Excavator

Abstract

To provide a shovel that can further improve safety.SOLUTION: A shovel 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a sensor 45X that acquires information on the light reflection intensity received from an object around the shovel 100 and information on the distance to an object around the shovel 100, and a controller 30 that performs at least one of output of an alarm and limitation of the operation of the shovel based on the output of the sensor 45X. For example, the sensor 45X irradiates light (infrared) around the shovel 100 and receives the reflected light to acquire information on the light reflection intensity of the object around the shovel 100 and information on the distance to the object around the shovel 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] There is known technology that scans a laser light around a shovel, receives reflected light from surrounding objects, and detects and identifies the position of a monitored object around the shovel (e.g., a person such as a worker) based on the received level (intensity) of the reflected light (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses that the position of a worker as a monitored object is identified, and an alarm is output or the operation of a shovel is restricted according to the identified position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-180943 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when the position of an object around the shovel is specified by the intensity of the received reflected light, for example, if a certain range is assumed for the intensity of the reflected light received from the monitored object, it may not be possible to accurately grasp the position of the object. For example, it may not be possible to distinguish between an object with relatively low retroreflectivity that exists near the shovel and an object with relatively high retroreflectivity that is far away from the shovel. Therefore, when an alarm is output or the operation of the shovel is restricted depending on the positional relationship between the shovel and the object, the conditions for outputting the alarm or restricting the operation of the shovel may vary. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of the safety of the shovel.

[0006] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a shovel that can further improve safety. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, in one embodiment of the present invention, a sensor that acquires information regarding the intensity of reflected light received from objects around the shovel and information regarding the distance to the objects around the shovel; a control device that performs at least one of outputting an alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel based on the output of the sensor, The sensor includes a first sensor that irradiates light around the shovel and receives reflected light to acquire information about the intensity of reflected light from objects around the shovel, and a second sensor that acquires information about the distance to the objects around the shovel, the control device is capable of detecting a predetermined object based on an output of the first sensor, and is also capable of detecting the predetermined object based on an output of the second sensor; The first sensor and the second sensor acquire information about an object in at least one direction among the rear, left side, and right side of the upper rotating body, and are provided so that, in an angular direction in a top view centered on the shovel, a range in which the control device can detect the predetermined object based on the output of the first sensor is wider than a range in which the control device can detect the predetermined object based on the output of the second sensor. R, the first sensor acquires information regarding the distance in addition to information regarding the intensity; the control device performs at least one of outputting the alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel based only on the information on the distance acquired by the second sensor out of the information on the distance acquired by each of the first sensor and the second sensor. Shovel provided. In another embodiment of the present invention, a sensor that acquires information regarding the intensity of reflected light received from objects around the shovel and information regarding the distance to the objects around the shovel; a control device that performs at least one of outputting an alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel based on the output of the sensor, The sensor includes a first sensor that irradiates light around the shovel and receives reflected light to acquire information about the intensity of reflected light from objects around the shovel, and a second sensor that acquires information about the distance to the objects around the shovel, the control device detects a predetermined object based on the information related to the intensity and the information related to the distance, and performs at least one of outputting an alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel when the intensity of the reflected light received from the detected predetermined object is higher than a predetermined standard and the detected object is within a predetermined range adjacent to the shovel. Shovel provided. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the above-described embodiment, a shovel that can further improve safety can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1A] FIG. [Figure 1B] FIG. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a surroundings monitoring device. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a surroundings monitoring device. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a surroundings monitoring device. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example (through image) of a monitoring image displayed on a display device. [Figure 3B] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example (bird's-eye view image) of the monitoring image displayed on the display device. [Figure 4A] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating specific examples of detectable areas of a detection unit. [Figure 4B] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating specific examples of detectable areas of a detection unit. [Figure 5A] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a specific example of a worker at a work site. [Figure 5B]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a specific example of a worker at a work site. [Figure 5C] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a specific example of a worker at a work site. [Figure 5D] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a specific example of a worker at a work site. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the movement restriction range when optional equipment is installed. [Figure 7] 11 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining whether or not a shovel has come into contact with a monitoring target in the vicinity thereof. FIG. [Figure 8A] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a method for controlling the operation of a motion restriction function. [Figure 8B] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a method for controlling the operation of a motion restriction function. [Figure 9A] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a specific example of a monitoring image when a monitoring target is detected. [Figure 9B] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a specific example of a monitoring image when a monitoring target is detected. [Figure 9C] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a specific example of a monitoring image when a monitoring target is detected. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [Outline of the excavator] First, an overview of a shovel 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 (FIGS. 1A and 1B).

[0012] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of a shovel 100 according to this embodiment, and specifically, are a side view and a top view of the shovel 100, respectively.

[0013] The excavator 100 includes a lower running structure 1, an upper rotating structure 3 mounted on the lower running structure 1 so as to be rotatable via a rotating mechanism 2, a boom 4, an arm 5, and a bucket 6 as attachments, and a cabin 10.

[0014] The lower traveling body 1 includes, for example, a pair of left and right crawlers 1C (a left crawler 1CL and a right crawler 1CR), and the crawlers 1CL, 1CR are hydraulically driven by corresponding traveling hydraulic motors 1M, respectively, to thereby self-propel.

[0015] The upper rotating body 3 rotates relative to the lower traveling body 1 as the rotating mechanism 2 is hydraulically driven by the rotating hydraulic motor 2A.

[0016] An imaging device 40 and a surrounding information acquisition device 45 are mounted on the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3.

[0017] The upper rotating body 3 is also equipped with a power source for the shovel 100. The power source for the shovel 100 includes, for example, an engine 11 (for example, a diesel engine, etc.) that runs on a predetermined fuel (for example, diesel). The power source for the shovel 100 may include, instead of or in addition to the engine 11, a power storage device (for example, a capacitor or a lithium-ion battery, etc.) or an electric motor that runs on power supplied from an external power source connected by a cable.

[0018] In addition, the upper rotating body 3 is equipped with various hydraulic devices such as a main pump 14, a pilot pump 15, and control valves.

[0019] The main pump 14 is driven by a power source such as the engine 11 or an electric motor, and supplies hydraulic oil to various hydraulic actuators under the control of the controller 30. The hydraulic actuators include the above-mentioned traveling hydraulic motor 1M and swing hydraulic motor 2A, as well as a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, and a bucket cylinder 9, which will be described later.

[0020] The pilot pump 15 is driven by a power source such as an engine or an electric motor, and supplies hydraulic oil to various hydraulic pilot type hydraulic devices (for example, the operating device 26, the control valve 17, etc.).

[0021] The control valve 17 selectively supplies hydraulic oil discharged from the main pump 14 to each hydraulic actuator according to the operation state of the driven body (i.e., the corresponding hydraulic actuator), and adjusts the flow rate and flow direction of the hydraulic oil supplied to the hydraulic actuator. For example, the control valve 17 may be composed of a plurality of control valves (directional control valves) that control the direction and flow rate of the hydraulic oil supplied to each hydraulic actuator. The control valve 17 may be, for example, hydraulically driven, and may be configured such that a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation content of each hydraulic actuator is input to drive the control valve (directional control valve) corresponding to each hydraulic actuator. The control valve 17 may also be electrically driven (for example, electromagnetic solenoid type), and may be configured such that a control valve (directional control valve) corresponding to each hydraulic actuator is driven by inputting an electric signal corresponding to the operation content of the operating device 26.

[0022] The boom 4 is pivotally attached to the front center of the upper rotating body 3 so as to be able to tilt up and down, an arm 5 is pivotally attached to the tip of the boom 4 so as to be able to rotate up and down, and a bucket 6 is pivotally attached to the tip of the arm 5 so as to be able to rotate up and down.

[0023] The bucket 6 is an example of an end attachment, and is attached to the tip of the arm 5 in a suitably replaceable manner depending on the work content of the excavator 100. In other words, instead of the bucket 6, a bucket of a different type from the bucket 6, such as a relatively large bucket, a bucket for slopes, or a dredging bucket, may be attached to the tip of the arm 5. Also, a type of end attachment other than a bucket, such as an agitator, a breaker, or a crusher, may be attached to the tip of the arm 5. Also, a spare attachment such as a quick coupling or a tiltrotator may be interposed between the arm 5 and the end attachment.

[0024] The boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 are hydraulically driven by a boom cylinder 7, an arm cylinder 8, and a bucket cylinder 9, respectively.

[0025] The cabin 10 is a control room in which an operator sits and operates the excavator 100, and is mounted, for example, on the front left side of the upper rotating body 3.

[0026] The cabin 10 is provided with an operation device 26, a controller 30, a display device 50, an input device 52, a sound output device 54, etc.

[0027] The operation device 26 is used to operate driven bodies driven by actuators (specifically, hydraulic actuators) such as the lower traveling body 1, the upper rotating body 3, and the attachments (boom 4, arm 5, and bucket 6). In other words, the operation device 26 is used to operate each hydraulic actuator (travel hydraulic motor 1M, swing hydraulic motor 2A, boom cylinder 7, arm cylinder 8, bucket cylinder 9, etc. corresponding to each of the crawlers 1CL, 1CR) that drive the driven bodies. The operation device 26 includes, for example, lever devices, pedal devices, etc. corresponding to each driven body, i.e., each hydraulic actuator.

[0028] The operating device 26 is, for example, a hydraulic pilot type. In this case, the operating device 26 uses hydraulic oil supplied from the pilot pump 15 to output a pilot pressure according to the operation content (e.g., operation direction, operation amount, etc.) of each driven body (i.e., each corresponding hydraulic actuator) to the control valve 17. In this way, the control valve 17 can realize the operation of each driven body (i.e., each corresponding hydraulic actuator) according to the operation content of the operating device 26.

[0029] Also, the operating device 26 may be, for example, electric. In this case, the operating device 26 outputs an electric signal (hereinafter, "operation signal") corresponding to the operation content of each driven body (i.e., each corresponding hydraulic actuator) to the controller 30. Then, the controller 30 outputs a control command corresponding to the operation signal to an operating hydraulic control valve (e.g., a hydraulic control valve 56 described later) provided in an oil passage (pilot line) between the pilot pump 15 and the control valve 17. As a result, the operating hydraulic control valve can apply a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation signal, that is, a pilot pressure corresponding to the operation content related to each driven body (i.e., each hydraulic actuator) in the operating device 26, to the control valve 17 using hydraulic oil supplied from the pilot pump 15. Therefore, the control valve 17 can realize the operation of each driven body (i.e., each corresponding hydraulic actuator) according to the operation content of the operating device 26.

[0030] Further, the driven body of the shovel 100, that is, the corresponding actuator (hydraulic actuator), may be remotely operated. In this case, a communication device is mounted on the shovel 100, and a signal indicating the content of the remote operation (hereinafter, "remote operation signal") is transmitted from a predetermined external device to the shovel 100, and the controller 30 receives the remote operation signal through the communication device. Then, the controller 30 outputs a control command to the hydraulic control valve for operation according to the content of the remote operation (for example, the driven body or hydraulic actuator to be operated, the operation direction, the operation amount, etc.) specified by the remote operation signal. Thereby, the hydraulic control valve for operation can apply a pilot pressure according to the content of the remote operation to the control valve 17 using the hydraulic oil supplied from the pilot pump 15. Thus, the control valve 17 can realize the operation of each driven body (that is, each corresponding hydraulic actuator) according to the content of the remote operation.

[0031] In addition, in the shovel 100, some or all of the various hydraulic actuators may be replaced with electric actuators. That is, the shovel 100 may be a hybrid shovel or an electric shovel. In this case, the controller 30 may output a control command to the electric actuator according to the operation content of the operating device 26 or the content of remote operation defined by the remote operation signal.

[0032] [Configuration of Periphery Monitoring Device] Next, with reference to FIG. 2 (FIGS. 2A and 2B) and FIG. 3 (FIGS. 3A and 3B) in addition to FIG. 1, the configuration of a periphery monitoring device 200 mounted on a shovel 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0033] Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the periphery monitoring device 200 according to this embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 2A is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the periphery monitoring device 200 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2B is a diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration for sounding the horn 54a. Fig. 2C is a diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration for sounding the traveling alarm 54b.

[0034] The periphery monitoring device 200 monitors the entry of a predetermined object to be monitored (hereinafter simply referred to as a "monitoring target") into a predetermined range around the shovel 100. When the periphery monitoring device 200 detects a monitoring target within the predetermined range around the shovel 100, it activates a safety function for ensuring safety around the shovel 100.

[0035] The safety function may include, for example, an alarm function for notifying the detection of a monitored object by outputting an alarm at least one of the inside and the outside of the cabin 10. This makes it possible to alert the operator inside the cabin 10 and workers around the shovel 100 that a monitored object exists within a predetermined range around the shovel 100. Hereinafter, the alarm function for the inside of the cabin 10, i.e., the operator, etc., may be referred to as an "internal alarm function", and the alarm function for the outside of the cabin 10, i.e., the workers around the shovel 100, may be referred to as an "external alarm function", to distinguish between the two. The safety function may also include, for example, an operation limiting function for limiting the operation of the shovel 100 in response to the operation of the operating device 26 or remote operation.

[0036] The operation limiting function includes at least one of an operation deceleration function that slows down the operating speed of the shovel 100 in response to operation of the operating device 26 or remote operation, and an operation stop function that stops the operation of the shovel 100 and maintains it in a stopped state regardless of operation of the operating device 26 or remote operation.

[0037] The monitored objects may include people such as workers working around the shovel 100 and supervisors at the work site. The monitored objects may also include any objects (i.e., obstacles) other than people, such as materials temporarily stored at the work site, stationary obstacles such as temporary offices at the work site, and moving obstacles such as vehicles including trucks. In the following, in this embodiment, the explanation will be centered on the case where the monitored object is a person.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2A, the surroundings monitoring device 200 includes a controller 30, an operation information output device 29, an imaging device 40, a surroundings information acquisition device 45, a display device 50, an input device 52, a sound output device 54, and a hydraulic control valve 56.

[0039] The controller 30 is a control device that controls the functions of the periphery monitoring device 200. The controller 30 is mounted in the cabin 10, for example.

[0040] The functions of the controller 30 may be realized by any hardware or any combination of hardware and software. The controller 30 is mainly configured with a computer including, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a memory device (main storage device) such as a random access memory (RAM), an auxiliary storage device such as a read only memory (ROM), and an interface device. The controller 30 includes, for example, a display processing unit 301, a setting unit 302, a detection unit 304, and a safety function control unit 305 as functional units realized by executing, on the CPU, one or more programs installed in the auxiliary storage device. The controller 30 also uses a storage unit 303. The storage unit 303 can be realized, for example, by an auxiliary storage device, an external storage device connected to the controller 30 so as to be able to communicate with the controller 30, or the like.

[0041] Incidentally, some or all of the functions of the controller 30 may be realized by another controller. In other words, the functions of the periphery monitoring device 200 may be shared and realized by a plurality of controllers. Furthermore, the controller 30 may perform control related to the shovel 100 other than the functions of the periphery monitoring device 200. In other words, the controller 30 may be a dedicated control device specialized for the functions of the periphery monitoring device 200, or may be a general-purpose control device that performs control related to various functions of the shovel 100 including the functions of the periphery monitoring device 200.

[0042] The operation information output device 29 outputs the operation details of the operation device 26 or the details of remote operation, that is, information (hereinafter referred to as "operation information") relating to the operation details of each driven body (that is, each corresponding hydraulic actuator).

[0043] The operation information output device 29 may be, for example, a sensor that acquires information regarding the operation content of the operation device 26 (hereinafter, referred to as "operation information acquisition sensor"). The operation information acquisition sensor is, for example, a linear encoder that senses the operation direction and operation amount of a lever, pedal, or the like of the operation device 26. The operation information acquisition sensor is, for example, a pressure sensor that senses the secondary pilot pressure of the hydraulic pilot type operation device 26. The operation information output device 29 may be, for example, an electric operation device 26. This is because the operation signal output from the electric operation device 26 corresponds to the operation information. The operation information output device 29 is, for example, a communication device that receives a remote operation signal from an external device.

[0044] The imaging device 40 is attached to the upper part of the upper rotating body 3, captures images of the surroundings of the shovel 100 from areas relatively close to the shovel 100 to areas relatively far from the shovel 100, and outputs the captured images. The imaging device 40 includes cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R. Hereinafter, the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R may be collectively referred to as "camera 40X."

[0045] The cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R are attached to the upper rear end, upper left end, and upper right end of the upper rotating body 3, respectively, and capture images of the rear, left side, and right side of the upper rotating body 3. For example, the camera 40X is a monocular camera (i.e., a wide-angle camera) having a very wide angle of view. Also, for example, the camera 40X may be a stereo camera or a depth camera. The camera 40B captures an image range behind the upper rotating body 3, for example, an image range in the horizontal direction (i.e., the circumferential direction as seen from the shovel 100) extending from the left rear to the right rear. Also, the camera 40L captures an image range on the left side of the upper rotating body 3, for example, an image range in the horizontal direction (the circumferential direction as seen from the shovel 100) extending from the left front to the left rear of the upper rotating body 3. Camera 40R captures an image in an imaging range to the right of upper rotating body 3, for example, an imaging range in a horizontal direction (circumferential direction as seen from shovel 100) extending from the right front to the right rear of upper rotating body 3. Camera 40X is attached to the upper part of upper rotating body 3 with its optical axis facing diagonally downward, and captures an image in a vertical imaging range including from the ground near shovel 100 to the area far from shovel 100.

[0046] The camera 40X outputs a captured image at predetermined intervals (e.g., 1 / 30 seconds) from the start (i.e., key switch ON) to the stop (i.e., key switch OFF) of the shovel 100. The captured image output from the camera 40X is captured by the controller 30.

[0047] The surrounding information acquisition device 45 is attached to the upper part of the upper rotating body 3, and acquires information regarding the situation around the excavator 100. The surrounding information acquisition device 45 includes sensors 45BL, 45BR, 45L, and 45R. Hereinafter, the sensors 45BL, 45BR, 45L, and 45R may be collectively referred to as "sensor 45X."

[0048] The sensors 45BL, 45BR, 45L, and 45R are attached to the upper left rear end, upper right rear end, upper left end, and upper right end of the upper rotating body 3, respectively, and acquire information on the conditions of the left rear, right rear, left side, and right side of the upper rotating body 3. For example, the sensor 45X is a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). Also, for example, the sensor 45X may be a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like. The following description will be centered on the case where the sensor 45X is a LIDAR.

[0049] The sensor 45X, for example, emits infrared rays in a certain direction and receives reflected light (infrared rays) from an object in that direction to obtain information that represents the situation around the shovel 100, specifically, information about the received reflected light (hereinafter, "received light information"). The sensor 45X is, for example, a scanning LIDAR, and is a three-dimensional laser scanner that can scan the irradiation direction of an infrared laser in the up-down and left-right directions. The sensor 45X may also be a so-called flash-type LIDAR that emits infrared rays from a light-emitting module over a wide three-dimensional range and captures the reflected light (infrared rays) with a three-dimensional distance image element.

[0050] The light reception information includes information regarding the time (TOF: Time Of Flight) from when infrared light is emitted until the reflected light is received for each direction of infrared light irradiation (hereinafter referred to as "TOF information"), and information regarding the intensity of the reflected light received for each direction of infrared light irradiation (hereinafter referred to as "received light intensity information").

[0051] The sensor 45BL is configured to be able to irradiate infrared rays to an irradiation range on the left rear side of the upper rotating body 3, for example, an irradiation range in the horizontal direction (i.e., the circumferential direction as seen from the shovel 100) extending from the left rear to the rear of the upper rotating body 3. The sensor 45BR is configured to be able to irradiate infrared rays to an irradiation range on the right rear side of the upper rotating body 3, for example, an irradiation range in the horizontal direction (the circumferential direction as seen from the shovel 100) extending from the right rear to the rear of the upper rotating body 3. The sensor 45L is configured to be able to irradiate infrared rays to an irradiation range on the left side of the upper rotating body 3, for example, an irradiation range in the horizontal direction (the circumferential direction as seen from the shovel 100) extending from the left front to the left rear of the upper rotating body 3. The sensor 45R is configured to be able to irradiate infrared rays to an irradiation range on the right side of the upper rotating body 3, for example, an irradiation range from the right front to the right rear of the upper rotating body 3. In addition, the sensor 45X is mounted on the upper part of the upper rotating body 3 so that its optical axis (i.e., the reference axis for the direction of infrared radiation) faces diagonally downward, and has an infrared radiation irradiation range in the vertical direction centered on the part of the ground relatively close to the shovel 100.

[0052] The sensors 45X each output light reception information at a predetermined cycle from start to stop of the shovel 100. The light reception information output from the sensors 45X is input to the controller 30.

[0053] The display device 50 is provided around the cockpit in the cabin 10, specifically at a position easily visible to the operator seated in the cockpit, and displays various image information to notify the operator. The display device 50 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display, and may be a touch panel type that also serves as the input device 52. The display device 50 displays an image (hereinafter, "monitoring image") showing the state of the surroundings of the excavator 100 (own machine) based on, for example, an image captured by the imaging device 40 under the control of the controller 30 (display processing unit 301), as described below.

[0054] The input device 52 accepts operation inputs from an operator regarding various functions of the periphery monitoring device 200, and outputs the inputs to the controller 30. The input device 52 includes any hardware operation means, such as a touch panel, a touch pad, a button, a toggle, a rotary knob, etc. The input device 52 may also include software operation means that can be operated through the hardware operation means, such as a virtual button icon on an operation screen displayed on the display device 50.

[0055] The sound output device 54 outputs sound toward at least one of the inside and the outside of the cabin 10. The sound output device 54 may include, for example, a speaker, a buzzer, or the like provided inside the cabin 10, and may output sound toward the operator. The sound output device 54 may also include, for example, a horn 54a, a traveling alarm 54b, or the like, and may output sound toward the outside of the cabin 10, specifically, toward the periphery of the excavator 100.

[0056] The horn 54a is mounted on the front part of the upper rotating body 3, for example.

[0057] 2B, the horn 54a sounds when a relay 62 provided in a power path between the horn 54a and the battery 60 is closed in response to an ON operation of a knob switch 64 provided in the cabin 10. When starting to travel, an operator or the like can turn on the knob switch 64 to sound the horn 54a, thereby notifying people around the shovel 100 that the shovel 100 (lower traveling body 1) is about to start traveling.

[0058] The traveling alarm 54b is mounted on the rear of the upper rotating body 3, for example.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 2C, under the control of the controller 30, the traveling alarm 54b outputs a predetermined sound (for example, a repeated beep sound of "beep, beep, beep, ...") in a predetermined pattern when the lower traveling body 1 is traveling, that is, when the crawler 1C is being operated.

[0060] Returning to FIG. 2A, the hydraulic control valve 56 is provided in a pilot line connecting the pilot pump 15 and the control valve 17 (specifically, the pilot port of the control valve corresponding to each hydraulic actuator). The hydraulic control valve 56 is operable by a control command from the controller 30, and adjusts the pilot pressure acting on the control valve 17. The hydraulic control valve 56 may be provided, for example, in a pilot line between the pilot pump 15 and the hydraulic pilot type operating device 26, that is, in a pilot line on the primary side of the operating device 26. The hydraulic control valve 56 may also be provided, for example, in a pilot line between the operating device 26 and the control valve 17, that is, in a pilot line on the secondary side of the operating device 26. The hydraulic control valve 56 may also be a hydraulic control valve for the above-mentioned operation in the case of an electric operating device 26 or in the case of remote operation. The hydraulic control valve 56 is, for example, an electromagnetic proportional valve. Specifically, the hydraulic control valve 56 can adjust the pilot pressure acting on the control valve 17 under the control of the controller 30, regardless of the operation details of the operating device 26 or the details of remote operation. In other words, the controller 30 can use the hydraulic control valve 56 to control the operation of the excavator 100, regardless of the operation details of the operating device 26 or the details of remote operation.

[0061] The display processing unit 301 causes the display device 50 to display a monitoring image showing the state (situation) of the periphery of the shovel 100 based on the image captured by the imaging device 40.

[0062] For example, the display processing unit 301 causes at least one captured image from the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R to be displayed on the display device 50 as a surveillance image in response to a predetermined operation on the input device 52. That is, the display processing unit 301 may cause all captured images from the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R or images from two cameras to be displayed side-by-side on the display device 50, or may cause only an image from any one of the cameras to be displayed on the display device 50. Hereinafter, the captured image displayed on the display device 50 may be referred to as a "through image."

[0063] The display processing unit 301 may switch which of the captured images of the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R is to be displayed on the display device 50 in response to a predetermined operation on the input device 52. This allows the operator to operate the input device 52 to cause the display device 50 to display a through image in the direction that the operator desires to view.

[0064] Also, for example, the display processing unit 301 generates a composite image by combining images captured by multiple cameras (at least two of cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R) based on an image captured by the imaging device 40, and displays a surveillance image including the composite image on the display device 50.

[0065] Specifically, the display processing unit 301 generates a viewpoint conversion image seen from a virtual viewpoint as a composite image by performing known viewpoint conversion processing and composition processing, etc., based on the captured images of the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R, and displays the generated image on the display device 50. When displaying the composite image on the display device 50, the display processing unit 301 also displays a shovel image that typically represents the shovel 100 on the display device 50 in order to clearly indicate the relative positional relationship between the imaging range of the imaging device 40 and the shovel 100. That is, the display processing unit 301 generates a monitoring image including the shovel image and a viewpoint conversion image arranged around the shovel image in accordance with the relative positional relationship between the shovel 100 and the imaging range of the imaging device 40, and displays the generated image on the display device 50.

[0066] The function of the display processing unit 301 may be incorporated in the display device 50.

[0067] For example, Fig. 3 (Fig. 3A, Fig. 3B) is a diagram showing a specific example of a monitoring image displayed on the display device 50. Specifically, Fig. 3A is a diagram showing one example of a monitoring image displayed on the display device 50 (monitoring image MP1 including a through image), and Fig. 5B is a diagram showing another example of a monitoring image displayed on the display device 50 (monitoring image MP2 including a viewpoint conversion image).

[0068] 3A, in this example, an image captured by the camera 40B (through image) is displayed as a monitoring image MP1 on the display device 50. This allows the operator to grasp the situation around the shovel 100 (in this example, behind the upper rotating body 3) (for example, whether there is a person or other target to be monitored around the shovel 100).

[0069] 3B, a monitoring image MP2 including a shovel image CG and a viewpoint converted image EP arranged around the shovel image CG is displayed on the display device 50. This allows the operator to properly grasp the positional relationship between the shovel 100 and surrounding objects shown in the viewpoint converted image EP.

[0070] Furthermore, a line LN1 at a certain distance from the shovel 100 is displayed superimposed on the viewpoint converted image EP of the monitoring image MP2. The line LN1 may represent, for example, the outer edge of the monitoring area of ​​the object being monitored by the periphery monitoring device 200 (detection unit 304). This allows the operator to properly grasp the distance relationship between the shovel 100 and the surrounding objects shown in the viewpoint converted image EP.

[0071] In this example, the viewpoint conversion image EP is composed of a combination of an overhead image BVP of the surrounding area adjacent to the shovel 100 viewed from directly above, and a horizontal image HVP of the surrounding area viewed horizontally from the shovel 100, which is arranged around the overhead image BVP. The viewpoint conversion image EP is obtained by projecting the captured images of the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R onto a spatial model, and then reprojecting the projected images onto the spatial model onto another two-dimensional plane. The spatial model is a projection target of the captured images in the virtual space, and is composed of one or more planes or curved surfaces, including planes or curved surfaces other than the plane on which the captured images are located.

[0072] The setting unit 302 performs various settings related to the periphery monitoring device 200 in response to a request from an operator or the like, i.e., in response to an operation by the operator or the like via the input device 52. For example, the setting unit 302 sets detection conditions related to the detection unit 304 and operation conditions of safety functions related to the safety function control unit 305. The setting contents set by the setting unit 302 are stored (registered) in the storage unit 303.

[0073] In the storage unit 303, various types of information related to the periphery monitoring device 200 are stored (registered).

[0074] The detection unit 304 detects a monitoring target around the excavator 100 (upper rotating body 3) based on the output of the imaging device 40 and the surrounding information acquisition device 45. The detection unit 304 includes a detection unit 304A and a detection unit 304B.

[0075] The detection unit 304A detects a monitoring target in a specified monitoring area (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as the "first monitoring area") around the shovel 100 (upper rotating body 3) based on the output of the imaging device 40, i.e., the image captured by the imaging device 40.

[0076] The detection unit 304A detects a monitoring target, for example, in a horizontal direction as seen from the shovel 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "horizontal direction"), that is, in a first monitoring area extending in a direction along a plane (hereinafter for convenience referred to as the "work plane") on which the shovel 100 is working (the lower traveling structure 1 is on the ground). Specifically, the detection unit 304A may detect a monitoring target in a first monitoring area where the horizontal distance D from the shovel 100 (upper rotating structure 3) is within a predetermined distance Dth1 (for example, 5 meters).

[0077] For example, the detection unit 304A recognizes the surveillance target in the captured image by arbitrarily applying various known image processing methods, a machine learning-based classifier including artificial intelligence (AI), and the like.

[0078] In addition, the detection unit 304A can determine (estimate) the position (e.g., the foot position) (hereinafter referred to as the "actual position") of a recognized monitoring target (person) captured in an image captured by the monocular imaging device 40 by applying various known techniques.

[0079] For example, the detection unit 304A estimates the horizontal position (hereinafter, "horizontal position") as seen from the shovel 100 based on the size (e.g., the size in the height direction on the captured image) of the recognized monitoring target on the captured image. This is because there is a correlation in which the size of the recognized monitoring target on the captured image becomes smaller as the monitoring target moves away from the shovel 100. Specifically, since there is a range of expected sizes for the monitoring target (e.g., the range of expected human heights), the correlation between the horizontal position of the monitoring target included in the expected range of sizes as seen from the shovel 100 and its size on the captured image can be specified in advance. Therefore, the detection unit 304A can estimate the actual position (horizontal position from the shovel 100) of the recognized monitoring target based on, for example, a map or a conversion formula that indicates the correlation between the size of the monitoring target on the captured image and the horizontal position as seen from the shovel 100, which is stored in advance in an internal memory such as an auxiliary storage device of the controller 30.

[0080] Furthermore, for example, under the assumption that the monitored object exists on the same plane as the shovel 100 (specifically, the lower traveling body 1), the detection unit 304A can estimate the actual position (e.g., foot position) of the monitored object by projective transformation (homography) of the captured image onto the plane. In this case, a certain part (a certain point) constituting the captured image is associated with a certain position on the same plane as the shovel 100.

[0081] The detection unit 304B detects a monitoring target in a predetermined monitoring area (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as a "second monitoring area") around the shovel 100 (upper rotating body 3) based on the output (i.e., light reception information) of the surrounding information acquisition device 45. Hereinafter, the first monitoring area and the second monitoring area may be collectively referred to as the "monitoring area".

[0082] The detection unit 304B detects the monitoring target in, for example, a second monitoring area extending in a horizontal direction, that is, in a direction along a work plane. Specifically, the detection unit 304B may detect the monitoring target in the second monitoring area in which the horizontal distance D from the shovel 100 (upper rotating body 3) is within a predetermined distance Dth2. The predetermined distances Dth1 and Dth2 may be the same or different. That is, the first monitoring area and the second monitoring area may be the same or different. For example, the detection unit 304A may monitor the monitoring target in the first monitoring area including a range relatively far from the shovel 100, and the detection unit 304B may monitor the monitoring target in the second monitoring area limited to a range relatively closer to the shovel 100 than the first monitoring area.

[0083] The detection unit 304B recognizes the presence and position of surrounding objects based on TOF information from the light reception information acquired from the surrounding information acquisition device 45. The detection unit 304B may also recognize the type of surrounding objects by recognizing the shape and size of the object based on the light reception information (TOF information) corresponding to the reflected light received from a plurality of irradiation directions, and determine whether the object corresponds to a monitoring target. The detection unit 304B may also recognize the type of object by recognizing the retroreflectivity and reflectance of the surrounding objects based on the light reception intensity information from the light reception information, and determine whether the object corresponds to a monitoring target.

[0084] Furthermore, the functions of the detection units 304A and 304B may be switched between ON (enabled) and OFF (disabled) in response to a predetermined operation by an operator or the like on the input device 52. In this case, when the function of either one of the detection units 304A and 304B is OFF (disabled), an operation to turn OFF (disable) the other function may be invalid. In other words, only one of the functions of the detection units 304A and 304B may be switchable to OFF (disabled).

[0085] Incidentally, the detection unit 304 may output one detection result regarding the monitoring target by integrating the outputs of both the imaging device 40 and the surrounding information acquisition device 45, instead of outputting two detection results regarding the monitoring target based on the detection units 304A and 304B. The detection unit 304 may detect the monitoring target based on only one of the outputs of the imaging device 40 and the surrounding information acquisition device 45. A part or all of the functions of the detection unit 304A may be built into the imaging device 40 (camera 40X). The functions of the detection unit 304B may be built into the surrounding information acquisition device 45 (sensor 45X). For example, among the functions of the detection unit 304B, the function of detecting an object based on received light information (TOF information and received light intensity information) is built into the sensor 45X, and an object detected by the sensor 45X is detected as the monitoring target. To The controller 30 may be configured to realize only the function of determining whether or not the condition applies.

[0086] When the detection unit 304 detects a monitoring target, the safety function control unit 305 performs control related to the safety function and activates the safety function.

[0087] The safety function control unit 305 activates the notification function, for example, when the detection unit 304 detects a monitoring target in a predetermined range (hereinafter, "notification range") included in the monitoring area. The notification range may be the same as the monitoring area, or may be set so that its outer edge is relatively closer to the shovel 100 than the monitoring area.

[0088] The safety function control unit 305, for example, controls the sound output device 54 to activate a warning function using sound (i.e., an auditory method) to at least one of the inside and outside of the cabin 10. At this time, the safety function control unit 305 may vary the pitch, sound pressure, tone color, blowing period when blowing a sound periodically, content of the sound, etc. of the output sound according to various conditions.

[0089] Also, the safety function control unit 305, for example, controls the display device 50 through the display processing unit 301 to activate a notification function by displaying (i.e., visually) the inside of the cabin 10. Specifically, the safety function control unit 305 may display an image indicating that a monitoring target has been detected on a monitoring image displayed on the display device 50 (see, for example, Figs. 9A to 9C). Also, the safety function control unit 305 may highlight, through the display processing unit 301, a monitoring target shown in the monitoring image displayed on the display device 50 or a position on the monitoring image corresponding to the position of the detected monitoring target as seen from the excavator 100. More specifically, the safety function control unit 305 may superimpose and display a frame surrounding the monitoring target shown on the monitoring image, or superimpose and display a marker on a position on the monitoring image corresponding to the actual position of the detected monitoring target (see, for example, Figs. 9B and 9C). This allows the display device 50 to realize a visual notification function for the operator.

[0090] The safety function control unit 305 may also activate a visual notification function for workers, supervisors, and the like around the shovel 100, for example, by controlling a headlight or an external display device provided in a house part or the like of the upper rotating body 3. The safety function control unit 305 may also activate a tactile notification function for the operator in the cabin 10, for example, by controlling a vibration generating device that vibrates the cockpit in which the operator sits. This allows the periphery monitoring device 200 to make the operator, workers, supervisors, and the like around the shovel 100 aware of the presence of a monitoring target (for example, a person such as a worker) around the shovel 100. Therefore, the periphery monitoring device 200 can prompt the operator to check the safety situation around the shovel 100, and can also prompt workers, and the like in the monitoring area to evacuate from the monitoring area.

[0091] Furthermore, the safety function control unit 305 may vary the notification mode (i.e., the method of notification) depending on the positional relationship between the shovel 100 and a monitored object detected within the notification range.

[0092] For example, when a monitoring target detected within the notification range by the detection unit 304 is located relatively far from the shovel 100, the safety function control unit 305 may output an alarm with a relatively low urgency (hereinafter, "alarm of caution level") that calls the operator or the like's attention to the monitoring target. Hereinafter, the range of the notification range that is relatively far from the shovel 100, i.e., the range corresponding to the alarm of the caution level, may be referred to as the "alert notification range" for convenience. On the other hand, when a monitoring target detected within the notification range by the detection unit 304 is located relatively close to the shovel 100, the safety function control unit 305 may output an alarm with a relatively high urgency (hereinafter, "alarm of alert level") that notifies the operator that the monitoring target is approaching the shovel 100 and the danger is increasing. Hereinafter, the range of the notification range that is relatively close to the shovel 100, i.e., the range corresponding to the alarm of the alert level, may be referred to as the "alert notification range".

[0093] In this case, the safety function control unit 305 may change the pitch, sound pressure, tone, sound cycle, etc. of the sound output from the sound output device 54 between the warning level alarm and the alert level alarm. Also, the safety function control unit 305 may change the color, shape, size, presence or absence of blinking, blinking cycle, etc. of the image indicating that the monitoring target is detected and the image emphasizing the monitoring target or the position of the monitoring target (for example, a frame, a marker, etc.) displayed on the monitoring image displayed on the display device 50 between the warning level alarm and the alert level alarm. In this way, the periphery monitoring device 200 allows the operator to grasp the degree of urgency, in other words, the degree of proximity of the monitoring target to the excavator 100, based on the difference in the notification sound (alarm sound) output from the sound output device 54 and the notification image displayed on the display device 50.

[0094] The safety function control unit 305 may stop the alarm function when, after the alarm function has started to operate, the monitoring target that was detected by the detection unit 304 is no longer detected within the monitoring area, or when a specified operation to deactivate the alarm function is received via the input device 52.

[0095] Furthermore, the safety function control unit 305 activates the operation limiting function, for example, when the detection unit 304 detects a monitoring target within a predetermined range (hereinafter, "operation limiting range") included in the monitoring area. The operation limiting range may be the same as the monitoring area, or may be set so that its outer edge is relatively closer to the shovel 100 than the monitoring area. The operation limiting range also includes at least one of an operation deceleration range that slows down the operation speed of the shovel 100 in response to the operation of the operating device 26 or remote operation than normal, and an operation stop range that stops the operation of the shovel 100 and maintains the stopped state regardless of the operation of the operating device 26 or remote operation. For example, when the operation limiting range includes both the operation deceleration range and the operation stop range, the operation stop range is, for example, a range of the operation limiting range that is close to the shovel 100, and the operation deceleration range is a range of the operation limiting range that is set outside the operation stop range.

[0096] The safety function control unit 305 activates an operation limiting function that limits the operation of the shovel 100 by controlling the hydraulic control valve 56. In this case, the safety function control unit 305 may limit the operation of all driven bodies (i.e., corresponding hydraulic actuators) or may limit the operation of some of the driven bodies (hydraulic actuators). This allows the periphery monitoring device 200 to slow down or stop the operation of the shovel 100 when there is a monitoring target around the shovel 100. Therefore, the periphery monitoring device 200 can suppress contact between the shovel 100 and the monitoring target around the shovel 100.

[0097] Furthermore, the safety function control unit 305 stops the alarm function when the monitoring target that was detected by the detection unit 304 is no longer detected after the operation of the operation restriction function has started, or when a predetermined operation for deactivating the operation of the operation restriction function is received through the input device 52. The operation for deactivating the alarm function on the input device 52 and the operation for deactivating the operation of the operation restriction function may be the same or different.

[0098] [Detectable area of ​​monitored object] Next, a specific example of a detectable area of ​​a monitoring target for the detector 304 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 (FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B).

[0099] 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining specific examples of detectable areas of the detection unit 304. Specifically, Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B are diagrams showing a first example and a second example of a detectable area of ​​the detection unit 304A using the imaging device 40 and a detectable area of ​​the detection unit 304B using the surrounding information acquisition device 45 when the shovel 100 is viewed from above.

[0100] In the following, in this example, the detectable range of the monitored object in the circumferential direction as seen from the shovel 100 (specifically, the upper rotating body 3) will be mainly described. Therefore, when comparing the detectable ranges of the detection unit 304A and the detection unit 304B, the detectable range of the monitored object in the circumferential direction as seen from the shovel 100 may be used as the comparison target, and the detectable range of the monitored object in the radial direction (near and far direction) or up and down direction may be excluded from the comparison target.

[0101] <First example of detectable area of ​​monitored object> As shown in Fig. 4A, the detectable area of ​​the detector 304A corresponds to the matte part in the figure. Specifically, the detectable area of ​​the detector 304A is a range excluding the range close to the shovel among the ranges defined by the circumferential viewing angles of the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R as seen from the shovel 100. The upper surface of the upper rotating body 3 on which the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R are installed is located at a relatively high position from the ground, so that only a part of the monitored object near the ground in the range close to the upper rotating body 3 may be captured in the image, or the vehicle body of the upper rotating body 3 may be captured in the image, and the ground in the range close to the upper rotating body 3 may become a blind spot of the vehicle body.

[0102] Furthermore, the angle of view in the circumferential direction as viewed from the shovel 100 of each of the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R corresponding to the detectable area of ​​the detection unit 304A is narrower than the actual angle of view corresponding to the imaging range of the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R. This is because at the ends of the imaging range (angle of view) of the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R in the circumferential direction as viewed from the shovel 100 (upper rotating body 3), only a portion of the monitored target is captured, and the detection unit 304A may not be able to recognize (detect) the monitored target from the captured image.

[0103] For example, assume that the upper rotating body 3 has a rotation angle of approximately 90 degrees (crawlers 1CL, 1CR indicated by dotted lines in the figure) based on the straight-ahead direction (extension direction) of the lower traveling body 1. In this case, workers 401, 402 who are positioned facing the front crawler 1C (crawler 1CL) as seen from the upper rotating body 3 are included in the imaging range of cameras 40L, 40R, and there is a possibility that a part of the workers may be captured on the left or right edge of the captured image. However, the detection unit 304A cannot recognize (detect) the workers 401, 402 as monitoring targets who are only partially captured in the captured image.

[0104] 4, the detectable area of ​​the detection unit 304B is defined by the infrared irradiation range (thick lines in the figure) of each of the sensors 45BL, 45BR, 45L, and 45R in the circumferential direction as seen from the shovel 100. Unlike the case of image recognition, even if only reflected light from a portion of the monitored object can be received, as described above, it is possible to recognize (detect) the monitored object from the shape and size of the object based on the received light information, the received light intensity of the reflected light, and the like.

[0105] Specifically, the detectable area of ​​the detector 304B includes all of the detectable areas of the detector 304A. The detectable area of ​​the detector 304B corresponding to the sensor 45L includes the left end of the front crawler 1C (crawler 1CL) as seen from the upper revolving body 3 when the revolving angle of the upper revolving body 3 based on the straight-line direction of the lower traveling body 1 is approximately 90 degrees, and the worker 401 who is in a position facing the straight-line direction on the left side. The detectable area of ​​the detector 304B corresponding to the sensor 45R includes the right end of the front crawler 1C (crawler 1CL) as seen from the upper revolving body 3 when the revolving angle of the upper revolving body 3 based on the straight-line direction of the lower traveling body 1 is approximately 90 degrees, and the worker 402 who is in a position facing the straight-line direction on the right side. As a result, the detectable area of ​​the detector 304B includes the entire circumferential range around the excavator 100 shown in the monitoring image (through image or viewpoint conversion image) displayed on the display device 50. Therefore, the detection unit 304B can detect all monitoring targets included in the imaging ranges of the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R in the circumferential direction as seen from the shovel 100, that is, all monitoring targets captured in the monitoring image displayed on the display device 50. For example, even if only a portion of the monitoring target is captured on the left or right end of the captured image of the imaging device 40, the detection unit 304B can detect the monitoring target. This makes it possible to prevent a situation in which the user feels uncomfortable due to a discrepancy between the display content of the display device 50 (the monitoring target is captured) and the detection result (the monitoring target is not detected).

[0106] Also, for example, when the lower traveling body 1 starts traveling in a state where the rotation angle of the upper rotating body 3 based on the straight-line direction of the lower traveling body 1 is about 90 degrees, contact with the workers 401, 402 may occur. In this state, it may be difficult to visually check the workers 401, 402 from the cabin 10. In contrast, in this example, the detection unit 304B can detect a monitoring target in the space facing the straight-line direction of the front crawler 1C as seen from the upper rotating body 3 when the rotation angle of the upper rotating body 3 based on the straight-line direction of the lower traveling body 1 is about 90 degrees, as described above. Therefore, the periphery monitoring device 200 can activate safety functions such as an alarm function and an operation restriction function based on the detection of the workers 401, 402. Therefore, the safety of the excavator 100 can be further improved.

[0107] In this example, the number of sensors 45X included in the surrounding information acquisition device 45 may be any number as long as the entire circumferential range around the shovel 100 shown in the monitoring image that can be displayed on the display device 50 is included in the detectable area of ​​the detection unit 304B in the circumferential direction as seen from the shovel 100. The same applies to the arrangement of the sensors 45X included in the surrounding information acquisition device 45. Also, in this example, instead of redundantly outputting two detection results related to the monitoring target using the detection units 304A and 304B, a configuration may be adopted in which one detection result related to the monitoring target is output by integrating the outputs of both the imaging device 40 and the surrounding information acquisition device 45. In this case as well, the same actions and effects are achieved.

[0108] <Second example of detectable area of ​​monitored object> As shown in FIG. 4B, this example is different in that sensors 45LF and 45LR are provided on the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3 instead of the sensor 45L, and sensors 45RF and 45RR are provided instead of the sensor 45R. That is, in this example, the surrounding information acquisition device 45 includes sensors 45BL, 45BR, 45LF, 45LR, 45RF, and 45RR. In the following, in this example, the explanation will be centered on the parts that are different from the first example described above, and the explanation of the same parts or corresponding parts may be omitted. In addition, in this example, the sensors 45BL, 45BR, 45LF, 45LR, 45RF, and 45RR may be collectively referred to as "sensor 45X."

[0109] In this example, it is assumed that the upper rotating body 3 has rotated relatively widely (crawlers 1CL, 1CR shown by dotted lines in the figure) within a range where the rotation angle of the upper rotating body 3 with respect to the straight direction of the crawler 1C (the front-rear axis of the crawler 1C) is less than 90 degrees. Specifically, the figure shows a state in which the upper rotating body 3 has rotated 75 degrees to the right with respect to the straight direction of the crawler 1C.

[0110] In this state, the worker 403 is positioned at a position facing the straight-ahead direction at the front end of the front crawler 1C (crawler 1CR) as seen from the upper rotating body 3. In this case, since the worker 403 is positioned away from the front of the cabin 10, it may be difficult for the operator of the cabin 10 to visually check the worker 403. In addition, the space facing the straight-ahead direction at the front end of the crawler 1CR is significantly outside the detectable area of ​​the detection unit 304A, and is not included in the imaging range of the camera 40L.

[0111] In contrast, in this example, two sensors 45X (sensors 45LF, 45LR) are provided to cover the left side range of the upper rotating body 3. Specifically, the sensor 45LF is installed near the front of the left end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3 so that its optical axis faces slightly forward and left in a top view. The sensor 45LR is installed near the rear of the left end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3 so that its optical axis faces slightly rear and left in a top view. This allows the left side from the front left to the rear left of the upper rotating body 3 to be maintained as an infrared irradiation range using the sensor 45LR, while the front end of the crawler 1CR and the space facing the straight-ahead direction can be included in the irradiation range using the sensor 45LF. Therefore, the detection unit 304B can detect a worker 403B located in a position facing the straight-line direction at the front end of the crawler 1CR when the upper rotating body 3 has rotated relatively widely within a range where the rotation angle based on the straight-line direction of the crawler 1C is less than 90 degrees.

[0112] In this example, two sensors 45X (sensors 45RF and 45RR) are provided to cover the right side of the upper rotating body 3. Specifically, the sensor 45RF is installed near the front of the right end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3 so that its optical axis faces slightly forward and to the right in a top view. The sensor 45RR is installed near the rear of the right end of the upper surface of the upper rotating body 3 so that its optical axis faces slightly rear and to the right in a top view. In this way, in a state where the front and rear axes of the crawler 1C are in a right-upward position, which is the opposite to the case of FIG. 4B (where the front and rear axes of the crawler 1C are in a left-upward position), the right-upward sensor 45RR is used to hold the right side of the upper rotating body 3 from the right front to the right rear as the infrared irradiation range, while the sensor 45RF is used to include the rear end of the crawler 1CR and the space facing the straight-line direction in the irradiation range. Therefore, in this state, the detection unit 304B can detect a worker present at a position facing the straight-line direction at the rear end of the crawler 1CR.

[0113] In this way, by appropriately adjusting the number and arrangement of the sensors 45X, the detection unit 304B can detect a monitored object (e.g., the worker 403) that exists in a position facing the front crawler 1C in the straight-line direction as seen from the upper rotating body 3 when the upper rotating body 3 has rotated relatively widely within a range in which the rotation angle based on the straight-line direction of the crawler 1C is less than 90 degrees. In other words, when the upper rotating body 3 has rotated relatively widely with the straight-line direction of the crawler 1C as the reference, the space facing the straight-line direction of the crawler 1C is included in a range (detectable area) in which the detection unit 304 can detect the monitored object. This can improve the safety of the excavator 100.

[0114] In addition, in a state where the upper rotating body 3 rotates relatively widely with the straight-line direction of the crawler 1C as a reference, instead of or in addition to including the space facing the straight-line direction of the crawler 1C in the detectable area of ​​the detection unit 304, the number and arrangement of the cameras 40X may be appropriately devised so that the space is included in the range that can be displayed on the display device 50 as a monitoring image. This allows the operator or the like to grasp the state of the space facing the straight-line direction of the crawler 1C through the monitoring image on the display device 50.

[0115] [Method of detecting monitored objects] Next, a specific example of a method for detecting a monitoring target by the detection unit 304 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 (FIGS. 5A to 5D).

[0116] <Specific examples of how to recognize monitored targets> 5A to 5D are diagrams showing specific examples of people at a work site as monitored objects, that is, workers. Specifically, FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a first example of a worker (worker W1). FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a second example of a worker (worker W2). FIG. 5C is a diagram showing a third example of a worker (worker W3). FIG. 5D is a diagram showing a fourth example of a worker (worker W4).

[0117] As shown in Fig. 5A, a worker W1 (an example of a first person) wears a helmet HMT and a vest with reflective material (hereinafter, "reflective vest") RV (an example of clothing with reflective material). The reflective material is a material with very high retroreflectivity (the ability to reflect irradiated light toward a light source).

[0118] As shown in FIG. 5B, a worker W2 (an example of a second person) is wearing a helmet HMT but is not wearing a reflective vest RV.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 5C, a worker W3 (an example of a second person) is wearing a reflective vest RV but is not wearing a helmet HMT.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 5D, a worker W4 (an example of a third person) is not wearing either a helmet HMT or a reflective vest RV.

[0121] When detecting a person (worker) as a monitoring target, the detection unit 304A (an example of a first detection unit) attempts to recognize both the entire person (worker) and the helmet from the captured image of the imaging device 40. As a result, even if the detection unit 304A cannot recognize the entire person with a certainty exceeding a predetermined standard due to the person's orientation, posture, etc., the detection unit 304A can detect the worker if it can recognize the helmet with a certainty exceeding a predetermined standard. In other words, the detection unit 304A can detect W1 and W2 wearing helmets HMT among the workers W1 to W4 with a relatively higher probability than the other workers W3 and W4.

[0122] On the other hand, when the detection unit 304B (an example of a second detection unit) detects a person (worker) as a monitoring target, it attempts to recognize (detect) an object whose reflected light (infrared) intensity is relatively high (specifically, higher than a predetermined standard) based on the light reception information. The light reception intensity of the reflected light is acquired based on the light reception intensity information. The light reception intensity of the reflected light from the object increases as the retroreflectivity of the object surface increases, while it decreases as the distance from the object to the sensor 45X increases. Therefore, the detection unit 304B may correct the light reception intensity based on the light reception intensity information to, for example, the light reception intensity when it is assumed that the object is at a predetermined distance, taking into account the distance to the object based on the TOF information. At this time, the predetermined standard is set in advance in a manner that allows a reflective material to be distinguished from other objects. As a result, when an object whose reflected light intensity is relatively high is recognized, the detection unit 304B can determine that the object is a worker wearing clothing with a reflective material such as a reflective vest, and detect the worker. The clothing with reflective material includes any clothing to which reflective material can be attached, such as a reflective vest, a jacket with reflective material, pants with reflective material, etc. In other words, the detection unit 304B can detect W1 and W3 wearing the reflective vest RV among the workers W1 to W4 with a relatively higher probability than the other workers W2 and W4.

[0123] The detection unit 304B can recognize the shape and size of an object from light reception information corresponding to reflected light received from a plurality of irradiation directions. Therefore, when detecting a person (worker) as a monitoring target, the detection unit 304B may recognize the person (worker) using the shape and size of the object based on the light reception information.

[0124] As described above, the detection unit 304 detects the monitoring target using both the detection units 304A and 304B. As a result, the detection unit 304 detects a worker wearing both a helmet and clothing with reflective material (for example, worker W1) with the highest probability. The detection unit 304 can also detect a worker wearing either a helmet or clothing with reflective material (for example, workers W2 and W3) with a certain degree of probability that is lower than the case of a worker wearing both a helmet and clothing with reflective material. The detection unit 304 also detects a worker not wearing either a helmet or clothing with reflective material (for example, worker W4) with the lowest probability. In other words, the detection unit 304 is configured in such a manner that it is easiest to detect a person wearing both a helmet and clothing with reflective material, next easiest to detect a person wearing either a helmet or clothing with reflective material, and hardest to detect a person not wearing either a helmet or clothing with reflective material.

[0125] For example, when a person is recognized (detected) as a surveillance target using only the images captured by the imaging device 40, depending on the person's orientation or posture, there is a possibility that the person will not be recognized as a person, or that an object other than a person will be recognized as a person.

[0126] In contrast, in this example, in addition to the detection unit 304A that uses the output (captured image) of the imaging device 40 (camera 40X), a detection unit 304B that uses the output (received light information) of the surrounding information acquisition device 45 (sensor 45X) is provided. As a result, the periphery monitoring device 200 can use not only the detection result of the detection unit 304A but also the detection result of the detection unit 304B. Therefore, even if the detection unit 304A does not detect a person who should be detected or an object that is not a person is detected as a person, the periphery monitoring device 200 can suppress non-detection or erroneous detection by using the detection result of the detection unit 304B. Therefore, the safety of the shovel 100 can be further improved. Also, in this example, the detection unit 304 can detect a worker wearing a helmet and clothing with reflective material as safety equipment with relatively high accuracy. Therefore, the periphery monitoring device 200 can encourage the worker to wear a helmet and clothing with reflective material from the viewpoint of ensuring the safety of the worker himself and, ultimately, ensuring the safety of the work site.

[0127] In this example, the detection unit 304 is configured to be able to identify helmets and clothing with reflective materials worn by workers, but may detect (recognize) people (workers) as monitoring targets in a manner that identifies other safety equipment. Safety equipment to be identified may include, for example, safety belts, earplugs for use in noisy work sites, safety shoes, gloves for arc welding or vibration prevention, dustproof or gasproof masks, dustproof or lightproof glasses, welding masks, ID (Identifier) ​​tags that output an alarm when a work machine or the like approaches, and the like. This allows the periphery monitoring device 200 to encourage workers to wear more safety equipment.

[0128] <How to identify the location of the monitored object> The detection unit 304A identifies the position of the worker (for example, the position of the worker's feet) as seen from the shovel 100 based on the size and position of the entire person (worker) recognized in the captured image and the partial image corresponding to the helmet. This is because the size of the worker on the captured image changes depending on the distance of the worker from the camera 40X. Also, the position of the worker on the captured image changes depending on the distance and direction of the worker from the camera 40X.

[0129] On the other hand, the detection unit 304B identifies the position of the worker as viewed from the shovel 100 based on the TOF information in the light reception information. The TOF information includes the irradiation direction of light as viewed from the sensor 45X and the time from irradiation of light in the irradiation direction to reception of reflected light, and the direction of the object from the sensor 45X can be identified based on the former, and the distance between the sensor 45X and the object can be identified based on the latter.

[0130] For example, as described above, the received light intensity of the reflected light (infrared rays) from an object decreases as the distance between the object and the sensor 45X increases. Therefore, by utilizing this property, it is possible to specify the position (distance) of the monitored object from the received light intensity information. However, the received light intensity of the reflected light from the object also changes depending on the surface properties of the object, specifically, the retroreflectivity and reflectivity. Therefore, when the position of the monitored object is specified using only the received light intensity information, the accuracy of the specified position is relatively reduced, and the periphery monitoring device 200 may not be able to accurately grasp the position of the monitored object in the surroundings. For example, when the retroreflectivity of the clothing with reflective material worn by the worker varies greatly, the range of the received light intensity of the reflected light becomes relatively wide, and the accuracy of the distance information based on the received light intensity information may decrease. Therefore, when safety functions such as an alarm function and an operation restriction function are activated according to the position of the monitored object, the operating conditions of the alarm function and the operation restriction function may vary.

[0131] In response to this, the detection unit 304B recognizes (detects) the monitoring target based on the received light intensity information and the TOF information, and specifies the position of the monitoring target. Then, the safety function control unit 305 activates at least one of the notification function and the operation restriction function when the intensity of the reflected light received by the detection unit 304B is relatively high and the monitoring target is detected to be relatively close to the shovel 100 (i.e., within the notification range or the operation restriction range). That is, the safety function control unit 305 outputs an alarm or restricts the operation of the shovel 100 based on the output (received light intensity information and TOF information) of the sensor 45X. As a result, the periphery monitoring device 200 can use the TOF information, and therefore can specify the position of the monitoring target around the shovel 100 with relatively higher accuracy than when only the received light intensity information is used. Therefore, when activating safety functions such as the notification function and the operation restriction function according to the position of the monitoring target, the periphery monitoring device 200 can suppress variation in the operation conditions of the notification function and the operation restriction function. Therefore, the periphery monitoring device 200 can improve the safety of the shovel 100.

[0132] In this example, the detection unit 304B may specify the position of the monitoring target by using other information related to the distance to the surrounding objects of the shovel 100 instead of or in addition to the TOF information. For example, the detection unit 304B may specify the position of the monitoring target by using information related to the distance to the surrounding objects acquired based on the captured images of a stereo camera serving as the imaging device 40 (camera 40X).

[0133] [Safety function activation control method] Next, a specific example of a method for controlling the operation of the safety functions (alert function and operation limit function) by the safety function control unit 305 will be described.

[0134] In this example, the safety function control unit 305 causes the operation mode of the safety function to differ between when a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304A and when a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304B.

[0135] <First example of safety function activation control method> When a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304A, the safety function control unit 305 activates only the notification function among the safety functions. In other words, when a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304A, the safety function control unit 305 does not activate the operation restriction function regardless of the distance between the monitoring target and the shovel 100, etc. Specifically, when a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304A within a notification range (hereinafter, for convenience, "first notification range"), the safety function control unit 305 activates the notification function, and does not set an operation restriction range (hereinafter, for convenience, "first operation restriction range") corresponding to the detection of the monitoring target by the detection unit 304A.

[0136] On the other hand, the safety function control unit 305 activates the operation restriction function when the detection unit 304B detects a monitoring target in the operation restriction range (hereinafter, for convenience, "second operation restriction range"). The safety function control unit 305 may also activate the notification function when the detection unit 304B detects a monitoring target in a notification range (hereinafter, for convenience, "second notification range"). The first notification range and the second notification range may be the same or different.

[0137] For example, if the detection accuracy of the monitored object is relatively low but the operation restriction function is activated based on the detection result, there is a higher possibility that the operator will feel uncomfortable or the work efficiency of the shovel 100 will be reduced than if the alarm function is activated.

[0138] In contrast, in this example, the perimeter monitoring device 200 allows the operation restriction function to be activated only when the monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304B out of the detection units 304A and 304B. This is because the detection accuracy tends to be relatively higher when the monitoring target is detected based on the light reception information of the surrounding information acquisition device 45 than when the monitoring target is detected by image recognition of the image captured by the imaging device 40. In other words, the detection unit 304B tends to have a higher detection accuracy regarding the monitoring target than the detection unit 304A. This allows the perimeter monitoring device 200 to improve the safety of the shovel 100 while suppressing the discomfort felt by the operator and the decrease in the work efficiency of the shovel 100, etc.

[0139] <Second example of safety function activation control method> The safety function control unit 305 changes the notification mode (i.e., the way of notifying) when activating the notification function between the case where the monitoring target is detected in the first notification range by the detection unit 304A and the case where the monitoring target is detected in the second notification range by the detection unit 304B. This makes it easy to know whether the monitoring target is detected using the imaging device 40 (camera 40X) or the surrounding information acquisition device 45 (sensor 45X).

[0140] For example, the safety function control unit 305 may change the tone, volume, pattern, blowing period, content of the sound output from the sound output device 54 between when the monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304A and when the monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304B. Specifically, when the monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304B, the safety function control unit 305 may adopt a tone, volume, pattern, blowing period, content of the sound, etc. that indicates a higher urgency (danger) than when the monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304A. This is because, as described above, the detection unit 304B tends to have a higher detection accuracy for the monitoring target than the detection unit 304A.

[0141] Also, for example, the safety function control unit 305 may cause the display mode regarding the notification function displayed on the display device 50 to differ between when a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304A and when a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304B (for example, see FIG. 9A).

[0142] [Method of controlling the operation of safety features when optional equipment is installed] Next, with reference to FIG. 6, a specific example of a method for controlling the operation of a safety function by the safety function control unit 305 when optional equipment that increases the occupancy volume of the shovel 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as "optional equipment") is installed will be described.

[0143] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the movement restriction range when optional equipment is installed.

[0144] As shown in FIG. 6, in this example, the shovel 100 is provided with a blade 90 attached to the front of the lower traveling body 1 as an optional equipment. Specifically, the blade 90 is attached in a manner that protrudes to the front of the lower traveling body 1 (crawlers 1CL, 1CR) in the straight-ahead direction (white arrow in the figure). Therefore, when the lower traveling body 1 travels (for example, travels straight or turns gently) in the direction in which the blade 90 is attached (to the right in the figure), the distance between the surrounding worker 610 and the shovel 100 (blade 90) becomes closer than when the blade 90 is not attached. Also, when the lower traveling body 1 performs a pivot turn or a spin turn, the blade 90 also performs a turning motion toward the periphery of the shovel 100 in conjunction with the movement of the lower traveling body 1, so that the turning radius becomes wider by the amount that the blade 90 protrudes to the front of the lower traveling body 1. Therefore, the distance between the surrounding worker 610 and the shovel 100 (blade) may become closer than when the blade 90 is not attached to the shovel 100.

[0145] In response to this, the safety function control unit 305 makes it easier to activate the safety function when the blade 90 moves toward the periphery of the shovel 100 in association with the operation of the shovel 100 (i.e., the traveling operation of the lower running body 1) than in other cases. The other cases include, for example, a case where the lower running body 1 travels backward where the blade 90 is not attached, and the blade 90 moves away from the periphery of the shovel 100. In this example, the outer edge of the operation restriction range in the direction in which the blade 90 moves toward the periphery of the shovel 100, that is, in the front of the lower running body 1, is set so that the blade 90 attached to the lower running body 1 is farther from the shovel 100 (for example, the dotted line 630 in the figure) than when the blade 90 is not attached to the lower running body 1 (for example, the dotted line 620 in the figure). This setting (change) is executed by the setting unit 302, and the setting contents may be registered in the storage unit 303. The same may be true for the outer edge of the notification range corresponding to the notification function. As a result, when the shovel 100 travels toward the front side (the right side in the figure) of the lower traveling body 1 on which the blade 90 is attached, the safety function control unit 305 can activate the safety function (alarm function or operation restriction function) more quickly in response to the detection of the operator 610 by the detection unit 304. Therefore, the safety function control unit 305 can activate the safety function more appropriately in accordance with the attachment of the optional equipment. Thus, the periphery monitoring device 200 can further improve the safety of the shovel 100. In other words, when the optional equipment (blade 90) is attached, the safety function control unit 305 can activate the safety function in a manner that makes the safety of the shovel 100 relatively higher than when the optional equipment is not attached.

[0146] Also, instead of setting the outer edge of the notification range or the operation limit range in a direction away from the shovel 100, other conditions for activating the safety function may be relaxed so that the safety function is more likely to be activated. For example, when a condition related to the degree of certainty of the monitored object detected by the detection unit 304 (hereinafter, "certainty of the monitored object") is included as an activation condition of the safety function, the condition may be relaxed. Information regarding the certainty of the monitored object is output from the detection unit 304. Specifically, when the blade 90 moves toward the periphery of the shovel 100 with the operation of the shovel 100, the setting unit 302 may set the threshold value corresponding to the condition of the certainty of the monitored object relatively lower than in other cases. Also, when the blade 90 is attached, the setting unit 302 may set the threshold value corresponding to the condition of the certainty of the monitored object relatively lower than in other cases. In this way, the safety function control unit 305 can activate the safety function more appropriately in accordance with the attachment of the optional equipment.

[0147] Also, instead of relaxing the operating conditions of the safety functions, the safety functions to be operated may be switched to specifications with relatively high safety. For example, the setting unit 302 may set the notification function and the operation limiting function as the safety functions to be operable when the blade 90 moves toward the periphery of the shovel 100 as the shovel 100 operates, and may set only the notification function to be operable in other cases. Also, the setting unit 302 may set the notification function and the operation limiting function as the safety functions to be operable when the blade 90 is attached, and may set only the notification function to be operable when the blade 90 is not attached. This is because the operation limiting function is relatively safer than the notification function in that it can forcibly limit the operation of the shovel 100 regardless of the intention of the operator, etc. Also, the setting unit 302 may set the operation limiting function to be operable with a relatively high degree of restriction when the blade 90 moves toward the periphery of the shovel 100 as the shovel 100 operates, and may set the operation limiting function to be operable with a relatively low degree of restriction in other cases. The setting unit 302 may set the operation restriction function to be operable with a relatively high restriction level when the blade 90 is attached, and may set the operation restriction function to be operable with a relatively low restriction level when the blade 90 is not attached. The setting unit 302 may set the notification function to be operable in a mode that represents a relatively high urgency (danger level) when the blade 90 moves toward the periphery of the shovel 100 as the shovel 100 operates, and may set the notification function to be operable in a mode that represents a relatively low urgency (danger level) in other cases. The setting unit 302 may set the notification function to be operable in a mode that represents a relatively high urgency (danger level) when the blade 90 is attached, and may set the notification function to be operable in a mode that represents a relatively low urgency (danger level) when the blade 90 is not attached. This allows the safety function control unit 305 to operate the safety function more appropriately in accordance with the attachment of the optional equipment.

[0148] Similarly, when other types of optional equipment are attached instead of or in addition to the blade 90, the safety function may be activated in a manner that provides relatively high safety. Other types of optional equipment may include, for example, an additional counterweight attached to the rear of the upper rotating body 3 or a large counterweight heavier than the counterweight of the standard equipment. Other types of optional equipment may include a relatively long arm attached in place of the arm 5. Other types of optional equipment may include, for example, a spare attachment (for example, a breaker or agitator) as an end attachment attached in place of the bucket 6, or a spare attachment (for example, a quick coupling or a tiltrotator) attached between the end attachment and the arm 5.

[0149] Furthermore, when the optional equipment is detachable, the safety function control unit 305 may determine the presence or absence of the optional equipment for each type of optional equipment, and change the operation mode of the safety function as described above according to the determination result. For example, the setting unit 302 performs setting regarding the mounting state of the optional equipment (e.g., whether or not each type of optional equipment is mounted, etc.) according to the operation of the operator or the like through the input device 52. Then, the safety function control unit 305 may determine the presence or absence of the optional equipment based on the setting contents registered in the storage unit 303. Furthermore, for example, the safety function control unit 305 may automatically determine whether or not the optional equipment is mounted for each type of optional equipment based on the output of a sensor (e.g., a switch provided on the imaging device 40 or a mounting portion of the optional equipment) capable of acquiring information regarding the mounting state of the optional equipment.

[0150] In addition, when the state transitions from a state where the optional equipment is not installed to a state where the optional equipment is installed, the display processing unit 301 may display a notification regarding a change in the operation mode of the safety function (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "change notification") on the display device 50. The change notification includes a notification that the operation target of the safety function will be automatically changed. In this way, the periphery monitoring device 200 can make the operator understand that the operation mode of the safety function will be automatically changed by the installation of the optional equipment. In addition, the change notification may be a notification that prompts the operator to accept or reject the change in the operation mode of the safety function. In this case, when the change notification is displayed on the display device 50, a user such as an operator can accept or reject the change in the operation mode of the safety function through the input device 52. Therefore, the intention of the user such as an operator can be reflected in the change in the operation mode of the safety function according to the installation status of the optional equipment. In addition, the change notification may be a notification that prompts the operator to manually change the operation mode of the safety function. In this case, the user can manually change the operation mode of the safety function in response to the change notification. That is, the setting unit 302 can change the operation mode of the safety function in response to a manual setting operation by an operator or the like via the input device 52. Therefore, it is possible to reflect the intention of a user such as an operator in the change of the operation mode of the safety function in response to the installation status of optional equipment.

[0151] [Method of controlling the operation of the external alarm function] Next, a specific example of a method for controlling the operation of the external notification function by the safety function control unit 305 will be described.

[0152] As described above, the safety function control unit 305 is configured to be able to activate the external notification function when a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304. In this example, when a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304, the safety function control unit 305 sometimes activates the external notification function and sometimes does not activate the external notification function.

[0153] For example, the safety function control unit 305 may switch between activating and not activating the external notification function depending on whether the detection unit 304A or the detection unit 304B detects the monitoring target. Specifically, the safety function control unit 305 may be configured to disable the external notification function when the monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304A, while activating the external notification function when the monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304B. For example, when the external notification function is activated, the work of the workers around the shovel 100 may be stopped, and if it is a false alarm, the work efficiency may be reduced due to the unnecessary activation of the external notification function. In contrast, as described above, the external notification function is activated only when the monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304B, which tends to have a relatively high detection accuracy among the detection units 304A and 304B, so that a balance can be achieved between the safety around the shovel 100 and the work efficiency.

[0154] Also, for example, when a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304, the safety function control unit 305 may switch between activating and not activating the external notification function by linking with the operation status of the operation restriction function. Specifically, even when a monitoring target is detected within the notification range by the detection unit 304, the safety function control unit 305 may not activate the external notification function when the operation restriction function (e.g., the operation deceleration function) is not activated (for example, as described later, when there is no possibility of contact between the monitoring target and the shovel 100). On the other hand, the safety function control unit 305 may activate the external notification function when a monitoring target is detected within the notification range by the detection unit 304 and the operation restriction function (e.g., the operation deceleration function) is activated. As a result, the periphery monitoring device 200 can ensure the safety of the shovel 100 while suppressing the occurrence of a situation in which the external notification function is activated and the work of workers around the shovel 100 is stopped in a situation where there is a low possibility of contact between the shovel 100 and a surrounding monitored object, that is, a decrease in work efficiency. When the operation restriction function of the shovel 100 is activated, the attention of workers around the shovel 100 is attracted, so that there is a high possibility that work around the shovel 100 will be stopped or delayed in the first place. Therefore, even if the external notification function activated in such a situation is a false alarm, the problem of a decrease in work efficiency is unlikely to occur because work around the shovel 100 has already been stopped or delayed in the first place.

[0155] Also, for example, when a monitoring target is detected in the notification range by the detection unit 304, the safety function control unit 305 may switch between activating and not activating the external notification function depending on whether or not the monitoring target exists in the direction of operation of the shovel 100. Specifically, the safety function control unit 305 may determine the direction of operation of the shovel 100 associated with the operation of the driven body (e.g., the lower traveling body 1, the upper rotating body 3, the attachment, etc.) based on the operation information of the shovel 100, and may not activate the external notification function when the monitoring target does not exist in the direction of operation of the shovel 100. On the other hand, the safety function control unit 305 may determine the direction of operation of the shovel 100 associated with the operation of the driven body based on the operation information of the shovel 100, and may activate the external notification function when the monitoring target exists in the direction of operation of the shovel 100. As a result, the surrounding area monitoring device 200 can ensure the safety of the shovel 100 while preventing the occurrence of a situation in which the external alarm function is activated in a situation where the possibility of contact between the shovel 100 and a surrounding monitored object is low, causing the work of workers around the shovel 100 to come to a halt, i.e., a decrease in work efficiency.

[0156] Also, for example, when a monitoring target is detected within the notification range by the detection unit 304, the safety function control unit 305 may switch between activating and not activating the external notification function depending on the level of danger based on the positional relationship between the shovel 100 and the monitoring target. Specifically, the safety function control unit 305 may activate the external notification function when the risk level based on the positional relationship between the shovel 100 and the monitored object (e.g., possibility of contact, etc.) is relatively high, while not activating the external notification function when the risk level based on the positional relationship between the shovel 100 and the monitored object is relatively low. The risk level may be acquired (calculated) based on, for example, the distance between the monitored object and the shovel 100. The risk level may also be acquired (calculated) based on, for example, the monitored object and the motion direction of the driven body corresponding to the operation of the shovel 100 (e.g., the traveling direction of the lower traveling body 1, the rotating direction of the upper rotating body 3, the moving direction of the attachment, etc.). In this way, the periphery monitoring device 200 can ensure the safety of the shovel 100 while suppressing the occurrence of a situation in which the external notification function is activated and the work of workers around the shovel 100 is stopped in a situation where the possibility of contact between the shovel 100 and the monitored object in the vicinity is low, that is, a decrease in work efficiency.

[0157] Also, for example, the setting unit 302 may perform a setting to switch the external notification function between ON (enabled) and OFF (disabled) in response to a predetermined operation by an operator or the like via the input device 52. In this case, when the detection unit 304 detects a monitoring target within the notification range, the safety function control unit 305 may switch between activating and not activating the external notification function in response to a setting status regarding whether or not the external notification function is activated. Specifically, when the detection unit 304 detects a monitoring target within the notification range, the safety function control unit 305 may activate the external notification function when the external notification function is set to ON (enabled), and may not activate the external notification function when the external notification function is set to OFF (disabled). This allows the periphery monitoring device 200 to reflect the intention of the operator or the like in the decision as to whether or not to activate the external notification function.

[0158] As described above, the safety function control unit 305 may activate the external notification function through the sound output device 54. As described above, the sound output device 54 includes, for example, the horn 54a and the driving alarm 54b. This allows the safety function control unit 305 to realize the external notification function using the existing horn 54a and the driving alarm 54b. Therefore, the cost for realizing the external notification function can be suppressed.

[0159] For example, the horn 54a may be configured to be able to sound when the coil is energized and the relay 62 is closed in response to a control command (control current) from the controller 30 corresponding to the operation of the external notification function, regardless of the ON operation of the knob switch 64. The controller 30 can output a sound in a predetermined sounding pattern from the horn 54a by appropriately controlling the opening and closing pattern of the horn relay. At this time, the sounding pattern of the horn 54a corresponding to the external notification function may be set to a mode different from the sounding pattern normally used when an operator or the like sounds the horn when the shovel 100 starts traveling. This allows the periphery monitoring device 200 to enable workers or the like around the shovel 100 to distinguish between a notification (signal) that the shovel 100 has started traveling and the operation of the external notification function.

[0160] Also, for example, the traveling alarm 54b outputs a sound in a predetermined sounding pattern in response to a control command corresponding to the operation of the external notification function of the controller 30. At this time, the sounding pattern of the traveling alarm corresponding to the external notification function may be set to a mode different from that during normal traveling of the lower traveling body 1 (for example, a beep sound that repeatedly sounds "beep, beep, beep, beep, ..."). In this way, similar to the case of the horn 54a, the periphery monitoring device 200 allows workers and the like around the shovel 100 to distinguish between a notification during traveling of the shovel 100 and the operation of the external notification function.

[0161] [How to control the operation of the motion restriction function] Next, a specific example of a method for controlling the operation of the operation limiting function by the safety function control section 305 will be described with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 (FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B).

[0162] Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining whether or not the shovel 100 has come into contact with a monitoring target around the shovel 100, and specifically, Fig. 7 shows a work situation 700 in which the lower traveling structure 1 (crawlers 1CL, 1CR) of the shovel 100 is traveling straight to the right in the diagram. Figs. 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining a method for controlling the operation of the operation limiting function. Specifically, Figs. 8A and 8B are diagrams for showing a method for controlling the operation of the operation limiting function in work situations 810 and 820 of the shovel 100, respectively.

[0163] In this example, when the detection unit 304 detects a monitoring target within the operation limit range, the safety function control unit 305 judges whether or not the monitoring target will come into contact with the shovel 100 due to the operation of the shovel 100 corresponding to the operation of the shovel 100 (i.e., the operation of the operating device 26 or remote operation). Then, when the safety function control unit 305 judges that the monitoring target will come into contact with the shovel 100, it activates the operation stop function and stops the operation of the shovel 100 in response to the operation of the shovel 100.

[0164] Specifically, the safety function control unit 305 may determine the direction in which the driven body moves based on the operation information of the driven body that is the operation target. The safety function control unit 305 may predict the presence or absence of contact between the shovel 100 and the monitored object based on information on the positional relationship between the outer surface of the shovel 100 and the monitored object (detected by the detection unit 304) and the determined direction in which the shovel 100 moves. The information on the positional relationship between the outer surface of the shovel 100 and the monitored object may include, for example, output information of the imaging device 40 (camera 40X) and the surrounding information acquisition device 45 (sensor 45X) and the detection result of the detection unit 304. The safety function control unit 305 may also predict the presence or absence of contact between the shovel 100 and the monitored object. The information on the positional relationship between the outer surface of the shovel 100 and the monitored object may include, for example, information on the installation positions of the camera 40X and the sensor 45X in the shovel 100 (upper revolving body 3). This is because it is possible to determine which part of the outer surface of the shovel 100 the monitored object is close to, etc., from the installation locations of the camera 40X and the sensor 45X that acquire information about the monitored object. Also, the information about the positional relationship between the outer surface of the shovel 100 and the monitored object may include information about the physical size of the shovel 100 relative to the direction in which the shovel 100 operates (for example, specifications such as width, shape, etc.). This is because the positional relationship between the outer surface of the shovel 100 and the monitored object may change depending on the physical size (occupied width) of the shovel 100 relative to the direction in which the shovel 100 operates.

[0165] For example, when the monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304, the safety function control unit 305 determines the direction of movement of the shovel 100 accompanying the movement of the driven body based on the operation information of the driven body at every predetermined period. As a result, the determination result of the direction of movement of the shovel 100 is updated according to the change in the operation information of the driven body. Similarly, the detection unit 304 performs a process of detecting the monitoring target around the shovel 100 at every predetermined period, and outputs the position information of the detected monitoring target. As a result, the relative position information of the monitoring target continuously detected by the detection unit 304 with respect to the shovel 100 is successively updated. Then, the safety function control unit 305 may determine whether or not contact between the shovel 100 and the monitoring target will occur within a predetermined time period based on the direction of movement of the shovel 100 determined by the safety function control unit 305 itself and the position information of the monitoring target output from the detection unit 304. This allows the safety function control unit 305 to successively update the determination result of the presence or absence of contact between the shovel 100 and the surrounding monitored objects in accordance with the successively updated operating direction of the shovel 100 and the position of the monitored objects as seen from the shovel 100. Therefore, even in a situation in which the operation content related to the driven body changes (for example, a case in which the operation content related to the lower traveling body 1 changes to a traveling operation that changes from straight traveling to gentle turning traveling), it is possible to appropriately determine the presence or absence of contact between the shovel 100 and the monitored objects.

[0166] Also, for example, the safety function control unit 305 may determine the presence or absence of contact between the shovel 100 and the monitoring target by using a predetermined range (i.e., an operation stop range) that is set based on information regarding the positional relationship between the outer surface of the shovel 100 and the monitoring target and the determined operation direction of the shovel 100. Specifically, the operation stop range may be set by the setting unit 302 at predetermined intervals as a range in which contact between the shovel 100 and the monitoring target may occur.

[0167] For example, in a work situation 700 in Fig. 7, the shovel 100, whose upper rotating body 3 and attachment are shown by solid lines (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as the "solid-line shovel 100"), has the upper rotating body 3 (attachment) rotated 90 degrees to the left with respect to the straight-ahead direction of the lower traveling body 1 (to the right in the figure), and faces upward in the figure. Also, the shovel 100, whose upper rotating body 3 and attachment are shown by dashed lines (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as the "dashed-dotted shovel 100"), has the upper rotating body 3 rotated to the left with respect to the straight-ahead direction of the lower traveling body 1 (to the right in the figure), and faces diagonally upward to the right in the figure.

[0168] When the lower running body 1 of the shovel 100 shown in solid line travels to the right in the figure, the machine body (lower running body 1 and upper rotating body 3) passes through the width (range) between the dotted lines 710 defined by the left end (outer end) of the crawler 1CL and the rear end of the upper rotating body 3 in a top view. Therefore, in the case of the shovel 100 in the state shown in solid line, when the lower running body 1 travels, the safety function control unit 305 can determine whether or not there is contact between the shovel 100 (machine body) and the monitoring target (for example, the worker 730) in the vicinity, based on the positional relationship between the left end (outer end) of the crawler 1CL and the rear end of the upper rotating body 3 and the monitoring target in the vicinity. In addition, the safety function control unit 305 can also determine whether or not there is contact between the monitoring target and the shovel 100 (machine body) based on the size of the machine body of the shovel 100 (width between the dotted lines 710) relative to the straight direction of the shovel 100 (right direction in the figure) and the relative position of the monitoring target in the vicinity of the shovel 100. For example, the safety function control unit 305 may determine that contact will occur between the shovel 100 and the monitored object when the monitored object is detected within an operation stop range defined by a width between the dotted lines 710 plus a predetermined margin (e.g., 1 meter to 1.5 meters).

[0169] On the other hand, when the lower running body 1 of the shovel 100 shown in dashed dotted line runs to the right in the figure, the machine body (lower running body 1 and upper rotating body 3) passes through the width (range) between the dashed dotted line 720 defined by the left front end corner and the right rear end corner of the upper rotating body 3 in a top view. Therefore, in the case of the shovel 100 in the dashed dotted line state, when the lower running body 1 runs, the safety function control unit 305 can determine whether or not there is contact between the shovel 100 (machine body) and a surrounding monitored object (e.g., a worker 730) based on the positional relationship between the left front end corner and the right rear end corner of the upper rotating body 3. The safety function control unit 305 can also determine whether or not there is contact between the shovel 100 (machine) and the monitoring target based on the size of the shovel 100's machine body (the width between the dashed dotted lines 720) relative to the straight-ahead direction of the shovel 100 (to the right in the figure) and the relative position of the monitoring target around the shovel 100. For example, the safety function control unit 305 may determine that there will be contact between the shovel 100 and the monitoring target when the monitoring target is detected within an operation stop range defined by a width obtained by adding a predetermined margin to the width between the dashed dotted lines 720.

[0170] As described above, in the case of the state of the shovel 100 shown by the solid line, the operation stop range corresponds to the range between the dotted lines 710, and in the case of the state of the shovel 100 shown by the dashed and dotted lines, the operation stop range corresponds to the range between the dashed and dotted lines 720. That is, the setting unit 302 may change the operation stop range according to the rotation angle of the upper rotating body 3 with respect to the lower traveling body 1. This allows the setting unit 302 to set the operation stop range more appropriately according to the rotation angle of the upper rotating body 3. Information on the rotation angle of the upper rotating body 3 may be acquired based on, for example, an image captured by the camera 40X. Specifically, the rotation angle of the upper rotating body 3 can be determined according to the appearance of the crawler captured in the image captured by the camera 40X, which camera 40X captures it, and the like. In addition, the excavator 100 may be provided with a sensor capable of acquiring information regarding the rotation angle of the upper rotating body 3 (for example, a rotary encoder, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a six-axis sensor, an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), etc., mounted on the upper rotating body 3.

[0171] 7, it is assumed that the lower traveling body 1 travels straight, but the lower traveling body 1 has travel modes such as gentle turning, pivot turn, and spin turn in addition to straight traveling. Therefore, the safety function control unit 305 may determine whether the travel operation corresponds to straight traveling of the lower traveling body 1, whether the travel operation corresponds to gentle turning, whether the turning operation corresponds to a pivot turn, or whether the turning operation corresponds to a spin turn, based on the operation information input from the operation information output device 29. In other words, the operation information regarding the lower traveling body 1 may include at least one of information representing a travel operation corresponding to straight traveling, information representing a travel operation corresponding to gentle turning, information representing a travel operation corresponding to a pivot turn, and information representing a travel operation corresponding to a spin turn.

[0172] In this way, the safety function control unit 305 can determine whether or not there is contact between the shovel 100 and the surrounding monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304 by considering the size (occupied width) of the machine body or the like with respect to the movement direction of the driven body of the shovel 100. Specifically, the safety function control unit 305 may determine whether or not there is contact between the shovel 100 and the monitoring target due to the movement of the driven body, based on the operation information on the driven body of the shovel 100 and the information on the positional relationship between the outer surface of the shovel 100 and the monitoring target. In addition, in the case of the traveling operation of the lower traveling body 1, the information on the traveling operation of the lower traveling body 1 includes at least one of information representing a traveling operation corresponding to straight traveling, information representing a traveling operation corresponding to gentle turning traveling, information representing a traveling operation corresponding to a pivot turn, and information representing a traveling operation corresponding to a spin turn. This allows the safety function control unit 305 to grasp the traveling direction of the lower traveling body 1 in more detail and more appropriately determine whether or not there is contact between the shovel 100 and the monitoring target.

[0173] For example, in a working situation 810 in Fig. 8A, the shovel 100 is in a state where the swing angle is 90 degrees to the left with respect to the straight-ahead direction (rightward in the figure) of the lower traveling structure 1. Also, a worker 811 detected by the detection unit 304 is present in front of the front of the lower traveling structure 1 (rightward in the figure).

[0174] In this case, the safety function control unit 305 allows the lower traveling body 1 to proceed (reverse) backward (to the left in the figure) in response to the traveling operation of the lower traveling body 1. This is because the shovel 100 moves in a direction away from the worker 811, and therefore no contact can occur between the shovel 100 and the worker 811. On the other hand, the safety function control unit 305 prohibits the lower traveling body 1 from proceeding (forward) forward (to the right in the figure) in response to the traveling operation of the lower traveling body 1, and activates the operation stop function. This is because the worker 811 is in front of the shovel 100 in the traveling direction, and therefore if the shovel 100 continues to proceed, the shovel 100 will approach the worker 811, and contact will occur between the shovel 100 and the worker 811.

[0175] 8B, similarly to the working situation 810 in Fig. 8A, the excavator 100 is in a state in which the swing angle of the excavator 100 is 90 degrees to the left with respect to the straight-ahead direction of the lower traveling structure 1 (the right direction in the figure). Also, there is an operator 821 detected by the detector 304 diagonally to the right rear of the lower traveling structure 1 and diagonally to the right front of the crawler 1CR.

[0176] In this case, the safety function control unit 305 allows the lower traveling body 1 to advance (reverse) backward (to the left in the drawing) in response to the traveling operation of the lower traveling body 1. This is because the shovel 100 moves in a direction away from the worker 811, and therefore no contact between the shovel 100 and the worker 811 can occur. The safety function control unit 305 also allows the lower traveling body 1 to advance (forward) forward (to the right in the drawing) in response to the traveling operation of the lower traveling body 1. Although the shovel 100 approaches the worker 812 as the lower traveling body 1 travels, it is somewhat away from the end of the occupied width of the shovel 100 (the dashed dotted line 822), and therefore no contact between the shovel 100 and the worker 811 can occur even if the shovel 100 continues to advance (straight forward).

[0177] 8B, when a traveling operation corresponding to gentle turning traveling of the lower traveling body 1 to the right is performed, the shovel 100 moves toward the worker 812 while turning to the right. Therefore, when the traveling operation of the lower traveling body 1 is gentle turning traveling to the right, the safety function control unit 305 may prohibit the advancement of the shovel 100 and activate the operation stop function. This allows the safety function control unit 305 to more appropriately activate the operation stop function according to the content of the traveling operation of the lower traveling body 1.

[0178] In this way, when the shovel 100 is likely to come into contact with the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304 in response to the operation of the shovel 100, the safety function control unit 305 activates the operation stop function and stops the operation of the shovel 100 for the operation. On the other hand, even if the shovel 100 approaches the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304 in response to the operation of the shovel 100, the safety function control unit 305 allows the operation of the shovel 100 for the operation in the case where the monitoring target does not come into contact with the shovel 100. Specifically, the safety function control unit 305 determines whether or not the shovel 100, which is the driven body, comes into contact with the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304, and allows the operation of the shovel 100 for the operation of the shovel 100 when it determines that no contact will occur between the shovel 100 and the monitoring target. At this time, the safety function control unit 305 may allow the operation of the shovel 100 while activating the operation deceleration function to decelerate the operation speed of the shovel 100, or may allow the operation of the shovel 100 without activating the operation restriction function of the shovel 100 itself. In this way, the periphery monitoring device 200 allows the operation of the shovel 100 when no contact occurs between the shovel 100 and the monitored object, thereby achieving a balance between the safety of the shovel 100 and the work efficiency. Therefore, the periphery monitoring device 200 can more appropriately stop the operation of the shovel 100 depending on the presence of an obstacle (monitored object) around the shovel 100.

[0179] [Method for controlling display of surveillance images when a surveillance target is detected] Next, a specific example of a monitoring image display control method performed by the display processing unit 301 when the detection unit 304 detects a monitoring target will be described with reference to FIG. 9 (FIGS. 9A to 9C).

[0180] 9A to 9C are diagrams showing specific examples of a monitoring image when the detection unit 304 detects a monitoring target. Specifically, Fig. 9A to Fig. 9C are diagrams showing first to third examples (monitoring images 910 to 930) of a monitoring image when the detection unit 304 detects a monitoring target.

[0181] First, as shown in FIG. 9A, under the control of the display processing unit 301, the display device 50 displays an image captured by the camera 40B (a through image) as a monitoring image 910.

[0182] A worker 911 wearing a helmet and a reflective vest appears in the monitoring image 910. In this example, the worker 911 is wearing both a helmet and a reflective vest, and is therefore detected by both the detection unit 304A and the detection unit 304B.

[0183] Furthermore, a frame 912 indicating that a worker 911 has been detected by the detection unit 304A is superimposed on the monitoring image 910. This makes it easier for an operator or the like to recognize the presence and position of the worker 911 detected by the detection unit 304A.

[0184] Furthermore, the display mode of the frame 912 may change depending on the distance from the shovel 100 to the monitoring target (worker 911) detected by the detection unit 304 (detection unit 304A). For example, the frame 912 may be displayed in yellow when the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304A is relatively far from the shovel 100, and may be displayed in red when the monitoring target is relatively close to the shovel 100. This allows the operator or the like to grasp the positional relationship (distance) between the shovel 100 and the monitoring target through the display mode of the frame 912. The same may be true for the frame 932 described below.

[0185] Additionally, an arrow image 913 is superimposed on the monitoring image 910, indicating that a monitoring target (worker 911) detected by the detection unit 304B is present within the monitoring image 910. This allows the operator or the like to recognize that the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304B is present within the currently displayed monitoring image 910.

[0186] The arrow image 913 points inward into the monitoring image 910. In this way, the arrow image 913 can specifically indicate that a monitoring target (worker 911) detected by the detection unit 304B is present in the monitoring image 910.

[0187] Moreover, the arrow image 913 is composed of a plurality of circular images (specifically, 14 circular images), and the monitoring image is exposed from the gaps between the circular images. This allows the operator or the like to properly grasp the state of the surroundings of the excavator 100 corresponding to the portion of the monitoring image 910 where the arrow image 913 is displayed, even when the arrow image 913 is displayed superimposed on the monitoring image 910. The same applies to the arrow images 921, 922, 933 to 935 below.

[0188] The display mode of the arrow image 913 may change depending on the distance from the shovel 100 to the monitoring target (worker 911) detected by the detection unit 304 (detection unit 304B). For example, the arrow image 913 may be displayed in yellow when the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304A is relatively far from the shovel 100, and may be displayed in red when the monitoring target is relatively close to the shovel 100. This allows the operator or the like to grasp the positional relationship (distance) between the shovel 100 and the monitoring target through the display mode of the arrow image 913. The same may be true for arrow images 921, 922, 933 to 935 described below.

[0189] In this example, the monitoring image 910 is displayed over the entire display area of ​​the display device 50, but the monitoring image 910 may be displayed in a manner that leaves a margin in the display area of ​​the display device 50. In this case, an arrow image 913 may be displayed in the margin. The same may be true for arrow images 921 and 922 described below. The arrow image 913 may be displayed not only when a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304B, but also when a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304A. The same may be true for arrow images 921, 922, 933 to 935 described below.

[0190] Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, the image captured by camera 40B (through image) is displayed as a monitoring image 920 on display device 50.

[0191] In this example, the monitoring target (worker) is detected by the detection unit 304B outside the range around the excavator 100 corresponding to the monitoring image 920.

[0192] Arrow images 921, 922 indicating that a monitoring target has been detected by detection unit 304B outside the range surrounding shovel 100 corresponding to monitoring image 920 are superimposed and displayed on monitoring image 920. This enables an operator or the like to recognize that a monitoring target has been detected outside the range surrounding shovel 100 corresponding to monitoring image 920.

[0193] The arrow image 921 is displayed superimposed near the vertical center of the left end of the monitoring image 920, and points outward and to the left of the monitoring image 920. As a result, the arrow image 921 can indicate that the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304B is present in the circumferential left direction (for example, the imaging range of the camera 40R) of the range around the excavator 100 corresponding to the monitoring image 920. In other words, the arrow image 921 indicates the direction in which the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304B is present, based on the monitoring image 920. As a result, the operator or the like can intuitively grasp in which direction the monitoring target is present, based on the monitoring image 920 currently displayed on the display device 50. Therefore, the operator or the like can perform an operation to switch the display content of the display device 50 through the input device 52, and cause the display device 50 to display, as a monitoring image, an image captured by the camera 40R including the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304B in its imaging range.

[0194] The arrow image 922 is displayed superimposed near the vertical center of the right end of the monitoring image 920, and points outward and to the right of the monitoring image 920. As a result, the arrow image 922 can indicate that the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304B is present in the circumferential right direction (for example, the imaging range of the camera 40L) from the range around the excavator 100 corresponding to the monitoring image 920. In other words, the arrow image 922 indicates the direction in which the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304B is present, based on the monitoring image 920. As a result, the operator or the like can intuitively grasp in which direction the monitoring target is present, based on the monitoring image 920 currently displayed on the display device 50. Therefore, the operator or the like can perform an operation to switch the display content of the display device 50 through the input device 52, and cause the display device 50 to display, as a monitoring image, an image captured by the camera 40L including the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304B in its imaging range.

[0195] In addition, when the detection unit 304 detects a monitoring target outside the range around the excavator 100 corresponding to the monitoring image displayed on the display device 50, the display processing unit 301 may maintain the state in which the monitoring image is displayed on the display device 50 unless an operation to switch the display content is performed through the input device 52. This is because the operator or the like can grasp the position of the detected monitoring target through the arrow images 921 and 922. This allows the periphery monitoring device 200 to prioritize the user's intention regarding the display content of the display device 50. In addition, another display device may be provided in the cabin 10 in addition to the display device 50. In this case, when the detection unit 304 detects a monitoring target outside the range around the excavator 100 corresponding to the monitoring image displayed on the display device 50, the display processing unit 301 may automatically display the captured image of the camera 40X corresponding to the position where the monitoring target is present on the other display device. This improves the convenience of the operator or the like. Furthermore, when a monitoring target is detected by the detection unit 304 outside the range around the shovel 100 corresponding to the monitoring image displayed on the display device 50, the controller 30 may inform the operator, etc. of that fact in another manner instead of or in addition to informing the operator, etc. of that fact through the display device 50. For example, when a monitoring target is detected outside the range around the shovel 100 corresponding to the monitoring image displayed on the display device 50, the controller 30 may inform the operator, etc. of that fact by outputting a predetermined sound or voice through the sound output device 54.

[0196] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9C, a monitoring image 930 including a viewpoint converted image EP based on the images captured by the cameras 40B, 40L, and 40R and an excavator image CG is displayed on the display device 50.

[0197] In this example, a worker 931 wearing a helmet and a reflective vest is shown in the monitoring image 930 at a position corresponding to the rear of the upper rotating body 3. In this example, the worker 931 is wearing both a helmet and a reflective vest, and is therefore detected by both the detection unit 304A and the detection unit 304B.

[0198] Furthermore, a frame 932 indicating that a worker 931 has been detected by the detection unit 304A is superimposed on the monitoring image 930. This makes it easier for an operator or the like to recognize the presence and position of the worker 931 detected by the detection unit 304A.

[0199] Additionally, an arrow image 933 is displayed in the monitoring image 930, indicating that the monitoring target (worker 931) detected by the detection unit 304B is present in the monitoring image 910. This allows the operator or the like to recognize that the monitoring target detected by the detection unit 304B is present in the currently displayed monitoring image 930.

[0200] The arrow image 933 is displayed superimposed on the viewpoint conversion image EP, and points inward from the outer edge of the viewpoint conversion image EP, that is, from the portion corresponding to the horizontal image HVP. In this way, the arrow image 933 can specifically indicate that the monitored object (worker 931) detected by the detection unit 304B is present in the monitoring image 930. The arrow image 933 is also arranged superimposed on the portion of the viewpoint conversion image EP (horizontal image HVP) corresponding to the rear of the upper rotating body 3. In this way, it can be indicated that the monitored object (worker 931) detected by the detection unit 304B is present behind the excavator 100.

[0201] The arrow image 933 may be displayed in a blank space around the viewpoint conversion image EP in the monitoring image 930. When the detection unit 304B detects a monitoring target on the left side of the upper revolving body 3 (for example, the imaging range of the camera 40L), an arrow image 934 (dotted line) may be displayed in a portion of the viewpoint conversion image EP (horizontal image HVP) corresponding to the left side of the upper revolving body 3. At this time, the arrow image 934 may be displayed superimposed on the viewpoint conversion image EP (horizontal image HVP) as in the case of the arrow image 933, or may be displayed in a blank space around the viewpoint conversion image EP in the monitoring image 930. The same applies to an arrow image 935 described below. Similarly, when the detection unit 304B detects a monitoring target on the right side of the upper revolving body 3 (for example, the imaging range of the camera 40R), an arrow image 935 (dotted line) may be displayed in a portion of the viewpoint conversion image EP (horizontal image HVP) corresponding to the right side of the upper revolving body 3.

[0202] [Effect] Next, the operation of the shovel 100 (periphery monitoring device 200) according to this embodiment will be described.

[0203] In this embodiment, a sensor is provided for acquiring information regarding the intensity of reflected light received from objects around the shovel 100 and information regarding the distance to the objects around the shovel 100. Then, the controller 30 performs at least one of outputting an alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel 100 based on the output of the sensor.

[0204] This allows the periphery monitoring device 200 to use not only information on the intensity of received light such as infrared light, but also information on the distance to objects around the shovel 100. Therefore, the periphery monitoring device 200 can recognize objects using information on the intensity of received light, for example, and can grasp the distance between the shovel 100 and the recognized object using information on the distance to the objects around the shovel 100. Therefore, the periphery monitoring device 200 can suppress situations in which variations occur in the conditions for outputting an alarm or restricting the operation of the shovel, and can further improve the safety of the shovel 100.

[0205] In addition, in this embodiment, the sensor is a single sensor 45X, and may obtain information regarding the light reflection intensity of objects surrounding the shovel 100 and information regarding the distance to the objects surrounding the shovel 100 by irradiating light (infrared light) around the shovel 100 and receiving the reflected light.

[0206] This allows the periphery monitoring device 200 to detect monitoring targets around the shovel 100 using a single sensor 45X (for example, LIDAR) and activate safety functions such as outputting an alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel 100.

[0207] In addition, in this embodiment, the sensor may include a first sensor (e.g., sensor 45X) that acquires information regarding the reflection intensity of light from objects surrounding the shovel 100 by irradiating light (e.g., infrared light, etc.) around the shovel 100 and receiving the reflected light, and a second sensor (e.g., camera 40X) that acquires information regarding the distance to objects surrounding the shovel 100.

[0208] As a result, the periphery monitoring device 200 can use multiple sensors (for example, camera 40X and sensor 45X) to detect monitoring targets around the shovel 100 and activate safety functions such as outputting an alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel 100. can.

[0209] In addition, in this embodiment, the controller 30 may, based on information regarding the intensity of reflected light received from objects around the shovel 100 and information regarding the distance to the objects around the shovel 100, at least one of outputting an alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel 100 when it detects an object that receives a relatively high intensity of reflected light and is relatively close to the shovel 100.

[0210] Thereby, when the perimeter monitoring device 200 detects a worker wearing clothing with reflective material (for example, a reflective vest) in a range relatively close to the shovel 100, it can activate a safety function such as outputting an alarm or restricting the operation of the shovel 100. Therefore, specifically, the perimeter monitoring device 200 can ensure the safety of the shovel 100.

[0211] [Transformation / Change] Although the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

[0212] For example, the function of the detection unit 304 in the above-mentioned embodiment, that is, the detection device capable of identifying the wearing status of the safety equipment, may be provided in a structure (e.g., an entrance gate, etc.) of the work site, other work machines (e.g., bulldozers, cranes, etc.), mobile vehicles (e.g., trucks, etc.), and buildings (e.g., temporary offices, etc.). As a result, for example, a manager of the work site can grasp the wearing status of the safety equipment of the workers at the work site over a wide area of ​​the work site by using the detection result of the detection device. Therefore, the manager can perform safety management of the work site by using the detection result of the detection device. In addition, information on the detection result of the detection device may be recorded in the storage unit. In this case, the detection device and hardware (e.g., a terminal device or a server device) that realizes the configuration of the storage unit, the recording unit, etc. may be provided in the same place, or may be provided in different places in a manner that allows communication via wire or wirelessly.

[0213] Moreover, the periphery monitoring device 200 according to the above-described embodiment and modified examples may be mounted on any work machine other than the shovel 100. For example, the periphery monitoring device 200 may be mounted on a lifting magnet machine, a bulldozer, a wheel loader, an asphalt finisher, a forestry machine, or the like to which a lifting magnet is attached as an end attachment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0214] 30 Controller 40 Imaging device 40B, 40L, 40R Camera 45 Surrounding information acquisition device 45BL, 45BR, 45L, 45LF, 45LR, 45R, 45RF, 45RR Sensor 50 Display device 52 Input Device 54 Sound output device 54a Horn 54b Driving alarm 56 Hydraulic control valve 100 Shovel 200 Periphery monitoring device 301 Display Processing Unit 302 Setting section 303 Storage section 304 Detection unit 305 Safety function control section

Claims

1. a sensor that acquires information regarding the intensity of reflected light received from objects around the shovel and information regarding the distance to the objects around the shovel; a control device that performs at least one of outputting an alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel based on the output of the sensor, The sensor includes a first sensor that irradiates light around the shovel and receives reflected light to acquire information about the intensity of reflected light from objects around the shovel, and a second sensor that acquires information about the distance to the objects around the shovel, the control device is capable of detecting a predetermined object based on an output of the first sensor, and is also capable of detecting the predetermined object based on an output of the second sensor; the first sensor and the second sensor acquire information about an object in at least one direction among the rear, the left side, and the right side of the upper rotating body, and are provided such that, in an angular direction in a top view centered on the shovel, a range in which the control device can detect the predetermined object based on the output of the first sensor is wider than a range in which the control device can detect the predetermined object based on the output of the second sensor; the first sensor acquires information regarding the distance in addition to information regarding the intensity; the control device performs at least one of outputting the alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel based only on information regarding the distance acquired by the second sensor out of information regarding the distance acquired by each of the first sensor and the second sensor. Shovel.

2. a sensor that acquires information regarding the intensity of reflected light received from objects around the shovel and information regarding the distance to the objects around the shovel; a control device that performs at least one of outputting an alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel based on the output of the sensor, The sensor includes a first sensor that irradiates light around the shovel and receives reflected light to acquire information about the intensity of reflected light from objects around the shovel, and a second sensor that acquires information about the distance to the objects around the shovel, the control device detects a predetermined object based on the information related to the intensity and the information related to the distance, and when the intensity of the reflected light received from the detected predetermined object is higher than a predetermined standard and the detected object is within a predetermined range adjacent to the shovel, performs at least one of outputting an alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel. Shovel.

3. the first sensor acquires information regarding the distance in addition to information regarding the intensity; the control device performs at least one of outputting the alarm and restricting the operation of the shovel based only on information regarding the distance acquired by the second sensor out of information regarding the distance acquired by each of the first sensor and the second sensor. The shovel according to claim 2.

4. the control device is capable of detecting a predetermined object based on an output of the first sensor, and is also capable of detecting the predetermined object based on an output of the second sensor; the first sensor and the second sensor acquire information about an object in at least one direction among the rear, the left side, and the right side of the upper rotating body, and are arranged such that, in an angular direction in a top view centered on the shovel, a range in which the control device can detect the specified object based on the output of the first sensor is wider than a range in which the control device can detect the specified object based on the output of the second sensor. The shovel according to claim 2 or 3.

5. the second sensor is an imaging device; A shovel according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images