B.

[0055] Furthermore, the conversion processing unit 40a converts data to be displayed on the image display unit 41, among various data input from the controller 30 to the display device 40, into an image signal. The data input from the controller 30 to the display device 40 includes, for example, data indicating the temperature of engine coolant, data indicating the temperature of hydraulic oil, data indicating the remaining amount of urea water, data indicating the remaining amount of fuel, and the like.

[0056] The conversion processing unit 40a outputs the converted image signal to the image display unit 41, and causes the image display unit 41 to display an image generated based on the captured image and various data.

[0057] The conversion processing unit 40a may be provided in, for example, the controller 30, instead of in the display device 40. In this case, the imaging device 80 is connected to the controller 30.

[0058] The display device 40 has a switch panel 42 as an input unit. The switch panel 42 is a panel including various hardware switches. The switch panel 42 has a light switch 42a, a wiper switch 42b, and a window washer switch 42c.

[0059] The light switch 42a is a switch for switching on / off the lights attached to the exterior of the cabin 10. The wiper switch 42b is a switch for switching on / off the wipers. The window washer switch 42c is a switch for spraying window washer fluid.

[0060] The display device 40 operates by receiving power from a storage battery 70. The storage battery 70 is charged with power generated by an alternator 11a (generator) of the engine 11. The power of the storage battery 70 is also supplied to electrical components 72 of the shovel 100 other than the controller 30 and the display device 40. In addition, the starter 11b of the engine 11 is driven by power from the storage battery 70 to start the engine 11.

[0061] The engine 11 is connected to a main pump 14 and a pilot pump 15, and is controlled by an engine control unit (ECU) 74. The ECU 74 constantly transmits various data indicating the state of the engine 11 (for example, data indicating the cooling water temperature (physical quantity) detected by a water temperature sensor 11c) to the controller 30. The controller 30 accumulates this data in an internal storage unit 30a, and can transmit it to the display device 40 as appropriate.

[0062] The main pump 14 is a hydraulic pump for supplying hydraulic oil via a high-pressure hydraulic line to the control valve 17. The main pump 14 is, for example, a swash plate type variable displacement hydraulic pump.

[0063] The pilot pump 15 is a hydraulic pump for supplying hydraulic oil to various hydraulic control devices via a pilot line. The pilot pump 15 is, for example, a fixed displacement hydraulic pump. However, the pilot pump 15 may be omitted. In this case, the function of the pilot pump 15 may be realized by the main pump 14. That is, the main pump 14 may have a function of supplying hydraulic oil to the operating device 26 (for example, operating levers 26A to 26C) and the like after reducing the pressure of the hydraulic oil by throttling or the like, in addition to the function of supplying hydraulic oil to the control valve 17.

[0064] The control valve 17 is a hydraulic control device that controls the hydraulic system in the excavator 100. The control valve 17 selectively supplies hydraulic oil discharged by the main pump 14 to, for example, the boom cylinder 7, the arm cylinder 8, the bucket cylinder 9, the traveling hydraulic motor, and the swing hydraulic motor. Note that hereinafter, the boom cylinder 7, the arm cylinder 8, the bucket cylinder 9, the traveling hydraulic motor, and the swing hydraulic motor may be referred to as "hydraulic actuators."

[0065] The operating levers 26A-26C are provided inside the cabin 10 and are used by an operator to operate the hydraulic actuators. When the operating levers 26A-26C are operated, hydraulic oil is supplied from the pilot pump to the pilot port of the flow control valve corresponding to each hydraulic actuator. Each pilot port is supplied with hydraulic oil at a pressure according to the operation direction and operation amount of the corresponding operating lever 26A-26C.

[0066] In this embodiment, the operation lever 26A is a boom operation lever. When the operator operates the operation lever 26A, the boom cylinder 7 is hydraulically driven to operate the boom 4. The operation lever 26B is an arm operation lever. When the operator operates the operation lever 26B, the arm cylinder 8 is hydraulically driven to operate the arm 5. The operation lever 26C is a bucket operation lever. When the operator operates the operation lever 26C, the bucket cylinder 9 is hydraulically driven to operate the bucket 6. Note that the excavator 100 may be provided with operation levers, operation pedals, etc. for driving a traveling hydraulic motor, a swing hydraulic motor, etc., in addition to the operation levers 26A to 26C.

[0067] The controller 30 acquires various data, for example, as described below. The data acquired by the controller 30 is stored in the storage unit 30a.

[0068] The regulator 14a of the main pump 14, which is a variable displacement hydraulic pump, sends data indicating the swash plate angle to the controller 30. In addition, the discharge pressure sensor 14b sends data indicating the discharge pressure of the main pump 14 to the controller 30. These data (data indicating physical quantities) are stored in the memory unit 30a. In addition, the oil temperature sensor 14c, which is provided in a pipeline between the main pump 14 and a tank that stores the hydraulic oil to be sucked by the main pump 14, sends data indicating the temperature of the hydraulic oil flowing through the pipeline to the controller 30.

[0069] The pressure sensors 15a, 15b detect the pilot pressure sent to the control valve 17 when the operation levers 26A-26C are operated, and send data indicating the detected pilot pressure to the controller 30. The operation levers 26A-26C are provided with a switch button 27. The operator can send a command signal to the controller 30 by operating the switch button 27 while operating the operation levers 26A-26C.

[0070] An engine speed adjustment dial 75 is provided in the cabin 10 of the excavator 100. The engine speed adjustment dial 75 is a dial for adjusting the engine speed, and can, for example, switch the engine speed in stages. In this embodiment, the engine speed adjustment dial 75 is provided so as to switch the engine speed between four stages: SP mode, H mode, A mode, and idling (IDLE) mode. The engine speed adjustment dial 75 sends data indicating the setting state of the engine speed to the controller 30. Note that FIG. 2 shows a state in which the H mode is selected by the engine speed adjustment dial 75.

[0071] The SP mode is a rotation speed mode selected when it is desired to prioritize the amount of work, and uses the highest engine rotation speed. The H mode is a rotation speed mode selected when it is desired to balance the amount of work and fuel efficiency, and uses the second highest engine rotation speed. The A mode is a rotation speed mode selected when it is desired to operate the excavator 100 with low noise while prioritizing fuel efficiency, and uses the third highest engine rotation speed. The idling mode is a rotation speed mode selected when it is desired to put the engine into an idling state, and uses the lowest engine rotation speed. The engine 11 is controlled to a constant engine rotation speed at the rotation speed mode set by the engine speed adjustment dial 75.

[0072] The obstacle detection device 90 sends data on detected obstacles such as electric wires and utility poles around the shovel 100 to the controller 30. The obstacle data includes the size, position information, and so on of the obstacles.

[0073] Although the hydraulic pilot circuit has been described as the form of the operation lever 26A, an electric operation lever equipped with an electric pilot circuit may be adopted instead of a hydraulic operation lever. In this case, the lever operation amount of the electric operation lever is input to the controller 30 as an electric signal. In addition, a solenoid valve is disposed between the pilot pump 15 and the pilot port of each control valve. The solenoid valve is configured to operate in response to an electric signal from the controller 30. With this configuration, when manual operation is performed using the electric operation lever, the controller 30 can move each control valve by controlling the solenoid valve with an electric signal corresponding to the lever operation amount to increase or decrease the pilot pressure. Note that each control valve may be configured as an electromagnetic spool valve. In this case, the solenoid spool valve operates in response to an electric signal from the controller 30 corresponding to the lever operation amount of the electric operation lever.

[0074] Next, various functions provided in the controller 30 and the machine guidance device 50 of the excavator 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the controller 30 and the machine guidance device 50.

[0075] The controller 30 controls the operation of the entire excavator 100 including the ECU 74. The controller 30 controls the gate lock valve 49a to be in a closed state when the gate lock lever 49 is pressed down, and to be in an open state when the gate lock lever 49 is pulled up. The gate lock valve 49a is a switching valve provided in an oil passage between the control valve 17 and the operation levers 26A to 26C, etc. (see FIG. 2). The gate lock valve 49a is configured to open and close in response to a command from the controller 30, but may also be configured to be mechanically connected to the gate lock lever 49 and open and close in response to the operation of the gate lock lever 49.

[0076] In a closed state, the gate lock valve 49a blocks the flow of hydraulic oil between the control valve 17 and the operating levers 26A-26C, etc., thereby disabling the operation of the operating levers 26A-26C, etc. In an open state, the gate lock valve 49a allows the hydraulic oil to flow between the control valve 17 and the operating levers, etc., thereby enabling the operation of the operating levers 26A-26C, etc.

[0077] When the gate lock valve 49a is in an open state and the operation of the operating levers 26A to 26C is enabled, the controller 30 detects the amount of operation of each lever from the pilot pressure detected by the pressure sensors 15a, 15b.

[0078] The controller 30 controls the operation of the entire shovel 100, and also controls whether or not guidance is to be performed by the machine guidance device 50. Specifically, when the controller 30 determines that the shovel 100 is at rest, it sends a guidance stop command to the machine guidance device 50 so as to stop guidance by the machine guidance device 50.

[0079] Furthermore, the controller 30 may output a guidance stop command to the machine guidance device 50 when outputting the auto idle stop command to the ECU 74. Alternatively, the controller 30 may output a guidance stop command to the machine guidance device 50 when it determines that the gate lock lever 49 is in a pressed-down state.

[0080] The controller 30 has an attitude grasping unit 301 , a positional relationship grasping unit 302 , an entry-prohibited area setting unit 303 , an entry determination unit 304 , an operation control unit 305 , an entry-prohibited area release unit 306 , and a display control unit 307 .

[0081] The posture grasping unit 301 grasps the position and posture of the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the posture grasping unit 301 grasps the position of the shovel 100 based on the position information of the shovel 100 detected by the GPS device P1. The posture grasping unit 301 also grasps the posture of the shovel 100 based on the rotation angle of the boom 4 detected by the boom angle sensor S1, the rotation angle of the arm 5 detected by the arm angle sensor S2, and the rotation angle of the bucket 6 detected by the bucket angle sensor S3. The posture grasping unit 301 may grasp the posture of the shovel 100 based on the vehicle body inclination sensor S4. The relative position of the lower traveling body 1 and the upper rotating body 3 may be grasped by a direction detection device. For example, the direction detection device is composed of a combination of an orientation sensor attached to the lower traveling body 1 and an orientation sensor attached to the upper rotating body 3, or a swing angular velocity sensor S5. The swing angular velocity sensor S5 may be disposed in a center joint provided in association with a mechanism for realizing the relative rotation between the lower traveling body 1 and the upper rotating body 3, for example. In addition, in a configuration in which the upper rotating body 3 is rotated by a rotation motor-generator, the orientation detection device may be configured with a resolver.

[0082] The positional relationship grasping unit 302 grasps the positional relationship between the shovel 100 and an obstacle installed within the working area. In this embodiment, the positional relationship grasping unit 302 grasps the positional relationship between the obstacle and the shovel 100 based on the positional information of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection device 90 and the positional information of the shovel 100 grasped by the attitude grasping unit 301. In addition, the positional relationship between the obstacle and the shovel 100 grasped by the positional relationship grasping unit 302 is configured to be capable of being transmitted by the transmitting device T1 to the outside of the shovel 100 (for example, a management device capable of communicating with the shovel 100 via a network).

[0083] The no-entry area setting unit 303 sets a no-entry area based on the positional relationship between the obstacle and the shovel 100 grasped by the positional relationship grasping unit 302. The no-entry area can be, for example, a predetermined range including the obstacle. The no-entry area is set for each obstacle, and may be set as a predetermined range from the outer shape of each obstacle. In other words, a predetermined distance from the obstacle is set as the no-entry area. Furthermore, the predetermined range set as the no-entry area may be changed depending on the type of obstacle. Also, the no-entry area may be set for the space between each obstacle and the shovel. In this way, the no-entry area is set for the obstacle installed on the ground surface within the work area.

[0084] The entry determination unit 304 determines whether or not the shovel 100 has entered the no-entry area set by the no-entry area setting unit 303 based on the positional relationship between the obstacle grasped by the positional relationship grasping unit 302 and the shovel 100 .

[0085] When the entry determination unit 304 determines that the shovel 100 has entered an inaccessible area, the operation control unit 305 slows down or stops the operation of the shovel 100. Furthermore, when the entry determination unit 304 determines that the shovel 100 has entered an inaccessible area, the operation control unit 305 may issue an alarm to the operator via the sound output device 43.

[0086] The entry-prohibited area release unit 306 releases the setting of the entry-prohibited area. When the entry-prohibited area to be released is selected by, for example, the input device 45, the entry-prohibited area release unit 306 releases the setting of the selected entry-prohibited area. Furthermore, when there is no longer an obstacle in the location where the entry-prohibited area is set, the entry-prohibited area may be displayed with a dashed line or in a different color, for example, so as to be distinguishable from other entry-prohibited areas. In this case, when the entry-prohibited area where the obstacle is no longer present is selected by the input device 45, the entry-prohibited area release unit 306 may release the setting of the entry-prohibited area where the obstacle is no longer present.

[0087] The display control unit 307 controls the image to be displayed on the image display unit 41 of the display device 40. In this embodiment, for example, the no-entry area set by the no-entry area setting unit 303 is displayed superimposed on the layout drawing displayed on the image display unit 41 of the display device 40. Furthermore, the display control unit 307 may, for example, simultaneously display the layout drawing before and after displaying the no-entry area on the image display unit 41 of the display device 40. Here, the layout drawing may include information regarding staking, two-dimensional or three-dimensional construction drawing data, etc.

[0088] Next, a description will be given of the machine guidance device 50. The machine guidance device 50 receives various signals and data supplied to the controller 30 from the boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, the bucket angle sensor S3, the vehicle body inclination sensor S4, the GPS device P1, the input device 45, etc.

[0089] The machine guidance device 50 calculates the actual operating position of an attachment such as the bucket 6 based on the received signals and data. Then, the machine guidance device 50 compares the actual operating position of the attachment with the target construction surface, and calculates, for example, the distance between the bucket 6 and the target construction surface. The machine guidance device 50 also calculates the distance from the rotation center axis of the shovel 100 to the tip of the bucket 6, the inclination angle of the target construction surface, and transmits these to the display device 40 as work information.

[0090] In addition, when the machine guidance device 50 and the controller 30 are provided separately, the machine guidance device 50 and the controller 30 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a CAN.

[0091] The machine guidance device 50 includes a height calculation unit 503 , a comparison unit 504 , a display control unit 505 , and a guidance data output unit 506 .

[0092] The height calculation unit 503 calculates the height of the tip (toe) of the bucket 6 from the angles of the boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6 determined from the detection signals of the boom angle sensor S1, arm angle sensor S2, and bucket angle sensor S3.

[0093] The comparison unit 504 compares the height of the tip (toe) of the bucket 6 calculated by the height calculation unit 503 with the position of the target construction surface indicated in the guidance data output from the guidance data output unit 506. The comparison unit 504 also determines the inclination angle of the target construction surface with respect to the shovel 100. Various data determined by the height calculation unit 503 and the comparison unit 504 are stored in the storage device 47.

[0094] The display control unit 505 transmits the height of the bucket 6 and the inclination angle of the target construction surface, etc., determined by the comparison unit 504, to the display device 40 as work information. The display device 40 displays the work information sent from the display control unit 505 on the screen together with the captured image sent from the imaging device 80. The display screen configuration of the display device 40 will be described later. Furthermore, the display control unit 505 can issue an alarm to the operator via the sound output device 43 when, for example, the bucket 6 is positioned lower than the target construction surface.

[0095] Next, an example of an image displayed on the image display unit 41 of the display device 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an image of the layout plan before a no-entry area is set for the excavator 100 placed on the roadway. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an image of the layout plan after the no-entry area is set.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 4, the image display unit 41 displays a layout diagram in which the viewpoint is converted from the shovel to the construction target side. The viewpoint conversion can be generated from any viewpoint within the captured range. The layout diagram in FIG. 4 is a viewpoint conversion image showing the layout relationship from the outside (sidewalk side) of the road boundary fence. This allows the layout relationship between the shovel and the surroundings of the shovel to be visually recognized. The layout diagram includes a utility pole image 411, an electric wire image 412, a road boundary fence image 413, a road cone image 414, a buried object image 415, and a shovel image 416. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the image display unit 41 displays predetermined ranges including the utility pole image 411, the electric wire image 412, the road boundary fence image 413, and the road cone image 414 as no-entry areas 421, 422, 423, and 424.

[0097] Utility pole image 411 is an image showing the position of a utility pole, which is an example of an obstacle. Power line image 412 is an image showing the position of a power line, which is an example of an obstacle. Road boundary fence image 413 is an image showing the position of a road boundary fence, which is an example of an obstacle. Traffic cone image 414 is an image showing the position of a traffic cone, which is an example of an obstacle. Buried object image 415 is an image showing the position of a buried object, which is an example of an obstacle.

[0098] The layout diagram is generated based on the detection data of the obstacle detection device 90. Moreover, the layout diagram may be generated by combining the detection data of the obstacle detection device 90 and the detection data of the imaging device 80.

[0099] Furthermore, the GPS device (GNSS receiver) P1 can derive the placement position (placement coordinates) of the shovel 100 in the reference coordinate system used in the construction plan drawing. The reference coordinate system is, for example, the World Geodetic System. The World Geodetic System is a three-dimensional orthogonal XYZ coordinate system with the origin at the center of gravity of the earth, the X axis in the direction of the intersection of the Greenwich meridian and the equator, the Y axis in the direction of 90 degrees east longitude, and the Z axis in the direction of the North Pole. In addition, since the positional relationship between the obstacle and the shovel 100 can be grasped, the placement coordinates in the reference coordinate system of each obstacle detected by the obstacle detection device 90 can also be calculated. Therefore, the placement position of each obstacle can also be input to the construction plan drawing. As a result, not only the plan of the construction target surface but also the placement position of each obstacle relative to the construction target surface can be generated in the construction plan drawing, and each obstacle can be superimposed and displayed on the construction plan drawing.

[0100] The no-entry area may be superimposed on the layout drawing or the construction plan drawing displayed on the display device 40. The no-entry area is set, for example, by the operator who confirms the display image of the no-entry area displayed on the display device 40 by the controller 30 and presses a setting button. Alternatively, the no-entry area may be automatically set when the controller 30 recognizes the no-entry area. Information on obstacles such as utility poles or fences FS that can be known in advance may be set in advance as data on the construction plan drawing. In this case, when the controller 30 acquires the construction plan drawing, the controller 30 can associate the position of the target construction surface with the position of the obstacle in advance. Then, when construction is performed, the no-entry area can be generated based on the positional relationship between the target construction surface and the obstacle. The controller 30 can also generate the no-entry area by associating the arrangement of the road cones RC, whose positional relationship changes from time to time depending on the construction situation, with the arrangement of each obstacle input in advance.

[0101] The shovel image 416 is an image showing the position of the shovel 100. The position of the shovel 100 shows the position of the shovel 100 identified based on the position information of the shovel 100 detected by the GPS device P1.

[0102] Next, an example of a process (hereinafter referred to as "no-entry area setting process") in which the controller 30 sets a no-entry area based on information of an obstacle detected by the obstacle detection device 90 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the no-entry area setting process.

[0103] In step ST1, the attitude grasping unit 301 grasps the position and attitude of the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the attitude grasping unit 301 grasps the position of the shovel 100 based on the position information of the shovel 100 detected by the GPS device P1. The attitude grasping unit 301 also grasps the attitude of the shovel 100 based on the rotation angle of the boom 4 detected by the boom angle sensor S1, the rotation angle of the arm 5 detected by the arm angle sensor S2, and the rotation angle of the bucket 6 detected by the bucket angle sensor S3. The attitude grasping unit 301 may grasp the attitude of the shovel 100 based on the vehicle body inclination sensor S4. The relative position of the lower traveling body 1 and the upper rotating body 3 may be grasped by a direction detection device. For example, the direction detection device is composed of a combination of an orientation sensor attached to the lower traveling body 1 and an orientation sensor attached to the upper rotating body 3, or a swing angular velocity sensor. The swing angular velocity sensor may be disposed in a center joint provided in association with a mechanism for realizing the relative rotation between the lower traveling body 1 and the upper rotating body 3, for example. In addition, in a configuration in which the upper rotating body 3 is rotated by a rotation motor-generator, the orientation detection device may be configured with a resolver.

[0104] In step ST2, the obstacle detection device 90 detects obstacles around the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the obstacle detection device 90 detects utility poles, electric wires, road boundary fences, and road cones as obstacles, and, for example, as shown in Fig. 4, a utility pole image 411, an electric wire image 412, a road boundary fence image 413, and a road cone image 414 are displayed on the layout diagram displayed on the image display unit 41 of the display device 40.

[0105] In step ST3, the positional relationship grasping unit 302 grasps the positional relationship between the obstacle and the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the positional relationship grasping unit 302 grasps the positional relationship between the obstacle and the shovel 100 based on the positional information of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection device 90 and the positional information of the shovel 100 grasped by the attitude grasping unit 301. In addition, the positional relationship between the obstacle and the shovel 100 grasped by the positional relationship grasping unit 302 may be transmitted to the outside of the shovel 100 by the transmitting device T1. In this embodiment, the positional relationship between the obstacle and the shovel 100 grasped by the positional relationship grasping unit 302 is transmitted by the transmitting device T1 to the management device 200 that can communicate with the shovel 100 via the network 300, for example, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0106] In step ST4, the no-entry area setting unit 303 sets the no-entry area based on the positional relationship between the obstacle grasped by the positional relationship grasping unit 302 and the shovel 100. In this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, a predetermined range including the electric pole, electric wire, road boundary fence, and road cone, which are obstacles detected by the obstacle detection device 90, is set as the no-entry area, and the predetermined range including the electric pole image 411, the electric wire image 412, the road boundary fence image 413, and the road cone image 414, respectively, is displayed as the no-entry areas 421, 422, 423, and 424 on the layout plan displayed on the image display unit 41 of the display device 40. In this embodiment, the no-entry area set on the layout plan or the construction plan by the no-entry area setting unit 303 may be transmitted by the transmission device T1 to the management device 200 that can communicate with the shovel 100 via the network 300, as shown in FIG. 8. Furthermore, a layout diagram in which no-entry areas are set may be transmitted from the management device 200 to other excavators 100.

[0107] In step ST5, the entry determination unit 304 determines whether or not the shovel 100 has entered the no-entry area set by the no-entry area setting unit 303. If it is determined that the shovel 100 has entered the no-entry area, the process proceeds to step ST6. On the other hand, if it is determined that the shovel 100 has not entered the no-entry area, the process ends.

[0108] In step ST6, the operation control unit 305 decelerates or stops the operation of the shovel 100. Thereafter, the process ends.

[0109] In the shovel 100 according to this embodiment, when the shovel 100 enters an inaccessible area, the controller 30 slows down or stops the operation of the shovel 100. This allows the operator to drive the shovel 100 without paying excessive attention to obstacles such as utility poles and electric wires present at the work site. This improves work efficiency.

[0110] The non-entryable area set in the non-entryable area setting process may be configured to be released by the non-entryable area release unit 306. In this embodiment, when the input device 45 selects the non-entryable area to be released, the non-entryable area release unit 306 releases the setting of the selected non-entryable area. When there is no longer an obstacle in the location where the non-entryable area was set, the non-entryable area may be displayed with a dashed line or a different color, etc., so as to be distinguished from other non-entryable areas. In this case, when the input device 45 selects the non-entryable area where the obstacle is no longer present, the non-entryable area release unit 306 may release the setting of the non-entryable area where the obstacle is no longer present.

[0111] Next, another example of an image displayed on the image display unit 41 of the display device 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing another example of an image of a layout plan after a no-entry area has been set.

[0112] 7, an image 41A of the layout plan before the no-entry area is set and an image 41B of the layout plan after the no-entry area is set are simultaneously displayed on the image display unit 41 of the display device 40. This allows the operator to easily check the new no-entry area set by the no-entry area setting process by checking the image displayed on the image display unit 41.

[0113] The controller 30 may be configured to determine that, for example, when a point on the outer surface of the shovel 100 enters the no-entry area, there is a risk that a part of the machine body may enter the no-entry area. The outer surface of the shovel 100 includes, for example, the outer surface of the lower running body 1, the outer surface of the upper rotating body 3, and the outer surface of the excavation attachment AT. The controller 30 has preset therein the positional relationship between the mounting position of the attitude sensor and the outer surface of the lower running body 1, the outer surface of the upper rotating body 3, and the outer surface of the excavation attachment AT. Therefore, the controller 30 can also calculate the change in position of the outer surface of the lower running body 1, the outer surface of the upper rotating body 3, and the outer surface of the excavation attachment AT by calculating the change in position of the attitude sensor at a predetermined period.

[0114] Specifically, the controller 30 recognizes the overall three-dimensional external shape (external surface) of the excavator 100 by using a virtual three-dimensional model such as a polygon model or a wire frame model, and calculates the coordinates of points on the external surface. The external surface of the lower traveling body 1 includes, for example, the front, top, bottom, and rear surfaces of the crawler 1C. The external surface of the upper rotating body 3 includes, for example, the surfaces of the side covers, the top surface of the engine hood, and the top, left side, right side, and rear surfaces of the counterweight. The external surface of the excavation attachment AT includes, for example, the back, left side, right side, and ventral surface of the boom 4, and the back, left side, right side, and ventral surface of the arm 5.

[0115] Fig. 9 shows an example of the overall three-dimensional configuration of the outer surface of the excavator 100 recognized using a polygon model. Fig. 9A is a top view of the polygon models of the upper rotating body 3 and the excavation attachment AT, Fig. 9B is a top view of the polygon model of the lower traveling body 1, and Fig. 9C is a left side view of the polygon model of the excavator 100. In Fig. 9, the outer surface of the lower traveling body 1 is represented by a diagonal line pattern, the outer surface of the upper rotating body 3 is represented by a coarse dot pattern, and the outer surface of the excavation attachment AT is represented by a fine dot pattern.

[0116] The outer surface of the shovel 100 as a polygon model may be recognized as a surface located a predetermined margin distance outside the outer surface of the actual shovel 100. That is, the shovel 100 as a polygon model may be recognized as, for example, the actual lower traveling body 1, upper rotating body 3, and excavation attachment AT each separately enlarged in a similar manner. In this case, the margin distance may be a distance that changes depending on the movement of the shovel 100 (for example, the movement of the excavation attachment AT) or the like. Then, when an inaccessible area enters the space represented by this similarly enlarged polygon model, the controller 30 may output an alarm, or may slow down or stop the movement of the shovel 100 by braking control or the like.

[0117] For example, the controller 30 may separately determine whether or not there is a risk of a part of the machine body entering an unreachable area for each of the three parts (the outer surface of the lower traveling body 1, the outer surface of the upper rotating body 3, and the outer surface of the excavation attachment AT) constituting the outer surface of the shovel 100. Furthermore, depending on the work content of the shovel 100, the controller 30 may omit the determination of whether or not there is a risk of a part of the machine body entering an unreachable area for at least one of the three parts.

[0118] 5, the controller 30 may calculate the distance between each point on the outer surface of the excavation attachment AT and each of the no-entry areas 421, 422, 423, 424 for each predetermined control period, and determine whether or not there is a risk of the bucket 6 entering the no-entry areas 421, 422, 423, 424 based on the calculated distances. In this case, the controller 30 may omit calculating the distances between each point on the outer surface of the lower traveling body 1 and each point on the outer surface of the upper rotating body 3 and each of the no-entry areas 421, 422, 423, 424.

[0119] Here, referring to Fig. 10, a further example of a limiting function for limiting the movement of the shovel 100 (the swing hydraulic motor 2A) based on the distance between each of the three parts constituting the outer surface of the shovel 100 and an object detected by an obstacle detection device 90 as a surroundings monitoring device will be described. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the controller 30. The surroundings monitoring device may be an imaging device 80.

[0120] 10, the controller 30 has, as functional elements, a no-entry area setting unit 303, a speed command generating unit 308, a state recognizing unit 309, a distance determining unit 310, a restriction target determining unit 311, and a speed limiting unit 312. The controller 30 is configured to receive signals output from the boom angle sensor S1, the arm angle sensor S2, the bucket angle sensor S3, the vehicle body inclination sensor S4, the turning angular velocity sensor S5, the electric left operation lever 26L, the imaging device 80, the obstacle detection device 90, and the like, execute various calculations, and output control commands to the proportional valve 31, and the like. The no-entry area setting unit 303 operates in the same manner as the no-entry area setting unit 303 included in the controller 30 shown in FIG. 3.

[0121] The speed command generating unit 308 is configured to generate a command regarding the operating speed of the actuator based on a signal output by the operating device 26. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the speed command generating unit 308 is configured to generate a command regarding the rotation speed of the swing hydraulic motor 2A based on an electric signal output by the left operating lever 26L operated in the left / right direction.

[0122] The state recognition unit 309 is configured to recognize the current state of the excavator 100. Specifically, the state recognition unit 309 has an attachment state recognition unit 309A, an upper rotating body state recognition unit 309B, and a lower traveling body state recognition unit 309C.

[0123] The attachment state recognition unit 309A is configured to recognize the current state of the excavation attachment AT. Specifically, the attachment state recognition unit 309A is configured to calculate the coordinates of a predetermined point on the outer surface of the excavation attachment AT. The predetermined point includes, for example, all vertices of the excavation attachment AT.

[0124] The upper rotating body state recognition unit 309B is configured to recognize the current state of the upper rotating body 3. Specifically, the upper rotating body state recognition unit 309B is configured to calculate the coordinates of a predetermined point on the outer surface of the upper rotating body 3. The predetermined point includes, for example, all vertices of the upper rotating body 3.

[0125] The lower running body state recognition unit 309C is configured to recognize the current state of the lower running body 1. Specifically, the lower running body state recognition unit 309C is configured to calculate the coordinates of a predetermined point on the outer surface of the lower running body 1. The predetermined point includes, for example, all vertices of the lower running body 1.

[0126] The condition recognition unit 309 may determine which of the three parts constituting the outer surface of the shovel 100 (the outer surface of the lower running body 1, the outer surface of the upper rotating body 3, and the outer surface of the excavation attachment AT) to recognize the condition of and which condition to omit from being recognized, depending on the work content of the shovel 100, etc.

[0127] The distance determination unit 310 is configured to determine whether the distance between each point on the outer surface of the shovel 100 calculated by the state recognition unit 309 and the no-entry area set by the no-entry area setting unit 303 falls below a predetermined value.

[0128] The restriction target determination unit 311 is configured to determine a restriction target. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the restriction target determination unit 311 determines an actuator whose movement should be restricted (hereinafter, referred to as a "restriction target actuator") based on the output of the distance determination unit 310, i.e., whether the distance between any point on the outer surface of the shovel 100 and the no-entry area falls below a predetermined value.

[0129] 10, the speed limiting unit 312 changes a speed command for an actuator determined as a limit target actuator by the limit target determining unit 311, among the speed commands generated by the speed command generating unit 308, and outputs a control command corresponding to the changed speed command to the proportional valve 31.

[0130] Specifically, the speed limiting unit 312 changes the speed command for the rotation hydraulic motor 2A determined as the actuator to be limited by the limiting target determining unit 311, and outputs a control command corresponding to the changed speed command to the proportional valve 31BL or the proportional valve 31BR in order to reduce or stop the rotation speed of the rotation hydraulic motor 2A.

[0131] This limiting function enables the controller 30 shown in FIG. 10 to slow down or stop the movement of the actuator in order to prevent a part of the body of the shovel 100 from entering an unaccessible area.

[0132] Next, referring to Fig. 11, a further example of a limiting function for limiting the movement of the shovel 100 (the swing hydraulic motor 2A) based on the distance between each of the three parts constituting the outer surface of the shovel 100 and an object detected by an obstacle detection device 90 as a surroundings monitoring device will be described. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a further example of the configuration of the controller 30. The surroundings monitoring device may be an imaging device 80.

[0133] The controller 30 shown in Fig. 11 is configured to be connected to a hydraulic control lever equipped with a hydraulic pilot circuit, and thus differs from the controller 30 shown in Fig. 10 which is configured to be connected to an electric control lever equipped with a hydraulic pilot circuit. Specifically, the speed limiting section 312 of the controller 30 shown in Fig. 11 generates a speed command based on the output of the operating pressure sensor 29, modifies the speed command for an actuator determined as an actuator to be limited by the limiting target determining section 311 out of the generated speed commands, and outputs a control command corresponding to the modified speed command to the solenoid valve 60 for that actuator.

[0134] The solenoid valve 60 includes a solenoid valve 60L and a solenoid valve 60R. In the example shown in Fig. 11, the solenoid valve 60L is an electromagnetic proportional valve arranged in a pipe connecting a left port of a remote control valve that discharges hydraulic oil when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the left or right direction and a left pilot port of the control valve 173. The solenoid valve 60R is an electromagnetic proportional valve arranged in a pipe connecting a right port of a remote control valve that discharges hydraulic oil when the left operating lever 26L is operated in the left or right direction and a right pilot port of the control valve 173.

[0135] Specifically, the speed limiting unit 312 changes the speed command for the rotation hydraulic motor 2A determined as the actuator to be limited by the limit target determining unit 311, and outputs a control command corresponding to the changed speed command to the solenoid valve 60L or the solenoid valve 60R in order to reduce or stop the rotation speed of the rotation hydraulic motor 2A.

[0136] With this limiting function, the controller 30 shown in FIG. 11 can slow down or stop the movement of the actuator to prevent a part of the body of the shovel 100 from entering the no-entry area, similar to the controller 30 shown in FIG. 10. This allows the traveling operation to be stopped, for example, even if the bucket approaches a utility pole when the operator is performing a traveling operation while watching the crawler. Furthermore, a specific actuator may be driven to perform avoidance control so as not to enter the no-entry area. In this case, even if the bucket approaches a utility pole when the operator is performing a traveling operation while watching the crawler, automatic swing control may be performed to move the bucket away from the utility pole.

[0137] Second Embodiment Next, a description will be given of the overall configuration of an example of a shovel 100A according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12 is a side view showing an example of a shovel 100A according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0138] The shovel 100A according to this embodiment is characterized by being provided with an obstacle detection device 90 that detects obstacles within a range including the top of the cabin 10 and an area that is a blind spot from the top of the cabin 10. Note that other configurations are similar to those of the shovel 100 according to the first embodiment, and therefore a description of the same configurations as those of the shovel 100 will be omitted.

[0139] The obstacle detection device 90 includes a sensor 90U, a sensor 90D, a sensor 90F, and sensors 90L, 90R, and 90B.

[0140] The sensor 90U is provided at the top of the cabin 10 and detects obstacles around the shovel 100A. The sensor 90D is provided at the bottom of the boom 4 and detects obstacles within a range including a blind spot from the top of the cabin 10 in front of the shovel 100A. The sensor 90F is provided at the front of the cabin 10 and detects obstacles within a range including a blind spot from the top of the cabin 10 in front of the shovel 100A. The sensors 90L, 90R, and 90B are provided at the top of the cover 3a of the upper rotating body 3 and detect obstacles within a range including a blind spot from the top of the cabin 10 on the left, right, and rear sides from the upper rotating body 3 toward the cabin 10. The sensors 90U, 90D, 90F, and 90L, 90R, and 90B are, for example, cameras such as monocular cameras and stereo cameras, millimeter wave radars, laser radars, etc., and send detected signals to the controller 30.

[0141] In the shovel 100A according to this embodiment, when the shovel 100A enters an inaccessible area, the controller 30 slows down or stops the operation of the shovel 100A. This allows the operator to drive the shovel 100A without paying excessive attention to obstacles such as utility poles and electric wires present at the work site. This improves work efficiency.

[0142] In particular, in this embodiment, in addition to the sensor 90U provided at the top of the cabin 10, sensors 90D, 90F, and sensors 90L, 90R, and 90B are provided to detect obstacles within a range including the blind spot from the top of the cabin 10, so that obstacles in the vicinity of the shovel 100A that is likely to be in a blind spot for the operator can be detected.

[0143] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above content does not limit the content of the invention, and various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0144] For example, in the above embodiment, the controller 30 sets a no-entry area for an obstacle displayed on a layout drawing or a construction plan drawing, but it may be possible to set a no-entry area even when there is no layout drawing. Specifically, an image captured by the imaging device 80 is displayed on the screen, and obstacles detected by the obstacle detection device 90 are displayed on the captured image. A no-entry area is set for an obstacle superimposed on the captured image.

[0145] The information acquired by the shovel 100 may be shared with the administrator and operators of other shovels through a management system SYS of the shovel as shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the management system SYS of the shovel. The management system SYS is a system that manages the shovel 100. In this embodiment, the management system SYS is mainly composed of the shovel 100, the support device 400, and the management device 500. Each of the shovel 100, the support device 400, and the management device 500 includes a communication device, and is directly or indirectly connected to each other via a mobile phone communication network, a satellite communication network, a short-distance wireless communication network, or the like. The shovel 100, the support device 400, and the management device 500 constituting the management system SYS may each be one or more. In the example of FIG. 13, the management system SYS includes one shovel 100, one support device 400, and one management device 500.

[0146] The support device 400 is typically a mobile terminal device, for example, a computer such as a notebook PC, a tablet PC, or a smartphone carried by a worker or the like at a construction site. The support device 400 may be a computer carried by the operator of the shovel 100. However, the support device 400 may be a fixed terminal device.

[0147] The management device 500 is typically a fixed terminal device, for example, a server computer installed in a management center outside the construction site. The management device 500 may be a portable computer (for example, a notebook PC, a tablet PC, or a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone).

[0148] At least one of the support device 400 and the management device 500 (hereinafter referred to as the "support device 400, etc.") may include a monitor and an operation device for remote operation. In this case, the operator operates the shovel 100 while using the operation device for remote operation. The operation device for remote operation is connected to the controller 30 via a communication network such as a mobile phone communication network, a satellite communication network, or a short-range wireless communication network.

[0149] In the above-mentioned excavator management system SYS, the controller 30 of the shovel 100 may transmit information on the no-entry area to the support device 400, etc. The information on the no-entry area includes at least one of the following: information on the position of the no-entry area; information on the time when it is determined that a part of the body of the shovel 100 is likely to enter the no-entry area (hereinafter referred to as the "determination time"); information on the position of the part of the body at the determination time; information on the work content of the shovel 100 at the determination time; information on the work environment at the determination time; and information on the movement of the shovel 100 measured at the determination time and during the period before and after the determination time. The information on the work environment includes at least one of the following: information on the slope of the ground surface; information on the weather; and the like. The information on the movement of the shovel 100 includes at least one of the following: pilot pressure; and pressure of hydraulic oil in a hydraulic actuator.

[0150] The controller 30 may transmit the images captured by the imaging device 80 to the support device 400, etc. The images may be, for example, a plurality of images captured during a predetermined period including the determination time. The predetermined period may include a period preceding the determination time.

[0151] Furthermore, the controller 30 may transmit at least one of information on the work content of the shovel 100 during a predetermined period including the determination time, information on the attitude of the shovel 100, and information on the attitude of the excavation attachment to the support device 400, etc. This is to enable a manager who uses the support device 400, etc. to obtain information on the work site. In other words, this is to enable the manager to analyze the cause of the occurrence of a situation in which the movement of the shovel 100 must be slowed down or stopped, and further, to enable the manager to improve the work environment of the shovel 100 based on the results of such analysis.

[0152] Furthermore, the controller 30 may be configured to allow the operator to change the position of the no-entry area or to generate a new no-entry area.

[0153] Information regarding the no-entry areas is typically temporarily stored in a volatile storage device or a non-volatile storage device in the controller 30, and is transmitted to the management device 500 at any timing.

[0154] The management device 500 is configured to present the received information on the no-entry area to the user of the management device 500 so that the user can understand the state of the work site. In this embodiment, the management device 500 is configured to visually reproduce the state of the work site when an object is detected in the detection space. Specifically, the management device 500 generates a computer graphics animation using the received information on the no-entry area. Hereinafter, computer graphics will be referred to as "CG."

[0155] 14 shows a display example of a CG animation generated by the management device 500. The CG animation is an example of a reproduced image of a work site, and is displayed on a display device DS connected to the management device 500. The display device DS is, for example, a touch panel monitor.

[0156] In the example of Fig. 14, the CG animation is a CG animation that reproduces the state of the shovel 100 shown in Fig. 5 from a perspective from directly above, and includes images G1 to G12. The shovel 100 shown in Fig. 5 is equipped with a plurality of obstacle detection devices 90 so as to monitor the surroundings of the shovel 100. Therefore, the controller 30 and the management device 500 that receives information from the controller 30 can accurately obtain information regarding the positional relationship between the shovel 100 and objects present around the shovel 100.

[0157] Image G1 is a CG representing the shovel 100. Image G2 is a CG representing a utility pole. Image G3 is a CG representing an electric wire and a road boundary fence. Image G4 is a CG representing a road cone. Image G5 is a CG representing a buried object. Image G6 is a frame image surrounding image G2, and represents an inaccessible area for an electric pole, which is an obstacle. Image G7 is an image extending along image G3 toward the shovel 100 side of image G3, and represents an inaccessible area for an electric wire and a road boundary fence, which are obstacles. Image G8 is a frame image surrounding image G4, and represents an inaccessible area for a road cone, which is an obstacle. Image G10 is a seek bar that displays the playback position of the CG animation. Image G11 is a slider that indicates the current playback position of the CG animation. Image G12 is a text image that displays various information. The images G2 to G8 may be images generated by performing a viewpoint conversion process on the image captured by the imaging device 80. That is, the management device 500 may play on the display device DS a moving image captured by the imaging device 80 as another example of a playback image of a work site, instead of a CG animation. In the example of FIG. 14, the CG representing the electric wire and the road boundary fence is shown as one image in the image G3, but the CG representing the electric wire and the CG representing the road boundary fence may be shown as separate images. In addition, the no-entry area for the electric wire and the road boundary fence is shown as one image in the image G7, but the no-entry area for the electric wire and the no-entry area for the road boundary fence may be shown as separate images.

[0158] In the example of Figure 14, image G12 includes a text image "October 26, 2016" indicating the date the work was performed, a text image "East longitude ** North latitude **" indicating the location where the work was performed, a text image "Crane lifting work" indicating the work content, and a text image "Lifting rotation" indicating the detection operation, which is the operation of the excavator 100 when an object is detected.

[0159] Image G1 is displayed to move based on data on the attitude of the shovel 100 and data on the attitude of the excavation attachment, which are included in the information on the no-entry area. The data on the attitude of the shovel 100 includes, for example, the pitch angle, roll angle, and yaw angle (swing angle) of the upper rotating body 3. The data on the attitude of the excavation attachment includes, for example, the boom angle, arm angle, and bucket angle.

[0160] A user of the management device 500 can change the playback position of the CG animation to a desired position (time point) by, for example, touching a desired position on the image G10 (seek bar). Fig. 14 shows that the scene of the work site at 10:08 a.m., as indicated by the slider, is being played back as CG animation.

[0161] Such CG animation allows the manager, who is the user of the management device 500, to easily understand, for example, the state of the work site when an object is detected. In other words, the management system SYS enables the manager to analyze the cause of the restriction of the movement of the shovel 100, and further enables the manager to improve the work environment of the shovel 100 based on the results of such analysis.

[0162] In addition, playback images of the work site, such as CG animation or moving images, may be displayed not only on a display device DS connected to the management device 500, but also on a display device mounted on the support device 400, or a display device 40 installed in the cabin 10 of the shovel 100.

[0163] Next, an example of an image displayed during the execution of the no-entry area setting process will be described with reference to Fig. 15. As shown in Fig. 15, the image Gx1 displayed on the display device 40 has a time display section 1411, a rotation speed mode display section 1412, a travel mode display section 1413, an attachment display section 1414, an engine control state display section 1415, a urea water remaining amount display section 1416, a fuel remaining amount display section 1417, a cooling water temperature display section 1418, an engine operating time display section 1419, a camera image display section 1420, and a work state display section 1430 (a top view work state display section and a side view work state display section). The rotation speed mode display section 1412, the travel mode display section 1413, the attachment display section 1414, and the engine control state display section 1415 are display sections that display information related to the setting state of the excavator 100. The urea water remaining amount display unit 1416, the fuel remaining amount display unit 1417, the cooling water temperature display unit 1418, and the engine operating time display unit 1419 are display units that display information related to the operating state of the excavator 100. Images displayed in each unit are generated by the display device 40 using various data transmitted from the controller 30, image data transmitted from the imaging device 80, etc.

[0164] The time display section 1411 displays the current time. The rotation speed mode display section 1412 displays the rotation speed mode set by an engine rotation speed adjustment dial (not shown) as the operation information of the excavator 100. The travel mode display section 1413 displays the travel mode as the operation information of the excavator 100. The travel mode indicates the setting state of a travel hydraulic motor using a variable displacement motor. For example, the travel mode has a low speed mode and a high speed mode, and in the low speed mode, a mark representing a "turtle" is displayed, and in the high speed mode, a mark representing a "rabbit" is displayed. The attachment display section 1414 is an area for displaying an icon representing the type of the currently attached attachment. The engine control state display section 1415 displays the control state of the engine 11 as the operation information of the excavator 100. In the example of FIG. 15, the "automatic deceleration / automatic stop mode" is selected as the control state of the engine 11. The "automatic deceleration / automatic stop mode" means a control state in which the engine speed is automatically reduced and the engine 11 is automatically stopped according to the duration of a non-operation state. In addition, the control states of the engine 11 include an "automatic deceleration mode," an "automatic stop mode," and a "manual deceleration mode."

[0165] The urea water remaining amount display unit 1416 displays, as an image, the remaining amount of urea water stored in the urea water tank as operation information of the excavator 100. In the example of Fig. 15, a bar gauge indicating the current remaining amount of urea water is displayed on the urea water remaining amount display unit 1416. The remaining amount of urea water is displayed based on data output by a urea water remaining amount sensor provided in the urea water tank.

[0166] The remaining fuel level display unit 1417 displays the remaining amount of fuel stored in the fuel tank as operation information. In the example of Fig. 15, a bar gauge showing the current remaining amount of fuel is displayed on the remaining fuel level display unit 1417. The remaining amount of fuel is displayed based on data output by a fuel level sensor provided in the fuel tank.

[0167] The coolant temperature display unit 1418 displays the temperature state of the engine coolant as operation information of the excavator 100. In the example of Fig. 15, a bar gauge showing the temperature state of the engine coolant is displayed on the coolant temperature display unit 1418. The temperature of the engine coolant is displayed based on data output by a water temperature sensor provided in the engine 11.

[0168] The engine operation time display unit 1419 displays the accumulated operation time of the engine 11 as operation information of the excavator 100. In the example of Fig. 15, the engine operation time display unit 1419 displays the accumulated operation time since the count was restarted by the operator together with the unit "hr (hours)". The engine operation time display unit 1419 may display the entire lifetime operation time after the excavator is manufactured or the section operation time since the count was restarted by the operator.

[0169] The camera image display unit 1420 displays an image captured by the imaging device 80. In the example of FIG. 15, an image captured by the rear camera 80B attached to the rear end of the upper surface of the upper revolving body 3 is displayed on the camera image display unit 1420. The camera image display unit 1420 may display a camera image captured by the left camera 80L attached to the left end of the upper surface of the upper revolving body 3 or the right camera 80R attached to the right end of the upper surface. The camera image display unit 1420 may display images captured by multiple cameras among the left camera 80L, the right camera 80R, and the rear camera 80B in a line. The camera image display unit 1420 may display a composite image of multiple camera images captured by at least two of the left camera 80L, the right camera 80R, and the rear camera 80B. The composite image may be, for example, an overhead image.

[0170] Each camera may be installed so that a part of the upper rotating body 3 is included in the camera image. By including a part of the upper rotating body 3 in the displayed image, the operator can easily grasp the sense of distance between the object displayed on the camera image display unit 1420 and the excavator 100. In the example of Fig. 15, the camera image display unit 1420 displays an image of the counterweight 3w of the upper rotating body 3.

[0171] As shown in the example of FIG. 15, by providing a status display unit in a side view, the operator can easily visually confirm the approach of an obstacle to the attachment in the outer region of the attachment, that is, in the boom raising direction, the arm opening direction, and the bucket opening direction. This allows the operator to easily confirm which part is approaching the obstacle in the vertical direction as well. Furthermore, by providing a status display unit in a top view, the operator can also confirm the approach of an obstacle to the rear and left and right directions of the excavator 100. Note that while FIG. 15 shows the approach of an obstacle in the outer region of the attachment, the status display unit may also display the approach of an obstacle to the attachment in the inner region of the attachment, that is, in the boom lowering direction, the arm closing direction, and the bucket closing direction. Also, when the crawler of the lower traveling body is approaching an obstacle such as a road cone, the position of the obstacle may be displayed on the status display unit in a top view.

[0172] A graphic 1421 showing the orientation of the imaging device 80 that captured the camera image currently being displayed is displayed in the camera image display section 1420. The graphic 1421 is composed of a shovel graphic 1421a showing the shape of the shovel 100 and a belt-shaped direction display graphic 1421b showing the shooting direction of the imaging device 80 that captured the camera image currently being displayed. The graphic 1421 is a display section that displays information related to the setting state of the shovel 100.

[0173] In the example of Fig. 15, a direction display figure 1421b is displayed below the shovel figure 1421a (opposite the figure representing the excavation attachment AT). This indicates that an image of the rear of the shovel 100 captured by the rear camera 80B is displayed in the camera image display section 1420. For example, when an image captured by the right camera 80R is displayed in the camera image display section 1420, the direction display figure 1421b is displayed to the right of the shovel figure 1421a. Also, for example, when an image captured by the left camera 80L is displayed in the camera image display section 1420, the direction display figure 1421b is displayed to the left of the shovel figure 1421a.

[0174] The operator can, for example, by pressing an image changeover switch (not shown) provided in the cabin 10, switch the image displayed on the camera image display unit 1420 to an image captured by another camera.

[0175] If the shovel 100 is not provided with the imaging device 80, different information may be displayed instead of the camera image display section 1420.

[0176] 15 , the work status display section 1430 includes figures 1431 and 1432 of the shovel 100, a figure 1433 indicating the type of screen, and figures 1434 and 1435 indicating the position of a detected object.

[0177] A figure 1431 indicates the state of the shovel 100 when viewed from the side. A figure 1432 indicates the state of the shovel 100 when viewed from above. A figure 1433 is a text message indicating the type of screen displayed in the work status display section 1430. A figure 1434 indicates the position of the detected object, and in the example of FIG. 15, is a circular figure located above the figure 1431. A figure 1435 is a text message indicating the position of the detected object, and in the example of FIG. 15, is displayed as "1 m above the boom" and is highlighted by an underline.

[0178] The controller 30 may be configured to generate the figures 1431 to 1435 based on information about the no-entry area, etc. Specifically, the figures 1431 and 1432 may be generated to represent the actual posture of the shovel 100. In this case, the figures 1431 and 1432 may be animation displays linked to the actual operation of the shovel 100, or may be fixed images. Furthermore, the controller 30 may detect the position of a detected object based on the output of at least one of the imaging device 80 and the obstacle detection device 90, and change the position and size of the figure 1434 according to the detected position.

[0179] With this configuration, the operator of the shovel 100 can see whether an object has been detected or not by looking at the image Gx1, and if an object has been detected, can understand the position of the object relative to the shovel 100. In the example of Fig. 15, the operator of the shovel 100 can understand that an object has been detected at a position 1 m above the boom.

[0180] In the example of FIG. 15, a figure 1431 showing a side surface of the shovel 100 and a figure 1432 showing an upper surface of the shovel 100 are displayed in the work status display section 1430, but instead of at least one of the figures 1431 and 1432, a perspective view of the shovel 100 seen from an oblique angle may be displayed. This allows the traveling operation to be stopped, for example, even if the boom approaches an electric wire while the operator is performing a traveling operation while watching the crawler. Then, the operator can easily confirm that the cause of the stop of traveling is the boom approaching an object present around the shovel 100 by checking the display screen. Furthermore, a predetermined actuator may be driven to perform avoidance control so as not to enter an inaccessible area. In this case, for example, even if the boom approaches an electric wire while the operator is performing a traveling operation while watching the crawler, boom lowering control may be automatically performed to move the boom away from the electric pole. Even in this case, the operator can easily understand that the boom is approaching an object present around the shovel 100 by checking the display screen.

[0181] Next, another example of an image displayed during execution of the no-entry area setting process will be described with reference to Fig. 16. In the example of Fig. 16, the work status display section 1430 of the image Gx2 includes figures 1431 and 1432 of the shovel 100, a figure 1433 indicating the type of screen, and figures 1436-1438 indicating parts of the shovel 100 that may be contacted. These figures 1431-1433 and 1436-1438 are displayed simultaneously with the image of the rear of the shovel 100 displayed in the camera image display section 1420.

[0182] A figure 1431 shows the state of the shovel 100 when viewed from the side. A figure 1432 shows the state of the shovel 100 when viewed from above. A figure 1433 is a text message indicating the type of screen displayed in the work status display section 1430. A figure 1436 shows the position of a part of the shovel 100 that may be contacted, and in the example of FIG. 16, is a frame image surrounding the arm of the shovel 100 in the figure 1431. A figure 1437 shows the position of a part of the shovel 100 that may be contacted, and in the example of FIG. 16, is a frame image surrounding the arm of the shovel 100 in the figure 1432. A figure 1438 is a text message indicating a part of the shovel 100 that may be contacted, and is displayed as "1m ahead of arm" and is highlighted by an underline.

[0183] The controller 30 may be configured to generate the figures 1431-1433 and 1436-1438 based on information about the no-entry area and the like. Specifically, the figures 1431 and 1432 may be generated so as to represent the actual posture of the shovel 100. In this case, the figures 1431 and 1432 may be animation displays linked with the actual operation of the shovel 100, or may be fixed images. Furthermore, the controller 30 may detect the position of a detected object based on the output of at least one of the imaging device 80 and the obstacle detection device 90, and change the position and size of the figures 1436 and 1437 according to the detected position.

[0184] With this configuration, the operator of the shovel 100 can see, by looking at the image Gx2, whether or not a part of the shovel 100 that may be contacted has been detected, and can also know the location of that part if a part of the shovel 100 that may be contacted has been detected. In the example of Fig. 16, the operator of the shovel 100 can detect an object at a position 1 m ahead of the arm and know that there is a risk of contact with the arm. Also, when the crawler of the lower traveling body is approaching an obstacle such as a road cone, the part of the crawler that is closest to the obstacle may be highlighted in the top view status display section.

[0185] In the example of Figure 16, a figure 1431 showing the side of the shovel 100 and a figure 1432 showing the top of the shovel 100 are displayed in the work status display section 1430, but instead of at least one of the figures 1431 and 1432, an oblique view of the shovel 100 seen from an angle may be displayed.

[0186] Next, with reference to FIG. 17, a further example of an image displayed during execution of the no-entry area setting process will be described.

[0187] As shown in FIG. 17, the display screen 41V includes a date and time display area 41a, a driving mode display area 41b, an attachment display area 41c, a fuel efficiency display area 41d, an engine control status display area 41e, an engine operating time display area 41f, a coolant temperature display area 41g, a remaining fuel amount display area 41h, a rotation speed mode display area 41i, a remaining urea water amount display area 41j, a hydraulic oil temperature display area 41k, and a camera image display area 41m.

[0188] The date and time display area 41a is an area for displaying the current date and time. In the example shown in Fig. 17, a digital display is used, and the date (April 1, 2014) and the time (10:05) are displayed.

[0189] The travel mode display area 41b is an area that displays the current travel mode. The travel mode indicates the setting state of the travel hydraulic motor using a variable displacement pump. Specifically, the travel mode has a low-speed mode and a high-speed mode, and in the low-speed mode, a mark representing a "turtle" is displayed, and in the high-speed mode, a mark representing a "rabbit" is displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 17, a mark representing a "turtle" is displayed, so the driver can recognize that the low-speed mode is set.

[0190] The attachment display area 41c is an area that displays an image representing the currently attached attachment. Various attachments, such as a bucket, a rock drill, a grapple, and a lifting magnet, are attached to the excavator 100. The attachment display area 41c displays, for example, marks representing these attachments and numbers corresponding to the attachments. In the example shown in FIG. 17, a mark representing a rock drill is displayed, and the number "1" is displayed as the magnitude of the output of the rock drill.

[0191] The fuel efficiency display area 41d is an area that displays fuel efficiency information calculated by the controller 30. The fuel efficiency display area 41d includes an average fuel efficiency display area 41d1 that displays a lifetime average fuel efficiency or an interval average fuel efficiency, and an instantaneous fuel efficiency display area 41d2 that displays an instantaneous fuel efficiency.

[0192] In the example shown in FIG. 17, average fuel consumption display area 41d1 displays the sectional average fuel consumption numerically with units [L / hr (liters per hour)]. Instantaneous fuel consumption display area 41d2 displays a bar graph made up of nine segments whose on / off state is individually controlled according to the magnitude of the instantaneous fuel consumption. Each segment is controlled so that as the instantaneous fuel consumption increases, the number of segments that are on increases, and as the instantaneous fuel consumption decreases, the number of segments that are on decreases, allowing the driver to visually recognize the magnitude of the instantaneous fuel consumption.

[0193] The engine operation time display area 41f is an area for displaying the accumulated operation time of the engine 11. In the example shown in Fig. 17, the accumulated operation time since the count was restarted by the operator is displayed together with the unit "hr (hours)". The engine operation time display area 41f displays at least one of the entire lifetime operation time since the manufacture of the excavator 100 and the section operation time since the count was restarted by the operator.

[0194] When the driver presses an operation time display changeover switch (not shown), the fuel efficiency information displayed in the average fuel efficiency display area 41d1 is switched together with the operation time information displayed in the engine operation time display area 41f. For example, when the section operation time is displayed in the engine operation time display area 41f, the section average fuel efficiency is displayed in the average fuel efficiency display area 41d1. When the lifetime operation time is displayed in the engine operation time display area 41f, the lifetime average fuel efficiency is displayed in the average fuel efficiency display area 41d1. When both the section operation time and the lifetime operation time are displayed in the engine operation time display area 41f, both the section average fuel efficiency and the lifetime average fuel efficiency are displayed in the average fuel efficiency display area 41d1.

[0195] In this way, each time the operating time display changeover switch is pressed, the fuel efficiency information displayed in the average fuel efficiency display area 41d1 is switched to "section average fuel efficiency," "lifetime average fuel efficiency," or "section average fuel efficiency and lifetime average fuel efficiency." Therefore, by pressing the operating time display changeover switch, the driver can grasp the section average fuel efficiency and lifetime average fuel efficiency, recognize whether the fuel efficiency state of the current work is good or bad, and proceed with the work to further improve fuel efficiency.

[0196] The lifetime average fuel efficiency or section average fuel efficiency displayed in the average fuel efficiency display area 41d1 may be displayed in a unit different from the example shown in Fig. 17, or may be displayed as a bar graph. Also, the instantaneous fuel efficiency may be displayed as a numerical value in the instantaneous fuel efficiency display area 41d2.

[0197] The engine control state display area 41e is an area that displays the control state of the engine 11. In the example shown in Fig. 17, "automatic deceleration / automatic stop mode" is selected as the control state of the engine 11. Note that "automatic deceleration / automatic stop mode" refers to a control state in which the engine speed is automatically reduced and the engine 11 is automatically stopped according to the duration of a low engine load state. Other control states of the engine 11 include "automatic deceleration mode", "automatic stop mode", "manual deceleration mode", etc.

[0198] The coolant temperature display area 41g is an area that displays the current temperature state of the engine coolant. In the example shown in Fig. 17, a bar graph that indicates the temperature state of the engine coolant is displayed. The temperature of the engine coolant is displayed based on data output by the water temperature sensor 11c attached to the engine 11. Specifically, the coolant temperature display area 41g includes an abnormal range display 41g1, a caution range display 41g2, a normal range display 41g3, a segment display 41g4, and an icon display 41g5.

[0199] The abnormal range display 41g1, the caution range display 41g2, and the normal range display 41g3 are displays for informing the driver that the temperature of the engine coolant is in an abnormally high state, a state requiring caution, and a normal state, respectively. The segment display 41g4 is a display for informing the driver of the high or low temperature of the engine coolant. The icon display 41g5 is an icon such as a symbolic figure indicating that the abnormal range display 41g1, the caution range display 41g2, the normal range display 41g3, and the segment display 41g4 are displays relating to the temperature of the engine coolant. The icon display 41g5 may be a character or the like indicating that the display relates to the temperature of the engine coolant.

[0200] In the example shown in Fig. 17, segment display 41g4 is made up of eight segments whose on / off states are individually controlled, and the number of lit segments increases as the coolant temperature increases. In the example shown in Fig. 17, four segments are lit. Note that, although the temperature range represented by each segment is the same in the example shown in Fig. 17, the temperature range may be different for each segment.

[0201] 17, abnormal range display 41g1, caution range display 41g2, and normal range display 41g3 are arc-shaped figures arranged along segment display 41g4, and are constantly lit in red, yellow, and green, for example. In segment display 41g4, the first (lowest) to sixth segments belong to the normal range, the seventh segment belongs to the caution range, and the eighth (highest) segment belongs to the abnormal range.

[0202] In addition, instead of displaying the abnormal range display 41g1, the warning range display 41g2, and the normal range display 41g3 as arc-shaped figures, the cooling water temperature display area 41g may display letters, symbols, etc. representing the abnormal level, warning level, and normal level at each boundary.

[0203] The above configurations including the abnormal range display, the caution range display, the normal range display, the segment display, and the icon display are also adopted in the remaining fuel amount display area 41h, the remaining urea water amount display area 41j, and the hydraulic oil temperature display area 41k. In addition, in the remaining fuel amount display area 41h and the remaining urea water amount display area 41j, instead of displaying arc-shaped figures representing the abnormal range, the caution range, and the normal range, the letter "F" or a black circle (a filled circle) representing "Full," the letter "E" or a white circle (a non-filled circle) representing "Empty," or the like may be displayed at the respective borders.

[0204] The remaining fuel display area 41h is an area that displays the remaining amount of fuel stored in the fuel tank. In the example shown in Fig. 17, a bar graph that indicates the current remaining amount of fuel is displayed. The remaining amount of fuel is displayed based on the data output by the remaining fuel sensor.

[0205] The rotation speed mode display area 41i is an area for displaying an image of the current rotation speed mode set by the engine rotation speed adjustment dial 75. The rotation speed modes include, for example, the above-mentioned four modes: SP mode, H mode, A mode, and idling mode. In the example shown in Fig. 17, the symbol "SP" representing the SP mode is displayed.

[0206] The urea water remaining amount display area 41j is an area for displaying an image of the remaining amount of urea water stored in the urea water tank. In the example shown in Fig. 17, a bar graph showing the current remaining amount of urea water is displayed. The remaining amount of urea water is displayed based on data output by a urea water remaining amount sensor provided in the urea water tank.

[0207] The hydraulic oil temperature display area 41k is an area that displays the temperature state of the hydraulic oil in the hydraulic oil tank. In the example shown in Fig. 17, a bar graph showing the temperature state of the hydraulic oil is displayed. The temperature of the hydraulic oil is displayed based on the data output by the oil temperature sensor 14c.

[0208] In the example shown in Fig. 17, the segments of the coolant temperature display area 41g, the fuel remaining amount display area 41h, the urea water remaining amount display area 41j, and the hydraulic oil temperature display area 41k are displayed so as to expand and contract along the circumferential direction of the same predetermined circle. Specifically, the coolant temperature display area 41g, the fuel remaining amount display area 41h, the urea water remaining amount display area 41j, and the hydraulic oil temperature display area 41k are disposed on the left, upper, lower, and right parts of the predetermined circle, respectively. In the coolant temperature display area 41g and the hydraulic oil temperature display area 41k, the abnormal range display, the caution range display, and the normal range display are arranged in order from the top, and in the fuel remaining amount display area 41h and the urea water remaining amount display area 41j, the abnormal range display, the caution range display, and the normal range display are arranged in order from the left. In the remaining fuel amount display area 41h and the remaining urea water amount display area 41j, the more the remaining amount, the more the number of segments that are lit. The segment is in the normal range, the seventh segment is in the caution range, and the eighth (leftmost) The segment is in the anomalous range.

[0209] Further, in the coolant temperature display area 41g, the remaining fuel amount display area 41h, the remaining urea water amount display area 41j, and the hydraulic oil temperature display area 41k, needle displays may be used instead of bar graph displays.

[0210] The camera image display area 41m is an area for displaying an image captured by the imaging device 80. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the camera image display area 41m displays an overhead image, which is a composite image of a plurality of camera images captured by the front camera 80F, the left camera 80L, the right camera 80R, and the rear camera 80B. Specifically, the camera image display area 41m includes a figure 41m1 of the shovel 100 viewed from above, and figures 41m2 and 41m3 indicating the position of the detected object. The figure 41m1 is a figure of the shovel 100 viewed from above. The figure 41m2 is a figure indicating the position of the detected object, and is a frame image displayed so as to overlap with the boom. The figure 41m3 is a text message indicating the position of the detected object, and is displayed as "1m above the boom" and is highlighted by an underline.

[0211] With this configuration, the operator of the shovel 100 can see whether an object has been detected by looking at the display screen 41V, and can also see the position of the object relative to the shovel 100 if an object has been detected. In the example of FIG. 17, the operator of the shovel 100 can see that an object has been detected at a position 1 m above the boom. This is true not only above the boom, but also in the arm opening direction, bucket opening direction, boom below, arm closing direction, and bucket closing direction. Furthermore, when the shovel 100 approaches an obstacle present behind or on either the left or right side, the obstacle may be highlighted in the camera image display area 41m. This allows the operator to check the approach of obstacles behind or to the left or right of the shovel 100 (whether or not an object has entered the surrounding area of ​​the shovel 100).

[0212] This international application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-058913, filed on March 26, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0213] 1 Undercarriage 3. Upper rotating body 4. Boom 5 Arm 6 Bucket 30 Controller 301 Posture grasping unit 302 Positional relationship grasping part 303 No entry area setting section 304 Entry Judgment Section 305 Motion control section 306 No entry area release section 307 Display control section 40 Display device 41 Image display unit 80 Imaging device 90 Obstacle detection device 100 Shovel T1 Transmitter

Claims

1. A lower running body; An upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body; An actuator mounted on the lower traveling body or the upper rotating body; a control device capable of limiting the movement of the actuator; the control device has an operation control unit that determines whether or not a shovel has entered an inaccessible area set for an obstacle installed in a working area, and that, when it is determined that the shovel has entered, slows down or stops the operation of the shovel; A display unit that displays the no-entry area by superimposing it on a layout drawing or a construction plan drawing, The display unit simultaneously displays a layout diagram or a construction plan diagram before and after the no-entry area is set, Shovel.

2. The positional relationship between the obstacle and the shovel is displayed by being superimposed on the layout drawing or the construction plan drawing. The shovel according to claim 1.

Images